Historic cafe on the way for Bremer Bay

A farming family in Bremer Bay are turning a piece of local history into a new cafe for the bustling holiday hotspot.

The Telegraph cafe will reside in the history-filled Bremer Bay Telegraph Station in Bremer Bay, and the historic building has more than 120 years of local stories in its walls.

The Bremer Bay Telegraph Station was built in 1896 after the original station, which was constructed 20 years earlier, burnt down.

The station played a role in the Overland Telegraph linking Albany to Adelaide east-west and is one of the only buildings remaining in the town with historic significance.

Out of action in recent years, the Iffla family purchased the building only five months ago and have brought it back to life for another era of stories to be created.

Saffron Iffla will be managing the cafe with her mother Jo, and they have taken over a baked goods business to wholesale out of the cafe.

She said it was nice to have such a beautiful place opening to the public again, and that a lot of people did not know its history.

“We thought it would be a good idea to fix up a piece of Bremer Bay history, the town was built around it,” she said.

“We have had redo all the verandas, we needed to do a new roof, it has new toilets, the kitchen has all been redone.

“We hope it gives people more options in Bremer Bay.”

The Telegraph is expected to open in mid-December for breakfast and lunch, with wholesale baked cakes available.

Ms Iffla said they hoped to one day make it a venue for functions.

“We would love to do a venue for weddings and to bring something else like that to Bremer Bay,” she said.

The deteriorating building has been restored by a team of local people from Albany and Bremer Bay, including Poett Building, S and E Electrical and Rones Plumbing.