One of Geelong West’s longest-running businesses bids farewell next month when the Woolsy Trading Post closes its doors after 49 years.
The much-loved store at 140-142 Shannon Avenue, which specialises in craft and sheepskin products, will conduct its last day of trading on Saturday, December 16.
Established by husband and wife Graeme and Nola King in the early 1970s, the Woolsy began its life as a sheepskin buff pad business in another building on Shannon Avenue, before moving to its current location in 1977.
“I used to work at Pilkington ACI, a safety glass manufacturer, and we set up the first shop where we made our sheepskin products and I used to work down there after I knocked off,” Graeme said.
Graeme liked experimenting with how patterns were made and soon began designing sheepskin footwear, particularly moccasins and Ugg boots, but the store also sold a variety of other products over the years.
“We got into toys, because there was an educational toy shop in the city that was closing, so we thought we’d pinch their name, which was the Walrus and the Carpenter and set this half up as a toy shop,” Graeme said.
“Then the toy shop opposite opened up, and that was three or four times the size of the toy shop here. So we scrapped that and started to sell office furniture.”
By the early 80s the sheepskin products, which included handmade car seat covers, rugs, cushions and golf club covers, were being manufactured off site at a small factory in Pakington Street.
With three kids on her hands Nola decided not to go back to her original career of teaching, instead taking on the full-time responsibility of managing and working in the Shannon Avenue shop.
Nola soon established a thriving craft business to complement the wool and sheepskin products.
When Nola died in 2005, Graeme’s three daughters Lyndell, Bronwyn and Caroline thought he might retire, or sell the business, but Graeme hired on a team of employees and continued to run the business.
Now, nearly 20 years later, Graeme’s ongoing health issues, the impact of COVID-19 and the rising cost of business have meant the Woolsy’s doors will close forever.
Graeme said he hadn’t noticed until now how important a part of the community he and the business had been over the decades.
“I was in here a couple of weeks ago and a woman brought some wool up and put it on the counter, and when she looked up at me she was nearly crying,” he said.
“She said, you can’t change your mind, can you? She enjoyed the shop and the products we had to offer.
“I’ve had people come in and say to me they used to come with their mother to buy wool when they were little, and now they were coming in to buy it now as an adult.
“I suppose you don’t realise, as time progresses, because things are happening all the time and it just seems natural. But looking back, yeah, I’m proud.”
