This is an early photograph of the Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Store, an iconic consumer-owned co-op that ran from 1898 to 1981, known as “The Store”. Located in Newcastle West at the gateway to the centre of Newcastle it provided members with a range of services, including a bakery and established branches throughout the Newcastle area. It was also helped set up a co-operative wholesaler, which manufactured and provided goods to co-operatives in NSW and Victoria.
The Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative survived the economic challenges of the Great Depression and the dislocation of two World Wars, with a peak membership of 95,000 in 1978. The co-operative was eventually undermined by the growth of supermarket chains. The local community mounted a campaign to save the façade of the building but were defeated. The Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative experience highlights the long-term viability of consumer co-operatives and their current value in challenging the market dominance of large supermarket chains.