Services & Establishments

Our Services & Establishments page brings to life the spirit of our small town through cherished historic photographs. By May 1904, Weston was well on the move with 100 houses and more under construction. The town had two hotels, three general stores, a butcher, baker, blacksmith, four hairdressers, auctioneer/newsagent and more. ( See:  A Years Progress). By 1910, things were really buzzing. From corner stores that supplied daily necessities, to post offices and banks that connected us to the world, the images on this page capture a community built on resilience and togetherness. Though many of these historic services and establishments have faded into history, each photograph preserves the stories of businesses, institutions, and gathering places that shaped daily life. See the layout of Weston’s bustling streets in 1910 on our Historic Town Centre page. This page celebrates the ingenuity and determination of Weston’s residents, preserving their legacy for future generations.

POLICE

1904: The earliest of three Police Stations in Weston NSW was reported as being in First Street Weston NSW: 

 'The local police station is in First street, and is in charge of Mounted Constable Reen, formerly of Kempsey.'  

  (The Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate  24 May 1904)    See:  A Year's Progress

The Weston NSW Police Station was later moved to rented premises on the corner of Station St. and Cessnock Rd. Weston.  Due to that building having to be sold, the Police Department purchased a site for a new Police Station in First Street.  On 24 Apr 1926, the Newcastle Morning Herald reported:

WESTON

'The Police Department has purchased the vacant allotment near the post office, in First Street, as a site for a new police station. The present police quarters, on the corner of Aberdare [Cessnock Rd] and Station streets [see photograph below left], have been placed on the market by the executors of the estate of the late Mr. Joseph Garrett.'

This Weston Police Station in First Street (below right) ceased operations 13 Jul 1975 and the Abermain Police Station became responsible for the Weston locality.  Members of the I Grew Up In Weston Facebook group recalled some of the former officers based at Weston. They included:  Reid, Head, Jenkins, Brown, Lewis, Peterson and Clark.

FIRE BRIGADE

• In 1907, Twenty-five young local volunteers made the decision to raise money to build a fire station for the town and contributed each pay day to the fund. The Weston Voluntary Fire Brigade was formed under the captaincy of Mr R Jarvis.  

• In 1908, Tenders for the Weston Fire Station building were invited.  

•  By 17 Feb 1909 the volunteer firefighters had achieved their goal and to much rejoicing and fanfare, Weston's first fire station was officially opened. 

•   See history and photographs:   Weston Fire Brigade

AMBULANCE

For a period from the 1950s, our town had an Ambulance Station at 50 Cessnock Rd., Weston.  It came about due to the advocacy of Weston pharmacist, Mr. J. McIntosh.  The Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder (NSW: 1913 - 1954) / Fri 12 Oct 1951 :

SITE FOR KURRI AMBULANCE STATION

Suggestion by Weston Man

A suggestion that instead of seeking premises at Kurri Kurri for the Ambulance Station, the Cessnock Ambulance Committee should seek a site at Weston was made by Mr. J. Mcintosh, Weston chemist, this morning. He said the station for ambulances covering the end of the area should be located as central as possible and Weston was the logical place for it. He said Weston was convenient to all the collieries in the area and if stationed there, ambulances could provide a better service for Abermain and Neath. Mr. McIntosh said there were plenty of suitable sites in the town area if it was the intention of the Cessnock Committee to erect a new station.

The site for the Ambulance Station was 50 Cessnock Road, Weston.  The Newcastle Sun (NSW: 1918 - 1954) / Fri 11 Jan 1952  gave this account:

New Station For Kurri Ambulance

The Kurri Ambulance service has been moved from Kurri Hospital to new headquarters in Cessnock Rd., Weston.  Since the service was taken over recently by the Cessnock Ambulance it is known as the Cessnock-Kurri Ambulance.  The phone number is now Kurri 127.

The new station is in a two-storey building, the top floor being used as a residence for the officer-in-charge. The acting officer-in-charge is Mr. G. Stacey and other staff members are Messrs. J. Chalmers, W. Radimay and J. Dodds.

