17/04/2026
Our very dedicated Secretary and Treasurer, Des Murray, had been busy collating a brief history of the Old Wool Store, 11 Hanson Street, Kingston SE. It makes for a great read!
The history of the Old Wool Store starts in the early 1860’s after the town of Kingston was
surveyed and brothers Archibald and James Cook, lease holders and wool growers in the district set about organising the marketing of their wool. In this early period, a jetty had not yet been builtso wool was loaded using lighters off the beach starting in 1859.
The first jetty was built in 1862, 511 feet long with water at a depth of 4 foot deep at spring low tide. This jetty proved to be quite inadequate. Archibald Cook erected warehouses and offices and commenced business as a shipping agent. This jetty was soon replaced in 1880, the new jetty
was 4,000 feet long ending in water 16 feet deep which was suitable for the smaller steam ship and suitable for shipping wool but too shallow for the export of wheat.
In 1865 the port of Lacepede Bay was declared an official port for overseas shipping and named Port Caroline. James Cooke took over the business and played a significant role in the development of Kingston and in community affairs. At the time wool was delivered to the port by bullock teams pulling drays as far away as Bordertown and Naracoorte. This was a slow and expensive business given the lack of roads and the wet country that had to be traversed.
In 1876 the railway line from Naracoorte was built with carriages initially being pulled by horses until the arrival of the locomotives from England. To facilitate the loading of wool a spur line was built into the Wool Store and wool was delivered to the jetty for loading on to the cargo ships. The wool store played a major role in the shipping of goods for the overseas markets. Thedevelopment of the rail network were the boom days for Kingston and large wool traders established their businesses in Kingston at the expense of the Cooke Brothers who did not have access to capital that they needed to compete.
When the railway network was extended to Bordertown and Mount Gambier, and good roads were being built, the trade and freight passing through Kingston had declined by 1892, as it was cheaper to ship freight to Adelaide direct by road or rail.
The use of the Wool Store continued for a
number of years, used by stock and station agents serving the local rural community but fell into disrepair. I have been informed that Dalgety & Co ran a stock and station agency next door where the Ocean View Motel is situated.
In April 2001, the Kingston District Council received a development application from Don and Senny McInnes, to operate a restaurant and antique gallery in the Old Wool Store. So began a period of extensive repair and renovations over 8 years. During 2009 Don and Senny achieved their dream of opening the Old Wool Store Café and Restaurant.
The business proved very popular, and I remember many great gatherings at the venue.
It was a great shock and with much sadness when the car accident resulting in the deaths of Don and Senny occurred 12th March 2019. They had done so much work to save an important historical building which provided a tangible link with Kingston’s earlier shipping prominence.
As stated on the memorial on the wall, this is a heart-warming example of a building saved from imminent demolition and is now listed on the State Heritage Register.
The Kingston Branch of the National Trust of SA were considering what could be done about the property given it had been vacant since 2019. A Committee member who had experience with Community Foundations in Bordertown suggested that we investigate the idea of establishing a Community Foundation for Kingston. The legal steps were completed by June 2024 and the
Foundation was launched on the 11th of April 2025.
In late 2024 negotiations commenced with Ms Mignon McInnes, the trustee of the estate of Don and Senny and a contract was agreed to for the purchase of the property and all equipment for $800,000. Of course, we had no money, but Mignon generously agreed to give the Foundation what ever time was needed to settle the contract which we did on the 19th of December 2025.
With the support of very generous Donors, we raised $500,000 and received an interest free loan privately for the balance which we are now fund raising to repay.
At present we have appointed national real estate property consultants Colliers in Adelaide and Complete Commercial in Mount Gambier to vet interested parties for a long-term lease of the property. The property is listed on the national data base of Colliers and enquiries are being received.
Once leased, the net income received will be distributed to our beneficiaries: Kingston Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Kingston Community School, and the Kingston Branch of the SA National Trust.
This is the first Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) foundation established in Kingston and for Kingston. It has got off to a strong start.
Another aspect of the Foundation is that the Kingston community now has a facility that
can receive donor funds, or bequests from deceased estates, knowing that the money
stays in the district, is managed by a local board of directors, and will generate income in perpetuity for our community beneficiaries.
Gone are the days of street stalls, working bees and labour-intensive fund-raising efforts – time is simply not available these days.
Des Murray, Secretary: Kingston Community Foundation.
www.kingstoncommunityfoundation.au
