The Union Cooperative Society (UCS) has been part of the Paddington community in Brisbane for more than fifty years. Its long presence in the neighbourhood has made the co-op part of the local identity, with the Brisbane Workers Community Centre a social landmark and the 2 Latrobe Terrace retail centre recognised as part of the heritage of the Paddington strip.
Origins and growth
UCS was registered on 22 January 1969, following a meeting of unionists who had been informally operating from a small shopping establishment in Windsor. The new co-operative purchased 2 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington, the site of Brisbane’s first Cash and Carry supermarket, which has remained central to its history ever since.
The co-op was founded with a democratic vision: to improve the economic circumstances of union members and the wider community through collective ownership and fair pricing. It quickly grew through the 1970s and 1980s, expanding from the original Paddington store to Ipswich, Redcliffe, Maryborough, Gladstone, Moura and later Moranbah. At its peak, UCS had more than 6,000 members across seven Queensland locations, supplying groceries, household goods, fuel and running a credit union.
Community role
Beyond retail, UCS developed a stock of social housing units and other properties in Paddington, and established Workers Clubs in Paddington and Moranbah. These became venues for entertainment, gatherings and political discussion, reflecting the co-op’s role within the broader labour movement.
Today
Now into its 56th year, UCS continues to operate from its headquarters in Given Terrace. It manages a mutual investment fund, retail and rental housing properties, and the Brisbane Workers Community Centre on the site of the original grocery store and Workers Club.
The co-op retains its legacy of advancing the democratic and economic interests of members while staying true to co-operative values. Looking to the future, UCS plans to redevelop its historic Paddington site into an environmentally built co-operative precinct, reflecting its renewed vision of equality, community and sustainability.
