Mossy Point Post Office Store, the Muffin Shop and The ARTery
MOSSY POINT POST OFFICE STORE: THE MUFFIN SHOP: THE ARTERY
1 SURFSIDE AVENUE MOSSY POINT.
Stan Stephens (See the entry for Stephens in the A to Z page) who built the Mossy Point Post Office store told Sue Kafe when she owned the store that he got the wood “over there” (waving his hand to the north-west) and milled it for building the store. Until 1924 logs used be floated down The River and milled near the mouth. So a small mill would have been set up to mill timber for building at or near Connells Point in the 1930s and 1940s, that would not have been uncommon as roads were poor and trucks were slow.
1 SURFSIDE AVENUE MOSSY POINT.
Stan Stephens (See the entry for Stephens in the A to Z page) who built the Mossy Point Post Office store told Sue Kafe when she owned the store that he got the wood “over there” (waving his hand to the north-west) and milled it for building the store. Until 1924 logs used be floated down The River and milled near the mouth. So a small mill would have been set up to mill timber for building at or near Connells Point in the 1930s and 1940s, that would not have been uncommon as roads were poor and trucks were slow.
It's not known what was used to power the sawmill, for interest there's a picture of a Model T Ford powered sawmill in the gallery.
From MPPA c1980: "Stephens opened the store (when the post office commenced we now don't know) about 1937". [There was some speculation within the MPPA at the time that the post office initially may have been called Rendezvous Point, but we doubt that].
Built by Stan Stephens and run by his wife Muriel, this is now The Muffin Shop and The ARTery.
Stan's father Frank Stephens Snr had a 'farmlet' on the flat between Hilmer Avenue and the River, near where blocks 220+ Annetts Parade are now, and provided eggs, poultry, vegetables and some milk to the store. Other goods were brought from Moruya.
Next, the PO Store was run by Greens, about whom we know nothing.
Built by Stan Stephens and run by his wife Muriel, this is now The Muffin Shop and The ARTery.
Stan's father Frank Stephens Snr had a 'farmlet' on the flat between Hilmer Avenue and the River, near where blocks 220+ Annetts Parade are now, and provided eggs, poultry, vegetables and some milk to the store. Other goods were brought from Moruya.
Next, the PO Store was run by Greens, about whom we know nothing.
Mossy Point Post Office Store c1960. LT.
Ron Young built the boat that's now outside Muffins in the early 1950s. LT.
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Then Ron and Rita Young and daughter Lynnette 1950-1962. Ron Young
extended the building with a room on the east end for the post office
and telephone exchange. The exchange used a 'plug and cord'
switchboard. There is a page for Young.
Lynnette Timmis (nee Young) recalls that cigarettes were hard to obtain, so they were kept under the counter for favoured customers. Beer was sold, if it was put on account it went down as '1 dozen hard boiled eggs'. Lobsters were two shillings each. COR (Commonwealth Oil Refineries, which became BP) brand petrol was hand pumped (you pulled a lever back and forth) into a six gallon (26 litre) glass resevoir at the top of the bowser, then gravity fed it into the vehicle's petrol tank. During summer holidays, after tea the shop was often the venue for a social gathering. An endearing poster of the Pears Soap siren hung in “the dark end” of the store while Youngs were the Proprietors, it's in the page for Young. |
Youngs hired out a motor boat and a rowboat. The boat currently (2015) outside Muffins is another boat, built by Ron in Sydney, it was for personal and family use only.
Then Dutchman Kanschatt.
Then Ken and Sheila Chisolm.
Then ex-builder George Coleman owned and ran the store at one stage. This could be the couple where he was very florid and everybody feared he'd have a heart attack, but unfortunately she did instead.
Then John and Gwen Beddall 1972-73.
Then Tony and Helen Abbey (see the page for Abbey) 1973/4-1982.
Then Sue and Peter Kafe, August 1982 for about two years.
Then two families of Southwells from Canberra, and the Post Office closed.
Then John McGahey, who subsequently could be seen with four to six trolleys in Woolworths in Batemans Bay because he could buy cheaper there than from his wholesalers.
Then 'Rita and Colin' who had children 'Mika and Damien', they are thought to be the last to run the general store. That was in the 1990s.
We well may have missed someone.
For a while the building was used by a draughtsman, and the maibox was removed. It then stood empty for several years.
Then Dwayne Fraser had pinball machines in it.
Eddie and Dawn ran a fruit shop there.
Greg McKay had a second hand book exchange in the small building.
Tom and Lynne Cook had a food outlet there.
In about 1993 Joanne Gifford began selling pastry door to door, subsequently opened Just Muffins which became Muffins and More.
In 1997 the building was refurbished, Broulee artist Richard Sealey repainted period advertisements as frescos and the store was re-opened as Muffins Tea Shop.
Around 2003 Sue Dickinson became a partner with Joanne, the shop became The Muffin Shop. Joanne sold her portion after about 18 months.
Bob and Elizabeth Connell bought on 13 May 2011.
There are bound to be many errors in the above. We would gratefully welcome any further information.
In 1999 Greta Allen started an art space in one of the rear rooms. This grew into The ARTery, other founding contributers were Miranda Keeling, Lizette Richards, Martina Penning and Paul Ware.
Then Ken and Sheila Chisolm.
Then ex-builder George Coleman owned and ran the store at one stage. This could be the couple where he was very florid and everybody feared he'd have a heart attack, but unfortunately she did instead.
Then John and Gwen Beddall 1972-73.
Then Tony and Helen Abbey (see the page for Abbey) 1973/4-1982.
Then Sue and Peter Kafe, August 1982 for about two years.
Then two families of Southwells from Canberra, and the Post Office closed.
Then John McGahey, who subsequently could be seen with four to six trolleys in Woolworths in Batemans Bay because he could buy cheaper there than from his wholesalers.
Then 'Rita and Colin' who had children 'Mika and Damien', they are thought to be the last to run the general store. That was in the 1990s.
We well may have missed someone.
For a while the building was used by a draughtsman, and the maibox was removed. It then stood empty for several years.
Then Dwayne Fraser had pinball machines in it.
Eddie and Dawn ran a fruit shop there.
Greg McKay had a second hand book exchange in the small building.
Tom and Lynne Cook had a food outlet there.
In about 1993 Joanne Gifford began selling pastry door to door, subsequently opened Just Muffins which became Muffins and More.
In 1997 the building was refurbished, Broulee artist Richard Sealey repainted period advertisements as frescos and the store was re-opened as Muffins Tea Shop.
Around 2003 Sue Dickinson became a partner with Joanne, the shop became The Muffin Shop. Joanne sold her portion after about 18 months.
Bob and Elizabeth Connell bought on 13 May 2011.
There are bound to be many errors in the above. We would gratefully welcome any further information.
In 1999 Greta Allen started an art space in one of the rear rooms. This grew into The ARTery, other founding contributers were Miranda Keeling, Lizette Richards, Martina Penning and Paul Ware.
We think that it was in about 1999 that Mossy Point's public telephone box (outside Muffins Tea Shop) was removed.
