General News
27 December, 2022
Corner's grand plan
NEW life is coming to Inglewood’s historic Porter’s corner. Local motel and caravan park owners Pauline and Gerry Wellman have purchased the Brooke Street properties with plans for an art gallery, laundromat, offices and new space for the...
NEW life is coming to Inglewood’s historic Porter’s corner.
Local motel and caravan park owners Pauline and Gerry Wellman have purchased the Brooke Street properties with plans for an art gallery, laundromat, offices and new space for the Ambulance Auxiliary Op-shop.
They also want to reinstate a verandah on the William Vahland-designed building on the corner of Brooke and Verdon Streets.
Pauline said the buildings had last been sold in 1985 and rarely used since.
“It’s going to be a big job - new plumbing, electrics and removing weeds that have grown inside,” she said as the restoration project started last week.
“We’ve been here since 2016 and have a lot of confidence in the town and its future.
“Bringing Porter’s corner back to life will add to the heritage streetscape that brings people to the town and also encourages people driving through to stop and wander for a while.
“We really do want to add to the attraction of the town.”
Local historians Kevin Poyser and Howard Rochester have been sharing history of the three shops with the Wellmans.
Kevin said: “In 1881 William Vahland designed several brick shops to stand on both this site and other Brooke Street sites.
“JE Reardon, a draper occupied the brick shop to be followed in 1889 by Harry Jebb who rented it from the Porter family, who then took over the shop in 1910 until the retirement of George Porter.
“Since then, the shop has been used as a drapery and a craft shop, with all the shop fittings having been removed many years ago.”
Artist Bill Offord, who arrived in Australia from England 55 years ago, will display his works in part of the Porter’s corner building and was last week helping clear the main display area for a temporary exhibition before redevelopment starts in earnest next year.
“We’ve seen new businesses open in Brooke Street this year as our town gives every sign that the future is bright,” said Pauline. “We think our plans for the corner will add to that.”