The site was originally owned by George French and later his widow. A Dance Hall was built and called the Diggers Hall and sat back from the road. In front of the hall was a General Merchants shop owned by the French’s and as the sign say’s, successors to M King and Co. The Diggers Hall was sold to the RSL in 1921. The RSL rebuilt it and moved it out to the footpath and added the QCWA room to the front in about 1923 and renamed it Memorial Hall. The Hall was demolished after the new Memorial Hall (103 Archer Street) was built in 1986. In 1990 Woodford Shopping Village opened. In 2011 the site became Woolworths Car Park. On the south side next to the Hall was a shop started by J Cowling selling groceries etc. He traded for some years from 1914 to the 1920’s when Tommy Burns took over. Percy and Dorothy Hodgson took over in 1945 added an extension and called it the Q & P Store. They sold everything from a needle to an anchor. After WW2 Ted Brown and family took over followed by Stevens and Maggs. Then Alan and David Hall, opened up Foodland there. Alan later took it over as a saddlery and then a second hand store. It was burnt down and the remains demolished. The shop, presently Lifeline (71-75 Archer Street), in front of Woolworths car park was first Cobb’s Saddlery however that building burnt down. It was rebuilt and over the years these businesses have been in the building.
Thornton’s Fruit Shop
Arthur Brodies Café in the 1950’s.
Tripcony’s Café in the 1980’s
Woody’s Take Away
Finklestein’s Take Away
A video store
Kerry’s On The Deck then the furniture store.
The next building down is now the Braisen Hussy (69b Archer Street). There has been Merv Brooke’s Ladies Hairdresser and for many years H.M. Ruddock and Co’s offices. There was also a real estate and gift shop there.
The small shop that is now Mandi’s Hair and Beauty (69a Archer Street) has been
A chiropractor
Charlies Chainsaws
Alan Hall Saddlery
Mrs Polly Watson’s Café.
My wife Peg, as a child, would visit her grandmother with her mother at 56 Archer Street which is now the Vet’s. If the women needed to have a chit chat little miss big ears was sent over to Polly’s café to a thruppence ice cream. It was a big ordeal for a 6 year old country girl coming into town and have to get across the main road. The drains were a lot deeper and there were horses and buggy’s and bullock teams to dodge.
