Historical information

These town photos are part of a collection donated by Elaine Mann. Elaine was married to David Mann, a successful Wodonga businessman and community leader who passed away in Wodonga in June 2012. David was a member of the Mann family who began their business in Wodonga in 1920. Elaine was a teacher in Wodonga for many years and an active member of the community.

Arthur Dunstan Hardware
Arthur Dunstan established mills at Red Bluff on the Mitta and a timber yard at Wodonga. He also built a sawmill at Glen Wills in 1931 which operated for about 16 years. A larger and more modern sawmill with drying kilns was erected at Eskdale in 1947.
He was contracted to build Wodonga’s Municipal sale yards in 1935, followed by the Wangaratta sale yards. This created so many forward orders that he bought a large block of land on the corner of Beechworth and Tallangatta Roads and opened a timber mill and hardware store. The business stood on this corner for about 40 years.

A large proportion of the company's timber output was processed at the Wodonga yards into flooring, weatherboards, mouldings etc. and practically the whole output was distributed locally and throughout the Riverina and eastern areas of New South Wales, and Canberra. At its peak Dunstan’s was one of the biggest sawmilling businesses in Victoria and in Wodonga employed 150 people and milled l6,000,000 super feet of timber annually. A super foot is a measurement for timber, equal to one foot square by one inch thick.

Arthur Dunstan also built Tower Place in High Street. He died in Wodonga in 1963 and the business was continued on by his sons. Dunstan’s timber yards in Wodonga were sold to Ezerd Industries in 1987 with the retail section being bought by BBC Hardware.

Significance

This photo collection is of significance as it documents how the businesses and buildings in Wodonga have evolved and contributed to community throughout the late 20th century.

Physical description

A. Dunstan & Sons Hardware was located at the roundabout on the corner of High Street and Thomas Mitchell Drive (Formerly Tallangatta Road). "Southside Terrace" now occupies this site.