On Sunday the 18th Of February, members of the Historical Society had lunch at Thistle Cafe to show support for Lorna and to continue the fight to save the historical bakery building, also known as Schirmers Bakery from demolition.
The Bakery is one of the oldest buildings in Walla as it was rebuilt after a fire in 1909. Mr. Boucher, the baker lost his house, but the bake oven survived and continued to serve the community until a new building was constructed in 1910. As the insurance did not cover the replacement cost of the house, the community stepped in with donations to help the family rebuild. Making the current bakery building without additions 114 years old.
The Bakery operated from the late 1800s until 1983 when the Schirmers sold the building. We do know that the new owners still used the rare F. Metters and Co. oven until 2003, but not commercially.
It is very disappointing that Greater Hume Council do not seem to value the historic buildings in our town, especially when they are in a designated ‘Heritage Conservation Area’. This in turn has caused two successful businesses into a forced closure as the lease was not renewed by the current owner/developer. Thistle Cafe and Gifts (formerly Walla Wares) will be sorely missed by both locals and visitors alike.