A major milestone was reached for Roger McGrath and Gwenda Wall, when the first tree was planted in their intended beer garden recently.

Pictured is Roger on the excavator, with Jason Wall and visiting tree expert Mr Lin guiding the tree into its new home.

Mr Linh Khan is an associate of the couple’s Chief Advisor and expert in his own right, Don DeLuca.

Don is creating a serene oasis to be the outside jewel of Roger and Gwen’s first-class restaurant facility, The Drunken Ram, which was approved for Lachlan Street in 2023.

Roger and Gwen’s plans for the old Fayle building and the site of the former ANZ building are impressive and exciting.

There will be a large inviting outdoor dining area, with the revitalised mural as a charming backdrop.

The Fayle building will be the restaurant, restored and retaining history.

“It is our dream to have it run as a coffee shop during the day with a lovely open garden area to sit in, a restaurant at night, with the same open air dining space on offer,” Gwen previously told The Riverine Grazier.

“We also have a lot of space, and a back room to offer for functions such as weddings. We would also like to incorporate a drive in section, where for instance if it was raining on a wedding day, the wedding party could drive through and then exit the car in a covered area, and go into the venue.”

A piece of largely unknown treasure was recently unveiled in Lachlan Street.

Gwen and Roger, earlier on in The Drunken Ram’s progression, painstakingly uncovered a vintage Goldenia tea sign on the Foodworks wall of their property in Lachlan Street.

Having already known the sign was there, every part of the process of demolishing the old ANZ bank building was carefully planned, and accounted for demolishing the building by hand.

“If left in its current state uncovered, it will only deteriorate,” Roger told The Riverine Grazier at the time.

“It is in such good condition because it has been protected by the building for all these years.

“We definitely plan to have it restored.”

Interestingly, there is a Lifebuoy Health Soap sign which is barely visible, behind the remaining building, on the same Foodworks wall.

Roger will ensure to preserve this sign also.

This article appeared in The Riverine Grazier, 13 August 2025.