Bacchus Marsh Lions Club has finished restoring the town’s heritage listed Chicory Kiln.
The Chicory Kiln in Taverner Street, which served as a crucial element of the local industry in the early 1900s, was listed as a heritage site in 2016, following the hard work of the Bacchus Marsh Historical Society.
The works included roof repairs to prevent the building’s roof from collapsing, repairs to rainwater goods, doors and brickwork, as well as a condition assessment report and treatment proposal of historic signage on the building’s exterior.
The Chicory Kiln was built in 1885 by the owners of the first general business store in Bacchus Marsh, the Pearce family.
The building provided a drying facility for their chicory crops which were processed as a coffee substitute.
A community viewing of the kiln was held on August 25 with 100 attending with lunch was provided by the Lions Club.
Bacchus Marsh Lions Club member and project coordinator Russ Hendry said the restoration will ensure the community can understand the history behind the building.
“It was a great community project… Hopefully many will visit the kiln to see how it operated 140 years ago,” he said.
The project was supported by a $33,000 state government grant, match funded by the property owner, and fundraising efforts by local community groups including the Bacchus Marsh Lions Club, Bendigo Bank and Bacchus Marsh Rotary Club.
Eureka MP Michaela Settle said the Chicory Kiln is the oldest intact example of its kind and the largest known chicory kiln in Victoria.
“We’re ensuring it remains part of the landscape and the community’s history for decades to come,” she said.
