Port Victoria cafe

The Port Victoria café was noted for its home cooked fare, pies and pastries and home made icecream. It was operated by Mrs Emma Symonds and her daughters and later when business became brisk William Symonds relinquished his building business to assist in the café.

William Symonds moved to Port Victoria in 1904 to work on renovations at the Wauraltee Hotel, and stayed after that job to build many of the stone houses in the town. He married Emma Fraser, and in 1913 built his own house, ten years later adding a delicatessen at the side of this as well as a beach kiosk.

The café was popular with sailors, farmers and the lumpers or men who loaded and unloaded the bags of wheat: the home cooked fare used local produce including milk and eggs from the Symonds' own cow and hens. The peak period for the café was during the shipping season, or on days of celebration such as Australia Day.