The past has a funny way of weaving itself into Sarah Van Dyke’s and Andrew Ormond’s lives.
First childhood sweethearts were reunited 35 years after losing touch. Then Sarah found herself moving back to the country town where she was raised, chatting with locals who had known her family for decades.
And now, they’ve opened a vintage store, tea room and community hub within the delicate bones of the very first shop to open in Cootamundra back in 1861.
From the freshly baked bread to the black-and-white flooring, The Olde General Store is a nostalgic nod to the charms of the past. ‘We opened the store with only a few shelves of [pet] treats and the idea of a “general store” vibe where people could meet, chat and learn a little bit about forgotten skills and ideals,’ explains Sarah. ‘Very quickly, the shop grew into the quirky, vintage, step-back-in-time space that it is today; it’s always evolving.
‘We teach sourdough making, traditional soap making, our meals are homemade and generous, organic teas are served in pots, and tables are dressed with lace tablecloths. We run High Teas regularly – we make everything in-house.
‘Our store brings people in from all over the Riverina, and some even from Canberra and Sydney. We hope that we can provide locals and visitors a unique experience that they can’t find anywhere else.’
Cootamundra has indeed been the perfect location to launch this sweet business. As a professional photographer with a thriving clientele in Sydney, Sarah knew she didn’t want to build her network again when she moved back to Cootamundra.
Instead, she focused on the online pet treat store she and Andrew had launched. ‘We had started The Treat Jar during COVID, and it took off – right place, right time kind of thing,’ she says.
‘When we moved to Coota, we needed a large working kitchen … and found a large shop which was once the very popular Fong Fong Chinese Restaurant. The Council required that we had the shopfront open at least one day a week as it’s in the main street.’ So the pair opened their store with just a few shelves’ worth of stock.
Their business soon began to evolve in response to what they found their customers wanted. Sarah and Andrew moved away from the online store and labour-intensive pet treats to focus their attention on other aspects of the multi-pronged business.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
When Sarah first moved away from the town with her mum and siblings at age 11, she couldn’t have imagined that she would one day be an important part of Cootamundra’s small-business scene.
But when the couple needed to leave the Blue Mountains and make a snap decision on their new location – Cootamundra was the clear winner.
‘We needed to move fast and so going somewhere we already knew where we had extended family was important, as both of our mothers still live in the area,’ explains Sarah. It also made sense to move closer to Andrew’s work in Temora.
‘We chose Coota because we knew it well – the demographic, the people, the needs and wants.’
Indeed, both Sarah and Andrew grew up together in the town. ‘Andy and I were childhood sweethearts – we were inseparable from the moment we met when we were around six years old to the moment I left Coota aged 11,’ explains Sarah.
Despite returning to Cootamundra every school holidays to visit her father, who was Cootamundra’s GP for 30 years, Andy and Sarah lost touch. ‘Strangely, we didn’t come across each other again for 35 years!’
So fate stepped in. Four years ago, Sarah returned to Cootamundra to conduct a photographic study on women. ‘I interviewed and photographed Andy’s mum – and sitting at that kitchen table, surrounded by all those photos, I had the urge to get in touch with Andy,’ she says.
And when she did, it was love at second sight. The pair took up right where they left off.
‘Andy and I were married in a simple ceremony in our own backyard in August. Funny how things seem to have a way of working out. The town is quite invested in our love story!’
When they first opened their store, the lovebirds were quite the novelty in Cootamundra. The locals would come in droves with stories of their parents and families. ‘It took a while for us to settle into the community as Sarah and Andy, rather than our parents’ children,’ she says. But the couple has now made many new friends across all walks of life. ‘We have been embraced by the community so well, it’s almost like we never lived anywhere else.’
The newlyweds are loving life in their small country town, from being able to spend more time together to having the space to breed chickens.
‘The move has been great; the only real negative is the distance from our own kids,’ says Sarah. ‘Andy’s children live up in North Queensland, while my oldest daughter and her new little family live in Sydney. My younger daughter followed us and now lives in Junee, while my son is in Boorowa.’
Sarah says, ‘Overall, it’s been a positive move. But there are definitely challenges.’
There’s a lot to love about Cootamundra. The picturesque town’s tree-lined, fairy-lit streets, quirky boutiques and stunning seasonal scenery look straight out of a movie set – perfect for Sarah and Andrew’s cinematic romance.
Its rolling hills turn golden in September when the canola and wheat take off, the vast open spaces fill with ambient fog come winter. Those who love getting active can take advantage of mountain biking and walking trails, spacious parks and the town’s passion for cricket.
Those who enjoy the finer things will enjoy the local food scene, from locally roasted coffee to sourdough making at The Olde General Store. And those looking to follow in Sarah’s footsteps can take advantage of lower business overheads compared to urban centres.
Local events also bring the community together, from the Cootamundra Picnic Races and Wallendbeen Long Lunch, to the Wattle Time Festival and Cootamundra Show.
If you think life in a small town would suit you, Cootamundra could be the place for you.
Sarah’s advice? ‘Just do it! Seriously, though, living in Country NSW is amazing. Throw yourself into the community, you will get back double of what you put in.’
If you would like to find out more about life in Cootamundra and Gundagai, visit the Country Change Town Page or Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council website. We would love to help guide your Country Change, please contact us today. Your dream life awaits.
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