The first shop
The very first shop in the district opened, not in the “Mainstreet”, but at the foot of Endeavour Street in 1912. In those days the street was completely undeveloped and was just a track winding down through the scrub to the beach. The creek at the bottom, where the pumping station used to stand, was then crossed by a log in place of a bridge. The log was later replaced with a black plank bridge.
Just beside the bridge and astride the creek, Charlie Bantan built his little shop. He and his wife, Eva, served in it and provided some of the basic needs for campers.
The shop was not particularly well constructed or well positioned, and high tides used to rise up under the floor. Especially high tides would sometimes wash across the floor of the shop. Not surprisingly, the shop did not last very long and fell into disrepair.