Bluestone co-editor Carol Altmann with some of the bargains to be had at the Koroit Lions Club op shop: a down vest, collectable spoon and retro, Johnson-ware plate, all for $3. (Artwork in background is by Carmel Wallace.)
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #DC943C;”] A [/dropcap]t the risk of starting a passionate debate – then again, why not? – could Koroit be home to one of the best, old-style op shops in the south-west?
The Koroit Lion’s Club op-shop in a former kindergarten building in High St has been open for less than six months, but is already pulling the crowds from around the district and mostly through word of mouth.
Indeed Bluestone has learned the shop is turning over at least $1000 a week – more than $20,000 in total thus far – which is bringing smiles to the faces of the Lion’s Club which uses all of this money to fund a range of community projects in Koroit. It sure beats slaving over a sausage sizzle every Saturday!
And what is the secret to its success? From our assessment, it is the fact that the op shop is how op shops used to be before going more boutique, ie. slightly rambling, slightly cluttered and cheap, cheap, cheap.
Since opening for business in March, the Koroit Lions Club op shop has turned over $1000 a week.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #DC943C;”] W [/dropcap]hile there are glass cabinets here and there displaying “special” items, such as what appeared to be a set of Bakelite coasters for $10, there are also racks of clothes, shelves of shoes, piles of plates, cups, cutlery, knick-knacks, toys, china, vases, videos, CDs, DVDs and all of the other irresistible gizmos and gadgets that make up an op-shop, with prices marked at 20 cents, 50 cents, $1….you get the picture.
In a place like this, $5 can go a very long way.
We purchased a down vest (90 per cent down, 10 per cent small feathers), a must-have collectable spoon from Talbot featuring a female lawn bowler with arms completely out of proportion to her body and a 1970s Australian-made, Johnson ware plate – total cost: $3.
The thinking behind the op-shop is to move the goods on as quickly as possible, hence the bargain prices, rather than have them piling up. Like most op-shops, donations of goods keep rolling in and can quickly become overwhelming.
The op-shop also offers Eftpos and credit card facilities. Be warned: this place could get seriously addictive.
Weekend trading hours – and Eftpos – have proven part of a winning formula for the Lions Club op shop in Koroit.
[box]The Koroit Lion’s Club Op-Shop, 92 High St (next to the CFA), Koroit, is open Mon, Wed and Friday from 10am-4pm and Saturday from 10am-1pm.[/box]
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Artist Clare Fennessy, who works under the name Clare Claybody, in her new studio space at the rear of the historic property she recently bought in Koroit.
Words and photos by Carol Altmann
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A5CECD;”]O[/dropcap]nce known as the domain of retired potato farmers, onion growers and devout Catholics, the south-west hamlet of Koroit is becoming cool – very cool.
The signs of a town in transformation are all there: a Thai restaurant, a retro bookstore (The Bookworm), a revived Country Women’s Association bursting with members aged under 45, and a steady stream of young artists and thinkers choosing Koroit as the place to buy their first home.
And if that isn’t enough to convince you, then the recent arrival of the spiritual shop, Sacred Stones, the expansion of the local IGA supermarket, the success of the monthly food swap*, and the popularity of local meditation classes, poetry slam and yoga nights should do it.
Seabreeze coffee roaster and barista Tim Mellor has been watching the transition a little more closely than others.
He reversed a trend 18 months ago by moving out of Port Fairy to Koroit, because of its affordability. Koroit offered all of the same rich history and country town charm, but without the over-blown house prices (the average is around $280,000, but rising).
“Port Fairy has become very, very expensive, so younger families are now looking elsewhere,” Tim says.
“What we have is an evolving community that is moving from footy and cricket into a place that still loves its footy and cricket, but is also developing other interests,” Tim says.
Seabreeze coffee roaster Tim Mellor and barista Kerry Hughson in the new cafe Tim has opened in the main street of Koroit after looking at the changing demographics of the town.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A5CECD;”]T[/dropcap]im dug around into the statistics that confirmed a much younger demographic was moving into Koroit, compared to Port Fairy, and this sealed the deal for his decision to open an espresso coffee shop in the middle of town.
The former fish and chip shop on Commercial Road has been scraped back, repainted, redecorated, refurnished and officially open for business as of this weekend, with barista Kerry Hughson, formerly of The Farmer’s Wife, in Port Fairy, behind the espresso machine.
“Even though we have still been setting up, the women from local exercise class have already made us their coffee stop…and the bike riding guys turned up the other day,” Tim says, smiling.
