Men Who Shaped Our Destiny

1 September 1939

When I first recollect Gillman's corner the house was built back from Victoria street. It was a brick cottage of four rooms and stood back about 27ft. from Victoria street and had a verandah on the street side and on the north end a large store-room on Stephen street side a big verandah over the shop front. Back from Stephen street about 20 feet, also a bulk store at the east end of the shop, and a butcher's shop where the lane is now between Clarke's store. Afterwards a Mr. H. Caporn had a saddler's shop in it. A big stone warehouse was where Clarke's now is and Trigwells had a blacksmith shop where Rural Motors are now located. Trigwell's house was next, then Mr. Gillman had the long store and stables, also the bulk store and another long wall of brick that was built and for years had no floor or roof. Then came a brick shed roofed and a lattice front used as a bulk store by a Mr. Atkins, who had a store on the corner where the store of Haywards now stands. The place had been brought from up at Australind and re-erected. Later Mr. Atkins built a two storey shop and house and it was not altered for years when Haywards bought the block from Rural Motors to the corner which they still own. A Mr. Hands came as accountant to Gillman while in the corner shop and was there for a couple of years and then opened a shop near the Rose Hotel. Later he bought a block from Pratt's, where the Prince of Wales Hotel now stands, and put up a shop and dwelling and warehouses at the back. Later he sold out and built where the new theatre now is. He had a fire in the shop, and although a lot of stock was burnt the building did not suffer much so he kept on after the repairs and lived there till he passed away. He also had a number of buildings, called Hand's Barracks, where Mr. I. Hough's carpenters shop now stands. There was a double wooden building and towards Clifton street and down it there were several rooms. One detached part now stands as it was built in Clifton street. It has never been altered since it was built. Mr. Hands also had a big house near the silo site that had been put up by a Dr. Lovegrove, who left there and built what is now part of the private hospital (St. Rocke's) in Spencer Street.