shops

Shame we can't get context. A fruit shop doesn't normally attract a crowd.

We do have some context, not very pleasant.

Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 - 1954), Friday 17 January 1941, page 8
"Fruit Shop Pickets
ROCKDALE CROWDS PROTEST
Local residents yesterday picketed the fruit shop of Mr. Antonio Arena, in Princes Highway, Rockdale. This followed picketing of the fruit shops of Mr. Leo Costa and Mr. A. Rumore in Prince's Highway, Rockdale, on Wednesday. Yesterday both those shops were locked and deserted. All yesterday afternoon crowds jostled and argued outside Mr. Arena's shop, while a squad of police looked on. Few people entered the shop to buy fruit A group of residents led several dogs on leads to and fro before the shop. Mr. Arena immediately removed several cases of fruit from the doorway.
Had Birth Certificate
Mr. Arena showed his birth certificate to the demonstrators and said he was Australian born. A member of the A.I.F. examined the certificate and told the crowd, "He's O.K." Two elderly women had a violent argument outside the shop. One said: "Anybody with Italian blood in them is no good." The other replied: "Italian blood and Australian— It's all the same. They're all mothers' sons." A broken window of Mr. Costa's shop was boarded up with planks. On the planks was scrawled in chalk: "Down with Dagoes," "Boycott the wops," "Wop-shop," and "Dagoes are dingoes." On the closed shutters of Mr. Rumore's shop someone had written: "Have a bath."
"Not Real Australians"
Interviewed at his home in Bay Street, Rockdale, Mr. Costa said: "I have sold my business and will lead a gentleman's life for a while. "The people who smash my shop are not real Australians. "They wait there to see the window fall in to pick up some oranges for nothing." Mr. Costa, who is 40, said he had been in Australia for 15 years. His wife had been here 18 years. He had two children, and was a naturalised British subject. Mr. H. Trelaw, of Maltland Ave., Kensington, who was visiting Mr. Costa, said he had bought Costa's business.
ITALIAN SELLS HIS SHOP
MR. H. TRELAW, who yesterday purchased the greengrocery business at Rockdale from Mr. Leo Costa, naturalised British subject. Crowds demonstrated outside the premises the previous day."

Fruit Shop Pickets (1941, January 17). The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from nla.gov.au

Glückwunsch zu Explore !

Congrats on making Explore! 🎉✨ 👏 - Very elegant shot 🌿

Congrats on Xplore!!

Two dogs !

Foxglove Two dogs. You are quite right.

The Indo is from 1905, the headline seems to begin with STRANGE

Headlines with STRANGE quite common, unfortunately

Something like STRANGE NOTICE O COURT

STRANGE MOTIVE?

Niall McAuley 830 results for STRANGE in 1905. Can we narrow it further? Spring/Summer months, do you think? Can you really squint and make out any other words?

Streetview

The DIA puts construction of the building at 1883-85

Lowson were there in 1890. No Wilson, Carswell, or Photo shop.

Lowson gone by 1901, Calvert stockbroking here.

But McCulloch is in Queen's buildings both dates, and I see Charles & Russell photographers in 1901.

I think we are between 1890 and 1901.

The building on the left looks interesting.
I hope somebody can identify it?

philipgmayer The fancy one with the railings? That's the Reform Club itself, I think.

Dissolution of partnership clearance sale of Wilson & Carswell advertised first in the Ulster Echo on 3rd February 1881, and the latest I can see is in the Portadown News on 29th May 1886.

Breaking up is hard to do.