John Williams, Treasures of Nhill & District Facebook page, Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times
Nhill was headline news in 1974 as the town was flooded after 6 inches of rain, but business continued to keep its head above water, and new ventures such as Lowan Whole Foods, which had just begun operations, were even established.
At the Nhill Hospital, Jason McCartney, AFL football star and Bali bomb survivor had taken his first breath. The G.J. Coles Victoria Street store had just left town. However, many other enterprises continued to be a big part of the Nhill economy.
Keeping our radio and TV sets humming were Frank Bound, L.R Schultz, W.L & R.M Day and Thomas Brothers. The local sparkies were George Curkpatrick and Dave Raymond.
Keeping our voices humming were singing and music teachers Frances Kennedy and Eunice Morris.
Our cars were kept in tune at Bullen Brothers, Fischers, Bongiornos, Williams, Des Warners, Laurie Sara and Len Scott auto electrical and we filled up at four road houses with Shell, BP, Esso and Mobil.
Tyres could be bought from Beaurepaires or Sherwell Tyres. And our vehicles may have died at West Wimmera Wreckers or re-chromed at Nhill Electroplaters.
Trumble, Palmer, Turner, and Hobday took care of our legal issues. Dr. E. Bailey or the long-serving Digby Harris took care of our aches and pains. For toothache, we bravely went to Dr. Gill. Sore backs were treated at the Jeffers Chiropractic clinic, and sore toes were seen to by Ivy Rowe, the Chiropractor.
If we wanted a holiday, we called on Reichelt’s Desert Tours or travel agent Max Bussau.
Max was out of the paper shop game, which was now looked after by two newsagents… H. Preston and D. McLennan.
Gardeners would frequent Don Thompson’s nursery and you had the Victa fixed at Bill Wilson’s mower shop.
Ladies’ fashions and or haberdashery and fabrics were the realm of Coralie Carland, Jan Sherwell Gloria Robyn and Margaret Orford. Footwear was looked after by Williams the Shoeman and Edwards. Men’s clothing could be found at the Joe Morris shop or Nhill Stores. Hair cutters were “Diane” and A. Baker.
Glorious food was sold by Hoffman’s Supermarket, a fishmonger, Bowden’s Dairy, two butchers, C. Handley and M. Gilmour, the Duck Farm, Dick Jones Deli and John McGrath Health Food Shop.
Bruce Macfarlane, John Hall, Peter Hall and Mrs Lamb had the cafes in Nhill at that time.
Other shops were Hensleit Sports Store, Jock’s Outdoor Centre, Loves Canvas Goods, John Smith Watchmaker, Powell’s Handicrafts, Robert Sherwell’s Gifts, a dry cleaner, and the two chemists Macauley’s and Batrouney’s.
Beer was on tap at the Commercial, The Union and Farmers Arms Hotels. Accommodation was available for travellers at the Wimmera, Nhill and Half-way Motels.
Those leaving the town could put their house on the market with Real Estate Agent Kitch Dahlenburg.
But staying put may have meant painting the house. (White is the only colour in Nhill) so a visit to Toulmin Brothers Colour Bucket paint shop. A. Norman would do the job.
To furnish the house there was Freijah Brothers and Earl Kilpatrick for the floor coverings.
For builders there was Carlands, Mulhallens, Ridgewells, Cummings and Wallis. The brickies were Schneider and Morgione. For plaster you saw Percy Turgoose.
Elders Smith Goldsborough Mort, Dennys Lascelles, Southern Farmers, and Victorian Producers kept the farmers supplied and advised them. Crompton Edwards bought wool and skin, Noske Brothers Produce, and Deckert and Merrett Produce.
Andrew Mason, the Nhill Tractor Service, E. C Davis and Pola’s sold farm machinery. Light engineering and manufacturing have been in Nhill from the beginning and in 1974 the roll call named Ray Sherwell, John Przylylski, C.C Perry, Rethus Engineering, A Mcleod and Austral Steel. A very different business was the Plastics Factory set up by A. G Mulhauser just after the war.
In the transport business the names included Mann, Clark and four different Merretts. Rintoules and Bullens ran buses and carrying stock from local farms were G.J. Bone, Evan Campbell and S.R. Dickinson.
At the time, Nhill boasted five banks… the CBA, CBC, National, Bank of NSW and the State Savings Bank.
Looking through the various Back to Nhill Publications and Nhill books including Nhill’s Fabulous Century and the Land of the Lowan to find the above information, one can see many businesses only survive a couple of decades as the economy ebbs and flows. (Apologies if anyone has been missed).
Long gone but not forgotten… But one thing is constant… the names of the Nhill people who had a go. Some failed, some retired, some moved on to other ventures. There are many familiar “Nhill names”… and many pop up on this blog.
This article appeared in the Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times, 7 August 2024.
