By Tyler Wright
The Olinda Pharmacy has been a mainstay in the Dandenong Ranges community for decades, and last week celebrated its 30 year anniversary servicing the local community.
Owner Prakash Chandra bought the Olinda Pharmacy in 1992 and said the business would not have operated for this many years without community support.
“There’s been a lot of challenges along the way [including] the storm last year, which brought the community together; we did reach out to the local community, helping them out. ” Prakash said.
“[Olinda Pharmacy] is very much part of the local community associated with the local football club in Olinda [and] It’s [about] giving back to the community for the support in lots of ways.”
To commemorate the 30 year feat, the pharmacy displayed balloon streamers and gave away gift packs for loyal customers.
“We thought we might as well do it for the whole week and then the show that appreciation; small hand cream, lip balm, lipstick, nail polish and for men maybe an umbrella or a beanie hat,” Prakash said.
“We serve about 100 customers every day…I service the whole area of the Dandenong Ranges which goes from Ferny Creek all the way to Kalorama,” Prakash said.
“It’s a one town pharmacy – people have to travel off the mountain or go to monbulk or Montrose [otherwise] – they’re the closest pharmacies in the Dandenongs.
“[We’ve] been here for the local community and the local doctors are not far from here; they’ve been very supportive.”
Prakash said the Olinda Pharmacy has bonded with families and seen parents, children and grandchildren who are now young adults come through the pharmacy doors having settled down themselves.
Around 20 years ago, Prakash remembers a downpour of snow which covered the Olinda Pharmacy for two or three days, one main memory from over the years.
He also ackowledged the staff who help keep the pharmacy operating.
“One of my staff Sonja [has] been here almost 25 years with me; and I’ve got another staff Janet has been here with me for about 15 years, which doesn’t happen normally in a lot of workplaces,” Prakash said.
“And then my all my staff that I’ve employed over the years have been staff from the area, they live in the local area, so are familiar with the place and they know the people around the area, so it helps,” he said.
Now, Prakash’s daughter, Trisha, who was 18 months old when he brought the business 30 years ago is now working alongside her father in the pharmacy.
“It’s wonderful,”Prakash said.
“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here, but at the moment I’ll keep working for the time being.”
