The Niagara Cafe in Gundagai as it is today. Photograph by Joy McCann. Movable heritage - those things that we value and want to keep for future generations - encompasses an extraordinary range of natural and manufactured items. Over the last 12 months the NSW Heritage Office has highlighted one special type of movable heritage - shops and their collections. A study of the history of retailing and shops in NSW is currently underway. Heritage Consultant, Joy McCann, who has been shopping her way into history, reports on her research. White china plates and a gleaming silver tea set catch the eye as you enter the Niagara Cafe in Gundagai's main street. Closer inspection reveals that the tea service is a memorial to the now famous visit of Australia's war-time Prime Minister, John Curtin, who came to the cafe late one evening in 1942. Dining from white china emblazoned with the Niagara Falls, Curtin and his party were treated to the traditional Greek hospitality of the Castrission family who began the business in 1902. The Niagara Cafe is just one of a number of fascinating shops that have been highlighted in a new study, initiated by the Movable Heritage Project jointly funded by the Heritage Office and Ministry for the Arts, on the history of retailing and shops. The study includes all types of retail outlets, from general stores, cafes, hairdressers, chemist shops, bakers and butchers to motor vehicle workshops. The study has revealed a number of hidden gems - shops that have survived relentless modernization to bring individual charm and character to local communities. Not only an authentic record of retailing from an earlier era, these shops are often an important economic asset and cultural resource to local communities. In many cases, they attract locals and visitors who are keen to experience the special character of shops that retain a connection to the past. The Niagara cafe is a rare example of a cafe that has survived into the 1990s without major changes to its 1930s interior. In the earliest days, the cafe was divided into women's and men's dining areas. In 1928 it was remodeled, introducing a new era of mixed dining and silver table service. Five years later, the cafe was transformed again, this time in the latest Art Moderne style. Prime Minister, John Curtin's visit to the cafe in 1942 is commemorated in a window display. Photograph by Joy McCann. Today, behind the original curving windows, over the terrazzo entrance and through the glass doors inscribed with the letters "NC", the dining room remains much as it was in 1933. The interior is fitted with timber partitioned seating, art deco wall mirrors and lights, a striking green and black glass counter, and bold metal lettering proclaiming Niagara. Nick Loukissas, an emigrant from Greece in the mid-1950s, bought the business from the Castrission family in 1983. He admits that he has never seen any need to change it. The cafe kitchen has also stood the test of time. Modern stoves and refrigerated cabinets rub shoulders with original timber benches, cupboards, and cutting boards. Silver tea pots line the shelves near a large tea dispenser. Downstairs, the cellar reveals an assortment of dusty treasures, including original pieces of cafe crockery, a soda fountain and an early electric coffee grinder. The significance of the Niagara Cafe extends far beyond the building to encompass a remarkable collection of movable heritage. Together they tell the story of traditional cafe service and a continuous association with successive generations of Greek families. Indeed, the cafe represents some of the key themes in 20th century retailing history. Those travellers who make the detour away from the Hume Highway and its fast food outlets are captivated by the unique character of the Niagara and its links to the past. Mr Alec McIntosh in the historic store at Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Valley. Photograph by Joy McCann. The Shops Study aims to gather data about shops, like the Niagara Cafe, that contain significant movable heritage. The study is particularly interested in those shops that retain original elements such as equipment, tools of trade, furniture, fittings, stock, display signs and shop records. Together with the shop itself, these features tells us about shopping and retailing practices over the decades and illuminate the stories and personalities behind the history. In addition, the study will promote practical measures that owners and communities in general can adopt to identify and conserve significant collections. The study, to be completed in May, is revealing much about the nature of our retailing heritage, and the opportunities that may exist to conserve or record it. As Alec McIntosh unlocks his general store at Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Valley each morning at 8;30 am sharp, he continues a tradition that began 91 years ago. His father-in-law, Edwin Bickmore, established the general store and drapery in 1908 when Kurri Kurri was developing as the centre of a new coalfield. Mr. McIntosh recalls his early years as a store assistant in the 1940s, when Mr. Bickmore ruled his family business with an iron fist. The fastidious handwriting in the order book and stocktaking records bear witness to Mr. Bickmore's attention to detail. "Mr. Mac" as Alec is fondly called today by his regular customers, still offers the same courteous and attentive service that was instilled in him as a young man. Long wooden counters, an office alcove and sturdy shelves display the fine joinery skills of the carpenter who had lived in the produce shed behind the shop during its construction. Cloth-covered boxes still contain remnant merchandise in what was the haberdashery section, and groceries line another wall. Whilst the shop retains much of its original layout, furniture and equipment, the decline of local wholesalers and the bustle of modern chain stores further along the street are taking their toll on business. Identifying significant shop collections often requires local knowledge. Many are housed in modest buildings. Most have never been documented in any way. The study is already showing that an alarming proportion of the more intact movable heritage collections are in imminent danger of being lost, together with traditional practices, and the intimate knowledge and memories of those associated with their uses. Scales used in Bickmore's store in Kurri Kurri. Photograph by Joy McCann. The convenience of a suburban shopping centre, a new road bypass, a change of ownership, or the relentless push to modernise, are just some of the reasons why shops with significant movable heritage are rapidly being lost to local communities. Most of these collections are privately owned, and shops can be sold, resulting in the dispersal of collections. Just as shops and shopping are so much a part of the history of local communities, so the movable heritage of shops is a conservation issue that needs to involve local communities as well as government. Communities, councils, private owners and the Heritage Office need to work together to explore opportunities to retain historic shops and the significant relationship between collections and shops. A book based on the study will celebrate the wealth and diversity of urban and rural shops in NSW. The book is one practical way to illustrate the issues that owners, councils, museums, heritage practitioners and others concerned with these places, face in managing significant movable heritage items and keeping them in situ wherever possible. It will provide useful case studies and guidelines to assist owners, local councils and community groups in recognising, recording, interpreting and caring for this vulnerable part of our heritage. If you know of a shop that contains fittings or movable objects that relate to the history of the shop, we would like to hear from you. As consultant for the project I am compiling a list of shops with potentially significant collections of objects. I'm keen to hear from anyone who knows of shops that might be of interest. I can be contacted by facsimile on (02) 6287 4793 or email: joy.mccann@ea.gov.au.