NEWCASTLE AND SUBURBAN CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY
(NEWCASTLE REGIONAL CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY)
a.k.a. ‘The Store’
ARCHIVES

In July 1976 the Newcastle Regional Cooperative (‘The Store’) made its first transfer of business archives for the years 1898 – 1930 to the University Archives in the Auchmuty Library. The University of Newcastle was very fortunate to have received the records as they subsequently assisted the work of a number of research students including Dr J. C. Docherty, who made extensive use of the records in writing his doctoral thesis and subsequent book Newcastle: The Making of an Australian City (Hale & Iremonger, 1983). In March 1984, a second transfer of permanent value business archives from 1930 to 1980s, when the Cooperative was placed into liquidation.
The business archives are set in context by a further donation of the Cooperative’s library of some 120 books on the workings of the cooperative system, and the history of the cooperatives in Europe, the United States, Australia and Asia. These were donated to the Auchmuty Library as part of the Library’s holdings.
For background on the history of “The Store” please consult The Store : a co-operative phenomenon [an exhibition organised by] Newcastle Regional Museum. Newcastle, [N.S.W.] published circa 1988.
The Store also prepared a comprehensive history to mark its 50th anniversary in 1948. Two typescript copies are located at B10706 and B10707. We have digitised the latter in full. From the introduction the reader can gather the fervent passion which propelled this organisation and the co-operative movement across the world:

“The success story, while remarkable enough would be merely another history of commercial success over a period when commercial success was by no means uncommon, were it not for one salient fact which differentiates the Society from any of a dozen private competitors.
The fact is this. The Store, as it is affectionately known through the Newcastle area, is not merely a monument to the clever and judicious expansion of a capital investment, the prudent management of mercantile affairs, or the unerring eye for opportunities of trade. Such capabilities are expected of the veriest capitalist and the lack of them, the badge of disgrace in private enterprise.
But the Society is a monument and the justification of an Idea – – the Idea that the philosophy holding happiness for mankind is not self-interest and uncurbed individualism but rather community-interest and community consciousness; the Idea that, in the midst of a world plunged headlong in a cruel race for gain, individuals by voluntary combination, can erect an edifice for mutual protection that will maintain and advance the idea of a just and Christian economic system against the immoral economic principles of the age.”
[2019 Update] We have now learned that the above words were those of historian Mr. Leo Butler, thanks to Mrs Jean Guihot whose scrapbooks of history related digitised newsclippings helped solve the mystery of our anonymous writer.

If you have a great story to tell about the Store, in its heyday, please consider conducting an oral history with us through ‘The Store’ – What’s Your Story Project.
Click Here for Store related posts: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/category/advocacy-and-public-awareness/the-store/

MINUTE BOOKS:
B11374 Minute Book No. 1, 23 April, 1898 – 19 June, 1905.
B11375 Minute Book No. 8, 31 October, 1938 – 18 December, 1939.
B11376 Minute Book No. 9, January – December, 1940.
B11377 Minute Book No. 10, January – December, 1941.
B11378 Minute Book No. 23, January – December, 1955.
B11379 Minute Book No. 24, January – December, 1956.
B11380 Minute Book No. 25, January – December, 1957.
B11381 Minute Book No. 26, January – December, 1958.
B11382 Minute Book No. 27, January – December, 1959.
B11383 Minute Book No. 28, January – December, 1960.
B11384 Minute Book No. 29, January – December, 1961.
B11385 Minute Book No. 30, January -December, 1962.
B11386 Minute Book No. 31, January – December, 1963.
B11387 Minute Book No. 32, January – December, 1964.
B11388 Minute Book No. 33, January – December, 1965.
B11389 Minute Book No. 34, January – December, 1966.
B11390 Minute Book No. 35, January – December, 1967.
B11391 Minute Book No. 36, January – December, 1968.
B11392 Minute Book No. 39, January – December, 1969.
B11393 Minute Book No. 40, January -December, 1970.
B11394 Minute Book No. 41, January – December, 1971.
B11395 Minute Book No. 42, January -December, 1972.
B11396 Minute Book No. 43, January – December, 1973.
B11397 Minute Book No. 44, January – December, 1974.
B11398 Minute Book No. 45, January – December, 1975.
B11399 Minute Book No. 46, January – December, 1976.
B11400a Minute Book No. 47, January – December, 1977.
B11400b Minute Book No. 48, January – December, 1978.
DIRECTORS MINUTE BOOKS:

