Australian Country #21.5

COUNTRY AUSTRALIAN

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

YOUR CONTEMPORARY COUNTRY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE ARTISTIC INSPIRATION WITH CRISS CANNING

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AT HOME IN THE ADELAIDE HILLS TASMANIA’S SOUTH-WEST A DISTILLERY IN A SHED

HAVEN FOR FRANCOPHILES A VILLA IN TUSCANY HISTORIC GORRINN HOMESTEAD

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In this issue ... in each issue

profiles

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Editor’s letter Diary notes Baker’s dozen You beauty Out and about Off the shelf Mailbag

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A passion for Provence A move to the Sunshine Coast kindled a fascination for all things French for Frieda and John Smith Made to last Kylie and Peter Warrington looked to John Deere for the best possible machinery for their hobby farm A fishy tale Lord Howe Island artist Sharon Whitfield pursues a Japanese art form Set in stone Six generations of the Richardson family have called Gorrinn home Hidden depths An Adelaide couple has turned a worker’s cottage and garden in the hills into a showpiece Under the Tuscan sun Design guru Debbie Travis opens the doors on her historic villa The art of living At home in Victoria with still-life artist Criss Canning

74 Heavenly ferment You don’t have to be religious to enjoy Lower Bavaria’s monasteries 84 Landscape & legend Four generations of Widge Curtin’s family have lived on Lord Howe Island 88 Family spirit Join the gin revolution at a boutique distillery in a former saddle shed

travel 96

Southerly change Tasmania’s south-west delivers a heady mix of wilderness experiences, creature comforts and history

gardening 106 Surprise package Moving to the Dandenong Ranges was just the tonic Helen Wallace needed

product news 136 Store strolling 137 Child’s play 146 Stockists

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EDITOR'S LETTER

As this issue went to press, photographerr Ken Brass and I made a quick trip to the NSW south coast via the southern highlands and tablelands.

It was yet another sobering reminder, as if one were needed, about the dire straits that many farmers across Australia’s east, south-east and south-west are still facing. Bureau of Meteorology reports confirm these car-window observations. June rainfall was below average for most of Australia, and very much below average for parts of the east coast. For Australia as a whole, April to June this year has been the fourth-driest such period since comparable records commenced in 1900. The human face of this climate disaster is evidenced by the increasing numbers of farmers who have to seek work off-farm, the growing incidence of mental health issues and ever-increasing suicide statistics.

As a city-dwelling person with strong country roots, I’m alarmed not just by this situation, but by the emerging anger of country people who feel city folk don’t care about their problems. Social media is full of this frustration being vented. When you consider the support city residents have given to organisations such as the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners, Baked Relief and Aussie Helpers, and how communities large and small have reached out to bring everything from care packages to millinery workshops to drought-affected communities, it’s obvious city people do care very deeply. However, many urbanites simply don’t know what they can do to help. I’d like to make a few suggestions. Visit the bush, stay at a farm stay and get to know farmers and their families. Spend money in their towns and support their businesses. In the city, support your farmers’ markets and when you shop in the supermarket, make sure the produce you buy is locally produced. Be prepared to pay that bit extra for home-grown because, rest assured, it will be fresher, healthier and less damaging to the environment than buying imports. And it will support a farmer who needs your help. I look forward to seeing you for our next issue, on sale November 1.

KIRSTY MCKENZIE, EDITOR kmckenzie@umco.com.au

helping out on this issue are ...

KIM SELBY PHOTOGRAPHER Kim is a multi-award winning family, wedding and commercial photographer. She is best known for her natural and emotion-filled lifestyle photography. She loves being able to capture those special little moments that abound in everyday life and knowing people will be looking back at their photos in years to come. She lives in the Macedon Ranges with her husband, two beautiful boys, dog Fergus and Myrtle and Gertie the chickens.

DON FUCHS PHOTOJOURNALIST German-born Don has enjoyed a semi-nomadic lifestyle for more than 35 years. Driven by curiosity and the need to know what’s around the corner, he explores the globe professionally and privately.

Resident in Australia since 1995, he is a member of the Foreign Correspondents’ Association in Sydney and the LOOK photo agency in Germany.

australiancountry.net.au @australiancountrymag

Australian Country cover photography by KEN BRASS

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DIARY NOTES

c o m p i le d by k i r st y m c k en z i e

Make a date to celebrate these diverse events around the country.

N ow — Fe b r u a ry 1 7, 2 01 9 ( NT )

OUT OF THE DARK

N OW — O ctob er 7 ( N SW )

MYALL CREEK AND BEYOND This year marks the 180th anniversary of the horrific massacre of at least 28 Aboriginal people by colonial settlers on the banks of Myall Creek near Bingara in north-western NSW. While it was no means the first or the last acts of frontier violence, the subsequent sentencing and hanging of seven British subjects for the murder of the Wirrayaraay people did mark the first time white men were brought to justice for their actions.

The event is commemorated each year with a gathering of both relatives of the victims and the perpetrators of the massacre at the site. Myall Creek and Beyond, an exhibition of works by contemporary Aboriginal artists has been curated by the New England Regional Art Museum to explore responses to the site, the memorial event and its relevance to indigenous people today. neram.com.au

This exhibition from the collections of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) draws on the 19th-century cabinet of curiosities concept of display. Taken from MAGNT’s natural science specimens, artworks and historic and cultural objects, Out of the Dark aims to provide insight into the tropical environs of northern Australia, the deserts of the Red Centre and the multi-layered relationships between Australia and its South East Asian neighbours. magnt.net.au

S e pte m b er 1 1 - 1 6 ( N o r fo l k I s l a n d )

UKuLELE FESTIVAL They say the world is divided in two: Those who play the ukulele and those who wish they could. This month aficionados of this four-stringed offspring of the lute family will be heading for Norfolk Island for an annual celebration of the music that puts a smile on everyone’s face. Uke players will join Norfolk musicians at scenic locations including the Emily Bay lagoon, historic Kingston and on Norfolk’s only roundabout. norfolkisland.com.au

Clockwise from above: Craig Koomeeta’s Saltwater Crocodile at MAGNT; ukuleles on Norfolk; Rosi Griffin's Bus Stop Direction La Serena Chile (photo

by Kit Wise) at Swell; Sophie Perez’s Never Ending Summer at Southern Buoy Studios; Robert Andrew’s Country, Ground, Earth, Sand, Time and Space at Armidale’s NERAM.

N ow – N ov e m b er 1 7 ( V i c)

REGIONAL WOMEN’S EXHIBITION The work of regional women artists from across Australia is celebrated in a vibrant exhibition at the Southern Buoy Studios on the Mornington Peninsula.

Exhibiting artists are Carly Le Cerf from Mount Barker in WA, the nomadic Helen McCullagh who is currently resident in north Queensland, Wendy McDonald, who lives and works on her family property near the Murray River in south-west NSW, British-born Mornington Peninsula resident Sophie Perez and Western Australian artist Winnie Sampi, who now lives in Port Hedland. southernbuoystudios.com.au 8

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S e pte m b er 1 4 - 2 3 ( Q L D )

SWELL SCULPTURE FESTIVAL Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast is the venue for the 16th annual SWELL Sculpture Festival. More than 50 large sculptures by local, national and international artists will be installed along the foreshore for a memorable outdoor gallery experience, which can be enhanced by guided twilight walks and artist talks. Performance art, musical entertainment, yoga classes and culinary delights further add to the visitor experience. swellsculpture.com.au

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S e pte m b er 2 1 – N ov e m b er 6 ( V I C)

BIENNALE OF AUSTRALIAN ART Australia’s largest visual arts festival showcasing living Australian artists takes place across more than 50 indoor and outdoor locations in the city of Ballarat, with solarpowered rickshaws and mini buses connecting the venues. The BOAA will feature the work of more than 150 artists telling Australian stories through painting, sculpture, installations, drawing, photography, time-based media and live happenings with pop-up music shows and food and wine events. boaa.net.au

S e pte m b er 2 2 ( N SW ) Clockwise from above: The Biennale of Australian Art takes place in Ballarat; a celebration of Japanese culture at Cowra; Bundaberg’s Crush Festival; the Mulberry Tree Festival, Grazing Down the Lachlan.

SAKURA MATSURI CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL Spring is sprung and the cherry blossoms are out in Cowra’s Japanese gardens, just in time for the annual Sakura Matsuri Festival. Entertainment on the familyfriendly day will include a traditional tea ceremony, bonsai demonstrations, wood-block printing, shibori fabric dyeing and food stalls. A martial arts stage will host karate, sumo wrestling, and aikido demonstrations while

the cultural stage will present soprano Misako Piper, taiko drummers, Sydney’s Soran dancers, the Sakura Choir, and the Torsion Youth Dance Ensemble. visitcowra.com.au

O ctob er 5 – 1 4 ( Q L D )

CRUSH FESTIVAL The Queensland sugar town of Bundaberg gets its creative juices flowing during the annual Crush Festival.

The program includes live music, street theatre, wheelbarrow markets, interactive zones, WOW (Women of the World) Festival Australia projects, Gin and Blank, Pizza and Poetry, Reggae on the River, a travelling film festival and sand sculpture with a beach barbecue. crushfestivalqld. com.au

N ov e m b er 1 0 ( S A )

THE MULBERRY TREE FESTIVAL

S e pte m b er 2 2 ( N SW )

GRAZING DOWN THE LACHLAN Breathtaking river gums alongside a tranquil river set within a stock route that is synonymous with Aboriginal songlines and droving create the backdrop for an epic long lunch. A degustation menu based around foods native to the NSW central west will be prepared by local chefs and caterers and there will be a bus to and from Forbes. grazingdownthelachlan.com 10

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The Yorke Peninsula is home not just to the tiny town of Warooka but also hundreds of mulberry trees, which enjoy their fleeting fruit season in high summer. The two will merge at the Ballara Art & Lifestyle Retreat for a one-day celebration of berry delights and deep-purple stains. Amateur and professional artists will display mulberry-themed works and there will be live music, story telling under the mulberry tree, a cooking competition and local food and drinks. ballararetreat.com.au Let us know about your forthcoming event by writing to us a Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 or emailing kmckenzie@ umco.com.au.

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Alliance FranÇaise

A passion for Provence A move to the Sunshine Coast kindled a fascination for all things French for Frieda and John Smith.

By Ki rst y McKenzi e, photogr a phy Ana sta si a Kari of ylli dis, st yling Simone Bart er

Alliance FranÇaise

The old saying that every cloud has a silver lining proved true for Frieda and John Smith.

John’s health had been deteriorating for months when the couple decided to take a holiday at Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. They fell completely under the spell of the resort town’s benign climate, laid-back lifestyle, proximity to the beach and relative lack of traffic compared to their home in inner Sydney.

“We went back to Sydney, put our house on the market and bought up here,” Frieda recalls of that fateful holiday in 1997. “Just as well we did because shortly after the move, we also found a doctor who was able to set John on the path to recovery. It wasn’t as if we hated our Sydney life, as we had a lovely 120-year-old cottage in Glebe and a good business in a giftware and coffee shop. But the time was right for a change so we embraced it.”

They very quickly found a property for sale on a large block at Noosa Outlook in Tewantin. “We liked the fact that it was a solid, almost modern Mediterranean in style, stucco-rendered building,” Frieda recalls. “It was one of the original houses of the area, built in the late ’50s or early ’60s and it kind of set me on a whole new path in terms of decorating style. The house led me from favouring a colonial country look to finding a

Clockwise from opposite: An oppulent air in the dining room; John and Frieda moved north 20 years ago; the devil is in the detail, in this case pewter, silver and gold; French doors open onto a courtyard for a lovely connection between indoors and the subtropical outdoors.

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“The house led me from favouring a colonial country look to finding a passion for all things with a distinctly French provincial accent.”

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Alliance FranÇaise

passion for all things with a French provincial accent.”

Ironically, in a former life with her first husband, Frieda had lived in Dublin and they took numerous short breaks in Paris. Yet Frieda says while she enjoyed being a tourist there, she wasn’t really aware of the sun-drenched, slightly weathered, provincial look of the south of France until she had moved back to Australia.

“My heritage is Maltese but it turns out I had a French great-grandfather,” she says. “Perhaps it was this latent thing in me that the house awoke because now I am a complete Francophile and even my preferred clothes and shoes are French.”

Shortly after the move, Frieda sensed a gap in the bridal market and started a business from home selling wedding gowns and hiring out suits and formal wear.

“I also started buying props that we hired out to give wedding venues more character and I kind of stumbled into that rustic Provençale style because it goes so well with outdoor weddings and country-style venues,” she explains. “Inevitably, some of the pieces I bought ended up staying in the house and gradually it developed more and more of a French accent.”

Frieda adds that the home is a bit of a work in progress and she constantly updates rooms and introduces

These pages: Frieda’s French journey began when she started collecting props for her bridal business, but now it extends to all areas of her home, which has become a showpiece of provincial style.

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Alliance FranÇaise

Alliance FranÇaise

“My heritage is Maltese but it turns out I had a French great-grandfather. Perhaps it was this latent thing in me that the house awoke because now I am a complete Francophile and even my preferred clothes and shoes are French.”

Alliance FranÇaise

new pieces. “A friend of mine runs an online business called The Find Antiques, so I buy and sell through that,” she says. “She’s planning a buying trip to France in the not-too-distant future, so I’m hoping I might be able to join her. Who knows, there might even be a business in it for me somewhere down the track.”

For the time being, however, Frieda and John are enjoying a break from the demands of the wedding industry and have a trip to the south of France on their horizon. With a bit more time on her hands, Frieda is taking French lessons and they’ve also recently bought a small caravan and plan to travel around Australia as well.

“The van allows us the freedom to go on the road and when we find a place we like we can just pull up and stay for as long as we wish,” Frieda says. “John grew up in country NSW and he still has family there. Plus we have relatives in Sydney, so we go down there to get our city fix. But it’s always great to have this place to come back to. It’s where my heart is, not to mention our grandchildren and we are very involved in their lives.

However, we haven’t ruled out the possibility that some day we might actually live in France. At our age and stage, you learn that you never know what’s around the corner. You just have to stay alert to opportunities and make the most of them when they come.”

Clockwise from left: Whites and neutrals create a serene bedroom setting; fresh linens and cottons; a distressed finish on a wardrobe.

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A JOHN DEERE/AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY PROMOTION

Made to last They say you get what you pay for. In Kylie and Peter Warrington’s case, that means looking to John Deere for the best possible machinery for their hobby farm.

By Ki rst y McKenzi e, photogr a phy Ken Br a s s

Opposite: The 2032R tractor is perfect for the terrain yet compact in size and easy to drive.

Above: Peter and Kylie with their preferred lawnmowers, one ride-on and one self-propelled.

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It may not have been the most romantic of gifts, but Kylie Warrington says it quickly became one of her most treasured. When her then fiancé, Peter, excitedly ushered her outside their Canberra home to reveal the John Deere 855D Gator that was waiting on a trailer out the front, Kylie admits she may have been slightly underwhelmed. But closer acquaintance with the 4WD all-terrain utility vehicle on their hobby farm in the rugged hills behind Narooma on the NSW south coast changed her perception. These days Peter says he practically has to fight Kylie for access to the Gator, as it has become her vehicle of choice for all shifting and carrying jobs and getting around the steeply sloping terrain of their 10-acre (four-hectare) block.

In fact, she is so fond of the Gator that it doubled duty as a bridal car when she and Peter married in December last year at nearby Tilba Tilba.

The Warringtons bought their property at the end of 2016 after a six-month search. “We initially looked at land around Tilba,” Peter recalls. “But ever since Paul West of [TV series] River Cottage Australia put Tilba on the map, everybody wants to live there, so we had to look a bit further afield.”

