Shopping

Through the 40’s, local shops boomed with Keong’s Store, Steven’s Kiosk and Moles’ General Store.
In the late 60’s/early 70’s, Bamford’s Ferguson Street shop (Coffee Club) was ‘IT’. The one and only, that carried everything from newspapers to groceries. Next came a cut Price Store at Roberts Top Shopping Centre (our first REAL supermarket) with the cheery welcome of Sue Alton and the home delivery of groceries by Roslyn McKechnie.
Then, in the late 70’s, locals Roy and Cecily McGrath gave us Albany Village, on the front of Karl DuKamp’s Property (now Centro). The McGraths then went on to build Albany Markets (720 Albany Creek Road), ANZ Bank, Diggers Pies etc. (Front of Wrucks’ property) And of course, the Woolworths Marketplace was constructed, at the front of the Peter Campbell marketed Albany Forest in the early 90’s.
Mole’s Store was the very first shop in the early 1900’s right next door to the Uniting Church on Albany Creek Road. It is marked by two historical camphor laurel trees that flanked the front of the shop and refuse to die despite the best effort of council to poison them.
I have photos of all these before and after developments in our “Now & Then” photo collection, click on “photo gallery”.
Now, with the inclusion of medical centres, tavern, strip shopping on Albany Creek Road, abundant neighbourhood centres; if Seth Mole were around, he just wouldn’t believe it was the same place. His store was dismantled and re-erected at High Barbaree on Albany Creek Road (Compton Village) and was then removed to the McLeod property up Caboolture way.
The question is, are we better off? Do we really have more?
Take Mr William’s Cut Price Store – Order in person over the phone before lunch for no delays personal afternoon delivery; with some ‘on the tick’ credit for known customers; staff even looked you in the eye and the interest seemed genuine; the shopping experience – cheerful and no queues lines of 15 or less.
In the global multi-national world of chains, brand names and franchises, it’s harder today to get these large enterprises to financially support local community groups and whilst their staff are integral to the local area, the corporate pockets seem sewn up. Is the choice of service better now than 50 years ago when, each suburb had its own general and/or corner store, when most parties knew each other by name?
Karl Marx preached that capitalist competition leads to capital concentration, i.e. monopolies.
The corporate boardroom pack mentality of today seems to see profit by acquisition and to a lesser extent, profit by margins trading and service. No wonder Mary Cash had to fight off the local natives when they attacked the slab hut on the banks of Cash’s Crossing. The European attitudinal approach as compared with that of the indigenous was as wide as the Pacific. Prior to July 16, 1799, the aboriginal culture was clear. The hunter could track, kill, gather enough food only to suffice the appetite, kill only for survival, live in groups up to 60 and move on, don’t foul the land.
The Bribe Island landing of Matthew Flinders introduced the European forerunner of today’s standards:- land ownership, public facilities, larger community grouping served by distribution networks.
In the real estate industry, the sales patter of the franchisee and marketing groups seems clone-like. Only the branding names are different and well known brands are now replaced with “Store Brands”. Numerous groups are now owned by non-agents.
When you make your next purchase, invest in yourself and shop locally. Even if the short-term cost is greater by cents, its makes sense to support the passionate independents.
I would not have survived the rigors of life with the local Jagera Tribe.

For eyeball-to-eyeball better real estate shopping and 37 years of personal service, phone me, Peter Campbell 3264 2311 or 0418 774 663

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Peter Campbell - 0418 774 663