How did the many corner shops and businesses in New Farm (pre-supermarkets) survive?
It was a very different time when people walked to the shop, the butcher, the chemist, the doctor, the church …….
To keep this project manageable, we will concentrate on corner stores and butcher shops, but if you have other relevant stories to share, we can keep your memories in our archives until this part of the project is completed and we move onto another subject.
We are enlisting your support for this project.
What recollections and photos do you have of shops and businesses in New Farm?
Information we would like for our research project includes:
- What sort of business?
- What did it sell?
- Was it family run?
- Where was it located?
- When did it start?
- When did it finish?
- Why did it close?
- Were home deliveries offered?
- How were stocks replenished?
- How many staff and who were they?
- Family or employees?
- Did it advertise?
- Do you have any relevant photos?
We will confine our area of interest to the 4005 postcode area bounded by Harcourt St, Chester St, Kingsholme St and the River, and the intention is to gather this information and put it together in a presentation.
It will take time but we are aiming to finalise it early next year.
We will keep you informed of progress along the way.
What should you do?
- write down your memories and bring to the next meeting
- send an email with your story – info@newfarmhistorical.org.au
- ask for someone to interview you and write your story
- look through your photos for anything that relates to corner stores – it might be a photo of the store, or there may be something relevant in the background (such as the stack of goods on the shelves of the photo here)
Last weekend I visited Chouquette the French bakery in Barker Street in New Farm. My recollection from my young adult hood was visiting a French bakery in that same shop or close by called THE FLOUR SHOP but when I mentioned it no one had a recollection of that name and it is not registering on Google. To my mind, it was the first French patisserie that I’d come across in Brisbane and the bread was sensational. Do you have records of this establishment that may bear out my memory?
Hello Peter
Apologies for the late reply. Sadly Chouquette closed suddenly a few days ago after 20 years operation! Regarding the Flour Shop, I recall a Flour Shop Bakery at 88a Merthyr Road opposite Merthyr Village a few years ago. That particular shop seems to change hands regularly. Currently I think it is a Sushi Shop, with a Tea Shop and a barbershop alongside. I was not able to find anything else about the Flour Shop. Regards, Bruna Burello-Day, NFDHS Newsletter Editor and Membership Secretary: membership@newfarmhistorical.org.au.