Anderson and Gardiner - The Corner Store, Koo Wee Rup

In August 1946 the Koo Wee Rup Sun reported that
Mr L. Anderson and Mr T. Gardiner wish to notify the people of Kooweerup and district that they have purchased The Corner Store business of Mr E.R. Williams, Kooweerup. The public is assured that they will maintain the popularity of the store by giving only the best value, quality and friendly service. From Monday, August 12, a full delivery will be commenced, when orders will be called for and delivered throughout the district. (1)  The store was on the corner of  Station Street and Rossiter Road. 

Report of Anderson and Gardiner taking over the business

Koo Wee Rup Sun, August 7, 1946, p. 1.

The first advertisement of Anderson and Gardiner in the Koo Wee Rup Sun

Koo Wee Rup Sun, August 7, 1946, p. 4.

1953 - you can see Anderson and Gardiner's store on the left.

Weekly Times, March 18, 1953 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224028894

Weddings

Leigh Edgar Anderson and Thomas George Gardiner had come from Sunshine where they were both employed with the McKay Massey-Harris works. They both married after their arrival in Koo Wee Rup. Thomas married on March 12, 1947 to Miss Loris Lilian Naylor of Sunshine.  The Sunshine Advocate reported on the wedding -

St. Andrew's Church, Footscray, was the setting, on March 12th, for the marriage of Loris Lilian, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ern Naylor 24 Sydney St., Sunshine, to Thomas George, only son of Mrs. Gardiner, and the late Mr. Gardiner of Caulfield. Rev. Stevens officiated. A gown of lace and net over satin was worn by the bride with a finger tip length veil held with a coronet of orchids. A bouquet of orchids, frangipanni and gladioli completed a charming ensemble.

Mrs. J. Davies attended as Matron-of-Honor, in a frock of hand painted white taffeta. She carried a bouquet of pink dahlias and gladioli. Mr. Alan Polson supported the groom as best man. The bride's mother chose a black crepe frock and black hat, both trimmed with blue. A black tailored coat over a floral frock with small black hat was worn by the bridegroom's mother.

A reception was held at the Hotel Federal, Melbourne where 20 guests were entertained. When leaving for the honeymoon, spent at Lakes' Entrance, the bride travelled in a blue suit with black accessories. The happy couple will reside at Kooweerup, where the bridegroom has recently entered into business. (2)

 

Leigh married on November 12 the same year to Miss Doreen Rosetta Walpole of Footscray, at St John's Church of England, in Footscray. I can't find a full report of their wedding, however the Sunshine Advocate reported on their engagement function at the Sunshine Golf Club - Last Saturday evening a most pleasant Social Evening was held and a presentation made to those very popular players, Miss D. Walpole and Lee [sic] Anderson on the occasion of their engagement. (3)

Engagement report of Leigh Anderson and Doreen Walpole

Sunshine Advocate, October 24, 1947 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74776370

The Koo Wee Rup Sun published a short report on their wedding -
A wedding of local interest is this afternoon (Wednesday) to take place at St. John's Church of England, Footscray, the contracting parties being Miss D. Walpole, of Footscray, and Mr E.L. Anderson of the Corner Store, Kooweerup. The Rev. Brand will be the officiating clergyman and the reception will be held at the Federal Hotel, Melbourne. Following a honeymoon of two weeks the newly married couple will reside in Kooweerup. (4)

Marriage report of Leigh Anderson and Doreen Walpole

Koo Wee Rup Sun,  November 12 1947 p. 1

The Store

Anderson and Gardiner were fairly regular advertisers in the Koo Wee Rup Sun and in 1958 they re-modelled and modernised the store and introduced self-service.  It was also around this time that the store became a Foodland. (5)

1958 - the new-look store

Koo Wee Rup Sun, December 10, 1958, p. 7

Anderson and Gardiner advertisement 

Koo Wee Rup Sun, December 9, 1959, p. 4

Thomas Gardiner obituary

Thomas Gardiner died on February 25, 1961 aged only 56 years old. The Koo Wee Rup Sun published an obituary - 

Mr. T. Gardiner dies suddenly. The death occurred on Saturday night of Mr. Thomas George Gardiner of Kooweerup. The late Mr. Gardiner and his wife were on holidays at Rye, when he was suddenly taken ill and died a short time later. Mr. Gardiner appeared to be in excellent health and his sudden death came as a great shock to his many friends throughout the district and beyond. Sympathy of the district is extended to his widow in her sad loss. 