POST OFFICE

'The post-office and money order office is in charge of Mr. W. Walters, a local store keeper, but the addition to the office of a savings bank would be welcomed by the people. After repeated applications made through Mr. John Gillies, M.P., by the Progress Committee, the Postmaster-General has decided to open a telephone office in the township without asking for a guarantee from the residents.'     See:  A Year's Progress

In the past, Weston had three Post Offices:

• In the Walters Store in Station Street.

• On the corner of Station and Third Streets.

• On the corner of Station and First Streets.

BANK

From January 1946, prior to moving to Station Street, Weston in March 1949, the Commonwealth Bank had an Agency in rented premises at 74 Cessnock Road Weston, which was attached to its parent branch, the Commonwealth Bank at Kurri Kurri. 

 The first Commonwealth Bank building on the corner of Station  and First Streets, Weston (pictured below left), was established on the site in March 1949 and became a full branch of the Commonwealth Bank.  This was a pre-fabricated fibro-clad structure and a residence behind the bank at  51 First Street Weston, was for the bank manager and his family.  The Bank Manager of the Weston branch at this time was Clarence Cheeseman Lucas, who was in that position from March 1949 until November 1955. The second Commonwealth Bank building on this site at the corner of Station and First Streets Weston, NSW was completed in August 1964 (below right).  The new Bank Manager's residence behind, facing First Street, was completed in December 1964.  The former bank and manager's residence were relocated to allow for the construction of the two new buildings.

For a comprehensive history of the Commonwealth Bank in Weston by Peter Williams, please visit:  

THE HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTH BANK IN WESTON NSW

Following discussion of the Weston Commonwealth Bank in the Facebook group: I Grew Up In Weston, the names of  some managers and former staff  were contributed by current and former residents of Weston. Names included managers:  Mr Lucas; Mr Bob Patch and Mr Ron Cramm.  Staff names contributed by fellow staff members and others included:  Ann Day;  Peter Mallam;  Elizabeth Holt;  Allen Watson;  Sue Gray;  Elizabeth Kirkup; Walter Edgell;  Ron Porteus;  Allan Taylor;  Jeff Richardson;  Paul Callaghan  and  Garth Anderson. 

Sadly, in 1983, due to patronage declining with the economic downturn in the region, the status of the Weston Commonwealth Bank branch was downgraded to a Sub-Branch, which reported to Kurri Kurri.   This downgrading did not bode well for the future of the Weston Commonwealth Bank; it closed in 1994. 

See:  THE HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTH BANK IN WESTON NSW

WESTON SCHOOLS

• On 25 Jul 1903, the Department of Public Instruction purchased land from James Weston and Jane Swanson for £100 for the construction of a school consisting of a single classroom, a small hat room and an open verandah...

• William Walters wrote several letters during 1903 applying to have a school established at Weston.  One, dated 16 Sep 1903, reveals his sense of urgency. The town population was increasing rapidly and children were described as 'running wild'.

• In 1904, a Weston Progress Committee report stated:

'Ten allotments in section 18, between Fifth and Sixth streets and the Esplanade have been secured by the Government as a site for a Public School, but although letters have been received from the Department of Public Instruction, stating that the tender of Mr. H. Russell had been accepted, that contractor has received no instructions to proceed with the work. There are over 150 children in the locality, and it is to be deeply regretted that repeated applications have failed to induce the department to have the erection of the school proceeded with.'   See:  A Year's Progress 

• The first Weston School opened on 23 January 1905 and the first teacher was James McKay.   

• See history and photographs:  Weston Public School.

DOCTORS

Three doctors in Weston's past are remembered by locals.

• Dr. John Meredith

• Dr. Ivor Wonders

• Dr. Ian Waugh

Dr. Wonders joined Dr. Meredith in his practice in Second Street and after Dr. Meredith passed,  Dr. Waugh joined Dr. Wonders in the practice.  

PHARMACY

The original Pharmacy operated by Mr. J.  McIntosh,  opened in March 1932, and was in Cessnock Rd. Weston until 1943 when they then moved to Station St., Weston.   McIntosh’s Pharmacy was one of the longest surviving family businesses in Weston.  The late Mr. Doug McIntosh, son of the owner, operated McIntosh's Pharmacy from 1965 until his retirement in 2013.