Figures from the 2011 Census, and available on the Moyne Shire Council website, reveal that Koroit is indeed a nimble little town: only 17.9% of people living in Koroit are aged 60 or over, compared to 32.9% in Port Fairy.
After a dip around the time of the global financial crisis, house prices in Koroit have been on a steady climb, but still remain affordable by most standards. Source: Australian Property Monitors.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A5CECD;”]I[/dropcap]n the same vein, 22.3% of Koroit folk are homebuilders, compared to only 16.7% in Port Fairy, and 27.2% of the Koroit population is aged under 17, compared to 20.9% in Port Fairy.
Artist Clare Fennessy (aka Claybody) is among the new arrivals, having bought her first home in the main street of Koroit about 12 months ago.
The historic former fruit and sweet shop is full of the character that people pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for in Melbourne and sits on a block that is large enough to contain a house, a courtyard, a garage, a studio, a workshop, a fernery and a cosy room at the front that Clare intends to use as a small gallery.
“I love Koroit. It is a very cute town and everyone in the shops knows you by your first name,” she says, laughing.
The main street of Koroit is still packed with character and original buildings like this fabulous old garage. Image: Bluestone Magazine.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A5CECD;”]S[/dropcap]ince Clare, 33, moved into her house, locals have been keen to help her uncover its history, with suggestions that its location on Spring St gave the street its name: apparently there was a natural spring in the yard and people would come to collect spring water.
“We think it might be there,” Clare says, pointing to a cement slab that looks suspiciously like it might be covering a well.
It is one of the many charming stories she has already collected and intends to investigate further.
When she is not working on her ceramics (or home renovations!), Clare works at the only childcare centre in town which is exactly 90 steps – yes, 90 steps – from her front door. It is so close, it can barely be called a commute.
“There is really no excuse to be late for work,” she laughs.
Bess Krause found a renovator’s delight in downtown Koroit and restored it back to life. She is part of a new generation of people moving to Koroit to buy their first home.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A5CECD;”]N[/dropcap]ot far from Clare’s property is that owned by Bess Krause, 29, who three years ago bought a 100-year-old miner’s cottage earmarked for demolition and, with the help of family and friends, has completely restored it to life.
The blue-and-white cottage has since become one of the most distinctive houses in the street and is within walking distance of what is considered downtown Koroit.
“You think Koroit is tiny, but it has all the necessities, but sometimes you don’t realise they are there until you live here,” Bess says.
“I can walk down to the bakery, go and have a coffee…head up to the rail trail, which I really love.”
Again, affordability was a big attraction and while Bess works in Warrnambool, she finds the 15-minute – or three-song – commute enjoyable.
“It gives you time to decompress from the day; you can play a couple of songs on the cd player and just unwind,” she says.
Koroit is nothing if not quirky – and a stickler for tradition. The annual Koroit Irish Festival, held at the weekend, still pays homage to the town’s Irish ancestry.
[box]*The Koroit Food Swap is held at 10am on the third Saturday of each month at Healing House, next to Sacred Stones, 123 Commercial Rd. The next swap is May 16. Contact Loretta on 0425 022 447 for more information.[/box]
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This edition, Margaret Donehue writes about an annual walk coming up in Koroit on May 2 in memory of a man who championed the working class and Alison Aplin has feedback on her open garden, Timandra.[/box]
William McLean’s memorial in the Tower Hill cemetery.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #8F9F59;”] D [/dropcap]ear Readers,
Among the old graves in the Tower Hill cemetery is the grave of a Koroit-born shearer, William McLean who was born in 1870. He died a penniless criminal released from jail early so that he could die at home.
McLean’s grave, paid for by donations from working class families at the height of the Great Depression is an impressive polished red granite column with the top incomplete to symbolise an unfinished life. The epitaph is attributed to poet and writer Henry Lawson.
For many years after his death, locals walked each Sunday to McLeans grave and, in 1932, five hundred people attended a memorial there.
A small group still gather each year on the Saturday of the Koroit Irish Festival and after a five-minute history lesson, the energetic participants walk the scenic route around Tower Hill to Mickey Bourke’s pub in Koroit. The less energetic gather at the coffee shop or pub to get a head start on the refreshments before going to the festival. This is family friendly and everyone is welcome at this year’s event on May 2.
Like many shearers of his time, McLean followed the seasonal work to the large shearing sheds in central and Western NSW. Under a forced agreement of the times, shed hands were paid five shillings – less than 50 cents – per week and any worker who left before all the work was complete would not be paid.
