Shops come and go – but for a while they are part of our routine, and when they go there’s often a sense of loss. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and discover eight shops from Penrith’s past…
The Handy Shop
Located at 29 Castlereagh Street in Penrith, this classic corner shop ran for decades – with the shop and the cottage next to it generally sharing the same owners.
Once owned by the Gregory and Jay families, Cyril Bellingham owned it for a period before Vincent O’Farrell took over in 1969.
It has since been demolished.
Fleming’s Corner Shop
Fleming’s Corner Shop was located on the western side of Queen Street in St Marys, on the corner of Crana Street.
It was primarily a disposal shop that sold industrial clothing and footwear.
Waltons
Waltons was one of the first chain retail giants to dominate the Penrith shopping scene, but its life in the city was short-lived in the big scheme of things.
Waltons had been in a small shop near Lawson Street in Penrith, before moving into two floors of the newly completed Borec House in 1971.
The store remained in Borec House until moving into its iconic home on the corner of High and Station Street, opening in 1973.
A retail powerhouse through the 1970s, things went awry when Alan Bond bought Waltons in 1981. By 1987, the Waltons name had disappeared, with stores that didn’t close being re-named Venture and Norman Ross.
Millen Bros Butchers
The Millen brothers opened their butcher’s shop in 1901.
It was located on the north side of High Street, opposite the Bank of New South Wales.
The shop was purchased by Walter Wood and Son in 1934.
The man and woman are brother and sister Maggie and Horace Millen. The identity of the child is unknown.
Scott’s Auto One
It’s an iconic, long-standing building on York Road – right across the road from Jamison Park.
And it’s been home to a range of businesses over the years.
For many years, building on the corner of York Road and Preston Street housed Scott’s Spare Parts, ultimately re-branded as Scott’s Auto One.
It has since been Repco and The Mower Centre and is now Stratco.
Dick Smith Electronics
Dick Smith had a number of retail outlets in Penrith over the years.
Perhaps the most iconic was on the corner of High and Riley Streets in Penrith, which was hugely popular in the 1990s.
Many locals would have purchased their first personal computer from this particular outlet.
It is now a bank.
St Marys Fruit King
Before the supermarkets became the go-to for busy shoppers, local fruit shops were all the rage.
This is St Marys Fruit King, located on Queen Street in St Mars. It was owned by the Mercuri family for many years.
Roley Price’s Barber Shop
Perhaps Penrith’s most famous barber, Roley Price was in the business for 50-odd years.
His shop was at 378 High Street in Penrith, before moving to the lane behind 389 High Street (pictured above).
For reference the lane provided direct access between High Street and Edwards Place Car Park.
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