The couple say they regard the farm as their future retirement home. Kylie grew up on a Merino sheep property in Victoria’s Grampians district, but Peter is a complete rookie at living on the land. They have big plans for their hobby farm and intend to run a small herd of miniature Black Angus cattle as well as plant a large vegie patch and orchard so eventually they will grow much of their own food.

“We’re project people,” Peter says. “We both have office jobs, so coming down here on weekends and building fences or clearing undergrowth and chipping it is relaxing to us. We want to be as hands-on as possible when

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A JOHN DEERE/AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY PROMOTION

Clockwise from opposite: The 2032R tractor is the go-to machine on the farm; Dizzy the pug lends his endorsement; a bridal car with a twist; there’s a vehicle for every task in the Warringtons’ backyard lineup.

it comes to running the farm, but already we’ve had lots of help from many talented tradies who live along our road.”

They’d already cut their teeth at renovating by doing up three houses in Goulburn and a beach shack at Narooma. “We do everything we can including the painting, gardening and decorating,” Kylie says. “But we outsource the technical stuff such as plumbing and electrical to contractors. With each renovation and sale, we got closer to buying our own place in the country.”

When it came to buying machinery, Peter was adamant that he wanted the best. “My father taught me that if you invest wisely, it will repay you with many years of use,” he says. “You may end up spending a bit more to get precisely the right vehicle for the job, but you save on efficiency and repair bills down the track.”

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With that in mind, shortly after they purchased the farm Kylie encouraged Peter on an outing to the Murrumbateman Field Days. “All the manufacturers bring their wares to the field day,” she says. “So you can do your comparisons right there on the spot without having to traipse from dealer to dealer.”

Peter and Kylie had the first of what they call their ‘‘Oh Deere’’ moments when they came away from Murrumbateman as the proud owners of an X758 ride-on mower. Their next purchase was a 2 Series 2032R tractor, purpose built for small-to medium-sized farms and compactly scaled so driving it is not daunting. Then came the “wedding” Gator and finally a walk-behind mower for access to the tight spots the ride-on mower is too big for.

“I reckon it looks like a John Deere dealership when they are all lined up out the back,” Kylie says. “However, the fact is they all serve a very important purpose.” Peter adds that each machine is designed to be both solid and heavy duty, with most of the weight close to the ground, which is an important consideration when dealing with the steep site and its deep valleys. “The sales rep from Agriquip Machinery Co in Bowral took a lot of time taking our needs into consideration,” he explains. “With each purchase, he came down to spend time on the farm with us and make sure we were completely trained in how to use it. That after-sales service was one of the reasons I kept coming back to that particular branch.”

As it turns out, John Deere has a long tradition of backing farmers and listening to their concerns. The company was founded in the US state of Illinois in

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A JOHN DEERE/AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY PROMOTION

1837 when the blacksmith John Deere developed a plough that was better suited to the thick prairie soil of the midwest than those that had been developed for the sandy loam of the eastern states. In 1886, shortly before his death at the age of 82, the founder proudly claimed that he had “never wilfully wronged any man and never put on the market a poorly made article”. John Deere entered the tractor industry in 1918 when it took over production of the Waterloo Boy tractor. A century later, the company remains as committed as ever to providing trail-blazing technology with the right machine for the task.

By the time of the Great Depression the company was known as a major manufacturer of tractors, harvesters, haymaking and other farm machinery, and further earned its clients’ trust when it took on $12 million in farmer notes and extended terms on already purchased tractors and power farming machinery. Although sales took a big hit, the company earned strong farmer loyalty.

Today the company is still regarded as the farmer’s friend, with operations in 35 countries around the world.

On the day Australian Country caught up with the Warringtons, they had their sleeves rolled up clearing fallen sticks and branches from their land. With a chipper attached to the ride-on mower, they were turning the windfall into mulch for the garden. Later in the day, the back hoe on the tractor was deployed to dig some holes to plant new trees for the garden, and then Peter took the hand mower for a spin to trim the lawns close to the house.

“Everything functions precisely as it should,” 28

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Above: Kylie supervises chipping fallen timber for mulch for the extensive orchard and garden they are developing on the property.

Peter says. “The tractor, in particular, is the ultimate manageable work horse and will end up being the most-used machine on the farm. That seems appropriate given that John Deere is celebrating 100 years of tractor manufacture this year.’’ ‘‘Before we can introduce the cattle, there is a lot of work to be done,’’ Kylie adds. ‘‘The tractor was essential for building fences and clearing the tracks through the land.

Now we need it to address all the undergrowth so the cattle can graze between the trees. It’s a big job but we’re taking it steady and working away at the clearing one weekend at a time.’’

Kylie and Peter say they have a 10-year plan, in which time they hope to be semi-retired and live perhaps four days a week on the farm and three days in Canberra.

Already Kylie has scaled back her working week to four days, so she can spend more time in the country.

One question, however, hangs over our conversation.

Are there likely to be any more equipment purchases down on the Warrington farm? “I doubt it,” is Kylie’s hasty response. “We’d have to build a bigger garage.”

“I think we are pretty well set up,” Peter adds. “But there is this attachment for the tractor that has pincers for grabbing logs and picking them up.” Kylie nods in agreement. “That would be pretty handy,” she allows.

“After this morning’s stick picking, I guess some things are open to discussion.”

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ARTIST PROFILE

A fishy tale The ultramarine waters around Lord Howe Island are famed as paradise for fisher folk. The splendid landscape similarly inspires the creatively inclined. Sharon Whitfield has married the two to pursue an ancient Japanese art form.

By Ki rst y McKenzi e, photogr a phy Ken Br a s s

Opposite: The pristine waters around Lord Howe Island are famed as a destination for fishers.

Above: Sharon has pretty much taught herself the art of gyotaku, or making prints from fish.

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Sharon Whitfield is no stranger to island life.

She grew up on the remote Channel Island of Jersey, where boat trips and beach and clifftop walks are major visitor attractions and nightlife is more likely to involve bioluminescence on the beach than disco lights.

Little wonder then, when she arrived in Australia as a young traveller and was offered three months work during summer at a resort on Lord Howe Island, she jumped at the chance.

“I’d grown up surrounded by farmland and being accustomed to making my own entertainment,” she recalls. “As children we spent our summers running wild and playing in the sand dunes. So the prospect of being on a remote island, where nature was the main attraction wasn’t daunting at all. Then I met my now husband, Greg, and the rest is history. I’ve now lived on Lord Howe longer than Jersey.”

Greg has also spent most of his life on Lord Howe as he first came with his family as holidaymakers. “We lived on Sydney’s northern beaches and Dad was a keen camper and diver,” Greg recalls. “We came to Lord Howe in 1964 when I was 13 and Dad bought a snorkelling business.”

Although he went on to a career in the merchant navy, Greg eventually returned to Lord Howe, where for many years, he and Sharon ran tours of the island and took tourists out on fishing expeditions. Meanwhile they raised their two now adult children, who also enjoyed the benefits of the outdoor lifestyle and attended the island’s three-teacher barefoot school.

“I’d always had an interest in art, though I never studied it at school,” Sharon says. “The island attracts creative people and friends introduced me to Ginny Retmock, an artist who paints, dyes and screen

ARTIST PROFILE

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ARTIST PROFILE

Clockwise from opposite: Sharon’s Channel Islands upbringing meant she was prepared for remote island life; the eye is painted on after printing; a hanko or personal seal marks each work; Sharon fishes for her subjects.

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prints on fabric and I was swept up into her world and she became a big influence on me. Ginny used to organise weekend workshops with tutors from the mainland and I learned all sorts of arts from them.”

It was at a weekend market at Ginny’s Shed, where she sells her wares, that Sharon first saw the art of gyotaku.

From the Japanese words gyo for fish and taku meaning rubbing, this art form involves making prints of fish on paper or fabric. “It evolved because fishermen wanted to keep a record of the size and species of fish they caught,” Sharon explains. “It’s an ancient form of having your photograph taken holding your catch.”

In the past, a non-toxic type of ink called sumi ink (made from soot and animal glue) was used. This meant that after the imprint was made, the fish could then be cleaned, cooked and eaten. Sharon’s subjects — typically trevally, nannygai or bluefish — also come fresh from the ocean, but she admits she keeps them way to long to be fit for consumption at the end of their working life.

To create her prints, Sharon brushes the fish with paint then presses paper or fabric onto the painted surface.

With practice, she has perfected the art of gaining an impression of each fish.

“I have to confess this is just me slapping paint on fish,” she says. “There’s no great technique to what I am doing.

Though I would like to learn the art properly. Perhaps one day I will get to Japan and see how the masters do it.”

Sharon adds that painting in the eye brings the print to life. “Up until that point, the work does look a bit dead,” she says. “I also finish each print with a hanko [personal seal].”

Sharon sells her gyotaku at the Island Showcase, a little collective outlet in Lord Howe’s shopping centre that sells the output of the island’s band of creatives.

The shop is run by volunteers and opens daily, giving tourists the opportunity to buy truly home-grown souvenirs. Sharon admits she has been surprised at how well her work has been received alongside the vegetable-dyed scarves and sarongs, polymer clay jewellery, paintings, candles, woven pandanus leaf baskets and knitted and crocheted garments.

“When you live on an island, you become accustomed to making your own entertainment,” she says. “I started doing this to amuse myself. The fact that people are interested and want to buy my art has come as a bit of a surprise.

A very pleasant surprise, but totally unexpected.”

ARTIST PROFILE

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Somerset is perfectly situated between Neds Beach and the Lagoon, on a level area of Lord Howe Island, allowing easy walking and biking to nearby shops, restaurants and the Visitor Centre.

Stylish self catering apartments suited to the natural beauty of the Island, accommodating 10 guests, located in a subtropical hideaway close to Neds Beach. Orientation tour with your hosts on arrival.

E: stay@ebbtide-lhi.com.au P: 02 6563 2023

www.ebbtide-lhi.com.au

The accommodation units are nestled in subtropical palm groves alive with splashes of colour from Hawaiian hibiscus and fragrant frangipani flowers. The grounds are well planned, with tracks meandering through the palms and gardens, giving a sense of seclusion and tropical mystery.

Somerset Apartments is the ideal Lord Howe accommodation location for visitors wanting to explore and discover the natural attractions that have made Lord Howe Island famous

Mention Australian country magazine to receive a 10% discount on all direct bookings only.

P (02) 6563 2061 F (02) 6563 2110 reservations@somersetlordhowe.com.au www.somersetlordhowe.com.au Neds Beach Road Lord Howe Island NSW 2898

Leanda Lei Apartments Lord Howe Island

Centrally located off Middle Beach Road our family owned and operated accommodation is the ideal location to enjoy the island. The main grocery store is across the road; Visitor Information Centre, cafe/restaurant and Museum are 150m away; Lagoon Beach and Middle Beach are both 200m away; most other restaurants are within easy walking distance.

We offer accommodation to suit all visitors – Superior Studio Apartments (king or twin beds), One Bedroom Apartments (king or twin beds) and Two Bedroom Apartments (queen and single beds, or queen and king bed).

All apartments have kitchens and private veranda or balcony.

We have a large meeting room, swap library, free phone for local calls, roaming Wi Fi (credit charge direct to provider applies) Set amid spacious lawns and gardens with BBQ areas for your outdoor dining.

Cars (advisable to pre book) and push bikes available for hire on the premises.

Complimentary airport transfers and transport to restaurants of an evening are provided.

Guests at Leanda Lei have priority booking with Marine Adventures Tours (www.marineadventures.com.au) for North Bay Turtle and Nature Tours and Snorkelling Tours

For All Inclusive Package (airfare, accommodation, most meals and a tour each day) contact holidays@oxleytravel.com.au For further information visit www.leandalei.com.au or phone 02 65632195

We look forward to welcoming you to Leanda Lei.

Waimarie have two, one bedroom apartments, with magnificent views of the mountains, lagoon and ocean. Our apartments are spacious, comfortable and quiet. King beds with French linen sheets complimentary sparkling wine and wifi and other extras add to the value .

02 6563 2304 bookings@waimarielordhoweisland.com.au waimarielordhoweisland.com.au

HERITAGE ORDERS

Set in

stone Six generations of the Richardson family have called a cluster of bluestone buildings on Gorrinn station in south-western Victoria home.

By Kirst y McKenzi e, photogr aphy Ken Br as s

A respect for history and tradition runs deep in the veins of Rob (aka Richo) and Jill Richardson.

Their children, Georgia, aged 14, Claudia, 12, Millie, 10, and Jack, eight, are the sixth generation of the family to have lived at Gorrinn station, just south of Ararat on the old Cobb & Co road to Geelong. Their ancestor, Robert Richardson, arrived at Geelong in the 1850s on the Hooghly, a former convict ship, and took up the property he named Goorinn shortly after.

With Robert’s encouragement for his new life as a “half gentleman, half farmer”, his brother, James, and two sisters also left their home at Restalrig in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh to join him in the colony. Throughout the 1850s and ’60s, they set about constructing a cluster of bluestone buildings on the holding, which at its peak covered 23,000 acres (9307 hectares) of prime freehold and leasehold grazing land.

“They basically used whatever materials were to hand,” Jill explains. “That was basalt and timber. There’s enough stone under the ground to build a whole village, so fortunately they were able to build to last.” Until recently, the main homestead was the residence of Rob’s parents, Jane and John, but they have recently moved into town to live. There’s an old schoolhouse in their front yard and a cluster of sheds in various states of repair between that house and the former overseer’s cottage where Jill, Rob and the children live.

“The cottage has been added onto so much over the years that it’s hard to believe the original four rooms were what is now our living and dining room,” 36

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Clockwise from opposite: The historic outbuildings include the slab schoolhouse; the main homestead is surrounded by prolific gardens; Jill, Rob with (from left) Claudia, Jack, Millie and Georgia at the property’s double-storeyed bluestone shearing shed.

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HERITAGE ORDERS

Throughout the 1850s and ’60s, they set about constructing a cluster of bluestone buildings on the holding, which at its peak covered 23,000 acres (9307 hectares) of prime freehold and leasehold grazing land.

A disused meat house, rusty tank stand and a corrugated-iron shed are among many buildings on the list for restoration.

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HERITAGE ORDERS

HERITAGE ORDERS

Jill explains. “The kitchen would have been detached in those days as the risk of fire was always high. It was originally the station store. But our kitchen is now in one of the verandahs, so it’s all a bit of a patchwork.”

The splendid clerestoried woolshed is another remarkable bluestone building, added in 1867 and believed to be one of the oldest stone shearing sheds in the state. The weatherboard quarters with their twin fireplaces are nearby. As both buildings are no longer in use, Jill admits she harbours notions of one day turning them into a small conference and function centre with guest accommodation.

The name Gorrinn is believed to be a derivation of Langi Ghiran, the name of a landmark local mountain that in the Aboriginal Djab Wurrung language means the land of the black cockatoo. Having moved there from her childhood home on a sheep station in central-western Queensland when she married Rob in 1999, Jill considers herself a relative newcomer. She met Rob when he came to her parents’ property as a student trainee from the Longreach Pastoral College. “It was too late by the time I discovered he was from Victoria,” she says. “When he graduated from the college, he went jackarooing for a while, then

Clockwise from right: The Richardson family all enjoy horse riding; the girls head out; shadow play on iron; the clerestory is an unsual shearing shed feature; a gift from a medical family friend.

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The name Gorrinn is believed to be a derivation of Langi Ghiran, the name of a landmark local mountain that in the Aboriginal Djab Wurrung language means the land of the black cockatoo.

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HERITAGE ORDERS Jill says she dreams of one day turning the shearers’ quarters into accommodation for a function centre in the nearby shearing shed.

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HERITAGE ORDERS

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worked for my dad at our Aramac property. But we came back to Gorrinn when we married and, although I miss my Queensland roots, it has been a wonderful move for us. Jack and Millie are really lucky to go to the Maroona Primary School, which has just 32 students. Claudia is at Marian College in Ararat and this year Georgia has started boarding at Ballarat Grammar.”

