Modern Meat Mart

Col. Donald Charles Cameron of Messrs. Anderson & Cameron, butchers of Brisbane, ventured to Ipswich in late 1934 to open his own meat and smallgoods establishment at 98 Brisbane Street in O'Sullivan's building in an area previously used as a billiard saloon. The shop was located at street level directly opposite the Bank of New South Wales and was named Modern Meat Mart, "where keen shoppers meat".  The new shop was tiled with a refrigerated display window and refrigeration room for storage. Because of these up to date features it was mooted to be the most hygenic and modern butcher shop in town, able to keep flies, heat and dust away from the meat. It also had marble benchtops, with an electric fan positioned over the main bench, presumably for in-store comfort during the heat of summer. Modern Meat Mart sold joints and cuts of meat, sausages, saveloys and corned meats. 

In 1941 Col. Cameron was granted a license for a slaughterhouse at Loamside. During the 1940s he was Secretary of the local branch of the Meat & Allied Trades Federation. Notably, there were 25 butcher shops in Ipswich in 1945. 

At one time or another in the 1940s, the area upstairs above the butcher shop  was used as a dance hall and Gypsy Tea Rooms. In the mid 1950s Gay Styles dress shop was located  above Modern Meat Mart at 100 Brisbane Street. However, when O'Sullivan's building was sold in 1946 the upper storey was then residential with Kunze's chemist (96 Brisbane Street), W. Brookman the jeweller, and Mathers shoe store being the other tenants of the building. 

Modern Meat Mart was to be found at 98 Brisbane Street, Ipswich for around 30 years, trading into the 1960s. In the 1970s, Morfield Meats could be found here. 

Col. Cameron was very active in the community and social life of Ipswich, especially the Ipswich Golf Club at Sandy Gallop where he served as president.