James Grant Fulton came to Walcha from Uralla in 1884 and established his Cash Store in Fitzroy Street where the Nancy Nivison Memorial Park is now.
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His brother-in-law, Robert Abernethy, joined him soon afterwards.
Donald Charles McDonald took over the business in July 1888. He was a general shopkeeper and agent for the United Insurance Company until he departed Walcha in 1893.
The building appears to have remained vacant for a few months until it was taken over by Jacob Samuels in 1894.
Samuels sold men’s and boy’s clothing, dressmaking materials, remnants, blankets and jewellery; he also engaged in watch repairs and tailoring.
Samuels plied his trade in Walcha until 1905, at which time he sold the business to an acquaintance, Alec Gilbert, who had earlier been employed by Lentz and Mendelsohn at their Beehive Store on the opposite side of Fitzroy Street.
Gilbert called his business The Excelsior Store and continued to sell much the same range of goods as had his predecessor. He had the premises extended in 1912 to accommodate a furniture department.
After running the business for 17 years, Gilbert sold it to a Mr Orr in 1922.
Peter Meela, who was one of several Indian hawkers who made their way to Walcha in the early days, took on the general store during the 1920s.
Meela was soon in financial difficulties and was forced into bankruptcy during 1930.
Mrs Meela conducted a greengrocery business at the premises in the early 1930s.
P. Lovett took over the store in July 1933, but moved to new building in Fitzroy Street some six months later.
S. Goldberg was next with the grand opening of his Walcha Economy Store taking place in January 1934. He offered “outstanding value in ladies hosiery and lingerie together with ladder-proof bloomers and pyjamas”. Goldberg also sold frocks, aprons, dress materials and golf socks.
In 1935, E.V. “Ernie” Maguire, who was a well-known stock and station agent at Walcha, opened a furniture store in the premises. Mrs. Maguire’s Furniture Arcade, as it became known, also sold floor coverings, baby’s prams, pushbikes and second-hand goods.
A portion of the Furniture Arcade served as a temporary bar for hotelier Albert Leedham in the period between September 1938, when the adjacent Royal Hotel was destroyed by fire, and the early 1940s when the replacement hotel building was ready for occupation.
The Furniture Arcade was lost to fire in October 1944, with most of the stock being saved by willing helpers.