The living standards for these workers were abysmal and they had no legal rights. In an attempt to gain some rights, 8000 rural workers joined the Australian Workers Union and many lived in strike camps, supported with food and necessities from the local community while they tried to find sustainable work. A number of men received six months jail for belonging to a union and those associated with strike camps received two years hard labour on an automatic charge of riot.
On August 26 1894, unionists, including William McLean, went to Grassmere station to talk to non-unionists. On entering the shearers hut, McLean was shot in the lung and John Murphy, who accompanied him, was shot in the back.
Six men – John Jones, John Virgin, Hughe Graham, Hector Osborne, Albert Kerr and Alfred Montgomery – attempted to carry McLean and Murphy back to the camp. They were stopped by police and all eight were arrested and charged with riot. All defendants, including McLean and Murphy, who were carried into court on stretchers, were given two years hard labour. After suffering harsh prison conditions both men died from their wounds.
Over a century after his death, the column on McLean’s grave continues to immortalise a local hero.
You may wish to access the “ McLean Walk” Facebook Page for more details on the walk as they come to hand.
Margaret Donehue
* * * *
The spectacular Timandra garden at Narrawong.
Open garden success…despite the weather!
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] T [/dropcap]hank you to Bluestone Magazine for the promotion of Timandra’s Open Garden. Other than the shockingly cold and miserable weather, the open was a success, with $1200 donated to Portland District Health.
Because of the constant unreliability of the weather (which is obviously a figment of my imagination!) we will need to put a lot more thought into our opening days. The weather has a profound effect on visitor turn-out.
I feel that people would be more inclined to visit our garden in high heat than the cold, especially since the garden is at least 6 to 7 degrees cooler during summer from the canopy of trees.
But the response from the visitors was very positive. It is a very different garden in every respect, and people enjoy this difference immensely. People leave wondering how they can incorporate a little bit of what we do in Timandra in their own garden.
Sustainability will one day become the norm with private gardens, but it is a long and slow process bringing about change, even if it is for the better.
– Alison Aplin, Timandra, Narrawong.
[box]You can write to us at editor@bluestonemagazine.com.au Please include a full name, address and contact number. Letters are published at our discretion and may be edited for clarity only.[/box]
Koroit CWA secretary Kate Dobson, left, president Lisa Peters and publicity officer Cathy O’Brien are among a group of younger women who have revived the CWA in Koroit after an absence of more than 40 years.
[dropcap style=”color: #a02f2f;”] I [/dropcap]t was only a few years ago that the Country Women’s Association was facing something of a crisis, with its older members dying out and few young women signing up to refresh the ranks.
But a resurgence of all-things retro, combined with a concerted recruitment drive by the CWA, has seen a revival of small branches across Victoria – including Koroit.
Koroit had been without a CWA since 1972, which is when the last group folded after being unable to fill all the spots on its executive committee (you can imagine the mood at that particular meeting must have been sombre.)
That all changed in March last year, when a group of five, young, energised women from the Koroit area started a revitalised CWA group that reflects the traditional values of the CWA, but with a very modern twist.
“We are a lot more than just jam and scones,” says Koroit CWA President Lisa Peters, “although that remains a part of what we do”.
The CWA is no longer just about scones, but when the Koroit branch does make them, they are sensational…even on 40-plus degree day. (Image: Koroit CWA)
[dropcap style=”color: #a02f2f;”] T [/dropcap]he group, which has quadrupled its membership over the past year, has moulded itself around the competing demands of life for contemporary women, including holding its monthly meetings at night so that working women, and busy mothers, are able to attend.
“It’s a supportive environment as well as being really social. You get to meet and mix with different people from all walks of life,” explains Koroit CWA Secretary Kate Dobson.
“If you are not into sport, or you don’t have kids at school, there are not a lot of other options for social get togethers in a rural area,” she adds.
The current mix of members includes professional women, full-time mothers, farmers, tree-changers from Melbourne, the crafty and not-so-crafty, makers, bakers, movers and shakers.
“All of our members bring different skills to the group, from professional development skills right through to practical skills,” Kate says.
Tea-towels and teacups (displayed here at Kirkstall Hall) remain a nostalgic part of the CWA, even in a time of smartphones and Facebook pages. Image: Koroit CWA.
[dropcap style=”color: #a02f2f;”] A [/dropcap]s to what a 21st version of the CWA actually does, well it is perhaps best described as a hybrid of a social club, a craft club, apolitical activism, a fundraising club and a group that aims to build a sense of community by reaching out to each other.
President Lisa has experienced this sense of community first hand, having only recently moved to the area from the UK to marry her partner, Jeremy.