Jill credits her mother’s influence for her passion for painting. With three sisters, she recalls a big table that was always covered with art, craft and sewing in various stages of completion. “I was fortunate as a teenager to attend Arts West workshops that toured the remote parts,” she recalls.

“Very early on, I was tutored by Trevor Weekes and he encouraged me on my path. Then I was able to study art when I went to boarding school. I’ve always been drawn to animal studies and one of my major works in year 12 was a study of the backs of horses.”

Jill has stepped up her passion for paint and is now represented at several local galleries and accepts commissions for her large-scale animal portraits. In a bid to make her work accessible to all markets, she has recently started a series of limited-edition prints on rag

Clockwise from right: Jill with animal portraits in her small home studio; one of her favourite horses captured on canvas; the huge living and dining area was once the original four-roomed cottage.

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“I’ve always been drawn to animal studies and one of my major works in year 12 was a study of the backs of horses.”

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HERITAGE ORDERS

paper and smaller prints on archival paper. Given that she practically grew up in the saddle, horses have always figured in her oeuvre, though she also paints birds, cattle, dogs and sheep.

The children have inherited her love of all things equestrian and ride competitively and for pleasure. “We got them ponies initially because I wanted them to be able to ride when we visited my sister who still lives in outback Queensland,’’ Jill says. ‘‘But they have chosen to take it to the next level and found their own adventures in competition. I’m grateful that they are able to enjoy the privileges and freedoms of country life.”

She hastens to add that she and Rob want the children to find their own ways in life, and never to feel obligated to stay on farm. “I love tradition as much as the next person,” she says. “But we don’t want the kids to feel under any pressure to take over from us. I feel as though we are the caretakers of this place for the next custodian and that has to be someone who wants to be here rather than feels they have to be here.”

For more information about Jill’s work, visit jillbarberrichardson.com.

Right: An equine theme for a bedroom in the horse-mad household.

Below (from left to right): Claudia, Millie, Jack and Georgia are the sixth generation of Richardsons to have called Gorrinn station home.

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Hidden Depths An Adelaide Hills couple has turned a working man’s house and garden into a showpiece.

By Kirst y McKenzi e, photogr aphy Ros s Willi a ms, st yling Br ont e Ca milleri

Indoors & Out

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Indoors & Out

Clockwise from below: Strawberries growing in a grape dip tin; John and Robyn are the eighth owners of Clear View; outdoor dining on the deck; a green canopy for a garden storage shed.

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When Robyn and John Oliver bought Clear View in the Adelaide Hills, they became not just the eighth family to own the property, but also the custodians of a century-long tradition of owners who were not afraid to get their hands dirty.

The Olivers bought the three-quarter-acre block with its main residence and guest cottage in 2010 after only one inspection. “I’d surreptitiously been looking for a few years for a place in the Hills,” Robyn explains. “I found it on the net on Easter Monday; we inspected that day and by the Friday we’d bought it. I must admit, there was a bit of a feeling of ‘what have we done’ but we moved in by June and then the work began.”

Although she says the block had been maintained

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through the years and always had a productive garden, the house, cottage, which is now a self-catering B&B, and grounds have been a work in progress ever since.

Clear View was named for its views towards Mounts George and Lofty when the block was first bought in 1913. The sale was registered in the name of 14-year-old Florence Nielsen, the daughter of Mylor blockers, as the early settlers in the Adelaide Hills were known.

They were part of a government-sponsored scheme to develop the Hills and the Nielsen family and their eight children would have lived in a tent while they cleared their land and built their home.

“We don’t really know how a minor came to own the land or even how she gained the necessary £50,” Robyn

Indoors & Out says. “It has been suggested that registering land in a woman’s name was a means of avoiding death duties, so that may be the case. However, Florence must have been financially savvy because she went on to purchase multiple Adelaide properties in her name.”

The Nielsens built the original two-bedroom cottage, which forms the core of the main house, sometime between 1913 and 1920. “The walls were made from stone excavated on the land and are 30 centimetres thick in parts,” Robyn says. “As was the norm in simple structures of the time, the doorways are quite low and the chimney breasts are a little crooked … we forgive them because all the stone was excavated and constructed by hand.”

When Florence married in 1926, Clear View was sold

to Elizabeth and Edgar Wallace. A builder by trade, who moonlighted as the station master at Aldgate railway station, Edgar expanded the house to accommodate their three children. As well as several rooms, he added a verandah that became three small flats rented as temporary accommodation to people building their own homes in the district. The Wallaces also added a cottage and an outdoor amenities block for their tenants. They also marked the driveway entrance with two distinctive plinth-like pillars that still greet visitors today. Clear View remained in the Wallace family until 1971 when it was sold to opal miners from Coober Pedy. It then moved through a succession of owners, who all left their marks, including one who commissioned an extensive

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Clockwise from below: Ceramic fish in a water feature; the Olivers have made use of on-site stone; they extended the living space with folding doors opening to the outdoors; a decorative gate at the bottom of the garden overlooks the neighbours’ land.

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renovation by Adelaide architect Pauline Hurren in 1994.

“The early owners were very much working people, so the garden needed to be productive to feed them,” Robyn explains. “This explains the lack of exotic specimens that you see in many of the grander Hills estate gardens. But we have inherited a lemon tree, which is more than 40 years old and still producing.” There are a Douglas fir in the back lawned area that looks impressive when lit at Christmas and a sycamore at the front that shades the house beautifully in summer. Among the many changes the Olivers have made to the garden is a Japanese maple they planted when members of three previous owner families, including centenarian Dorothy Wallace, came for morning tea. Amid the fascinating snippets of history Dorothy was able to share was the fact that she met her husband when he came to board at Clear View as part of the overflow of soldiers from Woodside Barracks during

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World War II. Billeting soldiers was a popular trend during war time as the boarders came with ration books that could be used to supplement the family’s table.

“We’re interlopers from the east so it was a great opportunity to learn about the place’s history,” Robyn explains. “John had a long career with the Commonwealth Bank, and in 1998 we moved from Newcastle in NSW for his work. We rented in Adelaide for a while to test the waters, but after a couple of years we put it to a family vote and the decision was clear to stay in South Australia. So we bought a house in Adelaide and well and truly put down roots here. When the children grew up and moved out, it seemed a good time for a tree change.”

Their first task at Clear View was to install rainwater tanks for both irrigation and bush fire protection and Robyn says the disruption prompted them to start work on the grounds. While the garden had been well tended,

Indoors & Out the Olivers saw this as an opportunity to expand the garden and they have developed it in stages, working around immoveable obstacles such as trees and large rocks and to suit the slope of the site. As they moved down the hill, they laid paths that zigzag across the steep parts, and built up beds in between.

At the same time, they extended the main house, all the while mindful of the humble origins of the building.

“The work was challenging,” Robyn says. “Many of the walls were not straight or square and the floors and ceilings weren’t level. Some are still not.”

In 2015, Robyn and John embarked on a major renovation of the cottage, and it is now a self-catering B&B for two guests. “I retired about five years ago, so the B&B is my baby,” Robyn explains. “It works well as it is quite separate from the house and the guests often only see us when they arrive and leave. John is still working as the CEO

of a finance company so it’s a good diversion for me.”

That’s when she’s not working in the garden. Even on the mid-winter day when Robyn talked with Australian Country, she was itching to get outdoors. “I love the progression of the seasons in the Hills,” she says. “It’s not so pronounced on the plains. Right now the trees are all bare and it’s misty, but it’s still beckoning me to get out there into it. Spring is my other favourite time. You look out and the trees are in bud and the bulbs are popping up.”

Robyn hastens to add that the garden has not been without its challenges. To start with, the site is steep enough for a wheelbarrow to occasionally get away. Also, there are copious floating rocks ranging from the size of a fist to that of an Esky lurking beneath the surface. The Olivers determined early on to work with what they had rather than fight it and have incorporated the rocks into walls or ledges. “My best friends are a two-metre-

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Indoors & Out

This page: The Olivers have been careful to keep the humble character of the original house.

For more details on the self-contained B&B, visit website 102onstrath.com.au.

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long spud bar, a kind of a crowbar, and a long, heavy-duty spade that my dad, who is off the land, made me,” Robyn says. “I’m never going to become a hand model as my fingernails are constantly ruined from all the digging.”

While the Olivers say the garden will always be a work in progress, they now feel the back of the work has been broken and last year they were encouraged to open it for Open Gardens of SA. “I was amazed that 500-plus people came through during the weekend,” Robyn says. “We might open it again in a couple of years time so people can see the progress.”

An unexpected bonus of their work has been the return of many birds to the garden. “It’s also exciting when random plants that were planted by previous

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owners pop up,” Robyn says. “Last year, a whole patch of fairy’s fishing rods appeared. I certainly didn’t plant them so they must have been dormant for at least eight years. Nature is amazing with its hidden depths. Just when you think you know the place something will take you by surprise.”

She adds that when they look back on Clear View’s history, the common thread is a succession of owners who were not afraid to roll up their sleeves and do what they could to improve the property. “However, I am very grateful to have come along at this time,” Robyn says. “At least we have the benefit of air conditioning, combustion fires and hot and cold running water at the end of a hard day in the garden.”

CRISTINAREDESIGN |

CRISTINAREDESIGN |

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LIVING THE DREAM

Debbie’s place under the Tuscan sun is Villa Reniella not far from the hill town of Montefollonico.

Under the Tuscan sun after an onerous five-year restoration, An international design star opens the doors of her ancient villa on the edge of a tiny Tuscan village.

By Ta mar a Simone au, photogr a phy George Ros s, Max Ros enst ein & Marcus Wils on S mith

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LIVING THE DREAM

Clockwise from right: Debbie finds gelato a good antidote to the Tuscan heat; an outdoor room with a view; an infinity view of the countryside; Villa Reniella began life in the 13th century as a lookout tower.

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Almost every wanderluster dreams of one day signing the title of a centuries-old, broken-down villa ripe for restoration in some blissfully forgotten corner of Europe. Savings accounts can rarely keep pace with imaginations run wild and daydreams of long, lazy summers spent tending olive groves and sharing vino alongside the locals.

It’s fodder for countless books and movies for a very good reason. Arguably, the most enduring in the genre was penned by Frances Mayes, who documented her own blissful sojourn in Under the Tuscan Sun and became a bestselling success story in the process.

Frances Mayes’ sun-kissed tale tugged relentlessly at the heartstrings of Debbie Travis, a London-born TV star who has found her own international success fronting and producing dozens of home makeover television series and running her homewares empire. “Frances Mayes was the main inspiration towards my love of everything Italian,” Debbie says. “I must have read her book a billion times, and sobbed through the movie of the same name on many a Sunday afternoon.” Debbie and her TV director husband, Hans, began hopping across the pond from their home in Montreal, Canada, for holidays in Italy. They savoured the wine, sampled the food, and indulged their fantasy of one day owning a patch of terra Italia themselves.

“Frances Mayes was the main inspiration towards my love of everything Italian. I must have read her book a billion times, and sobbed through the movie of the same name on many a Sunday afternoon.�

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LIVING THE DREAM

“At first, we were literally putting pins in a map,” Debbie says of their quest. “We went to Sicily, Puglia, which is the heel of Italy, and to the north, but we kept getting drawn back to the beauty of Tuscany. We started by renting houses in all these areas with our family and friends.

While there we would explore houses that were for sale.

We saw old monasteries, convents, castles and farms.

Some were too big, too small, or in the wrong location.”

Ten years later, they found their sweet spot in the countryside near the medieval village of Montefollonico, a tiny Renaissance hill town 110 kilometres south of Florence. The streets are cobbled with centuries-old stone, and the villagers have been there for generations.

“There is an 80-year-old in the village named Carlo, who moved here from Rome when he was eight,” Debbie says.

“He is known as the new boy. What I love most about the little village is the friendship and the simple way of life. The villagers look out for each other. Often at 6pm, you will see teenagers bringing their grannies to the cafe so they can play cards with their friends and have an aperitivo. It is a unity and there is so much we can all learn from village life in Europe.”

With the location locked, Debbie and Hans turned their attention to finding a home. “Our property began life as a lookout tower that protected the village,” Debbie explains. “It was built during the early part of the 13th century. I actually hated the house when I first saw it. My husband had been a few months before and loved

These pages: During the restoration of the villa, Debbie and Hans were mindful of keeping the original features of the farm buildings. These include the huge brick arches of what were originally the ground-level stables.

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it. It was pouring with rain when I arrived and the place looked sad and derelict, but when the sun came out the view was astounding, breathtaking.”

It was that view, and their love for the area, that motivated the mammoth task ahead. “The tower was probably abandoned through the centuries and then around the 16th century became a very poor man’s farm,” Debbie says. “As is typical in the area, it was added onto with stones from the land around. You can see clearly how the farm grew and the main villa got larger. The animals were in the stables with huge brick arches on the ground floor — this is now the living room. The people lived upstairs on the next two floors because the heat of the animals kept them warm.

“There are strict building laws in Tuscany and we are on the edge of a UNESCO Heritage site, so it’s super hard to make changes. You can build on the footprints of old buildings but you are not allowed to just put up any new buildings. We had pigsties and a barn that were tumbled down but this allowed us to have the three separate buildings we have now, which are divided up by paved and planted courtyards.”

The renovation took five years, countless flights to and fro, and a steely dedication to achieving what they’d set out to do. “It was difficult because my Italian language skills are terrible,” Debbie says. “Hans is now fluent, but he was not there much of the time and I had to rely on gestures.

The workmen — all 80 of them — were superbly skilled tradespeople who really care about making you happy and getting thing just right.”

These pages: The renovation took five years and countless flights between Canada and Italy, but finally Debbie was able to bring her trademark decorating skills to the interiors for her very own home makeover.

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LIVING THE DREAM

With construction in full swing, Debbie began the next step of finding fixtures befitting their revived piece of history. “I visited all the trade shows in Italy and got the latest in modern lighting, bathroom fixtures and beautiful linens,” she says. “The floors are all massive slabs of old stone that had originally been in a palazzo in southern Italy.” Rustic antiques were sourced from local markets and each room has been expertly and thoughtfully put together. The farm is also thriving once more. “We have about 1500 olive trees that produce about 2000 litres of organic, extra-virgin olive oil, a vineyard that produces about 1500 bottles of wine that is really quite good and a lavender field, from which we produce soap made from our olive oil and lavender, as well as body and essential oils,” Debbie, who now invites guests to enjoy the spoils of their hard work, says. “We felt so good when we were here, with the food, the air and the way of life, that I decided to share it with others, mostly like-minded women who need a break from family and work. The Tuscan Getaway weeks are all-inclusive so the guests can really relax and don’t have to worry about supermarkets, making dinner, and homework etcetera.”

It’s five star all the way, even for the host, who now counts fellow famous expat, Frances Mayes, as a friend.

“We love to have a little limoncello together, either in the main piazza or at one of our homes where we drink our own home-made limoncello,” Debbie says. “I pinch myself every day.”

For more information on a stay at Villa Reniella visit tuscangetaway.com or follow Debbie Travis on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

This page: Now that works are complete, Debbie and Hans welcome guests to the villa and its outbuildings.

The creative couple has created 14 suites in the main residence, remodelled barn and even a former pigsty.

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With over twenty seven years in the business, this family run company prides itself on the personalised and friendly service it offers and

on the quality of its product.

Clients can choose from a huge selection of baths and basins, some dating back to the 19th Century, including the rare and unusual.

Antique Baths have a wide range of clientele, ranging from families with small children that love to have toys while bathing, to celebrities and professional people, from Sydney to Perth, Darwin to Melbourne, and everywhere in between.

The art of living Art, food and flowers collide in a joyous celebration of the finer things in life at Burnside in the central Victorian goldfields.

