The Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society, known locally as The Store, was a
co-operative based in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
, a city in New South Wales, Australia. The Store was described as "the largest and most successful co-operative society in the southern hemisphere".
The co-operative was established in 1898, based on a co-operative tradition brought from Britain by immigrant coal miners.
At its peak, the Store had 98,000 members and employed 1,450 workers in 15 retail stores and 11
service station "food courts". As well as food and retail goods, services included "
health fund, funeral fund, travel agency, credit union and a barber shop."
The
Newcastle Herald states that in 1942, the Store was "reputed to have the largest bakery in Australia, making about 62,800 loaves a week".
Increased shopper mobility and competition from suburban
shopping centres
A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof.
The first known collec ...
saw the Store wind up in 1981.
The Hunter Street Newcastle building had remained in a prominent place on the bend, intersection on Hunter Street, being used for markets,supermarket, and stores, until in 2015 NSW Government purchased the Hunter Street Newcastle building.
Doma Group brought the building for $200 million.
In 2021 it was demolished to make way for a new development.
See also
*
Rochdale Principles
References
External links
Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society archives– Hunter Living History
History of the Newcastle & Suburban Co-operative Society- Hunter Living History
History of Newcastle, New South Wales
Cooperatives in Australia
Organizations established in 1898
Australian companies disestablished in 1981
Australian companies established in 1898
Retail companies established in 1898
Retail companies disestablished in 1981
Organizations disestablished in 1981
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