History Notes - old chemist shop

History Notes

Market Day on Saturday was another successful day with the usual numbers of patrons together with most of the usual attendants. Congratulations to David York who secured the fruit box.  One of our visitors on Saturday came to see the Museum after almost ten years absence and was impressed with the Museum as it is today - we look forward to another visit from her later in the year.

This week we have had an enquiry about the ‘old chemist shop' on the corner of Alice and Queen Streets - it is now a private home. I find that this building has been ignored in most history books apart from Maurie Conway's history book and the Retirement Homes souvenir book.

Richard Blackall was the chemist for many years from the 1890s until the First World War. His chemist shop was probably on the eastern side of Queen Street and was taken over by his son, Harry Blackall in 1916. I suspect that Harry also lived in the old Blackall home behind the western side of Queen Street.

It is unknown when the shop on the corner was built but is likely to have been around 1920 after Harry and his wife settled into running the chemist's shop. We are very short on details about this building and there are few photos of the shop- perhaps someone has an early photo, even in the background of a town photo could assist.

Harry ran the new chemist shop for many years moving into the main block of shops at some stage. He married and his only child, Wanda, grew up in Barraba. She was a good friend with several Barraba people born in the early 1920s and used to come back for visits after leaving Barraba.

In 1949 Harry Blackall died aged 61 years and he is buried in the Barraba Cemetery beside his brother, John. Mrs Blackall sold the business to Ken Stanton and she and Wanda left Barraba.

From various records it seems that the old chemist shop on the corner was empty for many years until well into the 1950s before the library moved in. Mrs Blanche Perry was in charge of the library for many years but not always in that building. If anyone has any further information about the library in Barraba we would like to hear about it. As most people know there is usually someone at the Museum on Friday and Saturday mornings so just call in for a chat or a suggestion about Barraba's library history.