A small business owner in Kaniva has had a virtual chat with Victoria's governor as part of an online tour of west Wimmera.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Kaniva Puppet Shop owner Julie Finch was one of three business owners selected to meet with Linda Dessau and her husband Anthony Howard, and share the experiences of people living in the furthest reaches of Victoria.
Ms Finch said the governor was interested in her story, how she had come to Kaniva, and how the last year had been for her business.
"I gave them information about how the puppet shop had suffered like many, but probably a little bit more because we are so close to the border and I market to tourism," she said.
"That is the sort of stuff they were interested in. I wanted to remain positive, but also let them know that I was optimistic and persevering with what was going on like many people."
READ MORE:
Ms Finch, originally the owner of a puppet shop in Adelaide Hills, moved to Kaniva five years ago and purchased the old post office building, starting the Kaniva Puppet Shop.
She said the past year had been difficult for the business, which relied on tourism traffic for most of its customers.
"I suppose if I use the term 'gut wrenching' that would probably explain it all. It is not during the lockdowns that the puppet shop suffers, even when we open up we do not get the passing trade," she said.
"That is the trade that usually stops for our silos or wetlands, and then they wander into our shopping precinct and into my shop."
She said the puppet shop had been returning to pre-COVID levels of business in late 2020, but subsequent lockdowns have made selling her wares more difficult.
"Even now in lockdown there are caravans coming out of South Australia all of the time and they are just looking straight ahead, they are not stopping anywhere. They are not even stopping here for a coffee," she said.
"I think my optimism is I want my puppet shop to continue for as long as I can have it. This is my retirement hobby, even though it is a business and it is my life. It is more than just about earning money, it is where I interact socially.
"My optimism is that one day the shop will return to what it was so I can continue with my life.
OTHER NEWS:
"Even though I am not in a position to purchase much at the moment, I still try and make puppets or garlands during lockdowns so I am ready to open.
"I need that to keep going so that when this is all over and we are all vaccinated and hopefully we can start again, my shop can be prepared."
She thanked Mrs Dessau and Mr Howard for their time and said the conversation lifted her spirits.
"They were great, they actually acknowledged what I was saying. I just felt very comfortable, I think I got my message over to them - and I think they understand where a shop so close to the border like this sits in lockdown and even when lockdown opens up," she said.
"I came out of it with my spirits risen, and they came back and said I had risen their spirits as well.
"I thank them for the opportunity, for someone as small as I am, a micro-business, to be able to speak to them. That was important to me."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.mailtimes.com.au/
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Wim_Mail_Times
- Follow us on Instagram www.instagram.com/wimmeramailtimes/
Did you know you can receive updates straight to your inbox? To make sure you're up-to-date with news from across the region, sign up here.