The book, Faces in the Street, by Margery Nicoll and Alison Rumps, due for release at the Henry Lawson Festival on the June long weekend this year, began as a series of articles on the men and women of Main Street, Grenfell.
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These articles were published weekly in The Grenfell Record with the help of journalist, Ngaire Soley, during 2016, Grenfell's Sesquicentenary year.
The completed book details the occupations and social lives of some of the retailers, service people, professionals and managers who exhibited the community values, commitment and spirit that made life in the small thriving town of Grenfell forever memorable for those fortunate enough to experience it.
This book shows the importance of the social connection amongst business people and their town and country customers, volunteers and identities of the town from the late 1950s to the later 1970s.
Some of the Faces belong to families related to the founders of the town of Grenfell and the earliest settlers in the Weddin Shire.
Others, including bankers, policemen, many shop owners and managers, although required to move on due to the demands of their profession or employment, managed to make an indelible contribution to the development of Grenfell and its Main Street. They too are fondly remembered in this book.
Among the Faces in the book are people who served as Mayor (such as Terry Carroll and Claude Mendham); people who served cheerily behind shop counters, (including Darby Stein and Corrie Drady); people who kept the town's entertainment rolling (such as Alan Bernard and Noel Cartwright); and those who kept our cars rolling (such as Alf Pearson and Bill Spies).
Business people who offered many others employment opportunities (including Bill Dun and Fred Armstrong); and people who looked after our health (such as Dr Jervis and Roma Sinclair) were also featured in the book.
The book also shows the importance of major employers of the time - including Myer Western Stores, Grenfell Motors and the Grenfell Railway Station.
As the book leads us up to the top of Main Street and back again with some small detours and divergences through the passage of time, it marks the changes in Australian culture
This includes the increasing significance of motor vehicles; the importance of the much-loved milk bars; the end of personal service grocery stores and the rise of the supermarket; the introduction of television in the home; and less obvious changes - such as the introduction of doonas to replace woollen blankets and the inevitable demise of dry-cleaning services.
It was not all work, though. The Faces in the book were busy enjoying themselves with tennis, cricket, football, golf, lawn bowls, swimming, horse-racing, car clubs, the aquatic club, balls, dances, fashion parades and the dramatic society.
Many were also strong supporters of the Grenfell Show, the Henry Lawson Festival, the Grenfell Centenary, the local churches and service clubs such as the Lions, Apex and Rotary.
This book is a demonstration of the enormous community spirit and level of volunteerism that has always marked the town of Grenfell, providing an optimistic, positive, forward-thinking tone.
It shows what a wonderful town Grenfell was to live in and bring up children at this time - the antithesis of Henry Lawson's city folk, who dragged themselves wearily to work each day.
This book is a celebration of the vitality of regional Australia, honouring the generation who came before us and offering the stories of their lives in Grenfell as a challenge to the next generation.
The book Faces in the Street will be launched at The Hub on Friday, June 9, 2023 by Festival Guest, Hugh Mackay AO.
Collection of pre-ordered copies as well as sales will be available after the launch and throughout the long weekend at a stall in front of The Hub.
