Smiling Eudunda Farmers’ shop assistants, Waikerie Branch, 1946.

This photo reflects a happy staff, similar to that seen in many photos of Eudunda’s employees.  This was not surprising for an organisation that, from the outset in 1896, held to farming-family values. Three former Loxton branch managers, Messrs Blucher, McLaren and Schaedel, rose to become Eudunda’s general managers. Former Loxton Eudunda’s employee Graham Boehm recalls cycling and later running around the Loxton township to customers’ homes to collect weekly grocery orders.  Blockies’ orders were collected by phone. Where possible, locally grown fruit and vegetables were purchased from Masons in Barmera. Non-perishable goods arrived monthly by train and were delivered by carrier Erwin Thiele. The packed groceries were then home-delivered by truck. In-store shoppers placed their orders in their family’s docket books. Transactions were either paid monthly or by cash on the day. Bonuses were paid to customers who kept accounts up to date. For cash payments, the cash and docket were conveyed by a store-wide rope and pulley ‘flying-fox’ that whisked the items to an upper-level cash office, where the transaction was completed promptly, the required change added and whisked back to the customer desk. For fun one day, a ground-floor assistant popped a live mouse in the cash carrier capsule as an unwelcomed surprise for the upstairs accountant.

INFORMATION: Vicki Williams. PHOTO: Eudundas.