The pie shop was started by Keith Mcshanag. Keith was the oldest of five boys. He went to St Mary’s school on Hargraves st. He had to do his merit at the age of 14. He credits his gaining of the merit certificate, that allowed his to go on to the Convent school, to Sister Ama, who gathered a group of boys and gave them extra classes so that they would all pass. These boys went on to the Convent school in Bendigo almost entirely made up of girls, but Keith’s father could only afford for him to go for one year and at the age of 15, Keith left school to get a trade.
One of his first jobs was taking over the bread cart delivery on Saturday from Bill Cole who paid him five bob on the side so that he could take off to the footy on Saturday afternoon. He did his baking apprenticeship at Alf Rasmussin’s on Johnston St, the outlet for which was a small shop on Moystn St where all the school children from the North and South school would come to buy their lunch. Thruppence for a pastie and a Boston bun. Alf Rasmussin had a wife Mabel, two daughters June and Alba, and a kelpie called Merver who he once kicked away form his preferred place by the warmth of the ovens, much to Merver’s confusion, when the health inspector arrived. This was to make out that Merver was just a stray dog.
Mabel’s father was Alec Bec who owned Bec’s Imperial Hotel and was famous for his gun collection, some of which he would take out to the bush and shoot galahs. Keith and his mates established a boys club where they could buy barrels of beer and install them out the back of Mrs Cartwright’s bottle shop. On Saturday nights, after passing some time at Mrs Cartwrights, they went to the town hall dances where one member of their club, Brian Bow, a handsome ladie’s man, played the trumpet in the Langdon’s band, along with Max Langdon and Frank Langdon on drums. After the dances they all went to the Colour Patch Café, (now the art supplies shop)
On New Year’s Eve, everyone held hands and circled around the post office tower with the clock. Keith met his wife Virgie at the Castlemaine Fair at Camp Reserve. Virgie’s friend was scared of heights and couldn’t accompany her on the ferris wheel so Keith stepped in and afterwards asked her on a date. Six months later they were engaged.
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