The morning routine of opening the store, the smell of leather and the feeling of glue-crusted tools within his hands are memories which are going to be hard to leave behind for Bendigo cobbler Ross White.
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After starting as a 16-year-old apprentice 35 years ago at the same store on Williamson Street, Ross has decided the time is right for his final repair.
Initially Ross had planned to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a plumber, but instead he decided to find his own path.
“The job came up and I didn’t know what else to do,” Ross said.
Looking around his store at more than three decades of memories and emotions, Ross described the experience as a ‘real journey’.
“These four walls are me, it’s who I am,” he said.
“This week I will go through all sorts of emotions, I’m heading into uncharted waters.”
Now 51-years-old, Ross knows it’s time to find a new path in life.
“It’s time to do something for myself, I need to sit back and smell the roses,” he said.
As a self-proclaimed ‘Borough Boy’, beyond his work as a cobbler Ross has also been a volunteer firefighter for the Eaglehawk Fire Brigade since he was 11-years-old.
“I always aim to do the best for my community, it’s just how I was brought up,” he said.
Ross has decided to close his store to focus on his health and to remove unnecessary stress from his life.
“The last two years have been a nightmare,” he said.
“It is very hard to operate a retail business in this day and age.”
Ross is the former president of the Bendigo Traders Association, and during his tenure advocated for change within Bendigo’s CBD.
“I remember working as a team with all of the other traders to help bring a playground to the mall,” he said.
“I’m a great advocate for the CBD and I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, some of which are good and others are bad.
“I would love to see the CBD back alive.
“When I leave there will only be three shops that were here when I started, The Hotel Shamrock, Myer and the Bendigo Original Pie Shop.”
Ross has many options for what he does next. However, one thing that’s for certain is he will attend more call outs serving his beloved Eaglehawk Fire Brigade.
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