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Rowe’s Newsagency, Berri

Overview

Rowe’s Newsagency

This building on the corner of William and Wilson Streets looks very different today compared to how it did in it’s early years. What became commonly known as ‘Rowe’s Corner’ was quite an attractive building, the first two storey building built in Berri. It had balconies and lacework around two sides and was built in 1936 by by Mr Andary for H.F.Rowe to be a Newsagency and Store.

This new shop replaced Rowe’s previous Billiard Hall and Newsagency in Denny Street, a business and building Mr Rowe had purchased the from Syd Gilbert. The business began life as a store and newsagency about 1923 on the riverfront and then then moved to a new shop in Denny Street on the block at the bottom of William Street. In 1936 Mr Rowe sold the premises to H.S. Coombe who had his large Supply Store adjacent and Rowes moved into their newly built building at the top of William Street.

Rowe’s newsagency became one of the busiest shops in Berri, a general store, newsagency, tobacconist, early post office, ticket office for travel to Adelaide by train from Morgan then bus stop and general gathering place. In 1936 it was one of the many shops around the town beautifully decorated for South Australia’s Centenary celebrations.

Mr and Mrs Rowe also built the Belmont Guest Home in Denny Street in 1920 to cater for the floating population of the district. Parts of the building remain today behind the Uniting Church Hall. There were many Government work gangs in the area at this time, they needed accommodation and a number of guest houses opened to cater for that need.

In 1957 Herb and Rene Knight purchased the building along with the business of the newsagency and store. After a few years they relocated across the street to the opposite corner and ran it as just a newsagency for many years. The building has in more recent years been a lighting shop and Chinese restaurant.

Rowe’s Newsagency on the corner of William and Wilson Streets, pictured around 1937

A colour photograph of Knight’s Newsagency. Mr Knight purchased the Newsagency from Mr Rowe in 1957

The building looked very different in the 1980’s compared to it’s beginnings