Kaniva, on the bustling β Melbourne-Adelaide route, has many attractions, but the one that sets the town apart sits beneath a jaunty red awning on the main street β the Kaniva Puppet Shop. The landmark business was established in and is thriving, serving not just the local and passing trade, but also a growing online market.
The business was established by the indomitable Julie Finch, who came to Kaniva to retire, but not content with renovating her picturesque cottage, decided to renovate a substantial double-fronted shop and residence in the heart of town as well, creating a puppet shop complete with puppet theatre.
She had run a puppet shop in Hahndorf in South Australia for many years, and lived in the Adelaide Hills, but moved to Kaniva after falling in love with the town. If you wake up at 2am you can see the Milky Way in all its glory. You are never too old to have a puppet. Small business success with no strings attached. Rural Australian towns used to have a newsagent, a fish and chip shop, a store, several pubs and if you were lucky, a Chinese restaurant.
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