By Ki rst y McKenzi e, photogr a phy Ken Br a s s

“I didn’t do it for you,” artist Criss Canning candidly admits as she ushers us into the kitchen at Burnside, the home she shares with her nurseryman husband, David Glenn, in the central Victorian goldfields. Indeed the display that greets us resembles one of her celebrated still lifes, with vases filled with flowers, platters and bowls laden with fruit and jars and bottles meticulously lined up on the shelves. “David brings me flowers every day,” she adds. “They are so beautiful it would be unthinkable not to make the most of them.”

Criss and David inherited the bluestone homestead with a 40-acre (16-hectare) property they bought at Avoca in 1991. It took the best part of a year to relocate David’s Lambley Nursery from the Dandenong Ranges to central Victoria, and the house was run down and needed major renovation work to make it habitable. The house and garden have been works in progress almost continuously ever since, though Criss is at pains to point out that neither of them makes much distinction between work and leisure.

Regular readers may recall we profiled David’s garden and Criss’s art in the May 2016 edition of Australian Country.

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Most days David is up at dawn, overseeing watering, planting and the countless tasks involved in running the nursery that ships seeds and plants all over Australia.

As well, he looks after the gardens that serve as display pieces for both dry-climate gardening and experimental beds for determining the best vegetable seed varieties for everything from yield and looks to flavour. Meanwhile, Criss spends at least eight hours a day working in her studio. She is represented by Sotheby’s Australia and her next exhibition will be at its new HQ in Collins Street,

Clockwise from opposite: A riot of colour and inspiration in the garden; manicured mounds; a warble of magpies; crabapples frame a view of the Burnside homestead.

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

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ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Melbourne in November this year. A veteran of 26 solo exhibitions and with four books to her credit, Criss is also represented in the permanent holdings of the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW, the Art Gallery of Ballarat, the Cairns Art Gallery and Melbourne’s Artbank, as well as private collections of art lovers from all round the world.

The land around present-day Ballarat had been managed by the traditional owners for many thousands of years before white settlement. As one of the first Europeans in the region in 1836, explorer and surveyor Major Thomas Mitchell’s reports of the good soil and pastures in the region had droves of squatters following in his footsteps. Among them was Captain Coghill who had come down from Braidwood in NSW and took up a vast swathe of land which includes the present-day Burnside. “The discovery of gold at Clunes in 1851 brought about the second invasion, this time of miners,” David explains. “With the discovery a lot of squatters had their leases terminated but were granted a pre-emptive right to one square mile. This right meant that ownership extended to the centre of the earth. We only have 40 68

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acres [16 hectares] here, but the historic right continues so technically we own to middle earth.”

By pure coincidence, in the 1840s, Criss’s great-greatgrandfather also lived in the region and worked for another famous local settler, Captain Hepburn. “My mother had access to a diary which noted that he rode over on horseback to do some work for Captain Coghill,” she recalls. “My paternal great-great-great-grandparents owned a farm in Ascot during the mid-1800s. I didn’t know about this connection when my father died, but when we placed his ashes under a sculpture in the garden it felt right. Without knowing it, I’d brought him home.”

The property was subsequently bought in 1853 by John Lester, who later became the district’s shire president.

“The first house was probably a cannibalisation of Coghill’s timber cottage,” David explains. “But in the 1860s, the Lesters started work on the present homestead with bluestone quarried on the property and bricks made on site. A travelling brick maker came up from Bacchus Marsh for the works.”

As befitted a well-connected gentlemen of the time, John Lester set to work on the garden. In this task

Clockwise from opposite: The gardens are a combination of nursery display and experimental plantings; Criss and David take a break; early autumn colour; the house and its many outbuildings date from the mid-19th century.

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

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he was inadvertently helped by the Victorian government botanist and first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Baron von Mueller, who also designed the Ballarat Botanic Gardens. David says two towering trees, a Sequoiadendron giganteum and a Pinus nigra, probably came from von Mueller’s seed collection, intended for the many public gardens he helped build. Sons of John Lester moved on to Gippsland more than 100 years ago and that line still farms there today. The Lesters who kept Burnside ran out of heirs and when they retired, the farm was sold to a descendant of Coghill.

Criss recalls the Burnside they inherited had parts of the ceiling falling in and leaking windows “There were rats in the cellar and possums in the roof and, believe me, it’s taken a lot of work to get to what you see today,’’ she says. ‘‘But that only makes us appreciate it more. It is just wonderful to be here.”

The garden, too, presented many challenges, as David points out that it had been continually grazed from the 1830s and the soil was seriously compacted. “Basically we started with 20 acres [eight hectares] of weeds,” David says.

“But gradually we’ve chipped away at it and now I can pick flowers for Criss in all but the two mid-winter months. We 70

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arrived to drought, which persisted for almost 15 years.

And then when it finally broke, vast areas and thousands of dollars worth of mulch were washed away by floods. But that’s part and parcel of living in rural Australia. We do go from one extreme to another.”

These days, however, the vegie garden, where David trials seed varieties, and the orchard produce more fruit and veg than they can ever hope to eat. The larder is full of bottled surplus, including David’s legendary marmalade, jams, chutneys, passata, pasta sauce and pickles, and they give loads of fresh produce away.

These pages: From David's daily offerings of flowers and displays of her own and many friends’ artworks to carefully arranged props, every room provides inspiration for Criss’s work.

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

“I scour antique shops and flea markets. When I see something perfect I can usually envisage the painting I’m about to do.”

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ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Criss’s career has been similarly punctuated with feasts and famines. As she recalls her childhood, when she wasn’t drawing, she was dancing, attending up to seven classes a week. As a school leaver, she started work designing embroidery for women’s clothing at the height of the kaftan era. “My boss used to go to painting classes and when he saw my folio, he encouraged me to do likewise and introduced me to Max Middleton,” Criss recalls. “I started going to painting classes two nights a week and I knew that I had found what I was meant to be doing. Much to my family’s horror, I abandoned the notion of a career in dance. Frankly, I didn’t think I was tough enough to be a dancer. As an artist, at least you have the privacy of your studio to make errors. As a dancer, you have to do it in front of an audience.”

Criss married young but the marriage didn’t last. “I found myself as a young single mother with two babies to feed,” she recalls. “Times were tough, but I managed to buy a little house and even take the children to Greece for a year, which was also an opportunity to visit the galleries of Europe. Simple acts of kindness got me through and many people who encouraged my work along the way.”

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She had her first exhibition at 32 and met David when she visited the nursery to get flowers to paint. “He is my rock,” she says. “He encourages me to be strong and to stay true to my vision. Spending day after day in the studio is a very solitary existence and travel is my antidote to that.

Every time I go overseas, my work takes a leap.”

So too does her collection of props. The studio is filled with a vast assortment of vases and vessels, fabrics and other artefacts that inevitably find their way into her works. “I scour antique shops and flea markets,” Criss says. “When I see something perfect, I can usually envisage the painting I’ll do. On a recent trip to Austria, I posted home about 40 vases in bubble wrap. They all made it undamaged and I’ve already used many of them.”

Criss adds that, having overcome a health crisis, she has no intention of slowing down. “I count my blessings daily,” she says. “I have my soulmate by my side and I feel that I am just hitting my stride in my 70s. Art is not a career choice for stability, but I have reached a stage where I am comfortable with that. The adventure continues.”

Criss’s next exhibition will run from Nov 19 to Dec 18 at Sotheby’s, 14-16 Collins St, Melbourne.

Clockwise from above: A bedroom with a view to the garden; monochromatic magic in the bathroom; Criss’s studio is a joyous display of props and works in progress.

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TRAVELLER’S TALE

Kastl lies hidden in wooded hills in Lower Bavaria.

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TRAVELLER’S TALE

Heavenly ferment You don’t have to be religious to enjoy the spiritual and secular pleasures of Lower Bavaria’s monasteries.

Story & photogr a phy by D on Fuchs

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Clockwise from above: Arched entry to Kastl’s monastery; streetscape in central Kastl; the Bogenberg church is a pilgrimage site; view of the Lower Bavarian plains across the Danube.

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Princess Anna, just over a year old, died on a cold January day, struck down by a sudden illness in the darkness of winter. The year of the tragic event was 1319. And yet, despite the many centuries gone by, the unfortunate child is still with us. To see her, I enter a vestibule cloaked in darkness. With my first gingerly steps, lights come on, triggered by a movement detector, revealing a small hall with an arched vault held up by a central pillar. Then another light switches on, in a vitrine built into an old ornate cabinet. It discloses a gruesome sight: the mottled, mummified body of a small child. Its legs are crossed like Christ on the cross, a simple white cloth is draped over the genitals. The fingernails are clearly visible. The head looks too big for the shrunken body, the mouth is slightly agape. Meet Princess Anna, daughter of Emperor Louis IV. Her last, and rather public, resting place is the vestibule of the church at the Kastl Abbey. The

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majestic monastery sits on top of a steep hill, high above the picturesque village of Kastl and the small Lauterach River.

This encounter struck me as an appropriate introduction into a weird and wonderful world of monasteries and churches in a rarely visited part of Germany. Kastl lies in Lower Bavaria, hidden in wooded hills. Lower Bavaria is one of the seven administrative regions of the German state of Bavaria. Its geographical position is in the very east of the state, bordering the Czech Republic. The area trails behind the rest of Bavaria economically and is considered to be the most conservative part not only of Bavaria but of the whole of Germany. Changes don’t come easily in this part of the world. Tradition and religion define Lower Bavaria and it doesn’t come as a surprise that it has a very rich sacred heritage.

It is July, the height of summer, when I embark on a journey into a spiritual and sometimes not-so-spiritual world. Dotted throughout Lower Bavaria’s peaceful rural scenery, now lush and heavy with yield, are amazing

TRAVELLER’S TALE

The view extends over the lowlands, a mosaic of golden and green fields. Infinity is obscured by haze at the end of another glorious day.

examples of monasteries and churches, which are cultural and architectural monuments full of artistic masterpieces as much as they are places of worship. It is important to realise that many of the monasteries are no longer in the hands of nuns and monks. During the secularisation of 1802/1803, monastic lands and buildings were seized by the state or sold. Bavaria became a secular state and many monasteries, although still referred to as such, nowadays house schools, organisations, sometimes businesses or even luxurious holiday accommodation.

Its churches now serve as parish churches. But don’t be fooled: despite the secularisation, the Catholic Church is still powerful and plays an essential part in Bavaria’s society.

Showpieces of this power are the often magnificent churches. Some are the destinations of devout pilgrims, some are on the tourist trail and attract crowds as big as Bavaria’s famous castles, while others are hidden jewels rarely visited. Together with the monasteries, they offer the best way into the very soul of this rural province.

I soon discover that there is an aspect to Bavarian

monasteries that enhances the experience beyond the spiritual, beyond just savouring the architectural and artistic wonders of its churches.

I’m near the top of a landmark hill crowned by a prominent church, the 432-metre-high Bogenberg. From here, the view extends over the lowlands, a mosaic of golden and green fields. Infinity is obscured by summer haze at the end of another glorious day. Somewhere out there, hidden in the pastel opacity, is the historic town of Straubing. Deep below flows the Danube, framed by a thin strip of trees on either side. Barges and river boats slowly cruise by and it feels as if time has slowed down. I have a front-row seat for this peaceful panorama — under the shade of a chestnut tree in a beer garden that belongs to a gasthaus aptly called Zur Schönen Aussicht (beautiful view). In front of me is a half-litre glass of golden cold beer and the menu promises tasty Bavarian specialties. A couple of minutes walk from this peaceful culinary and entirely secular enclave is the church. It sits in a commanding position on the highest point. Famous australiancountry.net.au

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Clockwise from above: Windberg Abbey; beer garden at Bogenberg; splendid interior of the Windberg Abbey; the Weltenburg monastery is resplendent in pink.

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as the Sanctuary of the Assumption, it is considered the oldest pilgrimage church in Bavaria and the Bogenberg itself is often called the Holy Mountain of Lower Bavaria.

After devouring a spicy goulash soup in the beer garden I arrive just in time for the end of a mass celebrating the beginning of the summer break for Bavarian schools. The church empties and parents with their children in tow flock down to the beer garden. I have the church to myself. Then suddenly the organ starts, launching into a soaring piece. I can feel that the organist thinks he is alone and, without pressure, lets go. It is powerful, mesmerising. A young local couple on their evening walk saunter in, stay a while, listening, then head out again, most likely joining the others in the beer garden. Their brief visit to the church feels totally natural because the church is part of everyday life here.

Churches in this part of the world are much more than a place to worship on Sundays.

It is not a coincidence that an inn with a beer garden is close to the church. There is a symbiosis between

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those secular and divine institutions. Many monasteries have a so-called klosterwirtschaft, inns or taverns within their walls, and some even brew their own beer. Lifestyle and religion are still deeply interwoven here in Lower Bavaria. Those who come and worship don’t have to go hungry and thirsty. Maybe the earthly pleasures offered by the inns and beer gardens give an extra incentive for reluctant worshippers?

In the hills opposite Bogenberg, just a few kilometres as the crow flies, is the village of Windberg with the monastery of the same name. I find a cosy, well appointed room in one of the guesthouses there for €25 a night and an extra €2.50 for a complete breakfast with sliced meat, a soft-boiled egg, cheese, a selection of bread rolls, jam and butter and a pot of coffee. Being a little off the beaten tourist track has its advantages. Part of the village is a large monastic complex. Restored in the years between 1995 and 2005, most buildings surrounding the church are now in private hands. At the centre of the complex is the church, a three-aisled basilica with transept and its monumental

TRAVELLER’S TALE

main portal. The origins of the church go back to the 12th century. The impressive baroque high altar, however, was built between 1735 to 1740.

After a stroll through the complex, I follow one of the suggestions of my landlord and walk along a small farm road up the hill to the pilgrimage church of the St Cross at Kreuzberg. Tremendous views open up along the way.

Below me is the village of Windberg, dominated by the church steeple. Across a broad valley rises Bogenberg.

I’m surrounded by fields and paddocks and further up the forest starts. There is an understated beauty here, entwined with history, a quiet cultural landscape that invites contemplation, meditation.

The contrast to this idyllic hidden corner around Windberg couldn’t be bigger when I arrive at the famous Benedictine abbey of Weltenburg. The car park, liable to charges, is full. In the bus section rows of transporters line up. The short walk from the car park to the monastery is crowded with tourists. There is, however, another quieter approach to the abbey. From the village of Weltenburg,

I follow a small farm road up to the Frauenberg, a hill high above the Danube. Framed by forest and freshly cut meadows, the walk passes the stone foundation of a Roman fort before descending towards the river. The afternoon sun is still powerful and there is a heady scent of freshly cut grass and pine in the air. You can count the number of people here on one hand. The abbey is still hidden but a chapel on the fringe of the forest announces it. Then the red roofs of the buildings become visible through the trees and the cacophony of many voices drifts up. After a steep descent over stone steps, I enter the grounds and dive into a maelstrom of people. The beer garden is packed, tour guides herd their customers towards the main church. The crowd is international as the abbey features prominently as an outing for river cruisers on the Danube. ‘‘No-photography’’ signs, largely ignored by owners of smartphones, are further examples of the restrictions that come with sometimes overwhelming popularity. There are good reasons for its popularity, however. The Benedictine abbey of Weltenburg is australiancountry.net.au

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Clockwise from above: Outdoor dining in Weltenburg; the monastery is the oldest in Bavaria and dates from 600 AD; limestone cliffs above the Danube; interior of the Aldersbach Abbey; the woodcarving of Jonah and the Whale.

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the oldest monastery in Bavaria and was founded around 600 AD. The abbey is built on the inner side of a river bend, backed by steep forested hills. Just a few minutes walk downriver is the entrance to the scenic Danube gorge with its dramatic limestone cliffs that soar 80 metres above the river. The picturesque location, although within walking distance to the next village, has the feel of remoteness.

