Jo Thomson, is the actual ‘digger’s wife’. She and husband Phil have opened the new cafe in Goorambat.
Two things led to the opening of a new cafe in the small hamlet of Goorambat - a new project in the abandoned former school and the creation of the town’s silo art.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
The village of 150 people has never had a cafe but a fortuitous series of events led retired Melbourne soldier, Phil Thomson, and his wife Jo to open The Digger’s Wife cafe.
“I reckon about 95 per cent of our trade comes from people who come to see the silos,” Phil said, unsurprised that a new university study had found the development of silo art trails had brought economic impacts to rural towns.
The cafe opened in December last year, and barring COVID-19 interruptions, is usually open seven days a week, employing up to three casual staff.
Phil and Jo came to the town after they purchased the old school site to create a veterans’ retreat - a quiet place in the country where former servicemen and women and their families can come for a break, or work their way through life-controlling issues.
The cafe has become a social enterprise, raising money for the retreat while serving locals and visitors following the silo art trail.
Goorambat silo art.
Photo by
Luke Adams
Goorambat Community Group president Greg Gall said the town was “buzzing” thanks to the silo art project.
“The town was pretty much dead beforehand. You were flat-out seeing anyone around apart from the locals and a few farmers driving through the town,” Mr Gall said.
“There’s a good atmosphere now. The pub is booming. There’s a little cafe now.”
Mr Gall said while many of the visitors were retired couples with caravans, there were also young families stopping.
Mr Gall said thanks to the generosity of the locals, the support from the silo owners, Kelvin and Judy Greaves, and a band of volunteers, the town had developed new life.
The community group recently arranged for a shed on the Benalla approach to the town to be painted by artist Jimmy D’Vate to complement the silo art.
The shed depicts a Nankeen kestrel and was completed in May.
18°C