THE Diggers’ Store in Campbells Creek has taken on many identities in its 158 years; mining supply store, pub, bookshop, family home, bed and breakfast, even Catholic Church.
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The parishioners may be long gone, but this place is still sacred to one man and his family.
Alex Bennett grew up in the historic building, before moving to Darwin at the age of 12.
At 29, he’s back with partner Tina Helm and their 16-month-old daughter Odetta, and they’re investing much energy into Alex’s old family home.
It’s been 18 months since the couple arrived from Tina’s home country of New Zealand, where they’d been working and studying and dreaming of a slower pace.
Alex and Tina have now thrown the stable doors out the back open to bed and breakfast guests, started a weekend café, and set up a unique recording studio.
Alex’s recording work is mostly through word-of-mouth, helped along by the fact CW Stoneking recorded his last album here.
“He stayed in the B&B for a week. It was fun, he was a pretty interesting guy to have around,” Alex says.
“It’s an analogue recording studio, I only use tape recorders.
“It suited his sound and how he wanted to work, he did some digging around and found me.
"There’s not a lot of analogue studios around, and not many prepared to go the whole hog with not one computer on show.”
The café opened six weeks ago, just in time for locals to enjoy the stunning autumn show the front grape vine is putting on.
“We got it open in time for the State Festival,” Tina says.
“We were just going to pop up but we decided to keep popping, we’d put so much work into the coffee bar.”
The work included sourcing a 1950s Gaggia coffee machine that had spent its life in a couple of Melbourne cafes.
“It makes good, strong coffee,” Alex says.
“We use a dark roast that’s more akin to the coffee of the day.”
The café serves cake to go with the hot bevvies, among racks of vintage dresses and the cool tunes of records on high rotation; all independent New Zealand and Australian labels, which are also for sale.
“Alex wants to celebrate the music people are making at the moment, and share it,” Tina says.
Visit them from Friday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, along Main Street in Campbells Creek.
Lauren Mitchell writes for Bendigo Regional Tourism.
