In early March the Guildford General Store closed its doors and is now up for sale.

In response, concerned community members began asking for expressions of interest to raise funds to buy the building and turn the business into a community-owned and run co-operative.

At this early stage there have been nearly 70 expressions of interest.

“It is a treasured asset in our community, our hub, our connection and communication with everyone, such an important building,” says committee member Liz Monty.

“We decided really the only way forward was to make sure that we bought the building and set up a community co-op to run the store.”

In small rural villages the general store serves as a crossroads for the entire community. But over the years many places have seen their local shop close down as trade is taken up by supermarkets in nearby larger towns.

It is a process that has been repeated over and over again across country Victoria. And today with so few in operation, a functioning, if not thriving, local store is an anomaly and something to be proud of.

Until recently the Guildford General Store,in operation since 1916, was one of those businesses bucking the trend.

Located on the Midland Highway, 11 kilometres south of Castlemaine, the building, originally the Commercial Hotel dating back to 1865, has taken on an almost iconic status, a living relic of bygone years, featured in car ads and photographed by every passing tourist.

But now there is no telling what may become of the historic building and so several community meetings were held leading to the formation of an interim committee aimed at conducting groundwork to establish a co-operative.

Still, while Guildford has a growing population and the idea has widespread support, the co-op proposal will require a great deal of commitment to bring it to reality.

“We are in phase one which is finding out if we have really got the people behind us to give us the financial backing we need,” says Liz.

“We are putting out expressions of interest via the Guildford Co-operative website and need a minimum buy-in of $5000 which equates to a single share and membership of the co-op. That’s a lot of money we are asking for from our community.”

The proposed Guildford Co-operative will be a legally formed and registered distributing co-operative with an elected board who will oversee management of the business.

If sufficient interest is shown within the next two months the next steps will be to purchase the premises with a view to reopening the store.

While it is early days yet, the initiative is fuelled by a dream to see the store returned to what was considered its halcyon days when it was managed by the Zepnick family.

“When the Zepnicks ran it, everything was made on site including pies, pasties and meals. That was wonderful and we would love that kind of model back.

“But the opportunities are endless, there are so many nooks and crannies in that store including the stable tavern out the back which used to have a liquor licence. Time will tell.”

Guildford is a small place but has shown it has the spirit to overcome the trials and setbacks that beset so many rural villages throughout Australia. The last few years has seen the town succeed in reopening its primary school and attracting new families to the area.

And while the dream of a Guildford Co-operative may be a big ask in these tight economic times it just might be an idea whose time has arrived.

Link: www.guildfordcoop.com.au

Words & image: Tony Sawrey

One of Victoria’s largest trees, a majestic River Red Gum (eucalyptus camaldulensis) located near Guildford on the Midland Highway, has been awarded the prestigious title of 2023 Victorian Tree of the Year by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).
Known affectionately as The Big Tree, the tree is estimated to be more than 530 years old and stands at an impressive 32 metres. Trust CEO Simon Ambrose said the River Red Gum was a clear winner with more than 40 per cent of all votes cast. “Our winner is a well-respected landmark within the Guildford community, and voters have shown the significant contribution the River Red Gum has made to the local landscape with outstanding size and curious fusion of branches.”

A CFA volunteer since the age of 14, Guildford Fire Brigade Firefighter Will Dodson is always happy to help.

“I’m proud to be a CFA volunteer and wherever I am in the world I feel like I should help people,” Will said.

Will recently travelled around Ireland on holiday. While he was between Dublin and Cork he saw a plume of black smoke on the horizon and immediately knew it was a car accident.

“As we approached the accident, I saw a car engulfed in flames and an elderly man standing next to it. I pulled up to help him.

“The man looked like he was in shock and was standing quite close to the burning car. He said he’d lost his wallet and phone in the fire. He really needed some help and I was happy to give the man my time.

“I shouted to him to come over to me to move him to safety and I gave him water. Shortly after, the car exploded.

“A young man stopped to see if he could also help. I asked him if he could give the man a lift to the nearest town.”

Until recently, Will was the community safety coordinator for Guildford brigade and found the role very rewarding.

“I was the community safety coordinator for six to seven years and enjoyed engaging with the community,” Will said. “I liked building relationships and making a real difference in the community helping to organise fuel reduction burns and home inspections.”

Will is also a firefighter and will soon be carrying out pre-season training including a burnover drill, draughting and skills maintenance.

“The last couple of fire seasons have been quiet and brigade motivation can drop off. But we are gearing up for a much busier season this summer.”

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Kyle Barnes

Want to warm up for winter? Head to the Guilly. A friendly family pub just this side of Castlemaine.
The pub is well back up and running after a little incident, ok, they had a small fire, and ready to receive locals and visitors alike.
There is always a friendly welcome from owners and hospitality triple threats Tom and Megan, who know how to provide great food, drinks and atmosphere.
We always choose to sit in the front bar which has a fantastic fire roaring away during the cooler months but there’s also the refurbished dining room and plenty of people still opt for outside if the winter sun is shining.
On a recent visit with good friends Mr and Mrs B, we opted for a bar corner, so we could chat, ordered drinks from Tom and checked out the menu.
I chose, as I always do, the chilli & garlic prawn spaghetti ($32). It is so good, full of plump prawns, just the right amount of chilli and garlic and pops of cherry tomatoes.
Being a Sunday, Kyle went for the Sunday roast. A huge piece of pork, loads of veggies, a corker of a gravy and topped with crunchy crackling.
Our friends decided to both enjoy the lemon pepper calamari ($28) served with salad and chips. Now, everyone has had those 1970s stringy calamari rings but this is not that. It is lightly dusted, big pieces of calamari and it’s just perfect to the bite. I know, because it’s my other go-to meal here.
We weren’t up for desserts, perhaps because we started with a couple of serves of the cheese & garlic bread ($10) but there are three to choose from, all $14. The chocolate pudding, creme caramel or the vegan apple and rhubarb crumble.
The Guildford Family Hotel is open five days, with dinners on offer from Wednesday through to Saturday, and lunches on Saturday and Sunday. It’s also a great spot to just chill with a drink and watch the world go by, Wednesday to Friday from 3pm, and the weekends from noon.
If you are feeling lucky, make sure you head there for the Friday Night Raffle drawn at 7.30pm, supporting many local organisations and charities. So even if you don’t win, they do.
See you at the Guilly!