Economic prospects seemed bleak for Yackandandah when a handwritten notice appeared in the window of the town’s only petrol station announcing it wo

How a rundown servo fuelled the revival of Yackandandah

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2025-01-14 12:00:08

Economic prospects seemed bleak for Yackandandah when a handwritten notice appeared in the window of the town’s only petrol station announcing it would close in less than a fortnight.

Locals in the small north-east Victorian town feared losing the petrol station would trigger a financial spiral because if people had to buy fuel in bigger centres nearby, they would probably do the rest of their shopping there too.

Yackandandah Community Development Company board members Ian Fitzpatrick, Ian Nightingale and Ali Pockley at the service station. Credit: Jason Robins

This March marks 20 years since a group of seven local people took control of the town’s economic destiny, investing $1000 each to form the Yackandandah Community Development Company.

Mark McKenzie-McHarg, who was among the first group of shareholders, said the community realised commercial forces would not save them.