New owners to bring life to old Forest Hill newsagency

An old shop that has been on the market for more than two years has finally sold. Here’s what is planned for the old building.

The Forest Hill newsagency, Forest Hill QLD. Single use. Photo supplied by LVRC.

The former Forest Hill Newsagency owner is hoping the old building will return to life and give back to the community now it’s in new hands.

The building has sold for a “steal” $170,000 after sitting on the market for more than two years and vacant since 2019.

Former owner Deirdre Smith, who operated the newsagency from 1979 to 1984, said it was “music to hear ears” that the building had sold.

“I hope they can open the front doors because it will add to the other businesses that are doing such a great job,” Mrs Smith said.

“We were very sad when we saw it close, because it provided a great service to the community.”

The Forest Hill newsagency during the 2013 floods.

The newsagency building not only has a shop front, but a two-bedroom living quarters at the rear.

Realtor Anna Ratcliffe, from Rangecrest Realty, said the property had been listed for more than two years, and had a few contracts fall through.

She said the new owners had been living locally for a couple of years and had some ideas for the shopfront.

“The new owners are intending to renovate it and live in the back part,” Ms Ratcliffe said.

“They haven’t quite decided what they are going to do with the front – it’s a watch this space situation.”

Research by the Forest Hill Community Development history trail project group says that the building was once a busy fruit shop and cafe from 1916, operated by early settler Luke Miles.

About 1928, the Comino family arrived from Greece and purchased the mixed business until 1941, when it was sold to the Cassimatis family.

The Forest Hill Newsagency. Photo: Google Maps.

In the mid-60s, the shop was mainly operated as a newsagency with various owners during the years and had a living quarters at the rear.

A fuel bowser was installed on the footpath, but due to safety reasons it was removed in the 1990s.

Mrs Smith recalled her children riding down the road to the post office and helping the neighbouring pubs at Friday night dinners.

“We were a bit of everything. We built up a takeaway food business as well, and I used to a different roast each night for the takeaway sandwiches the next day,” she said.

“I did the school tuck shop out of there, we had a lot of agency lines for the buses, film processing, we were the Heritage bank and sold fuel out the front.”

The sale for the former newsagency settled on March 10.

Originally published as New owners to bring life to old Forest Hill newsagency