Community
23 July, 2025
Smith celebrates 15 years
A SMALL business on Curdie Street is celebrating 15 years of opening its doors.
Helen Smith from Cobden Sewing Machines has been in business for 15 years, eight of which have been spent at her shopfront on Cobden’s main street.
Having lived in Cobden since she was 16 years old, Mrs Smith said the idea to start a business came to her when she went to a trade show in Sydney with a friend many years ago.
“I used to help a friend who had a patchwork shop down the street,” she said.
“We went to a trade show in Sydney and I’d been trying to find someone to teach me how to service machines since there wasn’t really anyone around here.
“A man up there told my friend she should sell sewing machines, then she looked at me and told me I could do that.
“I looked into it and went from there.”
Mrs Smith said she started with a section in her friend’s shop before moving to her independent store.
“I moved up to my shop about eight years ago with my sewing machines, accessories, a few sewing bits and pieces, gadgets and one little shelf of fabric,” she said.
“I did also have the lollies because the person who was in the shop before me sold lollies and one day she came up and asked me, ‘Are you going to keep the lollies?’ and I hadn’t really thought about it.
“She told me it was worth it and that was why I put the lollies in.
“It’s just another good little side gig.”
Over time, Mrs Smith picked up other “bits and pieces” as stores along Curdie Street closed, such as the newsagents, wanting to keep the street lively and stocked with goods.
“I picked up the cheap toys and bits and pieces like that, stocking filler stuff,” she said.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of that around, but you can’t have everything.
“Some days I think I’ve got far too much in store.
“I do want to pick up a bit more of the craft supplies stuff like pipe cleaners and pom poms.
“Stuff for kids, if they want to make something.”
Mrs Smith said she kept a good relationship with Kim McKenzie from Laffs in Camperdown which allowed both businesses to benefit.
“I send people to Camperdown, to Laffs for wool, and Kim sends them to me for the fabric and embroidery stuff and that works well for both of us,” she said.
“It’s amazing what people come in and ask for and ask what I’ve got – they think I don’t have it and I tell them to hang on a minute because I can probably find it.
“I’ve met a whole lot of people and gotten to know a new group of people – not just locals but from out of town as well.
“It’s been really good.”
Mrs Smith said she wanted to start up classes in the store again to encourage community activity and involvement.
She said the more people in the store meant more people on the street generating interest in the town.
“I used to, on a Thursday, set up the tables and whoever wanted to come could come and sit for as long as they liked and sew,” Mrs Smith said.
“I need to get all that happening again.
“If people can’t do it during the day then we’ll do it at night.”
One of the key successes to her business, according to Mrs Smith, was being accommodating with her customers and having a close relationship with them.
“I’ve got a lady coming and she works in Terang – she works nine until five-thirty every day and she wants some fabric so I said I’ll hang around until she gets here,” she said.
“It’s that easy. I only live five minutes up the road so I’m not that far away.
“Having that relationship with customers is good.”
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