Commerce in the Macedons

Early-to-mid-20thcentury traders’ documents relating to the villages of Macedon and Mt Macedon give a great insight into the breadth of the many businesses that operated. Phyllis Boyd OAM concludes this look at the traders of 'the Macedons'.

Part 2 – Mount Macedon also known as Upper Macedon

TheMount Macedon Store was established in 1888.

In 1909, W  H Maclennan advertised ‘The Mount’ ladies walking shoes for 10 shillings a pair. His paperwork included the line “...I want to supply your wants so that you won’t want”. Tampling and Grant kept this slogan and included a photograph of the waterfall in future advertising, after they succeeded Maclennan, and advertised that they also were grocers, bakers, ironmongers and produce merchants on invoices dated from 1910 to 1912.

From 1913 to 1918, William Byrne ran ‘Post Office Stores’ as a general merchant and expanded in to "drapery, fancy goods and stationery". This business was taken over by Cyril Blyth from 1918 to 1930, adding "fresh fish daily" to the goods he supplied.

Samuel Eric Greenbaum (generally known by Eric) was the authorised newsagent who also supplied confectionery, cigars and tobacco as well as other goods from 1931 to 1939.

Frank Bellhouse was a builder and contractor in the early 1900s, Thomas Dunn was a carrier and cab driver from 1906, while George Tolley offered his services as house painter and decorator in 1907, charging sixpence for one pound of paint.

From 1907 to 1914, brothers Joseph and George Manassa, who were tailors from Syria, were also drapers and ladies costumiers and sold boots, shoes and suits to order. A verbal anecdote about Joseph holds that when a client had not paid his account for a suit, Joseph remarked, “If I’d known he wasn’t going to pay, I would have charged him twice the price!”

Finlay Phillip McInnes ran Mount Macedon Bakery from 1913 until 1929; his son William was proprietor until 1940, after which the business passed to G A Symons.

The Waterfalls Hotel in

Upper Macedon was owned by George Arthur Moore in 1914, and, by 1928, the hotel had been renamed the Oriental Hotel.

By 1925-26, Ralph Ronalds had the motor garage and advertised as a cab proprietor and carrier. On one of his overdue invoices, he stated bluntly, “Please kindly favour or further action will be taken”.

By 1959, John McLarty advertised that he was the owner of the Mount Macedon Service Station.

M Norton advertised as an authorised carrier in 1936, when the Cogger Bros were also offering a motor service. Mrs R H Dunn’s letterhead and order books, held by the Histocial Society, show that she was the proprietress of Mount Macedon Laundry from 1944, servicing the many large homes and guest houses that operated in the district.

Historical Happenings

Stables exhibit: The Stables, situated to the rear of the Court House, are once again open and house a new display which is attracting wide interest.

Exhibits include colourful components of the Gisborne TOWN (Take off weight naturally) organisation which began operating locally in 1999, as well as historical agricultural and local items, including a model of Caroline Chisholm’s Gisborne shelter.

The Stables, which housed the magistrate's horse and gig, and the original gaol are open daily from 10am to 2pm.

Cemetery Walk: The Historical Society will conduct a Gisborne Cemetery Walk on 29 March. Graves of historical interest will be selected and individually discussed. Those interested are asked to meet at the cemetery gate at 5pm. Our previous cemetery walk at Macedon was very well attended.

Open Meeting: An open meeting of the society will be held at the Court House at 3pm on 19 April. All are welcome to attend.

The Court House is open each Wednesday for people to request research and view exhibits.