Then there is the famous baroque church, the main destination for many visitors, pilgrims, tourists, cultural connoisseurs alike. Built by the architect brothers Cosmas Damian Asam and Aegid Quirin Asam, the church is aweinspiring even if you are an atheist. But the real highlight, if you take the bustling beer garden within the abbey’s walls to substantiate the assumption, is beer. The monks here have been at it for a very long time as the Klosterbrauerei Weltenburger is considered the oldest brewery in the world, going back to the year 1050. The clear, cold water the monks use for their famous brew comes from an 80-metre-deep well under the brewery.

The restless, noisy masses, however, give this

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extraordinary place a slight Disney feel and trigger my ight instincts. I ask to get ferried across the river in one of the many zillen, small traditional boats used on the Danube. On the other side walking trails head into a different world, that of cool beech forests and lofty lookouts from limestone clifftops. The drone of noisy sightseers is replaced by birdsong.

Weltenburg is not the only monastery where I encounter big crowds. The day of my visit, a parking spot in the vicinity of Aldersbach Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery, is hard to come by. Rangers are on the prowl in the streets, ready to slap a ticket under your windscreen wipers if you dare to disobey the signs. The reason for this rush, however, is not one of tourism fame. As far as famous monasteries in Lower Bavaria go, Aldersbach is one of the more obscure ones. Founded in 1127, the buildings were sold during the secularisation in 1803 and the abbey church was converted into a parish church. The reason for the crowds is a country fair displaying local products and businesses. That the fair is located within

TRAVELLER’S TALE

the monastery grounds makes sense. One of the most prominent businesses in the area is situated right here: the Brauerei Aldersbach, a brewery going back to the year 1268. It would be a real shame, however — seduced by the pleasures of Bavarian lifestyle — to neglect a visit to the church. Look out for the extraordinary woodcarving of the Jonasfisch there, depicting a whale about to spit out the prophet Jonah.

With no crowds, no brewery (the one that existed there closed in 1991) and no tavern, the Biburg Abbey is as obscure as it gets. And yet the drive along confusing and winding country roads, through ripe golden cereal fields, forest enclaves and rolling hills, is worth it. It is one of the few destinations on this trip that are purely reserved for the connoisseur of all things sacred. The former convent of Benedictine in the sleepy village of Biburg contains a church that has remained virtually unchanged in its structural substance and integrity since its inauguration in 1140. It is one of the most important Romanesque monuments and one of the oldest surviving churches in

Bavaria. The contrast to the opulent baroque churches is stunning: the church Maria Immaculata at Biburg with its two plain steeples is almost austere, has clear lines and no frills. The impressive west portal goes back to the time of construction of the church with a consecration date of 1133. From the moment you see the portal the sense of age is overpowering. Built out of limestone and tufa and laid out in the form of a cross, the east-facing, three-nave pillar basilica, despite its simplicity, holds many fascinating details worth discovering. Medieval stone reliefs such as the one of Christ above the portal as well as symbolised depictions of some of the seven deadly sins are examples.

Biburg is an exception, however. Most other monasteries cater to both physical as well as spiritual needs. I therefore shift my focus to the more mundane but stay with the topic. Following a local recommendation, I head for the monastery in Waldersbach, a former abbey with a fascinating, essentially Romanesque church with a rococo tower. This time culinary pleasures come before cultural and spiritual ones. A visit to the church and the australiancountry.net.au

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TRAVELLER’S TALE

Clockwise from above: Ruins of Gnadenberg monastery; the Waldersbach monastery; Biburg Abbey from the river; poppies near Biburg; dumplings with wild mushrooms at Waldersbach.

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nearby monastery of Reichenbach can wait. The Gasthof Rückerl within the monastic buildings beckons the hungry traveller. A blackboard announces today’s specials with one dish very much to my liking: bread dumplings, a Bavarian staple, with wild mushrooms. July marks the beginning of the mushroom season in Lower Bavaria and the chance to taste fresh porcini and chanterelles is too tempting. Sitting on the terrace at the back of the building, I look down to the peaceful and rather romantic river Regen and a lush fruit and vegetable garden. It occurs to me that all the monasteries I visited during this journey were built at exceptionally beautiful locations. Some dominate the view from afar by sitting on top of prominent hills, some are built along Lower Bavaria’s pristine rivers.

Other are part of the fabric of medieval towns and cities.

There are many more monasteries in this part of Bavaria, as well as associated breweries and inns. It is a case of pick and choose, to restrict, simply to avoid a feeling of being churched-out. If you are in this part of the world, the impressive ruin of the church at the

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former monastery Gnadenberg is worth a visit. And if opulent baroque churches are your thing, Rohr Abbey has to be on the itinerary. The same applies to the abbeys of Frauenzell, Metten, Niederalteich, Plankstetten and Fürstenzell. Kloster Mallersdorf might attract you because of its small brewery, run by nuns. And at Sankt Salvator, you will find some very upmarket holiday accommodation within the ancient buildings of the monastery. Let me finish this journey into the rich world of Lower Bavaria by heading for the relative big smoke — the beautiful city of Regensburg. There are many reasons to visit this urban gem. One of them is definitely St Emmeram. Now owned by Bavarian royalty, the Thurn und Taxis dynasty, the former Benedictine monastery is also known as the Thurn und Taxis schloß (castle). A visit to the stunning basilica there seems the perfect way to round off my visit of Lower Bavaria. Emerging from the dark church, I feel as if all my past and future sins — mainly gluttony, I’m afraid — are now forgiven. Then it is high time to head for the closest gasthof.

AT HOME WITH HISTORY

Landscape & legend Four generations of Widge Curtin’s family have called Lord Howe Island home.

By Ki rst y McKenzi e, photogr a phy Ken Br a s s

As a child, Widge Curtin remembers looking up at the twin peaks of Mounts Lidgbird and Gower that loomed over the landscape of her home on Lord Howe Island and marvelling at how amazing the world was. Given that Widge’s world was the 11-kilometre-long World Heritage-listed island, located 660km east of Port Macquarie on the NSW coast, she was starting with a pretty high benchmark. While she grew up to travel extensively and counts herself fortunate to have visited many amazing places, none has ever surpassed the spectacularly rugged landscape, pristine ocean and great swathes of sandy beaches of her island home.

For the past six years, Widge — “my real name is Robyn, but no one calls me that” — and her environmental scientist husband, Pete, have returned to Lord Howe, where they live at Kentia, the house her grandfather built on the island. Appropriately enough, as Widge’s father, Stanley, was the officer in charge for the Department of Civil Aviation, the house is just a stone’s throw from the island’s airport, built in 1974 to ferry the increasing numbers of tourists visiting the island, inevitably to fall under its spell.

From the end of WWII until that time, transport to and from the island had been by flying boat. Before that, the only means of travel to Lord Howe was by ship, which is how Widge’s mother, Elsie, journeyed to the mainland for the birth of her four children.

Widge’s grandfather Alexander was born in Scotland in 1860, but spent most of his childhood in Sweden.

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“His father established Cleckheaton Woollen Mills in Yorkshire,” Widge explains. “But Alexander wasn’t all that interested and earned himself a bit of a black sheep reputation by heading off to see the world. He ended up in Sydney, where he became a landscape architect for the horticultural company, Searles. It was Searles that sent him to Lord Howe to source palm seeds for the Australian market.”

Lord Howe Island has four endemic palm species, one of which, the Howea forsteriana or kentia palm, survives indoors better than other tropical palms. It quickly became

Above: Kentia is one of the first prefab timber houses sold by Sydney builders Hudson Homes.

Opposite: Bicycle remains the main mode of transport on Lord Howe.

AT HOME WITH HISTORY

the potted palm of choice for parlours, tea rooms and hotel lobbies all over Europe, the UK and the US. In 1894, Alexander married Mary Gabel, whom he’d met in Melbourne, and he brought his bride back to Lord Howe early the following year. The couple lived in several spots on the island before they purchased the Kentia site in 1906 and built what is believed to be one of the first ready-cut timber houses sold by the Sydney-based prefab pioneers, Hudson Homes. The Indian bungalow-style house, made from Canadian redwood with Baltic pine floors, remains essentially true

to the original today, although, of course, successive occupants have made modifications. Large black and white photographs of Fenton family and friends line the living room walls, testament indeed to the rich history they have shared on the island.

Alexander and Mary raised their four children, Carl, Agnes, Stanley and Minnie, at Kentia, and while Widge and her siblings, Peter, Rosemary and Stan, lived elsewhere on the island, they were frequent visitors to the property, which has Lagoon Beach at its doorstep.

“Auntie Ag lived here until she died in 1991, and australiancountry.net.au

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then it was rented for a while, until Rosemary and her husband [politician Ian Sinclair], had it as their holiday home,” Widge says. “I’ve always loved island life and its families and, like most people with a connection to Lord Howe, I usually came back for Christmas. But it wasn’t until Pete retired six years ago that we returned to live permanently. It’s been a great move for us, as it’s a wonderful relaxed lifestyle in a place with a great sense of community.”

Like most island children, Widge and her siblings went to boarding school on the mainland. After school, she went to business college in Sydney and worked as a secretary until she headed off to London for two years, backpacking around Europe.

“I came back to the island for Christmas of 1972 and met Pete, who was on uni holidays with a mate, who was also studying science,” she recalls. “We married and lived in Sydney and then Austinmer for 30 years.”

But Lord Howe gets under the skin and Pete and Widge 86

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are very happily ensconced in island life. Widge says her passion for the landscape and its flora and fauna has never wavered and now she and Pete are committed to various island programs, including the regeneration of the Lord Howe phasmid, a giant stick insect that was thought to be extinct until a remnant colony was found on Ball’s Pyramid, a volcanic stack that rises 562 metres out of the ocean, 23km south-east of the island.

“When I was a child, the flying boat trip took threeand-a-half hours,” Widge says. “Now it takes two hours to get to Sydney. Before mains electricity, we used kerosene lamps and an ice chest and my father sent messages by Morse code. Now we have all the mod cons, except for mobile phones [the island community voted against them]. But the most important thing we have is a beautiful, unique environment and it’s critical that we do everything in our power to protect that. For all the change I’ve seen on the island in my lifetime, it’s important that some things remain the same.”

Clockwise from above: Every generation has made its mark on the homestead; a spot for quiet reflection on the verandah; family portraits are a reminder of Widge's family's long history on Lord Howe.

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FAMILY SPIRIT Join the gin revolution at a boutique distillery in a farm shed in Victoria’s north-east.

By Ki r s t y Mc K e nz i e , p h oto g r a p hy K e n Br a s s

Clockwise from above: Hurdle Creek is a short detour from Milawa; the distillery was originally a stable and tack room; storage barrels; the Hurdle Creek range; Alex helps out at the cellar door and with social media.

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It’s the kind of question that will win pub bets.

Which country consumes the most gin? Not the Netherlands, which is allegedly the home of genever, the ancestor of the aromatic spirit. Nor is it the UK, where G&Ts are the summertime beverage of choice of seemingly everyone who is not knocking jugs of Pimm’s. In fact, it’s the Philippines, followed closely by Spain, where gin often replaces brandy as the punch in the national beverage, sangria.

This information comes courtesy of Simon BrookeTaylor, chief distiller at the Hurdle Creek Still at Bobinawarrah in north-east Victoria. With help from his partner, Wendy Williams, and her son, Alex Williams,

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Simon produces a range of gins, a pastis and grain genever in a former shed on their farm.

Wendy grew up on a cattle property in the Upper Murray and lived at Mansfield before she bought the 70acre (28-hectare) block that is now home to Hurdle Creek, a few horses and 15 breeder cattle in 2008. “I actually had no idea what I was going to do here,” she confesses. “I worked in sales for the local paper for a while. I used to do a lot of eventing and dressage and now I ride for pleasure, so I built the shed as a stable and tack room for the horses. Then I met Simon, who had trained as a master brewer in England and we thought about establishing a microbrewery.”

Having decided there were too many breweries in the region — there were 13 at last count — it wasn’t too great

PRODUCER PROFILE

a leap to take the mash to its next step and make grain spirit.

“The national fascination with gin was just gaining momentum, so we hit on the idea of making it instead,” Simon explains. “With my brewing background, it didn’t occur to me not to make our own base spirit. We mainly use local grains — barley and oats — and for our Powder Monkey, triticale, which is a wheat/rye hybrid.”

The grains are traditionally infused to make the mash, in which the starch in the grain is converted into sugar.

A clear wash containing the sugars is then collected, fermented with yeast to convert the sugars into alcohol and then distilled for a minimum of three times.

“The last step is the vapour infusion of the spirit with botanicals,” Wendy says. “We use 14 different botanicals, and most of them come from our orchard or grow in the region. The only thing we have to import is the key ingredient, juniper, which comes from a conifer native to Montenegro and grows all round the Adriatic. We have some growing, but I don’t know if we’ll ever get a commercial crop, as it doesn’t like our summer heat.

We also grow our own fennel, coriander and citrus and because we’re in a hop-growing region, we use local hops in our Yardarm gin. We also harvest pink peppercorns locally. They are actually related to cashews not pepper and were imported from Peru in the early days. They are

“The national fascination with gin was just gaining momentum, so we hit on the idea of making it instead. With my brewing background, it didn’t occur to me not to make our own base spirit. We mainly use local grains ... and botanicals.” good shade trees and are thought to be good at deterring parasites, which is why you often find them planted near cattle yards. We also use eucalyptus leaves, a native mint and three local myrtles: lemon, aniseed and cinnamon.”

Hurdle Creek’s signature gin is the Yardarm, which takes its name from the horizontal spar that supports the sails on a square-rigged sailing ship. Tradition has it that once the sun has risen over the yardarm, it’s time to open the bar. Evolution gin is Simon’s own invention.

As many gin-based cocktails use aniseed liquors, he decided to make his own version by infusing the spirit with fennel and aniseed myrtle. Powder Monkey Navy Strength gin also takes its name from sailing australiancountry.net.au

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Clockwise from above: The region has a long history of farming and dairying and more recently as a gourmet food producer; Wendy in the orchard; Simon is the head distiller; contented cattle in the nearby paddocks.

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days and the boy charged with the responsibility of delivering gunpowder from the ship’s hold to the gun crews manning the canons during battle. Today the term is used to refer to anyone who handles explosives.

Navy-strength also references maritime traditions as, in bygone days, one way to ensure you weren’t being sold watered-down spirit was to pour some over gunpowder. If the gunpowder still burned, the spirit was “proved” meaning that it was at least 100 per cent UK proof, or 57.15 per cent alcohol by volume. To make sure that broken or leaking gin barrels couldn’t wet their gunpowder and leave them defenceless, the British navy only carried “proved” or navy-strength gin.

“We are the only distillery in Australia making Jenever, which is the ancestor of modern gin,” Simon says. “It originated in what is now Belgium and The Netherlands in the 14th century and was used as a medicine against the plague. It probably tasted like rough whisky in those days, but we have refined it and make it from a lightly distilled spirit made from triticale, malt and barley. It is aged in oak for at least and three months then blended with triple-distilled spirit and infused with juniper, eucalyptus, pink peppercorns, and lemon, cinnamon and aniseed myrtles. Just before bottling we sweeten it with a little local eucalyptus honey.”

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Hurdle Creek also produces a pastis, Dark Cacao (triple-distilled spirit infused with cacao nibs from Peru) and a seasonal cherry gin, when the nearby orchards are fruiting. “We’ve made jam from the cherries after they’ve been strained off the gin,” Wendy says. “This year we’re also going to make cherry paste, which goes really well with Milawa cheeses, which are also made locally. We are proud to be able to say that our whole product is local and low-waste, as we use mainly local botanicals and grain. The used grain is fed to the cattle.”

Although Hurdle Creek products are available in select bottle and food stores in Victoria, most sales are direct from the distillery. Many customers make the six-kilometre detour from Milawa to sample and buy.

