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Standing opposite the railway station, this small store was erected in the year of Federation, a decade after the coming of the rail line. With the land subdivision fanning out from the station, a newsagency was an inspired choice. As Arts-and-Craft style houses arose rapidly on the undulating paddocks, in moved the doctors, and the lawyers, and the business men, all out to solidify family reputation.
In the early 20th century in Sydney, there were two morning papers, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Telegraph, and two afternoon papers, The Daily Mirror and the Sun. This was the major role of the newsagent – to sell newspapers. Together with his extended family, he worked long hours selling items with limited mark-up. To broaden his appeal, carried the first editions of the new ‘women’s’ magazines, The Women’s Weekly and Woman’s Day.
Domestic gambling was a scourge still to invade the suburbs.
4 comments:
In the context of this blog I prefer your story telling to plain history.
Yes, me too. This sort of story was so hard to write. There was no fun in it for me. But I did not want to bring fictitious people into it.
I have a few more non-people images this week (scattered). I want to develop a method for coping when faced with bricks and mortar, or trees and creeks!
I wonder what turn of the century customers would make of "Photocopy and Fax here." You sure give yourself hard challenges.
Actually, it is a very ugly shop-front, yes? And so many newsagencys look like this now - gambling dens.
They should give out eye-shades and cigars as we cross the threshold.
Hah ... there is the start of the story that I could not write last night. Blow me down ...
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