Plumes Emporium at Golden Square will close soon

A treasure trove of handicrafts, vintage tea sets and memorabilia inside a converted landmark will close. Find out why the owners are calling it a day.

Fanart from Stranger Things to Alice in Wonderland inside the Plumes Emporium, Golden Square.

Bendigo creative collective Plumes Emporium will close next month after failing to find a new owner.

The landmark has been a shopfront for dozens of creative makers in the Bendigo region, who offered a treasure trove of keepsakes, food and vintage finds from its High St location.

Owners Marlene and Peter Willmott came out of semi-retirement in 2019 to establish the shop, converting an old mechanic’s garage into a multi-room retail space.

Marlene and Peter Willmott at Plumes Emporium, Golden Square, a boutique selling handicrafts, confectionary, vintage goods and plants.

The site was the well known Woodman’s Garage, established in the 1950s, and inspiration for the shop’s name due to the Plumes oil famously sold there.

Fans of the shop have been posting online they are “heartbroken” that the search for a new owner had been unable to find a buyer for the shop.

“A great loss, really did help artists of all types in the Bendigo area,” one remarked.

“To all the staff and stallholders at Plumes, thanks for the amazing products and awesome service over the years. You will be so missed!” wrote another.

Vintage tea cups at Plumes Emporium, Golden Square.

Mr Willmott said the couple needed more time to attend to their 22-acre goat farm.

“It’s been quite OK but it was something that you do because you love it, it was never designed to make lots of money,” he said.

“It (the emporium) was started to cover its own costs and have the profits go back to the individual makers.

“The idea was that we would have it for the first three years and then somebody else would take over but that hasn’t happened.

“So, we tried to sell it as a business but that was always going to be hard because it wasn’t set up and designed to be that way.”

Keeping tea nice and snug: knitted cosies inside Plumes Emporium, Golden Square.

The Willmott’s are responsible for the gardening and plant parts of the shop and much of its confectionary offerings.

Ms Willmott said the pair had been self-employed since their early 20s and enjoyed the freedom entrepreneurship had given them.

They intend to sell their goods through country markets in the near future but had not decided on which ones they will go through yet.

Sweet Valley High fans will understand: unique bags that will call to your childhood inside Plumes Emporium, Golden Square.

“I’ve grown up in country towns and that means always living around creators and handicrafters and it’s been a constant part of my life,” she said.

“I like to knit and I did a lot of it during the COVID-19 lockdowns, but it has become very hard to find the time to make things.”

Mr Willmott said the couple was looking forward to going back to semi-retirement.

“We will always be doing something,” he said. “We have grandchildren in Queensland who we want to go and see.” The shop will close on February 19 and many of the stalls are having sales.