Residents will remember Tom Gardiner first and foremost as a gentleman. He carried this quality into his business and social life and it was indeed a feature of his everyday living.

Born in the Shepparton district fifty-six years ago, the late Mr Gardiner learnt the grocery trade in his father's business. Later he went to Melbourne and worked at the McKay-Massey Harris plant at Sunshine. At the age of eighteen he became friendly with another employee at the plant, Mr Leigh Anderson, and that friendship has existed closely ever since. 

In 1946 the partnership of Anderson and Gardiner took over the management of the Corner Store at Kooweerup, and in that same year Mr. Tom Gardiner married Miss Loris Naylor and the couple made their home in Kooweerup.

The partnership of Anderson and Gardiner built the typical country general store into a flourishing business and some three years ago they opened their modern self-service and hardware store on the site of the old "corner store."

Many arm-chair critics said that Tom and Leigh were a little too far-seeing in their plans. However, the policy put into practice by the two partners had proved successful, not only to themselves, but has been of great benefit to Kooweerup as a town. The present building stands as a tribute to the late Tom Gardiner and to the remaining partner, Mr. Leigh Anderson.

The link of friendship which had existed between Tom and Leigh over a  period of nearly 40 years could not be broken by the frailities of human misunderstanding, nor by the worries and differences of business life.  It remained to the bitter hand of fate to strike  the blow which severed the seemingly undissoluble partnership. It was a sad stroke of luck that Mr. Tom Gardiner, having helped to lay the foundations of a successful business, was not spared to enjoy the fruits of his labours for  a least a few additional years. 

Many Kooweerup and district friends attended the funeral which took place on Tuesday at the Fawkner Crematorium. (6)

Obituary of Thomas Gardiner

Koo Wee Rup Sun, March 1, 1961 page 1

Thomas was born in 1905 to Samuel and Ellen (nee Cooper) Gardiner. He and his wife Loris did not have any children.  Loris was listed in the Electorate rolls at Koo Wee Rup until 1967 and she was then listed at 5 Holland Grove, Caulfield. This is the last I can trace of her. (7)

Leigh Anderson obituary

Leigh Anderson died on June 25, 1966. This is his obituary from the Koo Wee Rup Sun - 

Sudden Death of Well Known Kooweerup Businessman. It is with the deepest regret that we record the death of one of Kooweerup's leading citizens and businessmen, Mr Edgar Leigh Anderson at his home in Charles Street, Kooweerup on June 25th.

His death came as a great shock to his large number of friends in this area. Although he had been away from his self-service store for a number of days his sudden death was totally unsuspected by his family and close friends. 

The late Leigh Anderson was born in the country at Mt. Clare near Ballarat and attended Ballarat High School. A great part of his early life was spent in the Sunshine area, where he was on the staff of McKay-Massey Harris. Here by his meticulous attention to detail and quiet efficiency he became one of the firm's leading moulders, a position he held for many years.

It was during this time at the Sunshine plant that he met Tom Gardiner and a friendship developed which brought both men to Kooweerup and into the life of business and close friendship, which lasted until death severed the link. Anderson and Gardiner became a well known business in this area when the partners took over the Corner Store in 1946.The store was formerly occupied by the late E.R. Williams.

Shortly after coming to Kooweerup Leigh Anderson married his wife Doreen and the couple settled in the town.

The advent of the partners to Kooweerup was the forerunner of big things for Kooweerup. In 1958 the flourishing business was expanded into a modern self-service grocery and hardware store. It was the greatest single lift the town had ever had, at a time when its trade seemed certain to go to bigger centres. 

The late Leigh Anderson was an excellent sportsman and showed the same application and determination he had in his commercial life. He played cricket at Sunshine in his younger days and for a short time with Kooweerup. He was also a very good golfer playing on a handicap of 11, but he gave up the game for as he said, "I could just not master the darn game." He was president of the Lang Lang  Club when the course was located on the site nearer Lang Lang. 

Leigh then took on bowling, again with the same determination and developed into the best bowler the club has produced. He won many of the club events and his knowledge put many a bowler on the way to success. The illness which caused his sudden death also forced him to give up competition bowls some time ago.

