Parlez vous Francais a la Wagga Wagga?

It was not long after we settled in Wagga Wagga, the town so good they named it twice though only ever utter half its name, that we became aware of the distinctly continental flavour of many of its small businesses. Indeed Wagga boasts an entire Parisian ‘arrondissement’ in the northernmost part of town, known logically enough as ‘the Paris end’! The location of Wagga’s former Chinatown and of its only Spanish Mission style commercial building, the upper reaches of Fitzmaurice Street, show unmistakable evidence of  l’influence Francaise. Many ‘boutique’ shops are located there: Knights delicatessen with its terrine and camembert, the Circa 1929 day spa, a chandelier hanging in its foyer, as well as the café with the oh so French name, Uneke!

The Uneke Lounge has a totally unique spelling (source: TripAdvisor)

The street was named in 1849 by Colonial Surveyor-General, Sir Thomas Mitchell after one of his fellow-officers in the 95th Regiment of Foot (Pied), John Fitzmaurice. Despite sounding Scottish, Fitzmaurice had served in the Pyrenees, Nivelle and Toulouse, so his French credentials are impeccable. Mitchell was merely exercising a subtlety that has informed the naming of Wagga enterprises since his time, not all of them confined to the city’s Paris end.

For my first couple of years here I got my hair done at Salon Christé in the chic South City retail complex. It is located cheek by jowl with that phenomenal European marketing success, Aldi and has le magasin du articles des rejets and viandes de qualité du South City as companion businesses! The local business directory did let Francophiles down though by listing it as Salon Christ, probably a sop to Wagga’s huge devout Christian population.

It's official - Wagga is the 'Bible Belt' of New South Wales

A favourite haunt in our early days was Café Niché in Coleman Street (now sadly re-named The Brew). There was clearly a two for one special on acute accents when they arranged their signage. They served such authentic French delicacies as coffee with milk (cafe au lait) and ham and cheese toasties (Croque Monsieur) and had a chien-friendly jardin out the back.

Operating for several years in Baylis Street was Cache a cafeteria-style eatery that also contained meeting and conference facilities and accommodation on the first floor. One sad jour a combination of Wagga summer heat and the operation of a clothes drier caused un feu to break out in the premises and it was closed for some time. Attempts to re-invent the business as a chocolatier /patisserie were in exactly the right esprit but had short lived success. While the patriot in me applauds their use of Florence Broadhurst wallpaper perhaps Isadore Leroy designs would have been safer. But as this business, in contrast to Café Niché, completely omitted the acute accent on their name, their attention to detail was always clearly lacking.

Blogger's daughter nonchalantly poses avec beret in front of the Artisan Baker

Truly attaining Parisian standards is the Artisan Baker in Morgan Street which makes wonderful tartes, croissants and pain. Its slogan ‘So French, So Fresh’ is reassuring as is the inclusion of the mots ‘boulangerie’ and 'patisserie' on its window and website. While I applaud such discretion following as it does the lead of Sir Thomas Mitchell, would it not be in the business's interest to re-brand as Boulangerié, Patisserié et Café Formidablé de Wollundré?

STOP PRESS: Wagga also has a French Choir, a branch of L'Academie Francaise and an annual French film festival. Now if we just had a French restaurant...