Nos 25-33 Curdie St
This plaque is located at 33 Curdie St.
No 33: Did you know that a time capsule is buried in the front of the corner shop at No 33, Curdie St? It was discovered in 1937 by Lindsay Orton who added more history to it before returning it to its resting place.
The five shops between No 25 and No 33 Curdie St have housed many businesses with stories to tell.
According to Lynette Blake, her grandfather William Orton bought the whole block (including the corner store at No 33) in the 1880s. William had just married Marion Cameron from Camperdown. They started their own cash store venture in Cobden. William added shops to the corner store for others to lease.
F J Hoare then tenanted the general store from 1910 before Swintons (groceries and clothing) arrived from Warrnambool to hold the No 33 lease for many years.
Unfortunately, in May 1937, No 33 and the adjoining shops burnt down in the town’s worst fire to that time. The previously-mentioned time capsule was discovered when the shops were re-built by Lynette’s father, Lindsay, a long-time Heytesbury Shire councillor and president. The Ortons now owned shops up to the current squash courts in Victoria St, and east to, and including, the current Blue Wren, a separate shop he later sold.
Swintons eventually sold their business to Stan Burke before Frank and Dulcie Roberts established their state-of-the-art supermarket in the 1960s. They continued to lease No 33 from the Ortons until Stan Lee Jnr and John took over in 1972. Lees left for a larger site on the north side of Curdie St in the 1980s.
Some years after Lindsay died in 1969, Dorrie Orton sold all five shops to Con Katsaros who constructed an arcade within No 33. This saw Gaye Delaney then Marj Fisher in Kay-Gee Stretch Fabrics, Jan Larkin, Karen Finlayson, and Lyndel Mackay (hairdressers), and Gwen Whelan then June Laurie (Malone) with children’s footwear all run from the three small shops within the complex.
In 1997, No 33 was again renovated to become Dr Andrew Griffiths’ Curdie St Clinic with hairdresser Natalie Pekin co-tenanting. It is hosting Fiona Dean’s chiropractic business in 2024.
From an architectural point of view: “Although altered at ground level, the row of shops is of aesthetic and historical significance for their construction in the late 1930s. The original parapets and some other elements of the shops remain to demonstrate their date of construction.” (Corangamite Heritage Study Stage 2 Volume 2, Ray Tonkin and Samantha Westbrooke)
In 2010, the son of Con Katsaros, Chris sold the five shops to Michael and Joy Nowell who, in 2023, passed them on to David Spedding of Modewarre.
Our guess is that they have all just learnt about the time capsule securely buried under No 33.
SOME BUSINESSES IN THE OTHER FOUR SHOPS HAVE INCLUDED:
No 31: Apparently where the 1937 fire started – in Mrs Lewry’s café. Since then, Reg Boughton Snr fixed radios in No 31 and Reg Jnr ran a gift/toy shop and library, then Jim Clementson had a sports/toy store. Phillip and Jenny Morris ran Kintana Plants & Crafts before Heather Matthews bought it in 1986 and renamed the business Heather’s Flowers & Gifts. This meant Heather had both No 31 and No 29 until the shoe shop closed in 1995. Flowers & Gifts closed in December 2003. More recently, Joy Nowell’s lollies and café was popular and Helen Smith still has sweets as a sideline to her sewing machine business.
No 29: A shoe shop for 60 years! Jos ‘Sank’ Pilkington, Joe Gordon, Lloyd Rix, van Beckhovens, Max and Barbara Johnson before Heather Matthews changed to ladies’ shoes and clothes as ‘Heather’s Matchmates’ in 1984 until closing in 1995. Then, June Laurie (Malone) moved her shoe business into No 29 when she left No 33 prior to its renovation. She also closed her business in 2003. Sarah Lilley and Jessica Rohan ran hair salons in recent years with Rachel Reynolds opening Kin and Folk in 2023.
No 27: Businesses included Dennys Lascelles, John Blake (real estate, insurance), Eric Whelan (Bowen Therapy) the Woolley family (clothing), Taneaka Brewer (Desire Body and Beauty) and Kelsey Fratantaro (KK Massage).
No 25: Wedge Buslines, Keith Grinham’s grocery shop, Vic Jones, Peter Mitchell, Geoff Port (all menswear), John Mitchell’s shooting supplies, Peter Narik (Manchester Unity), Janelle Rohan’s Bowen Therapy and Cobden Creative Health (Helen McLaren and Elaine Dryburgh). Dawn Lehmann’s video hire store was here briefly some time after leaving No 23 Curdie St.
