Through the 1950s staff included Betty Buckingham, Isla Sommerville,
Loretta Lazarus and Olive Bowd. On August 6, 1955 the town was saddened when Stubby died at 78 years after a long illness. In his obituary the Sea Lake Times reported that he had "taken a live interest in everything connected with the Sea Lake town and district and has been one of our best citizens over a long period." His involvements included the Bowling Club (secretary for 30 years and Life Member), Memorial Hall (secretary for over 30 years and instrumental in fund raising for the new hall for which he was presented with a gold pocket watch, one of his most treasured possessions), Coursing Club (founder, secretary and slipper), Football Club, Cemetery Trust, Methodist Church (Trustee and secretary of the Flower Show) and A. & P. Society. In the valuation of the Newsagency following Stubby's death the circulation figures show daily sales of the Sun (255), Argus (48), Herald (35), Age (17) and weekly sales of the Weekly Times (173), Truth (145), Womens Weekly (124), Woman's Day (82), New Idea (42), Post (39) and Saturday Sporting Globe (40). Weekly running expenses were shop rent £4, wages £16/1/2, electricity 2/4d and telephone 8/-. Tobacco sales amounted to £44 while other shop sales were equal to paper sales at £97 per week. The Argus which had been declining for some time finally ceased publication in 1957 and in 1959 the old drapery shop which had served the business since the 1920s finally succumbed to white ants and was duly demolished to make way for a new double brick building erected by Noel Anderson. (Note the walkway behind the iron fence. This was wrongly assumed to be part of the drapery title when the new shop was built and caused a new survey many years later!) Bert and Ollie, just prior to Bert's passing in 1955. The old Drapery Shop just prior to demolition in 1959. Note the old walkway between the shops - access to the old boarding house rooms behind. |
