By Heather Wade, 2024.
Daisy the Cow stands on the corner of Ommaney Road (South Western Highway) and Beela Road in Brunswick. She has proudly stood there since 1973 and was erected by the Lions Club of Brunswick to acknowledge the contribution of the Friesian breed of cow to the success of the Brunswick district. The concrete statue was made by Elsie Manning from Albany and stands atop a block of granite sourced from Roelands quarry.
Some locals refer to the location as ‘Dorries’ Corner’ because the Dorries family had the General Store on that block from 1948 to the early 1960s. General Stores sold a large variety of items from hardware to homewares and groceries and were agents for large businesses catering for farming communities.
Henry Knighton Toll Dorries, known as ‘Blue’ and his wife Ethel Mary, known as ‘Molly’ took over the general store in 1948. Dorries sold almost everything – one side of the shop sold women’s clothing, undergarments and materials such as wool. The other side sold grocery items and so much more. A petrol pump stood out the front along the main road. The shop was well supported by the community in the days when there was limited transport. In later years, when more people had the means of travelling out of town to shop, and take advantage of cheaper prices in bigger centres such as Bunbury, the shop closed.[1]
Blue Dorries came with experience. On his enlistment papers in 1942 he was a storekeeper and had worked at Richardson & Co. Ltd in Katanning, C Carter in Perth, Lever Bros Pty Ltd in Perth and had been a commercial traveller.[2] As is so often the case with business owners, the Dorries were community minded people. They are memorialised on a plaque on the Brunswick Pioneer and Community Wall:
H.K.T. (Blue) & Molly Dorries
Arrived in Brunswick 1948 to take over the General Store where the ‘Cow’ now stands. He brought with him his love of football and a drink or two. Blue coached the local side and was instrumental in the club joining the S.W.L. [South West League] becoming the first president of Harvey Brunswick Football Club. Blue was awarded life membership of both the Brunswick Football Club and Brunswick Junior Club. Blue and Molly’s daughter Jennifer and son in law Donald, grandson Graham are also life members of the club, one of only three families (at this time) to have their dedication to the Club recognised across the three generations.
Blue was also the Patron of the Brunswick Tennis Club and Brunswick Badminton Club, played cricket and bowls, was Secretary of the Brunswick Buffalo Lodge, a committee member of the Brunswick Agricultural Society and donated trophies for soccer and interschool sports.[3]
HK Dorries shop, early 1960s. Photo: Harvey History Online Collection.
Advertisement early in the Dorries’ tenure.[4]
But back to the beginning:
Thornton Bros
The first business owners of the store that later became Dorries’ appears to have been the Thornton Bros. The first mention of that establishment in Brunswick was in November 1933.[5] Alf (Alfred William) and Barney (Bernard Backwell Clement) Thornton moved from Kulja, a small wheatbelt town in WA where they had started their storekeeping business.[6]
A year later Thornton Bros announced that they were having a rebuilding sale because they were rebuilding and enlarging their premises. Customers were encouraged to do some of the moving as the entire drapery stock was greatly reduced as were other items.[7]
In January 1935, bricklayers were hard at work rebuilding the Thornton Bros premises, which the readers were assured stood on one of the most valuable and imposing corner blocks in the town. The new brick building was seen as a great acquisition to the township and replaced the original wooden building.[8] However, during a heavy blow in January, the wind reached such strength that it moved a recently constructed wall about four inches which completely demolished it.[9] It appears that the land and buildings were owned by Jack Shine, Snr – ‘The shop occupied by Messrs. Thornton Bros., has been reconstructed of brick, and a new brick residence has been erected to the order of Mr. J. Shine, senr.’[10]
The reopening sale began on 8 March 1935 to celebrate the opening of the new business premises.[11] Manchester, men’s & boys’ wear, summer dress material, underclothing, kitchen & glassware and groceries were detailed at length to entice the shopper.[12]
Thornton Bros. new premises advertised in the ‘Western Mail’, 15 August 1935.