In Weston's earliest days, the modes of transport were: 

• Walking, cycling, horse, horse and cart and train.  In 1904, the railway station was described thus:

'The railway station is a weatherboard structure, with station master's office, a general waiting room, and a ladies' room. The goods-shed is galvanised iron and timber. The platform is about 150 feet long and 60 feet wide, and is built up of earth with gravel surface to a height of about three feet, the face on the railway being In concrete. Mr. Donald Campbell is stationmaster. The railway business at the station is very extensive, as it includes the passenger and goods traffic and the coal trains from Hebburn and Abermain. '

•  By the  1930s there were regular bus and train services, and family cars and taxi services had increased in number.

See:  A Year's Progress  and  Weston Railway Station.

Photographs above are courtesy of:  UON Living Histories, John Ward Transportation Archive,  Lindsay Bridge,  Kurri Kurri Tidy Towns  &  Falk Family Collection.   See  history and photographs:   Weston Railway Station.

TAXI SERVICES

The photographs (below) of Joe Richardson's taxis  are courtesy of Janet Myers Richardson and Brenda  (Richardson) Peel. In relation to Weston's taxis, the earliest recollection many older folk born in Weston have is a taxi rank being at 23 Station St., Weston, on the corner of Station Street and Cessnock Road, outside of Mrs Hales's milk bar.  Before ownership of a family car became common, apart from daily casual fares, our taxi services took families to their annual holiday destinations and provided their cabs for weddings, funerals etc. They were a much-valued service to the townsfolk. A discussion in the I Grew Up In Weston Facebook group uncovered many names of our earlier Taxi owners and/or drivers. They include: Clive Snape; Joe Richardson; Samuel Carmac; Eddie Sutcliffe; Bill Minter; Eric Bodycote; Di Bodycote; Russ Norman; Ray Lumsden; Neville Edwards; Coates; Chapmans; Allan and Jack Maxwell;  Ross Loder;  Haggartys;  Daltons; John Bates; Bill Bennett; Charlie Bailey;  Mick Bradley and Denis Lord.

Taxi ranks were later established  further north in Station Street near the Library and also in Sixth Street,  Weston.

SERVICE STATIONS & AUTOMOTIVE

Weston NSW currently has two Service Stations in Cessnock Road.  See:  Then & Now  and  Photo Gallery pages.

However, in the past there were two service stations opposite each other on the corner of First Street and Government Road, Weston (see photograph below). These were owned by the Carrolls and Heslops.

Names recalled as being involved in the automotive industry in Weston include: Frank Murray, Ed. Zaslona, George Duncan, Rod Porter, Gary Shearman, Cyril Bates/Delma & John Whyte, Teasdale's Tyres, Hunter's Tyres  and Weston Smash Repairs (T & J McBride).

CHURCHES

• 1904:  'The Methodists, with true missionary zeal, have decided to build a church on an allotment, in Section 18, near the public school site.'  See:  A Year's Progress.  In 1906,  'The Pass family was involved in the reopening of the Methodist Church in 1906.'  (Kathy Wright)

• St. Mary's Anglican Church was erected in 1908.

HOTELS  &  ACCOMODATION

• The Criterion Hotel was built in 1903 by James Jones, an experienced hotelier who had previously managed hotels in Newcastle and Sydney, including the Terminus and Criterion hotels in Newcastle and the Lyceum Hotel in Sydney.  Seeing opportunity in the booming coalfields of South Maitland, Jones purchased land in Weston and constructed the hotel on Station Street, along with several stores and cottages, contributing significantly to the town’s early development. The Newcastle Morning Herald reported on August 26, 1903, that the hotel was a substantial addition to the township, reflecting Weston’s progress at the time.

• The Aberdare Hotel was built by John Champion, an Englishman who arrived in Australia in 1876 at age 21.  Initially a coal miner, Champion transitioned into the hospitality business, managing the Rose, Shamrock, and Thistle Hotel in Lambton and later the Northumberland Hotel in Newcastle’s Hunter Street during the 1880s. His wealth grew significantly after establishing Tattersall’s, the first hotel in the upper Hunter Valley coalfields, in Greta from 1889 to 1892. At 48, Champion began developing the Aberdare Hotel on the corner of Hall and Aberdare streets in Weston. 

