Corop remained an important service centre for the first few decades of the 1900s.
The Mara family ran the Mara Hotel early last century. Centenarian son, Reg Mara, gave an account of a bustling business centre and his recollections of the streetscape in the 1920s is depicted below.
With the advent of the automobile and better roads and transport services, Corop became less necessary for a stopover, like many other small towns in country Australia. The decline of business and hence public facilities was subsequently quite rapid. Buildings became residences, were demolished or became farm buildings. The primary school closed in 1983 and the last church to close its doors was the Presbyterian Church.
Agriculture continued to thrive but without reason to congregate, the locals of Corop had decreased opportunity for social contact and networks broke down. The sporting clubs that provided outlets for the locals, such as football, cricket and racing, all folded and the last tennis team ceased playing in 2000.
Corop streetscape drawing by Christina Atley.