Today’s story is about the Bunyip butchers. Some names are not familiar at all now, but then there are names I grew up with and names that still have family connections living in the area today. Some of the earlier butcher names include Hobson, Pittard, Stones and Calvert, recorded through Denise Nest’s Call of the Bunyip and research through Trove newspapers. One butcher I researched was Mr Andy Gibb — not the pop star. Mr Gibb and his family came to Bunyip in 1902 by horse and cart.Can you imagine that long journey from Melbourne? Mr Gibb set up a butchery on the western end of town.Apparently Andy Gibb was a very skilled butcher with a great deal of ambition. In 1910, Mr Gibb slipped over in the backyard of his butchery.His face struck a cart and a butcher’s hook injured his face.It was reported that he almost lost an eye. Thankfully, I am guessing he healed well because by 1912 it was recorded that Mr Andy Gibb owned Bunyip’s very first motor car — a 1912 Renault. He must have been a very proud butcher. The years rolled by and new butcher names became part of Bunyip’s everyday life. Names more familiar to me include Maisey, Goodrem, Thompson, James, Miller and Steenholdt.
There are certainly more names that could be added, but these were all well-known butcher families and businesses within the district.
Like many country towns, the local butcher shop was more than just a place to buy meat.It was also a place where people stopped for a chat, caught up on town news and shared stories about local life.
Maisey was certainly a well-known Bunyip name. Originally, Thomas William Maisey came to Bunyip in 1877.It was his grandson, William Maisey — better known as Bill — whom I remember. The Bunyip Abattoirs on Doran Road, established in 1957, were managed by Bill and Peter Maisey. The first Maisey butcher shop was located further down Main Street, near what many people would remember as the Greenview and Amot Accounting business, now Findex. Later, the butcher shop moved to the building that more recently many would remember as the laundromat,As seen in the photograph there is a large sign welcoming Kev Thompson back in 1989 from his Longwarry butcher days to the very shop where he had once worked — only this time returning as the boss. Although, truth be told, many would probably say his wife Val was actually the boss. There was a lot of hard work in those butcher shops, but also plenty of fun and good memories along the way. The early mornings were part of everyday life.Each day sides of meat were cut up, sausages were made, hamburgers prepared and customers looked after. For many local children, a trip to the butcher shop often meant being lucky enough to receive a slice of stras while the adults chatted. Each week the Dandy Smallgoods van would arrive, along with the blood-and-bones truck, both part of the regular rhythm of country town business life. Further up the street you would find another butcher shop. Nowadays it is the fabulous Biddy Martha’s, well known for its great coffee, but back in the day it was home to another butcher with a passion for the gee-gees — Clarrie Steenholdt. Clarrie was another respected butcher with a rich history within Bunyip and was also related to the Maisey family. Before becoming a butcher, Clarrie had been a farmer, combining his knowledge of where meat comes from Later, the very same shop became home to Kevin Miller.Not only was Kevin a great butcher, he was also a wonderful singer.Often you could hear the sound of a baritone butcher singing while customers came and went through the shop doors. People still remember the smells, the sounds, the saw dust, and the friendly butcher. Fresh sausages, rissoles, chops, roasting pieces and the famous stras for the kids all became part of growing up in Bunyip. The butcher shops were hard-working places, beginning before daylight and often finishing long after most people had gone home. Today many of those butcher shops are gone or have become something new, but the memories remain part of Bunyip’s story. And for many locals, the names Maisey, Steenholdt, Miller, Thompson and others will always bring back memories of friendly faces, country service and the sound of a busy Main Street. #lovealwayshenry♥️#storybydaffy📝#picbyai