For more photographs and history of Weston's two iconic hotels see:    Middies & Memories

PICTURE THEATRES

Weston once had three picture theatres:

• The Allies open-air theatre in Aberdare St. /Cessnock Rd. next to the railway line 

• The Olympia Picture Palace in Station Street 

• The Capitol Theatre in Station Street 

See also:   Then & Now  and  Our Community Halls

COMMUNITY HALLS

Weston had a surprising number of community halls.  For photographs and history see :  Our Community Halls. 

GREENGROCERS

MRS HALES 

The building that housed Mrs. Hales's first shop (below left) still stands. The awning has long gone and this is now a private dwelling.  The site of Mrs. Hales's second shop (below right) was originally the Mark, Murdoch & Co. Emporium.   Of course, many seniors will still remember this site as 'Mrs Hales's corner'. Her famous homemade fruit salad ice blocks with the strip of ice-cream in the centre have not been forgotten either!  The original shop owned by Mrs Hales (40 Aberdare St./Cessnock Rd. ) was where the initial meetings were held in 1908 to form the Weston Soccer clubs.   

Mrs. Hales worked hard, raising her family and keeping the business going.  Formerly Miss Mary Griffiths, she married Anty Hales at Wickham in 1906. They had seven known children: Mary H. (1906); Anty D.J. (1908); William R. (1910-1992); Anty (1913-1991); David J.A. (d.1910); David G. (b.1916); Sarah (d.1920). Anty Hales Sr. died in 1952 and Mrs Mary Hales in 1967.   (Ean Smith)  Mrs. Mary Hales: long remembered with great fondness!

THE GREEN SHOP

Above:  The Green Shop, Station Street, Weston NSW.  Still as popular in 2025!

~ Weston NSW History & Heritage

THE TRUSTY TAKE-AWAYS

WESTON'S CORNER STORES 

Tucked away in the quiet backstreets of Weston, NSW, the corner shops were more than just stores—they were where memories were made. In this coal-mining town, these humble shops served families with everything from lollies to laundry soap, fostering a sense of community that still lingers in the hearts of locals. Unlike the town centre, these backstreet gems were often just a short walk from home, where school children spent their pocket money and neighbours swapped stories.

'Up the Avenue'

All three buildings (below) were once shops supplying those Weston residents who lived 'Up the Avenue'. 

• 46 Webb Street, situated on the corner of Appleton Avenue: Bird, Standing.  Also the site of another red phone box!

• 31 Appleton Avenue:  Crawford, Bennett, Badior, VanZanden, Courtney and possibly Parker.

• 36 Appleton Avenue:  Cannon

While their business days have now passed into history, these buildings still stand as private dwellings.

35 Second Street Weston NSW

The Hall Street Shops:

The two shops that were in Hall Street survive in living memory. Currently, we don't have any photographs to share. They were possibly still operating in Hall Street until the 1950s or 1960s.  These two shops were located on the block between First and Second Streets.  

• Church family: They had the shop on the eastern side of Hall Street.

• Mrs. Thompson: She had the shop opposite on the western side .

In Weston’s early days, butchers like the renowned Fogarty, Co-op Store and Hector ruled as the protein kings of the Coalfields, sourcing livestock from regional saleyards, usually Maitland, and processing them at the Kurri Kurri abattoir before supplying miners’ families with fresh cuts from their sawdust-floored butcher shops in Weston.  Bakers delivered fresh bread to the home and filled the air with the scent of crusty loaves of bread, the staples for worker’s and school children’s lunches. Milkmen, in the early hours of the morning, delivered milk right to doorsteps, fueling growing families through boom and bust. Together, these trades nourished our tight-knit community, one chop, loaf, and pint at a time.

THE  BUTCHERS

Weston’s butcher shops were community staples, doubling as social spots where locals ordered custom cuts. Meat was sold fresh daily, with offal and cheaper cuts popular among mining families. With the development of home refrigeration and freezers in later years, making the ice man and ice-chests redundant, families began to buy in larger quantities and less frequently, perhaps shopping only weekly or fortnightly.  During good times, the choicer cuts became much more popular. Steak or a leg of lamb were affordable.  Waste like bones went to rendering for tallow or pet food. 

