A small piece of Croydon (NSW) history

On Young St in Croydon, near PLC Sydney, sits a disused shopfront named The Bell Tower. As a shop it stands alone; it's surrounded entirely by houses. It's often made me wonder: what was this shop, sitting by itself, with that strange name? Who owns it now, and what purpose is it serving? (I always wonder that about derelict buildings...)

Anyway, it turns out that PLC Sydney have owned the building for some time and have been waiting to find the right use for it. It's currently being renovated and will serve as a lunchroom etc. for Maintenance staff, who have got by with fairly meagre digs so far. Before PLC owned it, it was a confectionery shop that served the needs of Croydon Public (primary) school directly across the road. That school has a historic bell tower on its premises, hence the name.

The shop is believed to have served some other purpose originally, and with a different name. The school is considering restoring the original name as part of its work on the building.