Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society
The Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society, known locally as The Store, was a co-operative based in Newcastle, a city in New South Wales, Australia. The Store was described as "the largest and most successful co-operative society in the southern hemisphere". Located on 854 Hunter Street The co-operative was established in 1898, based on a co-operative tradition brought from Britain by immigrant coal miners. At its peak, the Store had 98,000 members and employed 1,450 workers in 15 retail stores and 11 service station "food courts". As well as food  and retail goods, services included "[a] health fund, funeral fund, travel agency, credit union and a barber shop." The Newcastle Herald states that in 1942, the Store was "reputed to have the largest bakery in Australia, making about 62,800 loaves a week". Increased shopper mobility and competition from suburban shopping centres saw the Store wind-up in 1981. In 2015 NSW Government purchased the building. Doma Group brought the building for $200 million. In July 2020 a bus interchange was opened and the commercial building is under construction.