Lots of them come on pushbikes, as the north-east is famous for its rail-trail cycle routes and cycling is one of the region’s growing attractions in spring and summer. Those who can’t make it to the cellar door can buy through the online store, which Alex manages, along with the brand’s social media. If you want a good chuckle, check out Alex’s videos on the Hurdle Creek Still Facebook page. Like the gins themselves, they are Aussie to the core, with a bit of a larrikin streak and plenty of character to set them apart from all others.

For more information visit hurdlecreekstill.com.au.

PRODUCER PROFILE

Places to stay

“We’ve made jam from the cherries after they’ve been strained off the gin. This year, we’re also going to make cherry paste, which goes really well with Milawa cheeses, which are also made locally.”

Panoramia Villas, Myrtleford One- and two-bedroom self-contained themed apartments overlooking the Ovens Valley. panoramiavillas.com.au Willoaks Boutique Accommodation, Oxley Two guestrooms in the gardens of 1920s homestead on a beef cattle farm with a vineyard. willoaks.com.au Holly House Bed & Breakfast, Moyhu Traditional B&B accommodation with continental breakfast and a bottle of local wine. hollyhouse.com.au Elevation652 at Mt Bellevue, Myrrhee Four separate self-contained apartments on a working cattle farm with vineyard for Redbank Wines. elevation652.com.au Yarranungara Yurt Retreat, Oxley Quirky, off-the-grid glamping in a handcrafted Mongolian yurt with adjoining ensuite bathroom in a photographer’s paradise. yarranungara.com.au Rosemary’s Cottage, Whorouly Two self-contained cottages overlooking an olive grove and a kiwi fruit orchard. rosemaryscottagewhorouly.com.au

Things to do Red Ramia Trading, Myrtleford An exotic homewares emporium in a barn with a Moroccan cafe attached. redramia.com.au Milawa Organic Beef, Milawa Farmed according organic, low-stress principles, Angus beef cuts packaged and distributed all over Victoria. milawaorganicbeef.com.au Off centre Gallery & Studio, Milawa Local art, craft and homewares within the Milawa Cheese Factory complex. off-centre.com.au Fallen Timber Furniture Company, Oxley Rustic furniture, doors and benches made from timber harvested by natural attrition. fallentimberco.com.au King River Brewing, King Valley A broad range of beers brewed on site and open for weekend tastings. kingriverbrewing.com.au Francesco Wines, Cheshunt Family-run winery with an Italian accent at the top of the King Valley. francescowines.com.au australiancountry.net.au

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“A feeling of serenity and comfort washes over you on arrival at WillOaks as you are greeted with a warm welcome by the owner’s, Peter and Lexie Rickards.”

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Located at the gateway to North East Victoria’s King Valley wine region and the Milawa Gourmet Region, WillOaks Boutique Accommodation offers secluded ensuite rooms with views over a Lilly covered pond. The rooms are stylish and comfortable and rećect the owner’s focus on attention to detail. A delicious gourmet breakfast of local produce is served in the 1920’s homestead.

Grown the way nature intended 100% GRASSFED CERTIFIED ORGANIC ANGUS BEEF

31 Tetley’s Lane Oxley, Victoria 3678 T 03 5727 3292 M 0427 273 292 E willoaks@westnet.com.au

www.willoaks.com.au Mention this ad to receive a glass of local wine and savouries when you stay with us.

www.milawaorganicbeef.com.au Phone: 03 5727 0397

Mobile: 0429 809 973

Holly House BED & BREAKFAST

Holly House is perfect for that special getaway – centrally situated in the King Valley, Moyhu provides the ideal touring base for the Milawa Gourmet Region, the Glenrowan area, Beechworth and beyond, with fabulous wineries, great food and panoramic scenery.

Traditional BnB..

elevation652 at Mt Bellevue is comprised of 4 accommodation venues, catering for couples, families and small groups on a working cattle farm with vineyards overlooking the King Valley. Visitors use our place as a destination for relaxation and unwinding from city life but its location makes it a great base to indulge in the gourmet food and wines of the King Valley, including wines grown right here at elevation652!

www.hollyhouse.com.au

469 Bella Vista Rd, Myrrhee Vic 3732 | elevation652.com.au

Accomodates Up to Four Guests..

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Red Ramia Trading and Café Fez | 145 Great Alpine Road, Myrtleford Vic 3737 | SHOP 03 5752 1944 | CAFÉ 03 5751 1155 | info@redramia.com.au | redramia.com.au Offering an array of home furnishings, architectural and garden design products, tiles, pottery, exotic fabrics and indoor and outdoor furniture, Red Ramia Trading caters to all your home design needs and more. Once you’ve finished exploring the expansive homewares emporium, relax at the attached Café Fez, which serves authentic home-style Middle Eastern cuisine. Then, to top off the perfect day, Panoramia Villas overlooks the beautiful Ovens Valley and offers private luxury accommodation for you to simply indulge and enjoy the breathtaking surrounds. Bliss.

Panoramia Villas | 124 Clemens Lane, Myrtleford Vic 3737 | PHONE 0418 521 944 | info@panoramiavillas.com.au | panoramiavillas.com.au

HURDLE CREEK STILL Small Batch Spirits Stillhouse open for Gin tastings and sales daily (excluding Wednesdays)

216 Whorouly Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa VIC 3678 Phone: 0411 156 773 or (03) 5727 9106 Email: sales@hurdlecreekstill.com.au

www.hurdlecreekstill.com.au

www.facebook.com /francescowines

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For more information call 0401 555 449

King River Brewing is a 100% independently family owned brewery, based in the King Valley, Victoria. Brewing for flavour first, superior drinkability and the love of beer, we only use premium ingredients for premium beer.

Offering both familiar and exciting beer styles there is something for everyone and with plenty of space for children to play or adults to laze in the shade or sun, a relaxing afternoon is assured by all.

‘A cosy retreat, where you can relax’ 195 Whorouly Road, Whorouly Vic 3735 T: 03 5727 1218 E: info@rosemaryscottagewhorouly.com.au See website for opening hours:

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Phone: 03 5729 3604

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Southerly change Tasmania’s T asmania’s west west coast coast delivers delivers an an intoxicating intoxicating mix wilderness experiences, creature m ix of of w ilderness e xperiences, c reature comforts c omforts and and history history lessons. lessons.

By Ki Kirst rst y McKenzi e, photogr a phy Ken br a s s

Sunshine and blue skies mean our arrival at Hells Gates is more like venturing into paradise than travelling through a terrifying approach to what was once one of the most reviled destinations on earth: Sarah Island.

The narrow entrance to Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast was named by the convicts sentenced to Van Diemen’s Land’s first penal station, established in 1822. The narrow entrance through which water rushed as the tides rose and fell made entering Australia’s second-largest natural harbour notoriously dangerous. And most of the convicts bound for the “hell on earth” across the harbour would probably have preferred to have sunk and drowned rather than reach their destination. Sarah Island was known for such 96

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deprivations that some inmates committed murder to earn a death sentence and escape from their misery.

On the early summer’s day of Australian Country’s visit, however, the weather is so benign that our World Heritage Cruises catamaran sails straight between the lighthouses on Bonnet and Entrance Islands that watch over Hells Gates, into the Southern Ocean and west to the imposing lighthouse at Cape Sorell. Our guide assures us that this is a rare event as, although the vessel is well equipped to deal with whatever seas the Roaring Forties care to whip up, it’s not good business to deliver loads of seasick tourists back to the port of Strahan.

World Heritage Cruises is owned by the Grining family, who have been taking passengers on Macquarie Harbour and Gordon River cruises since 1896. With a long tradition

ESCAPE ROUTES

Clockwise from left: After the devastation caused by more than a century of mining, the landscape around Queenstown is gradually regenerating; World Heritage Cruises travel from Macquarie Harbour up the Gordon River to Heritage Landing; alighting at Sarah Island.

as timber getters and boat builders, the current owners, Troy and Guy Grining, are well positioned to introduce visitors to the waterways that provide access to the World Heritage-listed wilderness of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers and Southwest National Parks that protect one of the world’s last temperate rainforests and ancient trees that thrive in the often damp conditions.

It was the discovery of one of those trees, the Huon pine, which is endemic to the region, that led to the establishment of Sarah Island. In 1815, adventurer, sealer and explorer Captain James Kelly became the first European to enter Macquarie Harbour during his epic 3000-kilometre circumnavigation of Tasmania in a whale boat. His report made mention of the Huon pine, a timber with a very high oil content that renders

it impervious to insects and waterproof. It also means that the timber can be bent, shaped and worked without splitting, making it the perfect material for boat builders.

Cruise passengers see Huon pine, along with whiteywood, leatherwood (nurturer of Tassie’s pungent honey), sassafras and various tree ferns when the boat stops at Heritage Landing, several kilometres up the lower reaches of the tea-coloured Gordon River. From there, it’s a leisurely cruise back down the river at speed enforced by law to minimise wash damage to the delicate ecosystems that live on the banks.

Back on the harbour during a stop at the notorious Sarah Island, visitors can wander at leisure or opt to take a tour guided by actors who deftly capture their audience with tales of the cruelty of convict life, the constant australiancountry.net.au

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starvation, harsh punishments for minor misdemeanours and numerous ill-fated escape attempts, mostly involving cannibalism for survival. Convict life took a turn for the better in 1827, however, with the arrival of shipwright David Hoy and a period of extraordinary ship-building productivity. Between 1828 and 1832, 80 of the total 113 ships that were built on the island were completed. As the convicts were providing vital labour for this industry they were able to wrangle concessions and even occasional privileges from their guards. So while life was still harsh, conditions were marginally improved. Sarah Island was closed in 1833 when Port Arthur opened, and although it was briefly reopened as a probation station and later a timber cutters’ camp, all that is now left is a cluster of ruins of the convict buildings. On this gorgeous day, their 98

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romantic crumbling facades belie the horrific history.

The Sarah Island actor/tour guides turn up again in the evenings at the Richard Davey Amphitheatre in Strahan.

The Ship that Never Was tells the tale of one successful escape from Sarah Island on The Frederick. The hectic performance relates a convict mutiny, a daring voyage to Chile and, when the long arm of the law finally caught up with four survivors, how they managed to avoid execution on a legal technicality.

For deeper insights into the river and harbour, which has six times the capacity of Sydney Harbour, visitors should arrange to board Trevor Norton’s 65-foot ketch, The Stormbreaker. A former architect with a passion for early cartography, Trevor offers the opportunity to explore the harbour under sail and then venture up the Gordon for

ESCAPE ROUTES

Clockwise from left: Sunset over Strahan; Stormbreaker provides a very different perspective for passengers including exploring Macquarie Harbour under sail and the opportunity to spend the night moored at Heritage Landing; Cape Sorell lighthouse.

an overnight stay on the boat. He takes a maximum of 10 passengers, who get to experience the river from a very different perspective, on kayaks or even as swimmers. The Stormbreaker is also the official vessel for ferrying rafters from the Franklin River back to Strahan, so when he is booked for a pick-up, he can take his cruise passengers along for the ride, 37km upriver to Sir John Falls.

Trevor and his wife, Megs, also own a cluster of cottages in Strahan called The Crays, which make a great base for visitors who prefer to self-cater and enjoy some space to relax in. “I advise people to take a bit of time to soak up this part of the world,” Megs says. “We’re a little town on the edge of wilderness, so you shouldn’t rush through. You have to be prepared for the weather as it can change quickly. We’re not Queensland, so it does

rain, but it’s water, not tomato juice, and it doesn’t hurt.

We’re fortunate that we have great produce and good dining in town, and there’s plenty to do.”

Among those experiences are white-water rafting on the King River and walking on Ocean Beach, which, at more than 30km, is Tasmania’s longest stretch of sand. The dunes that fringe the beach soar 30 metres above the ocean at Henty Dunes, which can be explored by sandboard or dune buggy. Those in search of less adrenaline-filled pursuits might pack a picnic and search out a waterside spot, or head to restaurants in town such as Bushman’s Cafe, where the menu features local produce including crayfish and Atlantic salmon and a fine selection of Tasmania’s excellent cool-climate wines.

From Strahan, it’s 38km up to Queenstown, the australiancountry.net.au

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largest town on the west coast. The best way to make the trip is pioneer style on board the West Coast Wilderness Railway (WCWR). At its peak, Queenstown was a thriving copper, gold and silver mining town with 14 pubs serving a population of 5000. The owners of the mine built the railway in the late 1800s to transport the pay dirt to ships waiting at Strahan. Construction of the line was a feat of blind faith and brawn as the gradient of the line ranges from one in 20 to one in 15 as it follows the King River valley and gorge down to Macquarie Harbour. These days, tourists rather than minerals keep the train, hauled by 28-tonne steam locomotives, running daily. Travellers can choose from several options ranging from half-day trips to full-day up-and-back excursions. Either way, they experience an up-close view of the west coast wilderness, 100

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and gain an insight into the challenges of building the steep narrow-gauge track that wends its way through countless narrow cuttings and 38 trestle bridges, some of which cling to the edge of the gorge. The fact that the train could run at all is thanks to rack-and-pinion technology invented by Swiss engineer Roman Abt, and passengers learn about this, and the life of the gangers and farmers who lived along the route, via on-board commentary and stops at various sidings along the way.

Four years ago, the Queenstown mine closed indefinitely after several tragedies and accidents, so now the town is reinventing itself as ‘‘touristville’’. “We’ve gone from being a mining town, to a town with a mine in the background,” Joy Chappell, who candidly admits it was cheap real estate that lured her to Queenstown 15 years

ESCAPE ROUTES

Clockwise from left: The steam-powered West Coast Wilderness Railway (WCWR) provides a great window on the wild country between Strahan and Queenstown; the Art Deco Paragon Theatre; Queenstown’s Horsetail Falls boardwalk; the Queenstown terminus for the WCWR.

ago, explains. These days, she runs Mt Lyell Anchorage, which combines bed and breakfast accommodation in the main house with self-catering cottages. In her “spare” time, Joy and her partner, Anthony Coulson, have restored The Paragon Theatre in a wonderful Art Deco building, completed in 1933 at the dawn of the talkie era.

During the season (October to April), they screen classic movies such as The Birds and Casablanca in the evenings.

From Sunday to Wednesday, Joy, who was a chef in a previous life, serves dinner before the show.

A third-generation miner, Anthony also runs RoamWild tours to various points of historic and natural interest around the mountain-ringed town. They include Australia’s oldest still-operating hydro-electric power station at Lake Margaret and its abandoned village, an

insight into the ancient trees of the region with a forest walk through remnant Huon, Kingbilly and celerytop pines and towering sassafras, as well as a visit to a sawmill specially licensed to turn these precious timbers into slabs for furniture. A visit to one of the smaller copper mines that pockmark the landscape and exclusive access behind the locked gates on the road up Mount Owen, which looms large over the town and provides views all the way to Strahan, are other highlights.

One of Anthony’s tours also takes visitors to a helipad marked with a No Dams emblazoned triangle that became the hero shot for much of the media coverage of the early 1980s battle to save the Franklin River from damming by Tasmania’s Hydro-Electric Commission.

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have been if the conservationists hadn’t succeeded in preventing the possible damage to the wilderness that is the primary attraction for visitors today.

In the early days, Queenstown’s landscape was vandalised by the mine. Ancient trees were harvested willy-nilly to fuel the furnaces and any flora that was spared the axe was killed by the sulphurous fumes that belched from the smelter. In recent years, the lunar landscape has slowly been recovering, and now there’s a decidedly green tinge to the surrounding hills. The best views of this regeneration are from Penghana, a luxury B&B in what was once the mine manager’s house. Like many Queenstown residents, Penghana’s owners, Karen Nixon and Steve Berndt, moved from the mainland after visiting on holiday and falling in love with the remote 102

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town, its dramatic setting, four distinct seasons and the sense that it’s on the cusp of a tourist and creative boom.

