The former Faigan’s Store has been brought back to life with a display at the Millers Flat Bakehouse and Museum which is just metres down the road from where the store used to be.
Mrs Omond said the installation of antique items at the bakehouse brought back a flood of memories — of pre-paid accounts, of the store being a social hub and of a daylight robbery at knife-point.
Mrs Omond said she had a life-long association with the former store, which was first opened in 1896 and run by the Faigan family for more than 100 years.
She recalled deliveries to her home when she was a child.
"Joe Faigan used to deliver up to our house at Ettrick and he always had a box of lollies on his seat.
"When he bought the groceries inside, they were in a wooden box and us kids used to fight to get to carry this wooden box back out to the truck, because we would get lollies."
Mrs Omond managed the grocery store and post office agency for 10 years from 1990.
In those days, the shop was the central hub for the town. People would come in every morning to collect their Otago Daily Times, bread and milk, she said.
Stock was delivered to the shop once a week and every item had to be individually priced.
Life was pretty routine but on July 31, 1995, about 3pm, all that changed.
"This guy came in with a knife and pointed it in front of me and said ‘I want your money’."
Mrs Omond was unimpressed with his lack of planning.
"Three o’clock in the afternoon, busiest time of the day when all the mothers were coming to pick up their kids from school."
Unfortunately for the robber there was little cash in the shop as it operated mostly on pre-paid accounts, Mrs Omond said.
The man took off with $300.
Mrs Omond’s shop assistant at the time, Anne Johnston, was incensed at the cheek of their robber.
"She went out to get into her car and chase him."
Mrs Johnston gave chase while Mrs Omond was on the phone to the police.
She told them the direction he went and police from Roxburgh intercepted him at Dumbarton, about 10km away.
Faigan’s Store closed 10 years ago after Foodstuffs withdrew its Four Square franchise.
Mrs Omond said people had begun going elsewhere for cheaper items, not taking into account the cost of travel, while at the same time the community became smaller.
Farms were amalgamated into neighbouring properties rather than being bought by another family which reduced the area’s population, she said.
In 2017, the store was sold and converted into a cafe which eventually closed about three years ago.
Late last year Hawkeswood Mining bought the cafe and is currently advertising for an operator.
Millers Flat Bakehouse trustee and treasurer Hilary McKenzie said the Faigan’s Store Trust, which last operated the store, held the items in trust for the community.
When that trust was wound up the items were passed on to the bakehouse, Mrs McKenzie said.
The display showcasing the items — which ranged from post office scales and bag sealers to wooden boxes that goods had been delivered in — had been built by Millers Flat resident Mark McConway, she said.
On display was only a small selection of the collection, and there were more treasures to be uncovered and catalogued, she said.
