Sydney ‘time capsule’ general store now on market as a potential development site

One of Sydney’s most photographed and loved former general stores is now facing an uncertain future, with the property being marketed as a potential development site.

From 1928 to 1987, the Tulley family operated the store on Blackwall Point Rd, Chiswick, selling a range of groceries and goods for local residents and workers. 

Since 1987, the empty storefront and its side and awning signage have been kept intact by the Tulley family, making it a magnet for photographers and a throw-back reminder of the way Sydney used to shop.

Now the store’s long chapter is entering a new phase, with the Tulley family putting it up for sale, along with the home standing behind it, and an adjoining block.

The block containing the store (92 Blackwall Point Rd) was heritage listed by Canada Bay Council in 2013, on account of it being a “a rare surviving freestanding shop and residence from the Inter-War period with excellent detailing”.

The fact that the store has retained its historic advertising for Lan-Choo tea and Shelley’s soft drinks has added to its charm and appeal, both among photographers and artists.

Real estate marketing photos show that the shop interior remains a 1980s time capsule, with original shelves still in place, while the house which sits behind it also has original features including decorative ceilings, picture rails, ornate glass doors and original fireplaces.

This family website tells the story behind the store. 

In 1911, Lewis and Emily Tulley emigrated from England. Lewis, a plasterer by trade, wanted to “semi-retire” – but still access income – so opened a store at the front of his home at a time when Blackwall Point Rd was still a dirt track.

During the later years of Lewis’s life, and after his death, the shop was taken over and run by his sons, Jim, Rube and Bill Tulley, before closing in the 1980s.

Along the way, the Tulley family purchased the block next door at 94 Blackwall Rd as a tennis court, before building a home on the block in 2000.

With both blocks taking up 1,700 sq/m of land, Raine and Horne Balmain are promoting the sale as a “prime opportunity to renovate, rebuild or develop”. However, the site’s heritage listing – and low density zoning – may test any development ideas.

Selling agent Megan Smith said the properties were being sold as members of the Tulley were no longer living in them. At the time of publication, no price guide was available.