B8029 Directors Minute Book, 1905 – 1908.
B8030 Directors Minute Book, 1908 – 1910.
B8031 Directors Minute Book, 1910 – 1912.
B8032 Directors Minute Book, 1914 – 1915.
B8034 Directors Minute Book, 1915 – 1916.
B8035 Directors Minute Book, 1916 – 1917.
B8036 Directors Minute Book, 1917 – 1918.
B8037 Directors Minute Book, 1918 – 1922.
B10649 Directors’ Minute Book, 1922 – 1925.
B8038 Directors Minute Book, 1928 – 1930.
B8039 Directors Minute Book, 1930 – 1931.
B10650 Directors’ Minute Book, 1932 – 1933.
B10651 Directors’ Minute Book, 1933 – 1935.
B10652 Directors’ Minute Book, 1935 – 1936.
B10653a Directors’ Minute Book, 1936 – 1937.
B10653b Directors’ Minute Book, 1938.
B10654 Directors’ Minute Book, 1942.
B10655 Directors’ Minute Book, 1943.
B10656 Directors’ Minute Book, 1944 – 1945.
B10657 Directors’ Minute Book, 1945 – 1946.
B10658 Directors’ Minute Book, 1946 – 1947.
B10659 Directors’ Minute Book, 1947 – 1948.
B10660 Directors’ Minute Book, 1949.
B10661 Directors’ Minute Book, 1950.
B10662 Directors’ Minute Book, 1951.
B10663 Directors’ Minute Book, 1952.
B10664 Directors’ Minute Book, 1953.
B10665 Directors’ Minute Book, 1954.
B10677 Elections for President and Directors, Register, 1908 – 1978.
B8042 Register of Directors, 1924 – 1962 and Share Transfers, 1931 – 1935.

GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORTS:
B10667 General Manager’s Reports, (1), 1930 – 1933.
B10668 General Manager’s Reports, (2), 1934 – 1936.
B10669 General Manager’s Reports, (3), 1936 – 1939.
B11401 General Managers’ Reports, 4, 8 May 1939 – 23 December, 1940.
B10670 General Manager’s Reports, (5), 1941 – 1942.
B10671 General Manager’s Reports, (6), 1943 – 1944.
B10672 General Manager’s Reports, (7), 1944 – 1945.
B10673 General Manager’s Reports, (8), 1946.
B10674 General Manager’s Reports, (9), 1947.
B10675a General Manager’s Reports, (10), 1948.
B11402 General Managers’ Reports, 11, January – December, 1949.
B11403 General Managers’ Reports, 12, January – December, 1950.
B11404 General Managers’ Reports, 13, January – December, 1951.
B11405 General Managers’ Reports, 14, January – December, 1952.
B11406 General Managers’ Reports, 15, January – December, 1953.
B11407 General Managers’ Reports, 16, January -December, 1954.
B11408 General Managers’ Reports, 17, January – December, 1955.
B11409 General Managers’ Reports, 18, January – December, 1956.
B11410 General Managers’ Reports, 19, January – December, 1957.
B11411 General Managers’ Reports, 20, January – December, 1958.
B11412 General Managers’ Reports, 21, January – December, 1959.
B11413 General Managers’ Reports, 22, January – December, 1960.
B11414 General Managers’ Reports, 23, January – December, 1961.
B11415 General Managers’ Reports, 24, January – December, 1962.
B11416 General Managers’ Reports, 25, January – December, 1963.
B11417 General Managers’ Reports, 26, January – December, 1964.
B11418 General Managers’ Reports, 27, January – December, 1965.
B11419 General Managers’ Reports, 28, January – December, 1966.
B11420 General Managers’ Reports, 29, January – December, 1967.
B11421 General Managers’ Reports, 30, January – December, 1968.
B11422 General Managers’ Reports, 31, January – December, 1969.
B11423 General Managers’ Reports, 32, January – December, 1970.
B11424 General Managers’ Reports, 33, January – December, 1971.
B11425 General Managers’ Reports, 34, January – December, 1972.
B11426 General Managers’ Reports, 35, January – December, 1973.
B11427 General Managers’ Reports, 36, January – December, 1974.
B11428 General Managers’ Reports, 37, January – December, 1975.
B11429 General Managers’ Reports, 38, January – December, 1976.
B11430 General Managers’ Reports, 39, January – December, 1977.
B11431 General Managers’ Reports, 40, January – December, 1978.
B11432 General Managers’ Reports, 41, January – December, 1979.
B10675b Manager’s Diary, 1941.
B10676 Register of Nominations, 1908 – 1961.
B8040 Education Committee Minute Book, 1931 – 1940.
B8041 Register of Property and Assets, 1927 – 1936.
B8043 Balance Sheets and Directors’ Reports, 1899 – 1934.
B8044 Applications for Membership, 1919 – 1925.
B10666 Shareholders’ Minute Book, 1933 – 1956.

HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL FUND:
B11303 Hospital and Medical Fund General Manager’s Reports, 1965 – 1977.
B11307 Hospital and Medical Fund Minutes and General Managers’ Reports, 1978 – 1981.
B11304 Hospital and Medical Fund Minutes, 1965 – 1981.
B11305 Hospital and Medical Fund Minutes, 1965 – 1977.
B11306 Hospital and Medical Fund Minutes, 1978 – 1981.

LEGAL RECORDS:
A6205 (i) [Metal Box] Legal documents, land surveys and correspondence concerning land at Wickham, 1902, 1904 – 1914.
A6205 (ii) Legal documents relating to Section A, Lot 9, Wickham, 1878, 1890, 1909, 1927.
A6205 (iii) Legal documents, 1907, 1918, 1921, 1927, 1942; Correspondence from Shell Company of Australia Limited amending the rebate on motor spirit, 1969 – 1970; Agreement of Wallsend and Plattsburg Co-operative Society relating to Cardiff land, March, 1960 [and correspondence].
A6205 (iv) Legal correspondence relating to a motor vehicle accident, April, 1953.
A5231 Share transfer books, 1908 – 1922, 1930 – 1932;
A6205 (v) Bank statements, 1960 – 1961; Bank books, 1912 – 1914; Share pass book, 1950 – 1959.
A6205 (va) MS copy of First annual report, 20th January, 1899.


B11301 Rules, 1923 – 1941; Acts, 1923 – 1938.
A5969 (vii) Certificates of Incorporation, 1961, 1975, 1977.
B11302 ‘The Store’ Credit Union Co-Operative Limited File, 1962 – 1981.
A8516 (ii) Booklets relating to Newcastle & District Co-Operative Limited (The Store), Rules.
A7252 (xv) Liquidator’s Report and Accounts and Notice of Meeting of Members and Creditors, June, 1982. [2 copies.]
A5969 (vi) Rules of the Co-operative Wholesale Society, Manchester, England, 1920, 1924, 1931, 1941, 1971, 1974, 1977.

PERSONNEL RECORDS:
A6205 (vii) Staff lists and wages sheets, 1903 – 1949; Staff education notebook, 1952 – 1957; Staff guides, magazines and related correspondence, 1945 – 1950.
B10678 Staff Register, 1909 – 1945.
ACCOUNTING RECORDS:
A6206 (i) Fourth half-yearly report and balance sheet, 1904;
A5969 (v) The New South Wales Wholesale Co-operative Society Limited Hunter Street, Wickham : half yearly report and balance sheet, 1925, 1928.
A6206 (i) Half yearly balance sheets and reports, 1937 – 1964.
A5231 Annual report and accounts for the year ended 2nd August, 1980.
CORRESPONDENCE:
A6206 (ii) Letter to A.W. Markham, May 30th, 1898.
A5231 Correspondence file, 1916 – 1917;
A6206 (iii) Correspondence and invitations, 1954 – 1956.

HISTORIES
A6206 (iv) MS on Stanley hand drill. [n.d.].
A6206 (iv)(a) First Victory Loan Voucher, 1944.
A6206 (v)(a) Leaflet: Agricultural credit by A.J. Boyazoglu.
A6721 (v) Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society “The Store”. [Typescript history, 1948.]
A8775 (v) Co-operatives, Newcastle, N.S.W., clippings. 1898-1986
B10705 The New South Wales Co-Operative Congress, 1937.
B10706 History of ‘The Store’, The Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society, 1898-1948.
B10707 As above. [B10707 [Typescript] [The Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society Ltd History to 1948 to mark its 50th Anniversary 1898-1948.] 80MB PDF File]
A8783 (xxiii) 2 milk tokens (Newcastle & Suburban Co-operative Society Ltd.



PHOTOGRAPHS:
A5969 (iv) Early photographs of Newcastle and suburban stores and staff photographs. [c. 1940s and c. 1960s.] (Donated by J. Sloggett.) Photograph of Board of Management, 1929.
A8798 (v) Printers block – Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society (The Store). Five photographs. Staff group, The Store building, Blacksmith shop, Stables, Row of The Store delivery carts. Note: block marked quite a bit. 15x23cm. [1910?]
A8805/P00508 Wickham. Vacant area [near Hannell Street]. Note the Co-operative Store in the background. [1960’s?]
BOOLAROO CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY
B10679 Boolaroo Co-Operative Society Minute Book, 1957.
WEST WALLSEND AND PLATTSBURG CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY
A6205 (vi) Rules of the Wallsend and Plattsburg Co-operative Society Ltd, August, 1925.
B10680 Wallsend and Plattsburg Co-operative Society Ledger, 1954 – 1960.
B10681 Wallsend and Plattsburg Co-operative Society Ledger, 1961 – 1964.
B8046 West Wallsend Co-op. Society, Quarterly Reports, 1903 – 1916.
B8047 West Wallsend Co-op. Society, Quarterly Reports, 1917 – 1930.
A5231 Two sets of five pieces of token money of West Wallsend Co-operative, c.1930 (Threepence, shilling, sixpence, penny and halfpenny tokens.) (Donated by G. Sutherland, Lambton.)
CO-OPERATIVE WHOLESALE SOCIETY (C.W.S.)
B10682 Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd. Minutes, 1971 – 1974.
B10683 Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd. Minutes, 1971 – 1975.
B11433 General Managers’ Reports C.W.S., 1971 – 1975.
B8045 History of C.W.S. of N.S.W., by E. O’Neil, 1912 – 1948.

