'Celebrate the history': Awaba House reopens after painstaking restoration
by Josh Leeson · Newcastle HeraldEarly on in the mammoth task to rebuild Lake Macquarie's historic Awaba House following the 2019 fire, it became apparent no revamp would escape its past.
The blaze had gutted the 1927 building, leaving nothing but a shell and its renowned facade and circular portico.
Seven years and $7.8 million later, the Booragul landmark was officially reopened on Friday by Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz and his predecessors Kay Fraser, Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper, Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison and John Kilpatrick.
The Awaba House's 50-seat cafe will open to the public on Monday, while the 60- to 100-person casual fine-dining restaurant will follow on November 5.
Awaba House's internal restoration marries modern elegance with heritage, even the building's tragic modern history.
The hallway from the main entry and the cafe features exposed walls and burn marks from the 2019 fire.
Lake Macquarie City Council's project manager, Victoria Lipscombe, said a "make-safe process" was undertaken to identify elements of the structure that could be restored.
"One of the quintessential elements was that circular portico out the front, which everyone knows and loves as Awaba House," Ms Lipscombe said.
"The open columns and some of the internal walls were what we were able to preserve.
"So, not only have we retained them, but we've also preserved them and tried to celebrate the history of the fire."
However, restoring Awaba House was anything but easy. The costs for the council skyrocketed from $5.2 million to $7.8 million, of which $2.8 million was covered by insurance.
Wet weather also delayed construction, among other issues.
"As you can imagine, being a heritage building, there were a lot of unknowns," Ms Lipscombe said.
"Once we started demolition, we discovered some asbestos-containing material, so that meant that we had to pivot and change our construction approaches.
"Another element was probably the Aboriginal midden. When we did remove some of the front portico and the concrete elements out the front, we discovered that there was a significant Aboriginal heritage site.
"So, obviously, we wanted to make sure that we treated that with respect and preserved that history as well."
The original Awaba House was built in the 1870s and was destroyed by fire in 1886 and then rebuilt in 1887. The second version of Awaba House was then demolished in the 1920s and rebuilt.
During the 1960s it housed the Booragul High School caretaker and then became a private residence before being sold to the council in 1993.
It operated as Lake Macquarie's art gallery from 1996 to 2000 and then became a cafe and function venue from 2001 to 2019.
Hospitality company The Catering Group has the five-year lease for the Awaba House cafe and restaurant, with a five-year option.
It is the Sydney company's first foray into the Hunter, and chief executive Greg Barclay said the waterfront location at Booragul instantly appealed to him.
"I fell in love with this place as soon as I saw it," Mr Barclay said.
"The first moment that I was able to see its location on the lake and everything, this was before I understood the heritage behind it.
"It's a truly magical spot, and it's everything we could have dreamed of to be able to get a place like this."
Mr Barclay said Awaba House would have three distinct offerings. The cafe would be casual and family-friendly, while the restaurant would showcase local produce.
The venue will also be available for weddings, corporate events and other functions.
"We've seen movements coming up this way around the food and beverage scene," Mr Barclay said of Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.
"We've been following it very closely. There are some great operators around, and it's good to see the level that Lake Macquarie is actually able to provide, and we want to be a part of that journey.
"We want to be able to lift that and put it further on the map."