“I’d like to see it rebuilt. It’s a timber structure. Let’s put it back,” he said.

Cr Guile led the resistance in council in recent months to calls by staff to have the historic building demolished.

“I led the discussion to demolition on the grounds that it’s an iconic building. Other councillors listened to that.”

He said he was disappointed such an important historical building had succumbed to neglect after withstanding the ferocity of numerous Shoalhaven River floods.

“It has been in a state of complete and utter disrepair. Council allowed that to happen,” he said.

Council was alerted to the historical significance of the building in 2000 in a comprehensive report that highlighted its role in the commerce of Nowra. 

Some councillors, Cr Guile suspected, were relieved the building went up in flames because it meant money would not have to spent on its upkeep.

“It’s not a blessing at all. Every historical photo of Nowra features this building. We simply cannot pass up our history.