PRINTED MATERIAL:
B10684 The Co-operative News, 1921-1922.
B10685 The Co-operative News, 1924-1925.
B10686 The Co-operative News, 1925.
B10687 The Co-operative News, 1926.
B10688 The Co-operative News, 1926.
B10689 The Co-operative News, 1927.
B10690a The Co-operative News, 1929.
B10690b The Co-operative News, 1930.
B10691 The Co-operative News, 1931.
B10692 The Co-operative News, 1932.
B10693 The Co-operative News, 1933.
B10694 The Co-operative News, 1933.
B10695 The Co-operative News, 1934.
B10696 The Co-operative News, 1935.
B10697 The Co-operative News, 1936.
B10698 The Co-operative News, 1937.
B10699 The Co-operative News, 1937.
B10700 The Co-operative News, 1938.
B10701 The Co-operative News, 1940.
B10702 The Co-operative News, 1941.
B10703 The Co-operative News, 1944.
B10704 The Co-operative News, 1950.
THE MERV AND JANET COPLEY COLLECTION
C055 CO-OPERATIVES c.1951 – 1973 (Newsclippings)
C2779(xvii) Hamton P, Retail Cooperatives in the Lower Hunter valley, Newcastle History Monograph No. 12, 1986
C2841(v) Correspondence: John Brown to William Brown re: Co-operative Societies 1902-1904
M4752 D1998/90 Apprentice’s Indenture for Wilfred Wrightson, with the Newcastle & Suburban Co-op. Society Ltd., as a baker.1st September, 1932 ;
M4762 Collection of clippings from The Newcastle Herald. Subjects – ; The Newcastle Co-op Store.
DOCHERTY, DR. JAMES (JIM):
A6901 (iv) Seminars and proposed thesis outline, 1974 – 1977. [Includes a history of the Co-op Store.]; Typescript on consumer cooperation.
B11759 Co-operatives and co-operative Societies 1924
ORAL HISTORIES
A6967(ix) Newcastle & suburban Co-Operative Society– Esme Allan – 12 Sept 1989
A7466A(iii) Women at ‘The Store’ & the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) – Melissa Cameron – Interviewer Maureen Tobin
A6731(23) Driving a Store Bread Van – Charles Watters – 1987
This online Finding Aid was compiled by Gregg Heathcote in March 2018, and later edited and prepared for Online Distribution by Gionni Di Gravio in January 2019 to support the Oral History ‘The Store’ What’s Your Story project sponsored by Doma Group, and managed by Artefact Heritage (artefact.net.au), in association with GLAMx Living Histories Digitisation Lab at the University of Newcastle Library (livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au) and the Vera Deacon Regional History Fund (uoncc.wordpress.com/vera-deacon-fund), and supported by Newcastle Region Library (newcastle.nsw.gov.au/Library/Home).
AUDIO-VISUAL
Interview with Les Gibbs, Manager of “The Store” – The Newcastle & Suburban Co-operative Society Ltd. He talks about the Co-operative Movement and his association with the Movement in the Hunter Valley for 34 years. NBN Television program ‘The Valley’s People’, October 25th 1981. Interviewed by Ron Hurst. VIEW THE PROGRAM HERE.
THESIS
Benton, Lynne. Edit – Benton, Lynne – ‘Each for all and all for each’Lynne Benton. Bachelor of Arts (Hon.) Degree in the Department of History, University of Newcastle. October 1992. [PDF 22.5 MB)
Hi
My name is Diane Ashton, my mother in law was Jean Forde who worked in the Personnel Dept for over 20 years until it’s closure.
Jean passed away 8 years ago and in her possession was a great deal of Store memorabilia, including minutes of meetings, many photo albums of the Annual Store on Stage where staff would carry out full musical productions and these were usually held at the Civic Theatre.
I have been wanting these items to be protected and looked after as it is so much a part of Newcastle’s history. I approached the museum a while back and they weren’t very interested.
If you would like to see the items, please contact me and I would be happy for the University to have them .
Thank you
Thanks so much Diane, One of our Cultural Collections GLAMx Team will be in touch shortly.