Byford Pharmacy is a family run business that was first opened in 1978 by Keith Chapman. Offering professional friendly service the pharmacy has become a fixture in the Byford community. Today the pharmacy offers a range of services including - prescription management, professional advice, Webster packing, hiring of medical equipment, diabetes agency, vaccination clinic, medication reviews, medica
l certificates and blood pressure testing to name just a few
A full range of beauty and health products are all stocked including Bioceuticals, Ethical Nutrients, Natio, Designer Brands, MooGoo and Burt’s Bees. Keith reminiscing about first opening the store in Byford:
“The pharmacy opened in December 1978. The shopping centre was new having only been completed a few months earlier. It was quite small with the largest shop being a FOODLAND supermarket. Other shops were a café, a butcher and a fish and chips shop and hairdresser. The doctors surgery, which was supposed to be part of the new shopping area decided to postpone their opening date and in fact opened in March 1979 but only as a part time surgery, so business was very slow for the first 12 months. Some of our suppliers regarded Byford as a country location and we had some difficulty receiving goods from many companies. It was not uncommon to be told by some companies that delivery services only went as far as Armadale. Many Byford people had been waiting for a pharmacy for some time and were prepared to support the pharmacy just to help to keep it open. The Byford area in those days was a combination of a small residential area, some rural (mainly dairy) and the Byford trotting complex. The population was probably about 2000 people and it is not an exaggeration to say that most people knew each other. The shops which were already in existence were the typical general stores which are still seen today in some country towns. The shop directly opposite the shopping centre was a petrol station and general store (still here today). The main shop on the shopping centre side of the road was a general store which later become the newsagent and Post Office and has since relocated and the area has been redeveloped. The site of the Byford Tavern was originally a garage which later become a veterinary supply shop. The area directly behind the shopping area was the railway line and beyond that was a farm with many cattle. I spent many a quiet afternoon watching the cattle on that farm... I still miss that Byford era”