The extremely large and representative crowd which attended his funeral today was a tribute to a man who was respected for his ability and sincerity of manner who will be a great loss to the community. The service was held at St. George's Church, Kooweerup and the funeral then proceeded to the Springvale Crematorium. The officiating minister at both places was Rev. Fuhrmeister.  The sympathy of the district is offered to his wife and two sons, Ron and David. (8)

Obituary of Leigh Anderson

Koo Wee Rup Sun,  June 29, 1966 page 1

Leigh was born in 1904 to James and Lillian (nee Cooke) Anderson. Doreen, born in 1918, was still listed in the 1972 Electoral Roll at Koo Wee Rup; she then moved to Cranbourne. Doreen died in August 1998. (9)

After the death of Leigh Anderson, I assume the business was sold. The last advertisement for the store, under their name was in the Koo Wee Rup Sun of September 6, 1967

Last advertisement for Anderson and Gardiner in the Koo Wee Rup Sun

Koo Wee Rup Sun, September 6, 1967, p.4

The advertisement the next week was this one, now just known as the Corner Store.

Corner Store advertisement

 Koo Wee Rup Sun, September 13, 1967, p. 3

Footnotes

(1) Koo Wee Rup Sun, August 7, 1946, p. 1.

(2) Sunshine Advocate, March 28, 1947, see here.

(3) Sunshine Advocate, October 24, 1947, see here.  

(4) Koo Wee Rup Sun,  November 12 1947 p. 1.

(5) Self service - Leigh Anderson's obituary - Koo Wee Rup Sun,  June 29, 1966 p.1; Foodland - advertisements in the Koo Wee Rup Sun

(6) Koo Wee Rup Sun, March 1, 1961, p. 1.

(7) Indexes to Victorian Births; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(8) Koo Wee Rup Sun,  June 29, 1966 p. 1.

(9) Indexes to Victorian Births; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Cremated at Springvale https://www.smct.org.au/deceased-search/detail?id=49cd4053-529a-ef11-8a69-00224811c475

Les O’Riordan’s recollections - early township buildings

In 1968, Dave Mickle interviewed seventy-six year old Les O’Riordan. John Leslie O’Riordan was born on August 26, 1892 and is said to be the first white child born in the Koo-Wee-Rup Village settlement. His father, John O’Riordan, opened a store in the town in 1890 - it was a tin shed at the rear of what is now Light’s garage.

Les married Margaret Colvin in August 1918 and they lived at Mallow,  which is now the head quarters of the Historical Society.  The house was built by her father, John Colvin. Margaret’s brother, A.C Colvin (Andrew) opened a cycle shop in the town in 1911 and later became an Agent for Ford Cars. Les died in October 1978 and Margaret in October 1955; they had three children.

Some of the interview with Les is published in Dave’s book Mickle Memories, but we also have the notes from the interview at the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp  Historical Society, so what follows is a combination of both.

This is the map that Dave Mickle drew up  whilst talking to Les O'Riordan.

Rossiter Road
From the corner store going northwards (or down towards Bayles) On the left there was Thomson’s butchers shop, Ross the saddler, Bergin the bootmaker and Turner’s sweets shop, which was  just before Jack Gray’s house. Next was Keighery’s bootmakers and saddlery.  Still going north there was a timber building housing the London Bank (later moved to its current location – the ANZ bank). When the bank moved, Ben Darlington operated his radio shop from the site (where the car yard was).  Just over Gardiner Street was Mrs Greys’ shop,  then the Presbyterian Church and the Memorial Hall.

Station Street
Back to the Rossiter Road/Station street corner - the corner store was built for Bullocks, then owned by Finnigan, Battersby, Malouf, W.A Stephenson, Ernest Cougal and Ernest Williams. Along Station Street was the new London Bank, then a small paddock and Joe Morrison’s black smiths shop.  Next to Joe Morrison was Colvin’s cycle works and his Swastika café which he leased to the Misses Gallagher in 1922.  The swastika was originally a symbol representing well being and was used by many cultures until the rise of the Nazi Party in the 1930s. In the 1920s in Koo-Wee-Rup it was just a symbol of good luck, nothing sinister.

Station Street in Koo-Wee-Pup - the small building on the left is the Post Office. Next to it is the Swastika cafe.

Molly O’Riordan’s post office was next - it was described by Les as a small square building under a large pine tree, clearly seen in the picture, above.  This little post office was removed and Colvin’s built a garage (Albons).  At the rear of this site, the O’Riordans had built a coffee palace some years previously. It burnt down on the late 1920s/ early 1930s.  O’Riordan’s residence and store were next, on the corner of Moody Street.  A room at the back of the store was used as the first hall.  Behind the hotel was Wilkins (later Johnson) bakery and Johnson Brothers (later De Vries) butchery.