250126_180551_2322 Local Places (Baines Concrete); Maybe I Should Stop Doing These (Sun 26 Jan 25)

(Formerly) Baines Concrete, 15 York Place, Woonona NSW

Back in my 2014 Photo A Day (PAD) gallery, I started a series called "Little Shops" which evolved into "Local Places". The goal was to shoot local places that might some day disappear, leaving passers by with a "hey, what used to be there?" question in their mind. Essentially it was a living history of the local area.

On 18 March 2023 I did a dawn shot of Baines Concrete. (Which I only posted on Flickr yesterday; until I did it brought this album to a shuddering halt since I need it as a reference for this shot.)

The purple and orange sky, the plant lighting... it was a rather nice shot if I do say so myself. I had no reason to believe that a place like that, which had been there for decades and in a business where there was still plenty of demand, would disappear any time soon.

Then on 4 October 2024, in the Illawarra Mercury, this appeared:
Former employees and customers are expressing their sadness at the news Woonona family company Baines Concrete will close down for good this month after 45 years operating in the Illawarra.
General manager Bill Hudson blamed "the ongoing economic conditions" for forcing the company to make the difficult decision.
The distinctive Baines trucks will still be on the road for this month, but come the end of October the company which was founded in 1979 will have poured out its last load of pre-mix concrete.
The late John Baines bought his first truck at the age of 17 in 1947, modified it and eventually built the Woonona plant with his friend Dave David, before expanding to Helensburgh.
Mr Hudson said in a social media post that Baines was concentrating on fulfilling delivery obligations as best it could before October 31.
"We regret to inform you that Baines Concrete will be closing its operations permanently as of 31 October 2024," he wrote.

Oh my loving gods. It has been there for 45 years, and it's gone within 18 months of me shooting it. AND, for good measure, I don't think there is a single "Local Places" subject (from more than a year or two back, anyway) that is still in business now.

Maybe I could start a protection racket; "Hi, nice business you have here. It would be a shame if anyone were to photograph it for their local nostalgia gallery and consign it to history. How much is it worth to you for me to put the lens cap back on?"

The company's website currently has a simple notice that "Baines Concrete have closed our operations. We thank all our past customers for their support over the past 45 years."

I figured it was time to close out the story with a shot of the golden[1] light of sunset falling on the remains of almost half a century of business.

Addio, Baines Concrete.

[1] Or as golden as I could get it. The problem in the Illawarra is that once the sun drops below the escarpment to the west (which is not that far back from the coast line) it's like someone has flicked an "off" switch. Getting golden light in the morning can be done, the accursed eternal cloudbank that sits off the coast permitting. Getting it in the evening is a LOT harder because the sun is hidden while it's still at a relatively high angle to the horizon.

Taken in: Australia / New South Wales / Woonona (show map)

Taken on: January 26, 2025

Tags:

Illawarra

Woonona

15 York Place

Late Afternoon Light

Local Places Theme

Closed

Industrial

Industry

Cement Plant

New South Wales (NSW)

Australia « less

Sets appears in: • The Good, The Bad and the PESO; 2025 Visual Diary • Local Places

Groups appears in: • Industry • Wollongong more » • OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 7-14 mm 1:2.8 PRO « less

Camera: OM Digital Solutions OM-5, f/4.0, 1/1250 sec, 10mm (=20mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	OM Digital Solutions OM-5
Lens:	OLYMPUS M.7-14mm F2.8
Aperture:	f/4.0
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1250)
Focal Length:	10mm (35mm equivalent: 20mm)
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	-0.3 EV
Flash:	On, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto bracket
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 25.9 (Windows)
Show full info

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