The store has been owned by the Drakeford family for almost 70 years

Roger and Bev Drakeford, who own the apparel store on Bates Street, said it would be an emotional goodbye to the family store, but they were hoping to sell it so they could move to Perth to be closer to their children.

Mrs Drakeford said it would be sad for Merredin to say goodbye to Drakefords because it had been an important part of the Merredin community for the past 70 years and was one of the last historic family-owned stores.

The Drakeford family has had a long history in the drapery business, going back to the 1850s when Roger Drakeford’s great grandfather had a draper’s shop in Bedworth, Warwickshire, England.

A great uncle of Roger Drakeford, William Drakeford, opened a drapery with Roger’s grandfather in Indianapolis, America.

Roger’s father Dyer Drakeford came to Australia from Staffordshire in England in 1921 and first opened a store at Jandakot.

He later managed a store at Ballidu from 1930 to 1934 then came to Merredin where he purchased a newsagency next to the R&I bank (now Bankwest) on Bates Street and in 1941 bought the Economic Store on Bates Street and operated it with his wife Joy.

In those days, the Economic Store was located on the west side of Bates Street in a downstairs room of the Duff’s Hotel, which has now been replaced with a parking lot for the Newfields shopping centre.

In 1965 when population and business in Merredin were expanding, Dyer Drakeford built and opened the store on the east side of Bates Street and the business has been operating there ever since.

On July 28, 1965 the Mercury ran a full page feature about the grand opening of the store.

“There are many new and modern buildings in the town, but none more attractive or functional than this, and it must serve to bring more shoppers to this point in Merredin’s Trading Centre,” reported the Mercury.

“The opening will mark another step forward in the consolidation of Merredin as one of the State’s foremost centres.”