Dow's Pharmacy

Step back into one of the few historically authentic shops in Australia with a visit to a country pharmacy. A pharmacy for over 160 years, this fascinating commercial premises was established in the mid-nineteenth century. The current building was constructed in 1868, but a pharmacy had been in operation on the site since 1859. David J. McEwen, father of the Australian prime minister, John McEwen, ran the pharmacy from 1891 – 1907, after which Hilda Dow took over. Hilda Dow (nee. Grey) was the pharmacist during most of the 20th century. After she married her husband John Dow in 1932, he became her apprentice and received his pharmacy degree in 1936. The pharmacy ran from 1929 until 1969. Having closed the doors, everything inside remained intact. Some of the stock and equipment even predated Mrs Dow’s tenure and is from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Medicines, photographic supplies, shop fittings and other stock in original packaging and on original display and can be seen in one of the few authentic shops remaining in Australia. Visit the National Trust Website for opening times. Group tours and other times are available by appointment.