Nine days later an attempted burglary was reported:
What is considered to have been an attempt at burglary took place at Brunswick on Tuesday evening, when the front door of the premises of Thornton Bros. was found forced open. A savage dog is kept in the shop at night, and it is thought that when the door was forced open the marauder was frightened away by the dog. There was definite evidence of a lever having been used to open the door, and the door was discovered to be open about 10.45, when most of the residents of the town were at the picture show.[13]
In 1935 the Thornton Bros donated trophies to Roelands Rifle Club, Brunswick Agricultural Society and for Bridge.[14]
JW Swinhoe
By 22 January 1937 the Thornton Bros had moved to Kellerberrin[15] where they conducted a similar business for many years. JW (John William) Swinhoe, the Secretary of the Northam and District Industrial Cooperative Society Ltd took over the Brunswick business and was joined by his son, Athol.[16]
JW Swinhoe, the shop on the right, sold drapery, grocery, hardware and motor accessories.
Western Mail, 10 November 1938.
In a 1940’s article the establishment was described as:
J.W. Swinhoe, General Store, Provision Merchant BRUNSWICK.
Situated in the heart of Brunswick’s shopping centre and within easy reach of all, is the store of Mr. J. W. Swinhoe, the leading business house of Brunswick. As a general store it covers a very wide range, from drapery and groceries to a multitude of different agencies, the leading lines of which are Yates’ seeds, Cyclone fencing, Queensland insurance, Kodak and Sherwin Williams’ paints.[17]
John Swinhoe was involved in many organisations throughout his time in Brunswick, often as an office bearer and sometimes as a patron and trophy donor. The organisations included the Brunswick Agricultural Society, Brunswick Bowling Club, Brunswick Cycle Club, Tennis Club, Roelands-Brunswick Fish and Game Society, Brunswick Hall Committee, Brunswick Football Club, Brunswick War Patriotic Committee and Brunswick Horticultural Society. Lilian, his wife, was involved in the Brunswick CWA.[18]
The business was up for sale in March 1948:
GROCERY Business at Brunswick. Tenders are invited for the purchase of the grocery, drapery and hardware business conducted by Mr. J. W. Swinhoe at Brunswick Junction, including stock, plant and goodwill.[19]
Dorries
In May 1948 Mr HK Dorries advised that he had taken over J Swinhoe’s business.[20] The Dorries General Store closed in the early 1960s and the building was later demolished. In 1968 Blue was working as a labourer and in the 1972 and 1977 Electoral Rolls he was listed as a confectioner at 13 Ommaney Road.[21] The Dorries were running the Cosy Corner Tea Rooms where the flats are today. Blue died in 1978.
Today, the Cow On The Corner is a landmark for travellers along the South West Highway and perhaps a place to have a break and stretch the legs, but in former days it was a place where the locals could purchase almost anything and have a chat to the owners at the same time.
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[1] Welcome to the Brunswick Junction Hub, ‘Dorries and HBL Football Club’ https://www.brunswickwa.com/history-of-brunswick, accessed 12 January 2024.
[2] National Archives of Australia, Series No A9301, Control Symbol 80729, Item ID 1069.
[3] NLA Newspapers at https://trove.nla.gov.au
[4] Harvey Murray Times, 17 September 1948. P. 9.
[5] Harvey Murray Times, 23 November 1933, p. 3.
[6] Eastern Recorder, 18 November 1954, p. 3
[7] Harvey Murray Times, 9 November 1934, p. 3.
[8] West Australian, 24 January 1935, p. 9.
[9] Harvey-Waroona Mail, 25 January 1935, p. 1.
[10] South Western Times, 13 April 1935, p. 5.
[11] Harvey Murray Times, 8 March 1935, p. 3.
[12] Harvey Murray Times, 1 March 1935, p. 3.
[13] South Western Times, 24 August 1935, p. 10.
[14] NLA Newspapers at https://trove.nla.gov.au
[15] Eastern Recorder, 22 January 1937, p. 2.
[16] West Australian, 5 Jun 1937, p. 10.
[17] Harvey Murray Times, 7 November 1940, p. 4.
[18] NLA Newspapers at https://trove.nla.gov.au
[19] West Australian, 19 Mar 1948, p. 25.
[20] Harvey Murray Times, 28 May 1948, p. 9.
[21] Ancestry.com Electoral Rolls