“Shortly after I arrived here I found out I was pregnant with twins and I had no family close by. When the twins were born, the CWA girls organised a food roster to deliver two home-cooked meals, twice a week, and that made such a difference,” Lisa explains.
One weekend may find the women running the gumboot toss at the local Koroit Agricultural Show, or skittles at the Koroit Irish Festival, or their attention may be focussed on helping to raise awareness of critical social issues, such as suicide prevention, or domestic violence.
Debbie Lenehan, left, wowed the judges at the Henty Group Creative Arts show with her mug bag that she has since taught the other Koroit CWA members how to make, including Sharon Wohlers, pictured.
[dropcap style=”color: #a02f2f;”] M [/dropcap]onthly meetings often include guest speakers (including an impromptu speech by Bluestone Magazine!), with every second meeting held as a dinner function at one of the local pubs or restaurants who are always delighted to see 20 hungry women walking in the door.
And while the Koroit CWA is very much about modern life, the traditional “cook-and-make” side of the CWA has not been forgotten. In fact shortly after reforming, the group hastily entered the Henty Group Creative Arts Exhibition and scooped a number of prizes for their preserves, baking and an innovative cup bag created by member Debbie Lenehan using a pattern from the internet.
“We had a scone-making fundraiser at the Kirkstall pub in February on what turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year. It was almost unbearable, but we made the scones and people still turned up to eat them, so people still love that side of the CWA,” Kate says with a laugh.
[box] The Koroit CWA recently won ‘Most Progressive Group’ for its region. It will hold its next monthly meeting (a dinner meeting) at the Kirkstall Hotel on June 18 at 7.30pm. Interested women are welcome to come along. You can also contact them via koroitcwa@hotmail.com, on Facebook or 0408 399 144 (Kate).[/box]
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After 27 years working in disability services around south-west Victoria, Dennis Melbourne has taken a new path and opened a secondhand bookshop in Koroit.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] M [/dropcap]any public servants, at some point in their lives, have sat at their desk and dreamt of opening a coffee shop, or a bookshop, or maybe both and Dennis Melbourne was no exception.
Dreaming and doing, however, are two very different things, and Dennis has only had the opportunity to pursue his life-long interest in books since retiring from the Department of Human Services last year.
Dennis, who lives in Koroit, has spent the early part of the summer setting up his second-hand bookstore, The Bookworm Gallery, in what was an empty shopfront at 133A Commercial Rd, Koroit, and has since had a “soft” opening while adding the finishing touches.
“I have always been a reader and loved books. Whenever I have moved, there has always been three or four bookshelves of books that have had to come with me,” he laughs.
After 27 years in disability services, including his most recent position as manager of disability accommodation across the south and western parts of Victoria, Dennis is ready to put his heart into a venture that may not make a lot of money, but which he does for the joy of it.
“I am opening gentleman’s hours – 10am to 4pm – and if I have a quiet day, I have a quiet day. I am just enjoying it,” he says.
The first few weeks, however, have been surprisingly busy, particularly during the recent Lake School of Celtic Song and Dance Festival at Koroit when “the shop filled up with Irish people looking for books”.
“Another woman wandered in and looked around and said she hadn’t seen an ‘old-fashioned’ book shop like this for ages,” Dennis adds.
Fresh start: Dennis has retained much the building’s character that it had when it was a newsagency.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] I [/dropcap]n setting up the bookshop, Dennis made a conscious decision to not change too much of the building’s character, so the Axminster floral carpet will stay, as will the original signwriting on the window advertising The Argus newspaper. The mood music is also just as likely to come from his vinyl LP collection as it is from a cd-player.
“But I have bought a coffee machine and a barista friend is going to teach me how to make coffees,” Dennis says.
While bookshops have no doubt suffered from the arrival of e-books, Dennis is among those who believe quaint, personalised bookshops still have a place and people still enjoy browsing and reading “the real thing”.
“Children also love to read. I have a spot set aside for them and they come in and they love reading the kid’s books,” he says.
A new bookshop in the main street of Koroit also brings a spark to a small town that is still yet to take off in the way that Port Fairy has, despite being cute, historic and only 10 minutes from the beach.
“Quite a few people living here now have done the seachange thing. I had a couple in here the other day who had sold up in Melbourne and were on their way to South Australia when they passed through here and thought, ‘this’ll do us,” Dennis says.
[box type=”bio”] The Bookworm Gallery is at 133A Commercial Rd, Koroit (next door to the newsagency) and is open Tue-Fri 10am to 4pm and Saturday 9am-4pm. [/box]
Read earlier stories on Koroit here…
Older letters here…
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