The Millers Flat Bakehouse, in the heart of the small Māniatoto Central Otago town, has been revitalised in a project that spanned more than three decades. Photo: Supplied / Anna Brook
Restoring an early nineteenth century bakehouse brought the Millers Flat community together. Now, it brings history to life for locals and visitors alike. Hilary McKenzie, a trustee on the restoration project, spoke to Greer Paterson for Shepherdess magazine about what the bakehouse means to the town.
"There is so much value in having a meeting place for people to just sit and talk about their place and their stories," says Hilary Mckenzie, 63. Sitting neatly at the end of the Millers Flat bridge, right in the heart of the small Māniatoto Central Otago town, the Millers Flat Bakehouse has been revitalised in a project that spanned more than three decades.
Originally built in 1908 as a bakery and tearooms, the development of road and rail meant that bakeries like this became redundant, with bread being supplied from factories in Ōtepoti Dunedin. The building eventually fell into disuse until the community decided to do something about it.
"There is so much value in having a meeting place for people to just sit and talk about their place and their stories," says Hilary Mckenzie, 63. Photo: Supplied / Anna Brook
"In the early nineties, the shop was sold by the Faigan family to the community who were taking it on as a community store," McKenzie said. "A separate trust was formed to look at restoration of the bakehouse. Betty Adams and Paula Helm, two of the original trustees, worked on the project right through to its completion, and without their vision it never would have happened."
McKenzie came on to the group as a trustee in 2013.
"People walk into the building and enjoy looking at the photos in what was the tearooms," said Rick Hunt. Photo: Supplied / Anna Brook
"A standout moment for me was actually having my first look in the bakehouse. What struck me about it was that it was about to fall down. I can remember looking at the front of the building and the actual front wall looked like it was about to separate. The immediate thought was if it was going to be restored it had to be done now - it was reaching a tipping point."
The group worked hard to restore the bakehouse as close to its original state as possible. One example is the floor.
"We choose to keep the original ... the history of buildings is often written on their floor.
"At some stage, we may have to do something about it. Like many old buildings, it has had things chewing on it over the years."
The bakehouse has been restored as close to its original state as possible. Photo: Supplied / Anna Brook
Where original features could not be preserved as part of the building's restoration, the trustees found creative ways to retain them.
"Paula took pieces of the original wallpaper and made a collage of the Clutha river and valley, which we have up on the wall as a connection."
Finally, driven by what McKenzie describes as "grit and determination" in 2019, the group successfully re-opened the building as a museum and, with a fully restored working oven, on certain days also a bakehouse.
Local Rick Hunt used to bake bread "the old-fashioned way" in the brick oven once a month.
"It was a huge amount of work on his part to do that. It was about forty hours of work each time he baked. It would take three to four days to heat the oven up.
Restoring the early nineteenth century bakehouse brought the Millers Flat community together. Photo: Supplied / Anna Brook
"We have a group of around fifteen people who contribute in lots of different ways. We can't do it without the volunteers. If we didn't have them, the scenario with the bakehouse would look very different."
Having successfully brought the bakehouse back to life from the brink of demolition, the trustees, volunteers and local community could not be more proud of the space they have created.
"People walk into the building and enjoy looking at the photos in what was the tearooms, then walk around to the bakery and go,'Wow'. It takes you back."
- This story appeared originally in the Ngahuru Autumn Edition 2025 of Shepherdess magazine, out now.
