The Kerley family continue to kick goals

IN the small South Australian town of Lameroo, community isn’t just a word — it’s a way of life.

And at the heart of that spirit are Jess and Stephen ‘Scooter’ Kerley, the husband-and-wife duo who have spent years quietly dedicating their time, energy, and hearts to helping others in their town.

The Kerley’s are the owners of Steer Electrical and Lameroo Home Hardware. For the Kerley’s, owning a local hardware store is not just a business, it is a doorway to connection. Their three children aged 13, 11, and 7 are also involved in the store.

Over the years they have become familiar faces to every generation, always ready with advice, a smile, or a helping hand. But it is the work they do beyond the counter that has truly made them pillars of the community.

Jess said the story behind their business goes back many years to when Stephen came across to Lameroo, from Karoonda, to undertake work experience.

“Scooter came to Lameroo to do work experience as an electrician, and he never left,” she explained.

“What started out as work experience has now led to an apprenticeship, and eventually taking the Steer Electrical business over from Ken Steer, in 2011, when he retired and asked if Scooter wanted to take it over.

“Then the owner of the hardware store, Glen Kelly, decided he wanted to retire in 2014 and asked if we wanted to take that over. We wanted to just buy a little patch of the business, but we didn’t have a choice.

“It is the best decision we could have ever made as we love it, and all those years later, we are still going strong.”

Like many country people, sport and the community are at the heartbeat of the town and for many years the Kerley’s have been involved in a big way.

Stephen plays football locally for the Southern Mallee Suns in the River Murray Football League, and in 2024 reached a special milestone when he played his 300th senior game, after previously playing for the Lameroo Hawks and Mannum.

He has also been involved with the CFS for several years.

Jess played many years of netball locally for the Lameroo Hawks as well, winning four B Grade premierships.

For over 20 years they have also been on several committees, chipping in and doing different things.

Jess said they love to be involved in the community and their children were also involved at their store and helping with sport.

“We just love to help out others and we are so invested in the town, we love living in Lameroo and our little community is great,” she said.

“We have got each other’s back and help each other get through the hard times like drought and other challenges.

“We want to make sure that people stay and live here, and that we can attract people to the town.

“There’s always people like us in every country town and someone has to do it.
“We get a buzz out of people coming in everyday generally with problems or needing something fixed, but it’s a nice feeling when we can help them out and get them going away happy.

“The kids all help out as well at the footy club and the shop, and it’s a great opportunity particularly for our 13-year-old son to learn people skills and serve customers like an adult.”

Jess said they have even changed the opening hours of their shop during winter.
“We made a decision to shut the shop in winter on a Saturday as everyone goes to the footy and netball, and then we open on Sunday instead,” she said.

“To have that family day now is really special, we all go off to the footy. Having three kids it was really tricky as one of us would have to work at the shop and the other would travel to take the kids to sport, and it was a bit disjointed.

“The change has actually been brilliant and it is much nicer this way. Everyone has jumped on board and supported the change and we are really busy on Sundays in winter at the store.”

Jess said the drought and lack of rainfall had been a challenge particularly for farmers and their families, but having the hardware store was a great way of playing their part to help others.

“We didn’t have an intention of buying a hardware store and we were quite happy with just the electrical section only, but it’s been the best thing that could’ve happened to us,” she said.

“Having both electrical and hardware gives us diversity and the community is just amazing with the way they support it.

“Sometimes we forget that the aim is to make a profit, but we are here to provide a service to the community and it is just fun coming in everyday, it is not a drag at all and we just love helping out the community.

“Everyone is still in good spirits and we are all trying to move forward and do what we can to get through these tough times.”

Jess said operating a hardware store in a rural town does have its challenges at times.

“It can be tough as people have the perception that we are not going to be as cheap or good as stores in the bigger towns… and they would rather go to those stores instead, and that’s always been a challenge,” she said.

“Luckily we are a branded hardware store and have direct access to some major electrical brands and we can provide the same stock as some of these bigger stores, and we have the same prices as anywhere else in the country.

“We will continue to improve our variety of stock to ensure that people don’t need to shop elsewhere and are happy to shop with us.

“Everyone has a right and a choice to shop where they like, but we just want our shop to be a really good option.”

Despite years of community involvement, the Kerley’s show no signs of slowing down. Their vision for Lameroo is simple: a town where people support each other, celebrate together, and always lend a hand when needed.

In a world where small towns often struggle to maintain connection and spirit, Jess and Stephen Kerley are proof that dedication, kindness, and a little elbow grease can make a lasting impact. Thanks to people like them, Lameroo is a community that thrives.