WALK into Craft on the Creek on a Tuesday and there is a fair chance you will leave with more than you came for.
There might be a jar of local honey, handmade soap, a new handbag or a cake fresh from one of the local cooks.
The shop is filled with things made by people from around Eugowra, with approximately 20 crafters supplying goods made largely within 35 kilometres of town.
But the story of Craft on the Creek starts with something hanging on its wall.
In 2012, a group of local women were asked to create something for the sesquicentenary celebrations of the Escort Rock robbery.
They produced a wall hanging, but once the celebrations were over, they didn’t want their hard work packed away in a cupboard.
“We thought what a waste to put our wall hanging in the cupboard and no-one would see all the effort that was put in,” said the group’s president Kathy Cooper.
The decision to find somewhere to display it led to the creation of Craft on the Creek.
The original wall hanging still has pride of place in the shop, which first operated from the old baker’s shopfront in Broad Street before moving to its current Pye Street premises in 2016.
The approximately 100-year-old building houses an eclectic collection of local work, from knitting, crochet and sewing to jewellery, plants, pyrography, cards, handbags and girls’ clothing.
There are also jams, sauces, honey, soaps, oils, cosmetics, washing powder and repurposed goods, alongside second-hand books, jigsaws and crockery.
Tuesdays bring another attraction, with local cooks supplying fresh cakes, slices, biscuits and sometimes fudge or coconut ice.
For the makers, the shop provides an avenue to sell their work close to home and for customers, it is a place to shop, catch up and have a chat with a local.
Ms Cooper likens it to the permanent street stalls many people remember from years gone by.
“Locals have appreciated our goods and purchase frequently knowing that our products are fresh,” she said.
Craft on the Creek has also been able to make annual donations to organisations around Eugowra, helping support activities for people of all ages.
Fifteen years on, the group continues to welcome new members and hopes to reach 20 years of providing a service to the community.
Craft on the Creek is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 3pm, at 3 Pye Street, Eugowra.