Old-time Narooma resident Bill Koerber, 85, was recently pleased to discover the wooden shelves he made as a 16-year-old carpenter’s apprentice are still standing.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The shelves are in the back room of what is now the Narooma New and Used shop in Midtown Narooma, but back when he helped build them, the shop was then the W.B. Smyth General Produce shop.
The Smyth family of Narooma made news recently when it was announced after 82 years of trading in town they would closing up their clothing shop that is still open on the other side of the Princes Highway. Read more
Mr Koerber said back 70 years ago he was working as an apprentice for carpenter Les Ralph, who also built the church tower at what is now the Uniting Church just up the road.
Together with Mr Ralph, he made and installed the hardwood shelves by hand saw, hammer and nails.
“Back then Smyth’s general store had the groceries up the front with hardware and husbandry off to the side,” he said.
Arthur Costin used to own the building and Bill Smyth rented it from him. He said it was a “bit sad” that the Smyth family was ending its long history of trade in Narooma and his brother Charlie had a lot to do with Billy Smyth.