THE WAY WE WERE

BAKER BAKER: Before 1900 people of Meringandan baked their own bread, but early in the century a bakery was established by O. Wuersching. The bakery was originally a church at Gowrie Little Plain around 1870. It was moved to Meringandan using a Steam Traction Engine in 1902, by the Wuersching Family who also owned the Hotel and General Store. The first baker employed was Mr. Walls who remained the baker there until the 1930s when the Garretts purchased the business and ran the Bakery until the mid seventies. Mrs Garrett also operated the Meringandan Newsagency and one of the two hand operated petrol pumps in the town at this time. Mrs Garrett and Mr. Colin Campbell baked about 200 loaves per day in the brick oven, starting at 5 o’clock each morning. President of the Highfields Pioneer Village, Museum & Park Inc. and local Meringandan resident Mervyn Polzin reminisces “One feature was Christmas when Colin would bake about 25 hams for locals and many people today can still remember the aroma of fresh bread. Merv Reis carted the oak wood from Silverleigh for the oven and three tons of flour a month from Toowoomba in his 3 ton Chev Truck. Many times it was more like 5 ton! Memories of the good old days, long gone, but not forgotten.” Family Choice Bakeries purchased the Bakery and operated the business there until it was closed down during the late 70s. It then became a Granny Flat until 2005 when it was moved to Pioneer Village. Mission Australia and Worsley Removals assisted Highfields Pioneer Village in dismantling the huge brick oven and moving the building to the Village. Now operational, the bakery will be used to demonstrate damper making to school children and the general public on our special days. Stage one of the Bakery was officially opened on Australia Day 2018 with Stage two opening Easter Saturday, March 31 at 10.15am. Paint has been sponsored by Planet Paints of Toowoomba. Volunteer Bakers are being sort to demonstrate the old oven and bake bread at the opening. Past and present residents from Meringandan are encouraged to attend, please phone the Village office for more details on 4696 6309. Pictured is Mrs Garrett Baker, the Meringandan township, Rohan Worsley moving the bakery and Lynsday Webb the bricklayer who reconfigured the oven.