This month, the Woodend Pharmacy is celebrating 150 years of business.

One of the current owners, Steve Barker, said the Woodend and District Heritage Society had helped produce a display detailing the history of the business to mark the occasion.

After taking over the business in February 2007, Mr Barker felt it was important to acknowledge the milestone.

"It's part of the town. Even though we are the owners, we feel like the town owns it in a way. It is part of the heritage of the town and that won't change because it is so important. We feel like it's part of the community and has always been."

Janet Hawkins, who is director of the local family history resource centre operated through the Woodend and District Heritage Society, helped put together the display.

She said it was the second 150-year milestone to be celebrated in Woodend this month along with St Mary's Anglican Church.

"Woodend is showing its age, with two 150th anniversaries being celebrated at the moment.

"We always hope with occasions such as this other people will be forthcoming with new information," she said.

"We are always hopeful anniversaries will encourage people to come forward with papers, letters and other things that will help piece together the history of our community. Through displays, such as the one we have created, we hope that people in the community will think about their own connections with this business and realise that they, too, are a part of its history."

Ms Hawkins said the pharmacy was part of a group of businesses that were among the first to be established in the town.

"At one stage the pharmacy was broken into and the safe was stolen. Along with it went some of the early record books.

"It's the lifeblood of our society to get information. Snippets like accounts and receipts can really help us draw together the story of businesses and buildings in our town. We rely on people to provide that material."