We’ll be featuring their story in greater depth in our December/January issue but, suffice to say, Karen and Steve have already achieved great things at Penghana, which, in its heyday, hosted a Who’s Who of dignitaries and, at press time, had recently entertained Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman.

It’s 260km from Queenstown to Hobart, but the road is hilly and windy and drivers should allow at least four hours for the journey. That, however, would be doing the trip an injustice as there is much to experience along the way. We took our time and advantage of the almost heatwave conditions to stop off at the glacial Lake St Clair, at the southern end of the Lake St Clair-Cradle

ESCAPE ROUTES

Clockwise from above: Derwent Bridge Chalets & Studios (photo

by Peter Bellingham); an attic room at Penghana; Russell Falls in Mount Field National Park; Penghana, once the home of the Mount Lyell mine manager, is now a B&B with splendid views across town.

Mountain National Park and the end point of the multi-day Overland Track, which lures bushwalkers from all over the world. Tourists can travel the 18-km length of the lake on a ferry that brings hikers on the last leg of their journey to park HQ and there are a lodge, cabins and a campground on the edge of the lake. Our rooms for the night were in a cottage nestled among the snowgums at nearby Derwent Bridge Chalets & Studios. Owner Louise Forgie-Wendt is another mainland visitor who, 12 years ago, stayed for good after a holiday and she is a mine of information about local walks and attractions.

Australian Country took Louise’s advice and instead of high-tailing it back to Hobart, we detoured to Mount Field National Park, where a 20-minute bush walk revealed Russell Falls in late-spring tumble.

Deeper investigation of the park provided views of the mountain lakes in their splendid isolation. Whichever way you travel, schedule time for a pit stop in New Norfolk, where cooking school proprietors Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet have established an eatery outpost.

Antique shops, numerous B&Bs, and the Bush Inn, Australia’s oldest continually licensed pub, are all good reasons to linger longer in this historic town, but we’ve got a date in the big smoke and continue the 35km on to Hobart. There, the riverside outpost of civilisation, MONA (the Museum of Old and New Art), couldn’t provide a greater contrast to the splendid seclusion on the west coast. It’s positive proof that Tasmania is a place where there is no such thing as everyday. australiancountry.net.au

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Join passionate West Coast locals for exclusive access to hidden gems.

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Elegance, privacy and tranquility Penghana is an ideal venue to unpack, relax and enjoy day trips to Tasmania’s West Coast destinations of Strahan, Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park The Wall in the Wilderness, and on your doorstep, the iconic Wilderness Railway.

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GARDEN PROFILE

Surprise package Moving to property in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges was just the tonic Helen Wallace needed for a happier and healthier life.

By Kirst y McKenzi e, photogr aphy Kim s elby

They say you never know what’s around the corner. The adage proved true for Helen and Peter Wallace, when they moved from Melbourne to the Gold Coast in 2010 for what they imagined would be semi-retirement. “We got as far as buying the boat,” Helen recalls.

“But it turned out that Peter just couldn’t make that complete step back from work so he was constantly commuting to Melbourne.”

On one of those trips in late 2015, Peter inspected a property at Sassafras in the Dandenong Ranges. He made an offer and it was accepted. “We’d bought it before I even saw it,” Helen says. “Fortunately, I trust his judgment.

When I eventually did see it, I was stunned at the beauty of the garden. Although it had been let go a bit, I could see what it could look like with work. The view from the house was an amphitheatre of majestic pines. Also, I noticed the Tibouchina near the front door. That was quite an emotional connection as it brought back a flood Clockwise from left: A whimsical note; the garden is full of rare plants; an echium spire soars skywards; Helen and Peter can now enjoy the garden, but say there is still plenty of work to be done.

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GARDEN PROFILE

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GARDEN PROFILE

of memories as my parents planted one in their brandnew garden when I was a toddler in the 1950s.”

Originally settled in the 1880s, the property was a guesthouse called Myola from the 1940s until it burned down in the late 1960s. The previous owner bought it in the early ’70s and built the current Wychelm house using bricks from Myola. She designed and built various garden rooms, created a stepped path to the back of the property and added numerous stone walls, a three-tiered Monet-style lily pond and a Moroccan garden inspired by the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech.

“It was all a bit out of control,” Helen recalls. “So the primary task was to clear it out and let it breathe a bit.

There were weeds — holly, onion weed, wild strawberry and violets — everywhere, so they all had to be cleared.

And then we had to identify the hero trees that we wanted to keep and the ones that were in decline and we had an arborist come in to remove them.”

The previous owner was a plant collector and once the

garden was no longer suffocated, some of these plants started to reveal themselves. They inclyded Erythroniums, Galanthus (snowdrops), daffodil and lilium species and Colchicums (naked ladies). “By this stage, I had become friends with Steven Vivian, who is also a keen gardener and lives two doors away,” Helen says. “About six months after we had moved in, we were taken aback when we were asked by the Secret Gardens of the Dandenong Ranges to open in the spring. I knew I had to do a lot of work fast so I enlisted Steven’s help to get it ready.

Clockwise from opposite: The current house was built using bricks recycled from Myola; shades of Jardin Majorelle; spoodles Dusty and Maggie; the garden now has delights at every turn.

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GARDEN PROFILE

His expertise has been invaluable and we wouldn’t have been ready without him.”

While the majority of the 2.6-acre (one-hectare) site is formal garden, the back of the block is native forest.

Helen and Steve have created paths down to a creek that flows in the summer and extended the existing fern plantings. They also uncovered an old pump house, which has become a feature of this section.

The Wallaces also opened Wychelm last year, but this year they have decided to take a break. “We’ve just put a new roof on the house and we need time to recover,” Helen explains. “It’s allowed us to take a few risks that we wouldn’t have if we were opening. For instance, we’ve cut some plants right back. That said, Steven and I are still working flat out to make it look as beautiful as possible for the spring.”

In the heat of the 2016/17 summer, shade-loving plants such as hellebores and cliveas appeared to be suffering, so during the autumn Steve and Helen

The previous owner was a plant collector and once the garden was no longer suffocated, some of these plants started to reveal themselves.

Clockwise from opposite: Helen and Steve have opened up the garden; a bridge over the lily pond; established trees frame a feature; peony perfection; peeking poppy; enjoying the view from the bridge.

australiancountry.net.au

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GARDEN PROFILE This page: Although the Wallaces are not opening the garden this spring, they are still working to ensure it’s looking great in case visitors catch a glimpse during Secret Gardens of the Dandenong Ranges.

painstakingly lifted them to more protected spots and replaced them with more sun-tolerant plants including salvias, hydrangeas and dianthus. “It’s beautiful now,” Helen says. “So I can’t imagine what it’s going to look like in October.” Steve also cleared what was formerly a white garden to create an alpine garden, which includes one of Helen’s favourite features, a tiny forest of little larch trees.

They also cleared other beds and moved dahlias and irises back from the borders.

“I recently retired and I now have time to work in the garden every day,” Helen says. “I can easily spend five hours a day when I get a chance and even though Sassafras is a lovely little town, with lots of tourist amenities, I rarely want to go out. It turns out that buying this place was the best thing Peter could have done for me. I didn’t enjoy very good health in the past and now I’m happier and healthier than I’ve ever been. The garden is a constant delight and it throws up new surprises every day.”

For more information about tours of the Secret Gardens of the Dandenong Ranges in October, visit secretgardensofthedandenongranges.com.au.

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“It turns out that buying this place was the best thing Peter could have done for me. I didn’t enjoy very good health in the past and now I’m happier and healthier than I’ve ever been.”

Mulching made us who we are, now get to know who we’ve become.

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spotlight on education

Opportunity knocks With help from strategic partners in industry and academe, students and staff at St Scholastica’s College are leading the charge towards gender equity in careers in science, technology, engineering and maths..

By Kirsty McKenzi e

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australiancountry.net.au

spotlight on education

The statistics speak volumes. In Australia, women make up less than one tenth of engineering students and a quarter of IT (information technology) graduates. Only one quarter of our STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workforce is female. Women hold fewer than 20 per cent of this country’s senior research positions.

Staff and management at St Scholastica’s College in Sydney are determined to right this gender imbalance.

In the past year, they have introduced a raft of programs aimed at redressing the situation and encouraging their students to prepare for careers in STEM fields.

The school, which has 1050 female students from years seven to 12, and a boarding house that holds a maximum 100 students, has a strong track record in both academic and extracurricular excellence as well as a proud tradition of encouraging indigenous students.

As principal Kate Rayment explains, this year, 20 of their year 11 mathematics students have completed their HSC (Higher School Certificate) curriculum requirements, with a majority of them achieving the optimum result of band six. “There is no question we have a lot of bright students,” she says. “The struggle is to encourage the students to connect these strengths to career paths, so they can see where their abilities could lead them.

Located in the inner west, the school has a strong creative soul. What we needed to do is foster a similar appreciation for science and maths.”

One of the initiatives the school has piloted is a program called Creatable, which is a partnership with Finch — a company of filmmakers, engineers and artists that makes documentaries, commercials, feature films and digital content — and years nine and 10 Design & Technology (DT) students. Finch’s educational strategist worked with Scholastica’s DT teacher to develop the course in which the students identify a problem, devise a a solution, and with the assistance of Finch’s engineers, build the necessary equipment or program and look into its commercial viability.

“The program is aimed at years nine and 10 because that’s where the flexibility is in moving away from the curriculum,” explains the school’s head of curriculum, Margaret Taborda. “It’s problem-based learning, so the students start with the idea and research its solutions.

These pages: Years nine and 10 Design & Technology students have joined Creatable, a partner program with Finch, to devise and create prototypes of solutions to everyday problems.

Then they build the prototype and finally pitch it to potential ‘‘clients’’. Their presentations are remarkably sophisticated and the students go through the typical boardroom process, explaining the market, pricing and difficulty of delivery.”

The students spend a year on the program and divide their time between the school campus in Glebe and Finch’s laboratories in Paddington. Among the many ideas the students have developed are an app for ensuring homework deadlines are distributed evenly throughout the semester, a heated butter knife for ease of service and a layered dog’s bowl that ensures the family pooch doesn’t eat too quickly or too much. Other clever ideas include a shake-awake, phone-activated alarm clock that sits under the mattress, an umbrella with built-in LED features to activate in the dark, non-conductive tongs to safely remove toast from the toaster, a combined toothbrush with pump-action paste and a space cup, which is a reusable cup with a compartment in the base for storing your coffee money. The program has australiancountry.net.au

117

spotlight on education

This page: St Scholastica’s leafy setting belies its inner-city location and proximity to most of its tertiary education partners.

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been such a success that DT has become a very popular elective subject. “The girls learn so much with such a hands-on program,” Margaret explains. “Already the program syllabus has had to be rewritten as they are way ahead of where they would have been before it was introduced. There has also been interest from other companies in rolling it out to other schools.’’

Kate adds that Creatable is just one of many initiatives the school has introduced to encourage STEM students.

“Because we are close to the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), University of Sydney (USyd) and the University of NSW (UNSW), we have been able to

australiancountry.net.au

develop partnerships with them,” she explains. “These are things that the school couldn’t afford to do nor have the facilities to deliver without university support. I should also highlight that St Scholastica’s is a school that is low-fee in terms of independent schools. Thanks to the generosity of the universities we’re not paying for the academics’ time or equipment.”

The collaborations with Sydney Uni include a Code Rangers program for year seven and eight students and a biotechnology course for more senior students. Year 10s can join a civil and environmental engineering program at UNSW and a retired physicist from USyd is also working with year 11 students to establish a radio group that will eventually interview astronauts on the space shuttle.

“This program marries very well into the existing physics course,” Margaret explains. “The students will be in year 12 by the time the interviews happen and by that stage of their studies, they will be prepared to engage in meaningful discourse with the scientists on board.”

She adds the UTS engineering department is also keen to set up a course for senior students. “Each university has its own agenda and it’s a matter of working with them to link them to our students,” she says. “Many of our staff are academics, so they are using their connections to make these things happen.” ‘‘A lot of our students come from rural or creative environments, so STEM is a new mindset for them,’’ Kate adds. ‘‘These programs demonstrate the diverse careers that are available if they have the right foundation.”

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Wherever your travels are taking you in Australia or around the world our advisors will help you plan the most unique & unforgettable journey.

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• EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

Boarding at Scotch College Boarders at Scotch enjoy high quality accommodation in a caring ‘homely’ environment.

Within the College’s extensive 27 hectare grounds, rural boys participate in an unequalled range of activities including music, drama, outdoor programs and more than 20 different sports.

Based upon Christian principles, Scotch College has a proud tradition of academic excellence, an extensive sporting and co-curricular program and oustanding facilities in a convenient location.

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www.scotch.vic.edu.au Scotch College 1 Morrison Street, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Phone 03 9810 4203 / Fax: 03 9810 4333 Email admissions@scotch.vic.edu.au

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Teaching boys to be independent, responsible and m]e^ϒ[ihƄ\]hn Cranbrook is an Anglican independent boys school, located in Sydney’s eastern moZolZmή iƂ]lbh` ZiXl\bh` ^lig V]Xl Ϋ

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in the shops

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birdsnest

Cotswold Furniture

Gilly’s Waxes are made using a blend of beeswax, soy wax and carnauba wax flakes. Food Safe Wax is ideal for chopping boards, utensils and children’s toys and furniture. gillyswaxesandpolishes.com.au

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On the odd days when thunderstorms come calling, outdoor furniture can really take a beating.

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store strolling Things we love that you are bound to want for your life. c omp i l e d by A l i c e G r i f f i n

Clementine Sleepwear

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With its cosy crew neckline, chic colours and trim cut, the Staple sweater from Untouched World is made to be worn all through winter. This line is crafted from a combo of New Zealand possum fibre, Merino wool and silk. ecohaven.com.au

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Though underrated, few furniture pieces hold the same restorative quality as a park bench.

Made from unique, quality cast-aluminium, the Colonial Castings outdoor bench is a must-have.

