Indian migrant save rural NSW town Comboyne. Migrant couple Govind and Ramila Rabadiya bought an empty corner store in the isolated rural town of Comboyne, south-west of Port Macquarie, three years ago. The town was dying before they arrived there.
Govind and Ramila Rabadiya, originally from farming families in Gujarat, India, who fell in love with the space and beauty of Comboyne. “We saw a great opportunity in Comboyne. It is a lot like where we come from in India,” Ms Rabadiya, 29, said.
After buying empty store, The store was renewed with new and extra modern fuel pumps and the building painted and refurbished. They have also started selling local produce products such as macadamias, honey, blueberries and avocadoes to the store to help local farmers and community.
The couple also added a mechanical workshop and tyre-supply business, all employing local people. One of the resident said “The Indian couple have literally saved the town,”
As per one of the resident “We didn’t even have fuel, people would come to visit Comboyne and they wouldn’t have fuel to get back, the nearest station was 40 minutes.” It served as a hub for more than 100 dairy farms, had its own butter factory, butcher, blacksmith and bank. And of course, it had a vibrant corner store. But a range of market pressures saw the number of dairy farmers reduced to 13 and other businesses gradually close as residents began working in larger centres.
Their generosity was on display during one of the worst moments in Comboyne’s history, a bushfire in September last year.
Two homes were lost, but Will Swan from the Comboyne Rural Fire Service believes more homes could have been lost if it hadn’t been for the local store.
The couple also provided a meeting place and distribution of food during the fire, and in its aftermath.
The Rabadiyas are planning to stay in Comboyne for the foreseeable future and are expecting a child later this year.
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