The Cowra Rotary Club has officially opened its new second-hand bookshop, a project designed to create a new revenue stream for community initiatives while providing a hub for connection and learning.
The launch was celebrated with the support of members, local leaders, and generous contributors who helped transform the empty premises into a vibrant new space.
Cowra Rotary President, Kylie Docker, said the project represented both innovation and tradition, blending the enduring appeal of books with the club’s long-standing mission to support the community.
“The bookshop has been a really exciting venture for the club, and we aim to create both a new revenue stream and provide a focal point for the club to highlight Rotary’s role in the community,” Ms Docker said.
She reflected on the club’s achievements over the past year.
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“Last year, our community club donated just over $52,000 to various local and national projects and charities,” she said.
“We hope that this bookshop will contribute to our ability to further support this, which is our community and your community.”
Ms Docker expressed heartfelt thanks to the many people who made the shop possible.
“The community has been so generous in donating books, CDs and DVDs,” Ms Docker said.
“A special thanks to Bruce Pitch and Judy Penfold for their wonderful assistance in planning and setting out the shop.”
“Without them, nothing would be of any order whatsoever, it would just be a jungle shop.”
“Now we have a real second-hand bookshop we can all be proud of,” she said.
She also acknowledged the support of local trades, volunteers, and the landlord, who all contributed to the project’s success.
Cowra Mayor Paul Smith praised the initiative as both innovative and timely, noting the resurgence of interest in physical books despite the dominance of digital media.
“This is a bit of an innovation for the town, a second-hand bookshop,” Mayor Smith said.
“At a time when we’re supposed to be in the IT age, where nobody buys books anymore, nobody reads anymore, there’s been a big resurgence in people reading books.”
“Many who tried e-readers or computers are going back to real books.”
“This shop’s been empty for a long time, and now we have not one but two shops active again.”
“It’s a wonderful thing for Cowra,” he said.