• T. J. Fogarty was the first Butcher in Weston. Tom Fogarty was a brother of the fighter named "Jawbreaker" Fogarty and was related to the McNabb family.   

• The Weston Co-op Store purchased Fogarty's premises for their Butchery c.1914. They later moved to new premises on the corner of Cessnock Rd. and Station St. ,Weston NSW.

• E. Wilkinson in Station Street advertised as  'The Clean Butchers'.

• W. Hector & Sons followed Wilkinson into the same premises. They were originally  further north on Station Street.

• Bailey's Butchery was in Cessnock Rd., Weston NSW

• Other butchers remembered in Weston were Don Ferguson and Mac's Meats.

Photographs above courtesy of Coalfields Local History Assoc., Sandra Hafey, Terry Zaichenko & Google Maps.

• As documented on the page:  A Years Progress,  Mr. A. Henderson, baker,  already had his bakery (photographed above left) established by May 1904, at the beginning of the Weston township development.  Henderson's family bakery operated for many years and were later followed by Yeatman, a Cessnock baker,  who is known to have been been associated with this 120 year bakehouse during the 1950/60s.

• Balsdon's bakery (below) operated for many years in Station Street, Weston.  Mr. and Mrs. Russell and Betty Balsdon were photographed with their staff during the 1960s . 

• The photograph (above right) is of baker lan (Ben the Baker) Merrion and his daughter Mellonie.  Mr Merrion commenced his bakery c.1998 in the premises once occupied by Bailey's Butchery in Cessnock Rd., Weston.   This Weston bakery began as Weston Hot Bake and was then later renamed Simply Bliss.  

THE MILKMEN

In Weston's early days, some fortunate families had a house cow for their own milk supply but most relied upon ithe milkmen—or ‘milkos’ as locals fondly called them. They were a familiar sight delivering milk from horse-drawn carts and measuring out pints and quarts into jugs or billy cans. Their day started early, often at dawn to match the miners’ early shifts. In later years, fresh milk was delivered in glass bottles with foil tops by motor vehicle.  Before home refrigerators and supermarkets, this vital service kept Coalfields families stocked with creamy milk and essentials. Trusted milkos always knew their customers’ routines and preferences. Inevitably, by the 1970s, changing lifestyles and affordable refrigeration saw their rounds fade from Weston’s streets but memories still linger.  Some came from neighbouring towns to do their milk run in Weston, but others were born and bred locals. Members of the I Grew Up In Weston Facebook group remembered some of the milkos from days past, including:  Cec Bailey, Mr. Hoffman, Ray Robinson, Col James, Wayne Pinfold, Paul Gillon, Ron Jenness, Rob Tindall, Angus Gollan and Barry Hure. 

JOCK & MARY STEWART

REED  FAMILY

The building below,  on the eastern side of Station Street, and on the corner of Second Street, Weston was originally Frazer's house. These premises later became adjoining shops run at different times by the Reed family and Jock and Mary Stewart. 

This site is now Jock Stewart Park.  See:  Photo Gallery

Above & left:  The Reed's Ladies and Menswear Store in Station Street c.1940s.  L-R:  Jack Reed, Sylvia Reed, Jennie Reed and Estelle Reed.

~ Jennifer Drylie nee Beverley and ~ Glennis (Wilkinson) Gray

This site is now Jock Stewart Park.   See:  Photo Gallery

MEADOWS CLOTHING STORES & THE DUTCH CAKE SHOP

Meadows & the Dutch Cake Shop:  Both once shared this building at 35-37 Station Street Weston NSW. The larger light-coloured section was for many years a Ladies Wear owned by Mrs. Phyllis  Meadows.  The small section painted a darker colour in this photograph was once the famous Dutch Cake Shop oerated by Ton and Ann  Ruygrok.  Eli Wilkinson at one time had a men’s wear shop in these premises and rented the house at the back plus the cake shop, to the Ruygroks. Wilkinsons lived at the back before the Ruygroks until they built the house nearby where fruiterer Norm Edwards and his family later lived.  (IGUIW)

See also:   Then & Now    

WESTON TIMBER & HARDWARE

HAIRDRESSERS  &  BARBERS

NEWSAGENTS

THE LANGLEY BUILDINGS

AGRICULTURE

As documented throughout this website, Weston evolved as a township from coal mining development ; however, it saw limited agricultural activity, primarily on a subsistence or small commercial scale. Its agricultural history reflects the challenges of the region’s soils, which were fertile in pockets but prone to flooding and variable quality elsewhere.

