‘Hunters’ is one of Wagga’s most well known and longest lasting businesses. The store has been in the same location on the hill in Fitzmaurice Street since 1872 but it was actually started by William Cowan Hunter further down the street at 110 Fitzmaurice Street in 1866.
William Cowan Hunter was born on the December 3, 1823 in Newtown of Limavady, in the County of Derry, Ireland. Once he had completed his education, he initially worked for his father and then moved on to Derry, Belfast, Limerick, Dublin, and then Manchester and London, before moving to St. Louis in Missouri, in the United States of America.
By the time William was 26 years old, he had joined the Mounted Volunteers of California, Mariposa Battalion, under the command of Major James D. Savage. Around that time, he moved to California to work in the goldmines until 1852, when he left America for the Victorian goldfields. He lived in the new township of Chiltern and opened a bookstore there. He took great interest in the progression of the town and was popular enough to be elected to the first Borough Council.
In 1866, William moved to Wagga with his wife, Emily, and established a new business. His store was located in newly constructed brick buildings at what is now 110 Fitzmaurice Street. He initially advertised the following items for sale: books, stationery, seeds, toys fancy goods, patent medicines, tobacco, snuff, and cigars.
Hunter’s pictured here around the turn of the century was well known as Watchmakers, Jewellers and Opticians as well as a Newsagency and bookseller.
Click here for more about Hunters in the CSURA “On Record” Blog
Click here for more of Wagga’s past.
