Unearthing the mysteries beneath Wagga's old flour mill

A more recent find is the catacombs under the former Murrumbidgee Flour Mill site. 

Wagga man Ron Demmery shared his memories of the site and its underground secrets, as part of The Daily Advertiser’s investigation into the urban myths and legends of the city. 

It follows the questioned existence of the Fitzmaurice Street tunnels, that some residents believe were used by Chinese residents to traffic contraband around the settlement, during the gold rush.

But despite the fact-or-fiction divide, Mr Demmery, a former miller, said the tunnels – at least at the northern end of the main street – were definitely real. 

“There used to be heaps of tunnels tracking backward and forward, where we transported grain and kept it out of the weather,” Mr Demmery said.

“I’ve been through them plenty of times.” 

Once the mill was closed, Mr Demmery remained a caretaker of the site. 

He said beneath the ground floor was another world and walking through the tunnels was like stepping back in time. 

“They are a pretty decent size,” he said.

“I’m not sure if you would be able to access them now, but there is definitely a false floor.” 

The Mill Hotel development manager James Maher said he knew of the passageways – used for grain transportation to and from the silos. 

But he said there were no written plans or old maps showing their exact location or direction. 

“There’s nothing really secret about them,” Mr Maher said. 

“There was a basement corridor.”

While the Lone Star rib house and Grainstore Brewery are set to keep the heritage of The Mill's exterior and the inside will be spruced up with a fresh and modern feel, the tunnels will remain a buried mystery, according to Mr Maher.

Mr Maher said development would be all above ground level, with works on the precinct expected to be completed this year. 

No matter what you believe, an untapped history to the regional city of Wagga remains – a history sealed over, caved in, lost and almost forgotten.