The town’s origins tie directly to agriculture through its founder, James Weston. In 1856, English immigrant James Weston purchased a 640-acre land grant near Chinaman’s Hollow, where he established a homestead, an orchard, and a vineyard to support his family.  This early venture laid the groundwork for the private township that bore his name, though mining soon overshadowed farming as the economic driver. 

By the late 19th century, other settlers experimented with viticulture. The Edwards family operated 'Vinera' Vineyards in Sawyers Gully, adjacent to Weston, establishing a wine depot on Government Road for sales in jars, cases, or bulk.   Alexander Galloway photographed the wine depot (see above), highlighting its role in local commerce before the industry’s decline. 

Market gardening briefly flourished among Chinese immigrants, who brought expertise to the fertile but flood-vulnerable lowlands. George Ah Wah (real name Mock Kim Wah), born in China in 1848, immigrated to Australia and worked as a market gardener in Chinaman’s Hollow during the late 1800s. However, recurrent flooding in the area—part of a designated flood zone—devastated his operations, forcing him to abandon the site by the early 1900s.  (Cessnock City Library: Unlocking The Past 2022, The Advertiser, 11 May 2022)

Post-World War I efforts to revive agriculture through soldier resettlement proved short-lived. Under the New South Wales Returned Soldiers Settlement Act of 1916, the government allocated land in the Weston area (later renamed Loxford in 1969) to returned servicemen, focusing on poultry farming.  See Weston Soldiers Settlement.  Settlers received allotments with chickens, wire fencing, and shed materials, aiming to create a viable industry.   Despite initial clearing of 100 acres in 1919, the scheme faltered due to poor soil quality in many blocks, unprofitability, and competition from coal jobs; most participants abandoned farming for collieries by the 1920s.  During the 1950s-60s, there were two poultry farms located at the northern end of Weston Street, Weston.  Names remembered are Tom Parsons and 'Pash' and Beryl Horder.  There are also several names recalled in connection with poultry farms in Sawyers Gully Road: Moss, McKinnon, Gollan, Walker's Shangri-La, Graham and Sussex Farm. One is still a working farm. 

Overall, agriculture in Weston remained marginal, constrained by flooding, suboptimal soils, and the dominance of mining. No large-scale farming persisted, with remnants like the Edwards vineyard fading by the mid-20th century.

CLOTHING MANUFACTURING 

Clothing, other manufacturing such as curtains, and a fashion outlet also operated c.1970s-2000s at the former Weston Co-op Store premises in Cessnock Road Weston.  Below are photographs from the times when it was Casey, Depict and Millers.  Recently, this has been  a FoodWorks store.  

See:  Then & Now   and  Photo Gallery

OTHER INDUSTRY & TRADES

Conclusion

The story of Weston’s Services & Establishments is the story of its people—a vibrant tapestry woven from the threads of everyday life.  From the brave volunteers of the Emergency Services who protected our town, to the bustling Post Office & Bank where letters and dreams were exchanged, each service shaped Weston’s identity. Our schools in Education nurtured young minds, while Health: Doctors & Pharmacy cared for our wellbeing. The rumble of Transport & Automotive Services kept us moving, and Community Gathering Places like halls and churches brought us together in joy and sorrow. The General Stores, Greengrocers, Cafes, Butchers & Bakers, and General Services & Retail fed our bodies and spirits, while the skilled hands of Industry & Trades built the foundations of our town.

These places, captured in the cherished photographs you see here, were more than businesses—they were the heartbeat of Weston. They were where neighbors became friends, where stories were shared over a counter or a cuppa, and where a small town’s resilience and warmth shone through. As you explore these memories, we hope you feel the pride and connection that define Weston’s heritage. Thank you for walking this journey through our past, where every shop, service, and smile tells the story of a community that endures.