GARAGES
The advent of motorised transport heralded the eventual demise of the blacksmith but incidental employment opportunities for mechanics. A one-time White man had a garage in the centre of the block, between Houlahan and Bracken’s, facing Slack-Smith Garage, but this was apparently burnt down not long after it was built.
The Rev. H. E. Robinson established a garage business in Burren Junction that remained for a number of years.
Nat Conyard’s garage was built about 1920.
In the early years, Nat Conyard’s garage was built about 1920. The earliest Conyards were to establish a garage business in Burren Junction. Nat remained for a number of years.
Nat Conyard was the first to come to Burren in 1912 to bring a mechanic from McInnes’s in Sydney. Later people to have cars delivered were John Slack-Smith at “Rothesay” and Peter Radford at “Boraba”. (61). He met and married Ivy Judge, who was working for Evelyn Campbell Smith of “Drumblin”. He then entered into a partnership with Ted Dorrington and bought land on the Coronation Hotel site. This was destroyed by fire. Ted Dorrington next moved the large engine and pushed it outside the engine. In 1920, Leo Houlahan started in Slack-Smith Street, not far from the original site of the Can Hotel. In 1922, he added an adjoining block and eventually Conyard’s bought both blocks.
A young mechanic called Cyril Radford worked at the garage from 1935 to 1939. He enlisted in the Air Force but was later returned to work in Australia during the war years. Another two young apprentices to work there in the late 1930s were Jim Brumby and Don Brumby (née MacDonald). (62)
About the 1946–47 period, Cyril Radford bought the business and continued there for approximately 30 years. During that time, he married Noreen Brayshaw, a member of one of the old pioneering families of the district. Cyril had always taken an avid interest in the history of the Burren district. In 1976, he sold the business and retired to Tamworth. The business was bought by Brian Radford, one of the Radford family, who continues to operate in the town. (63)
During the 1960s, Don Dubois established a small engineering works and service station on the corner of Waterloo and Alma Streets opposite the Coronation Hotel. This was bought by Hector and Sue Holcombe in 1971 and operated until 1974, when it was sold to Ray and Robyn Kneipp. They extended the business to include hardware and take-away food items until they left the district in August 1986. Since then, the premises have been closed. The Collett family of Wee Waa later purchased the building and has now commenced operating the business again as a service station and takeaway.
Barry Smith, an auto electrician, conducted a business in the premises last used as a butcher’s shop next to the C.W.A. rooms during the 1970s and early 80s.
The Service Station continued until ...... owned and run by Brett Stevens until it closed in ..... Fuel is now located at the Junction City Hotel site, and Diesel and Blue are the only fuels available.
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