Cleve Newsagency
Cleve Newsagency has a rich Australian history. It was the first business in town, a corner store established by a blacksmith when he arrived in the Cleve in 1893.
It was bought by the Smallacombe family in 1905 and they owned it until 1979 – so long that it become known as ‘Smallacombe’s Corner’.
The store has seen many reincarnations over the years, from groceries to plants and garden supplies and it was once the Birdseye Bus agency. The Birdseye Highway that goes through town goes past the shop and is named after Sylvia Birdseye, who established the 530km bus service to Adelaide in the early 1900s. The daily service is now called the Premier Stateliner.
Now a traditional newsagency but with a variety of other products and services, Cleve Newsagency’s current owner, Lyndon Briese, was the Editor of the local paper, the Eyre Peninsula Tribune, for 12 years before he bought the newsagency in 2000. Lyndon undertook repairs and maintenance on the store to bring it up to date.
“I have diversified in what we sell in store to appeal to a larger audience,” said Lyndon. “We now sell computer supplies, gifts, toys, party accessories, DVDs and CDs, goldfish and supplies, plus other pet supplies alongside the newspapers and magazines. Services on offer (as an agent) include dry cleaning, bus and freight service and florist. We are also an official Visitor Information centre for Cleve and district, plus the whole of Eyre Peninsula, with souvenirs, brochures and information.
“We have a great team at Cleve Newsagent. Cheryl has worked with me for well over 10 years, Trevor comes in to help when needed and Shane, who enjoys coming in to cut the mastheads from old papers for returns. It’s great to have such loyal staff that the community enjoy talking too,” concluded Lyndon.
The local store is open for the country residents nearly 70 hours per week and they often open the doors early for people to pick up the paper.
Cleve Newsagency is really getting behind National Newsagent Week – offering customers many half price deals, including all greeting cards plus some gifts, books, DVDs and CDs. There will be free wrap and wrapping and bonus balloons for kids. A $100 voucher is up for grabs for the best suggestion of how to improve stock, supplies or services. Anyone can contribute. And at closing on the final day of NNW there will be some free drinks.
