This 110 year old Nanango building has seen fires, fashion and ghosts

A 110-year-old building in the middle of Nanango has a rich and colourful past, surviving two fires and decades of changing fads.

Sassy Mama Fashion and Accessories formally known as Nobby's Corner.

It is an incredible old building in the middle of Nanango on Drayton St now named Sassy Mama Fashion and Accessories.

But the shop known affectionately as Nobby’s Corner has a rich and colourful past, surviving disasters, changing cultural fads, and has become an integral part of Nanango’s history.

The building was constructed by Michael Jeremiah Collins who moved to Australia from Ireland in 1864 when he was about 20 years old.

At age 50, Mr Collins ran the mail service between Nanango, Jondaryan and Kilkivan by buggy and coach.

Eventually he would become a builder and around 1912 built Tara’s Hall, Miss Clark’s Boarding house, the Post Office Hotel and Gillmeister and Son (now Sassy Mama Fashion and Accessories).

On 30 January, 1940, a major fire swept through the main street of Nanango setting ablaze multiple buildings and destroying nine.

The fire started in the upper level of the Commercial Hotel which sat at the corner of Dreighton and Fitzroy Street.

The historical Nanango building known as Nobby's Corner on the corner of Drayton and Henry street in the early 1900s.

Within 30 minutes the hotel was completely destroyed with flames spreading quickly to other buildings.

A bucket brigade managed to save the Gillmeister and Son building until the fire eventually burnt itself out.

The town fire, which was its largest in the towns history, was seen as far away as Kingaroy.

The historical Nanango building known as Nobby's Corner on the corner of Drayton and Henry street in the early 1900s.

In 1959, Nobby Smith purchased the building and converted it into Nanangos first self-service grocery store which was run by Mr Smith’s wife Joan who worked on the registers and their daughter Shirley who ran the cafe for more than 25 years until 1986.

Some of the employees rented rooms in the upstairs living quarters which was also used for music lessons.

On Friday, 12 April 1968, The Post Office Hotel which was directly across from the Gillmeister and Son building, went up in flames while the townsfolk watched it burn to the ground.

After changing hands over the years the building has served as a saddle store, an antique shop and at one point was Nanango’s first video rental store.

When Sharon Johnson, 69, came to town selling her clothing and accessories at the Sunday markets, she got to know the owner of Nobby’s Corner and eventually set up shop in the building in 2018.

Sassy Mama owner Sharon Johnson.

She was later given the opportunity to purchase the building which she rebranded Sassy Mama Fashion and Accessories.

Before coming to Nanango, Ms Johnson spent five years volunteering in the United States as a mentor for homeless woman in a Christian mission in California.

“I helped them set up their thrift store, a lot of the woman had alcohol and hard drug addictions.”

Ms Johnson affectionately calls the building her ‘baby’ and has since made major renovations while still maintaining its original look.

Ms Johnson said that she was told that the building is supposedly haunted.

“Apparently, it’s only myth, but there was a woman who was pushed down the stairs so her ghost is here”

“She’s a bloody good ghost, she’s looked after me,” she said.

Ms Johnson, who runs her business with the help of her sister and a friend, plans to stay in Nanango and said she feels ‘blessed’.