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Along the Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne sits one of Australia’s few remaining original Greek diners; the Niagara Cafe. The cafe, which was established in 1902, was recently purchased by Sydney couple Luke Walton and Kym Fraser who spent a year restoring the interior of the cafe to its former glory. Now, the cafe resembles almost perfectly it’s 1930s interior; featuring booth seating and an art deco-style bar and facade.
Luke and Kym had worked on a few residential properties prior to the Niagara; they’d done a mid-century project and a warehouse conversion, but never a commercial business like Niagara. Though Luke had visited the cafe previously, they stumbled upon the building again when trawling real estate websites hoping to find a home along the Hume to stop over on their trips between Melbourne and Sydney.
“We knew it was something unique, because every one of these cafes has closed down” Kym says. They wanted to ensure the building was restored and preserved as it’s an important piece of Australian history and a terrific example of the Greek Diners that occupied many country towns back in the 20th century. They were drawn to the originality of the interior; the art deco elements and the classic booth-seating fit-out, but fires and water damage meant extensive renovations were required. They were adamant their renovations be true to the period and not detract from the historic architecture of the building.
The original ceiling had been painted with a space-age style mural during the space race of the 60s, but had been destroyed in the fire and so a drop ceiling had been installed. They commissioned a builder to recreate the original ceiling, and a painter even painted a small homage to the space-age mural behind the coffee bar.
The major changes have been to the menu, which they’ve updated to encourage customers to stop in and have a meal, rather than ordering take-out as they would’ve previously done. While the cafe was famous back in the day for its fried chicken and offerings of burgers and shakes, they’ve brought in a modernised menu featuring classic brunch and lunch staples; Avocado on toast, Corn Fritters, Reuben Sandwiches, Fish and Chips. They still offer the classics like an Americano Cheeseburger and Niagara Beef Burger, and have a strong focus on good coffee. Since reopening the cafe in 2022 the sleepy main drag of Gundagai has been reformed into a bustling streetscape; many once-empty shop fronts have been revitalised with gift shops and florists. Down the street from the cafe is Gundagai’s famous pen museum, and Luke and Kym also recommend stopping into the railway museum run by a friendly local down the road.
For Luke and Kym the real reward for their efforts have been the stories they’ve been told by local customers of the early days of Niagara. They tell me an older couple recently came in for a meal, and recalled their first date at the cafe, sixty-five years earlier, in the very same booth seats. For out-of-towners of the same generation the Niagara inspires nostalgic memories of their local cafe of that era; they’re reminded of memories spent drinking milkshakes in a similar diner in their hometown; most are now closed. And for young folks, they can experience a time they’ve never had the opportunity to live through, that they’ve only heard of through stories told by their grandparents. For Gundagai, a reason for road-trippers to stop has revived not only the street-scape but business for the local community, whose pubs and caravan parks find themselves busier than they have been in years, in part thanks to a little old cafe called the Niagara.
