The block of land from Zouch to Lynch Streets was an ideal street for a motel. A.G. Brown ,a building contractor from Sydney came to Young, in the1920's, to build the Strand Theatre for Mr. J. Kouvelis He later built the Cherry Blossom Motel on the Zouch and Nasmyth Street corner and ran it for some time. Some people might remember the big Hudson motor car that A.G. drove. Apparently the Young Council decided that the land had to be compacted and A.G did not have a tractor and roller at the time so he used his Hudson and a tennis court roller to compact the soil.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A Mr. Plowman was the next owner of the motel. The western end of the block was used as a workshop and Timber yard. A series of owners including A.G .Brown ,Bruce Gault, Cyril Wells and Jim Martin were among the operators and after severe storm damage in 2012-13 it was demolished.
As you cross the Zouch Street railway bridge you see on the left a rather derelict old house which was Mrs. Goodman's boarding house. Over the railway line in Lovell Street is Licqourland. Hugh Edge had a Ford Dealership here and there also was a butcher shop and a fruit shop. In Lovell Street on the other corner was the Golden Fleece Petrol Depot managed by George Robinson. Kentucky Fried Chicken opened on Wednesday 13 May 1992 on the corner where the McPhee family had the Esso/Atlantic service station next to the Masonic Hall. The Masonic Hall was built here after the fire of 1875 which burnt a large part of Burrowa Street. The Hall has been sold into private ownership and is now Mullino's Bar and Grill and is separated by Lighting Lane from where Rogan's Coach and Sulky Building Works were.
Rogan's Building was occupied for a long time by the Young Vulcanising Works and was destroyed by fire. On this site is now T&D's stock feed business, and previously Beaurepaires tyres and on the corner Harden Geelan's Used Cars (Previously an Ampol service station). Harden Geelan's main dealership is on the Burrowa/Zouch street corner extending to Rosemary Lane. From Rosemary Lane to Cloete Street corner it was vacant except for Dr. Moody's house and tennis Courts, later George Whish's Steel business. The Methodist Tennis Courts extend from Cloete Street to the Burrangong Creek.
On the opposite side of Cloete Street from Burrangong Creek was the Municipal Sale Yards .Then on the Cloete/ Zouch Street corner the Church of England and Grounds. Between Lighting lane and Burrowa Street Throwden's Firewood Yard . Barry and Nigel Maloney ( Business Consultants) were there in about 1992.
Dr. Gardiner, in 1949, built his new two storied house named 'Santa Marie' on part of the Timber Yard site. He bought the block after winning the lottery in 1949. It was sold at auction in the 1970's for $24,000, valued at $17,000.The shops were known as 'Top of the Town', Dennis and Rhonda Harcombe had the Corner Store in about 1983 and Larry Wordsworth and Associates, Surveyors, had the upstairs and K. Jasprizza was at street level. In 1996 Richard Mellish Insurance Services relocated to the Top of the Town and remained there until Richard retired in 2018.
On the other corner to 'Top of the Town' Greens had their baker's shop, it was taken over by Gwen and Ted Brown, who operated it for eight years until 1963, seven days a week, eight to eight each day. The Caltex Oil Company purchased the site for a Service Station . The Oil Company only wanted the site so the Browns had to remove the store and two houses. They purchased a double block in Elizabeth Street and moved the houses there. Between Lighting Lane and Lovell Street was W.T .Vogt's Building Contractors and Timber Yard and their house and Funeral Parlour. The Town House Motor Inn was built adjacent to Lighting Lane. Vogt's house was moved to the Nursery on the Cowra Road and four shops were built on the corner of Zouch and Lovell Streets known as Rialto Square.
A large part of the Information for this article sourced from research by Ross Maroney. Readers are invited to offer opinions or corrections.
- Historian ,Brian James, contributes his column to the Young Witness each Tuesday on behalf of the Young Historical Society Inc.
