Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society
The Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society, known locally as The Store, was a co-operative based in Newcastle, a city in New South Wales, Australia. The Store was described as "the largest and most successful co-operative society in the southern hemisphere".[1] [2]
The co-operative was established in 1898, based on a co-operative tradition brought from Britain by immigrant coal miners.[1] At its peak, the Store had 98,000 members and employed 1,450 workers in 15 retail stores and 11 service station "food courts". As well as food and retail goods, services included "[a] health fund, funeral fund, travel agency, credit union and a barber shop."[1] The Newcastle Herald states that in 1942, the Store was "reputed to have the largest bakery in Australia, making about 62,800 loaves a week".[1]
Increased shopper mobility and competition from suburban shopping centres saw the Store wind up in 1981.[1]
The Hunter Street Newcastle building had remained in a prominent place on the bend, intersection on Hunter Street, being used for markets,supermarket, and stores, until in 2015 NSW Government purchased the Hunter Street Newcastle building.[3] Doma Group brought the building for $200 million.[2] In 2021 it was demolished to make way for a new development. [3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Scanlon, Mike (8 December 2017). "The Store's influence". Newcastle Herald. Fairfax Ltd. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ a b "$200 million transformation of The Store site Newcastle". Doma Group. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ a b "The Store | Hunter & Central Coast Development Corporation". www.hccdc.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
External links
- Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society archives – Hunter Living History
- History of the Newcastle & Suburban Co-operative Society - Hunter Living History
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