It’s available in Black, White, Primrose, Monument and Charcoal. colonialcastingslifestyle.com

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Clancy Job Photography

in the shops

Pins of hope

Akubra

Merino Mini

A new initiative launched by Akubra, the first pin in the collection raises funds for Dolly’s Dream, an organisation dedicated to educating and working to prevent bullying among children. akubra.com.au

Ladies Milan hat in burgundy, $189.95, has a retro feel with a wide brim and a low, open crown. It has a buckram inner for comfort and is finished with a fur felt band with an antique brass Akubra badge. akubra.com.au

Made in Australia using 100 per cent Australian Merino wool, Merino Mini slippers will keep your little one’s feet warm and comfortable no matter what the season. They are $39 for 0-6 months and $49 for 6-12 months. merinomini.com.au

child's play We love these fabulous accessories for pint-sized people. c o mpi l e d by A l i c e G r i f f i n

Big Country Toys

Play pouch

Swingz n Thingz

Eight seconds and counting. Ride ’em cowboys and girls on the Bouncy Horse, $89.95, which is inflated with a hand pump to 40 centimetres diameter. The bouncing hopper ball is aimed at kids aged three to six. bigcountrytoys.com.au

Here’s a brilliant solution to the lounge room Lego minefield. Play Pouch, $59 for original and $69 for printed, is the ultimate toy storage bag and play mat combo. Undo the pouch to create a play mat. playpouch.com.au

These Australian-made canvas swings for babies, toddlers and children are pure joy for your little ones. The swings are ideal for kids from six months up to eight years of age and are completely durable and easily portable. swingz.com.au

Merino Mini

Slow Threads

Big Country Toys

A beautiful gift for any baby, the Merino Mini blanket, $139, is soft and luxurious and made from 100 per cent Superfine Australian Merino wool. Featuring a classic, stylish knit design in various colours, the blanket is perfect for yearround use in the nursery. merinomini.com.au

Bloomers may be a definite no-no for the modern woman, but these freeing garments are all the rage at crèche. We love Slow Threads’ classic bloomers — all are made from 100 per cent organic cotton muslin in a range of cool colours. slowthreads.com.au

The Big Country Bouncy Bull, $89.95, combines all the fun and action of the rodeo at the same time as teaching coordination and balance to children aged three to six. It includes the bull rope but the PBR chute is sold separately. bigcountrytoys.com.au

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you beauty Cosmedix Glow bam boo extract brightening mask, $85, cosmedix.com

etics Scout Cosm s nail polishe d oo rf pe Su Dreamer rn co ri ap C in rawberry (left) and St each, 95 9. $1 Fields, etics.com scoutcosm

Natio Natural ly Nude lip colo ur with shea bu tter in Chai, $14.95 , natio.com.a u

Over the rainbow

Stray Bean Ga rden Greens coffee body sc rub, $15.95, straybean.co m.au

Spring is on its way, so let your skin and hair shine with nature’s best products. c omp i l e d by Ki r s t y Mc K e nz i e p h oto g r a p hy K e n Br a s s

PCA skin detoxifying mask, $92.40, pcaskin.com

Lendan’s Plex Forte bond filler for hair strength, $29.95, lendan.com

zyme Aspect Gold fruit en mask, $59, aspectskin.com.au

Salt by Hendrix neroli-scented Flowers in Your Hair spray, $16.95, saltbyhendrix.com

Ocinium green tea and ginseng facial o ocinium il, $55, .com

Natio quick-drying nail colour in Lily, $9.95, natio.com.au

Natio under-eye cushion concealer, $17.95, natio.com.au

Natio Natural ly Nude lip colo ur with shea bu tter in Smooth, $1 4.95, natio.com.a u

ics mineral Scout Cosmet light (left) ar St in eyeshadows 4.95 each, and Matte, $2 ics.com scoutcosmet

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scene & heard

Out & about

By Ki r s t y Mc K e nz i e , p h oto g r a p hy J o h n E l l i ot t

VISION SPLENDID Under peerless starry night skies the spotlight shone on the outback Queensland town of Winton for the fifth annual Vision Splendid Film Festival. Film industry creatives, actors, producers and buffs congregated in the tiny town for a mid-winter week of Australian film screenings, masterclasses, breakfasts with the stars and associated entertainment.

Winton has earned the moniker of Hollywood of the Outback, as it has been the location for a number of movies that have been made in the dramatic landscape surrounding the town, which is 1350 kilometres northwest of Brisbane. The festival centres on the town’s open-air Royal Theatre. This year, the Royal was given a spruce up, including new canvas seats, to commemorate a century of continuous operation. A celebration dinner prepared by Margaret River caterer Camilla Nielsen was followed by a screening of The Sentimental Bloke.

The opening night screening was a preview of In Like Flynn, a biographical film about the life of Tasmanian actor Errol Flynn, who himself spent time in outback and northern Queensland before heading off to Hollywood to achieve fame in the 1930s and ’40s. Guests at the event included actor Thomas Cocquerel, who plays the title role, as well as local dignitaries, people from all over the Central West, visitors from Brisbane, interstate and a raft of students from Australian, Hong Kong and Japanese film schools.

Let us know about your upcoming event. Email the Editor, Kirsty McKenzie on kmckenzie@umco.com.au This page from top right: Winton’s 100-year-old open-air Royal Theatre (photograph taken

by Maree Azzopardi) welcomed a host of local and visiting guests including In Like Flynn star Thomas Cocquerel as well as Brisbane’s former Lord Mayor, Sallyanne Atkinson.

just browsing

c omp i l e d by Ki r s t y Mc K e nz i e

EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT COOKING MURDOCH BOOKS, $16.99

With the subtitle I learned from the Country Women’s Association of NSW, this little tome is a compendium of tested and trusted recipes from the collective wisdom of the largest women’s organisation in Australia.

While hardy standbys including scones, pavlovas and slices are well covered, there are also offerings such as Spanish tortilla, pastizzi and Greek-style roast chicken that

nod to our multicultural influences. Plus there’s a fabulous page of catering hints, including how many sandwiches you can make from a standard loaf of sliced bread, how much butter you need and how many lettuces and tomatoes will serve 50 people.

OLIVE PINK: ARTIST, ACTIVIST & GARDENER GILLIAN WARD, HARDIE GRANT BOOKS, $50

Librarian, researcher, artist, photographer

Prehistory

2

PREHISTORY PR

Some archaeologists believe that humans were living on this continent before the last Ice Age, perhaps as far back as 125 000 years ago. That staggering thought is a key to understanding the global attraction to the Aboriginal world. Art collectors and galleries in the United Kingdom, Europe and North America have large collections of Aboriginal art, accumulated since French explorer Thomas Nicolas Baudin’s expedition to Australia from 1801 to 1803. His collection in France includes the first musical annotation of an Aboriginal song, ‘Coo-ee’, as well as various rare objects. First collected by Francis Barrallier, a French settler in the colony at Port Jackson, the song ‘Coo-ee’ was set to music by Pierre-Francois Bernier (1779– 1803), astronomer to the Baudin expedition (1800–1804).1 This practice of acquiring Australian Aboriginal art is an aspect of the fascination people around the world have with the most ancient continuous culture.

By exploring this culture we are also, in a way, exploring the nature of our humanity.

Art is central to Aboriginal life, identity and culture. One of the results of this unimaginably long period of human endeavour is the vast array of rock art that can be found in most parts of Australia.

Captured in this ancient art are many of

the totemic icons and visual design – or the ‘Dreaming’ elements – that appear in modern Aboriginal art and material culture, dance and storytelling. More than art alone, these are the signs of a great human migration across the oceans and the archipelago to our north, and across this vast continent. The remains of ancient Aboriginal life are to be found scattered across landscapes everywhere.

For example, the stone walls of houses in south-west Victoria, the engraved trees on the inland plains of New South Wales and Victoria, the engraved concentric rings in rock faces that signal water sources in the arid areas, and stone tool-making sites.

Painting and engraving rock faces enabled people to write, read and, through time, negotiate the land’s cultural meaning.

The experience of standing in a rock-art gallery gazing at ancient paintings of people and times long gone is spine chilling. I have stood on sand in a sandstone escarpment shelter where people had camped tens of thousands of years ago. Gazing up at their paintings, some of them gigantic and elaborate, is a kind of time travel. The paintings seem to resonate with the spirit of the people who made them. The hand stencils made by groups of Aboriginal people record their visits to these rock galleries. Each man,

woman and child in the group held their hand up as an Elder blew liquid ochre over them to record their presence. These beautiful images, often at the base of large rock-art galleries, are a form of census. We can look at them and imagine the people who marked their presence at these places. Who among them were the artists, we wonder? Who painted the giant kangaroos, the barramundi and saratoga fish, the hunting scenes, and the magical ancestral figures across the walls of the escarpment shelters? Rock art plays a role in the definition of territory and identity, for the artists portrayed themes and used styles of painting that reflect the particular reality of a worldview and society.

We can imagine families camping at these rock-art galleries, at night around their campfires telling the stories of a good season hunting, fishing and harvesting; enjoying their meal cooked on the fire; celebrating a rich season on the grassy plains through their painting and storytelling; and taking shelter from the rain, the thunder, the lightning and storms.

The Wandjina paintings show the faces of ancestors who came with these storms, and the lightning strikes are painted around their heads to depict their association with the wild storms of the monsoonal season.

7

Top: Rock art in Mount Borradaile, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory Bottom: An engraving of Aboriginal tombs on Maria Island in Tasmania, ca. 1801–1803. Illustration published in 1895 in François Péron’s account of a French cartographic expedition to Australia led by Thomas Nicholas Baudin in 1800–1804

Chris Clarkson, from the University of Queensland, and his fellow archaeologists have unearthed evidence that the ancestors of Aboriginal people occupied the country we now call Australia at least 65 000 years ago. This continent ‘is the end point of early modern human migration out of Africa and sets the minimum age for the global dispersal of humans,’ they write. ‘This event was remarkable on many fronts, as it represented the largest maritime migration yet undertaken and the settlement of the driest

WELCOME TO COUNTRY MARCIA LANGTON, HARDIE GRANT TRAVEL, $39.99

Anthropologist and geographer Professor Marcia Langton has curated this beautiful handbook for anyone who is interested in learning more about indigenous Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. In the first section of the book, she backgrounds diverse topics including indigenous languages and customs, native title, storytelling, art and dance. The second part is a travel guide divided by states and territories. It details festivals, galleries and museums, national parks and tour companies that will give the reader a better insight into the ancient culture of the traditional owners of this land.

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and graphic designer Gillian Ward lives in Hobart, not far from where Olive Pink grew up. Gillian worked for many years at the University of Tasmania’s library and, while there, she curated a selection of Olive’s paintings called Miss Pink’s Wildflowers. This inspired her ongoing research into the extraordinary life of Olive, best known for her support of the Aboriginal people of Central Australia and her often feisty encounters with anthropologists, missionaries and local pastoralists. Olive’s strong connection to the Arrernte and Warlpiri people and their land led to a passion for the local flora, the establishment of a reserve in Alice Springs, now known as the Olive Pink Botanic Garden, and her collection of botanical paintings. With words, archival photographs, paintings and journal entries, Gillian has beautifully captured the life and passions of an unconventional woman ahead of her time.

SLOW COOKER VEGETARIAN KATY HOLDER, MURDOCH BOOKS, $29.99

Fights practically broke out in the office when long-time food writer and stylist Katy Holder’s latest offering landed on our desk.

Her reputation as an imaginative cook, a working mum to two hungry youngsters and the author of four previous cookbooks proceeded this offering, so scuffles were inevitable. With 100 recipes for meat-free soups, pastas, hearty comfort dishes, sides and desserts, Katy manages to give the

a novel idea

THE SHEPHERD’S HUT TIM WINTON, HAMISH HAMILTON, $39.99

ultimate set-and-forget appliance fresh appeal. What’s not to love about a hearty Mediterranean vegetable and black bean chilli, chermoula root vegetable tagine and chai-spiced poached pears, all beautifully illustrated with Alan Benson’s evocative photography?

RIO GRANDE AND OTHER VERSES A. B. PATERSON, HARPERCOLLINS, $19.99

Tim Winton is the master of the vernacular: in this case from the voice of Jaxie Clackton, a kid from the wrong side of the tracks. His mother is dead, his father beats him and Jaxie thinks there’s only one person in the world who understands him, his cousin, Lee. So when his world suddenly implodes, he heads off into the wilderness in the hope of escaping with her. Along the way, he meets someone who might be able to help and slowly his trust in humanity starts to mend. But destiny is a terrible thing, and Jaxie, it appears, is doomed never to get the break every underprivileged kid deserves.

THE SISTERS’ SONG

Another volume from the pocket-edition series first published during WWI by Angus & Robertson, or Anzac & Robertson as the company was known for its patriotic publishing, this collection of verse from the pen of Banjo Paterson includes the popular Hay and Hell and Booligal, Mulga Bill’s Bicycle and the various adventures of Saltbush Bill.

LOUISE ALLAN, ALLEN & UNWIN, $29.99

This debut novel from Western Australian author Louise Allan takes the reader back to Tasmania from the Depression to the 1960s. It traces the lives of two sisters, one who desperately wants a career as a singer and one who wants to marry and raise children. But life is not a fairytale so, of course, neither really gets what they want. In the process, however, the reader gains an insight into women’s lot before the feminist movement and the trials and tribulations of motherhood and sisterhood.

CHYKA HOME CHYKA KEEBAUGH, HARDIE GRANT BOOKS, $39.99

As a successful businesswoman, events organiser and editor of her own online magazine, Chyka.com, Chyka Keebaugh shares her secrets for creating a stylish home in this collection of decorating tips, recipes and DIY projects. Along the way, she addresses everything from stain removal and icing a naked cake to keeping flowers fresh and how best to fold those pesky fitted sheets.

WHOLEFOOD SIMPLY BIANCA SLADE, ABC BOOKS, $35

Bianca Slade is passionate about reinventing traditional sweet treats to suit her family’s wholefood ways, minimising processed ingredients, maximising raw ones and avoiding sugar, gluten and dairy.

Following up on her successful blog, Bianca has self-published several cookbooks. This collection of 100 recipes is illustrated with her own photographs and includes recipes for not-quite Snickers slice, gingerbread cookie dough bliss balls and chocolate cake with salted caramel icing and fudge-topped crunch bars.

ANZAC BISCUITS ALLISON REYNOLDS, WAKEFIELD PRESS, $24.95

Culinary historian Allison Reynolds has delved deep into the history of the biscuit she describes as a national icon. Among the many fascinating facts she reveals are that the inclusion of golden syrup as a binding agent was to replace eggs, which

would have reduced the shelf life of the biscuit being sent to troops overseas by lengthy ship voyage, and that the original version of the Anzac didn’t contain coconut. Snippets from soldiers’ letters, extracts from old cookbooks and handwritten recipes chronicle the “power and spirit of an everyday national icon” that the Anzac biscuit has become. australiancountry.net.au

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readers letters readers' letters

thanks for being in touch. we welcome your feedback.

Win a Prize

The real deal I love that Australian Country concentrates on real country people and their lives. You don’t spend the whole story telling people how much something costs and where to buy it. It is my lifeline when I can’t get out and about and it’s great to read on such diverse subjects from gardening and cooking to painting and travel.

Jenny Colley, Tambellup WA

Country collation Last issue generated lots of feedback from our readers.

Below: The Scifleet silos on Melrose Park near Mudgee grabbed everyone’s attention.

Your recent issue (May/June) stood out for its very different collection of stories. I particularly loved Pastiche of the Past and the happy sunflower painting that greets people as they walk into the entrance hallway. The jewel in the crown of the property is the silo accommodation … what a novel way to have a farm stay.

Catherine Sneesby, Empire Vale NSW

Thanks for being in touch. We welcome your feedback. We appreciate your thoughts and in each issue, one correspondent wins a prize. Simply email Kirsty at kmckenzie@umco.com.au or write to us at Australian Country, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters before publication. Our favourite correspondent next issue will win a range of personalcare products from our friends at Thankyou. Just tell us about your favourite story or feature to be in the running to win this wonderful prize.

cover and thoroughly enjoyed the articles. I have rheumatoid arthritis and try to keep my fingers as mobile as possible by colouring in. I hope you like my finished work.

Mary Relton, Windsor Qld

The fine print

An inspirational cover As I am a pensioner, I rarely buy magazines, but the colours in the flowers on the cover of the May/June issue of Australian Country really caught my eye. So I indulged myself and bought a copy. I have read it from cover to

And the winner is ...

Jenny Colley of Tambellup WA who wins a Vivo Rust outfoor firepit from our friends at Glow (northcotepottery.com/glow).

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Until I read Delsie Pott’s recent letter, I thought the readability problem was me, even though I have only recently had my eyes checked and no issues there. While the larger font size has helped, there is still a problem with the print, which is so light against the stark white background that it just becomes a blur.

Glenda Barton, Canberra ACT Ed’s note: We will be looking at this issue again, Glenda, and hope to resolve it.

don't miss ...

AUSTRALIAN

YOUR CONTEMPORARY COUNTRY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Editor Kirsty McKenzie email kmckenzie@umco.com.au Design Rachel Henderson Contributors Simone Barter, Bronte Camilleri, Alice Griffin, Tamara Simoneau, Photography Ken Brass, John Elliott, Don Fuchs, Anastasia Kariofyllidis, Max Rosenstein, George Ross, Kim Selby, Ross Williams, Marcus Wilson Smith Advertising NSW Fiona Collins mobile 0410 977 365 email fcollins@umco.com.au Advertising VICTORIA Angelos Tzovlas ph (03) 9694 6404; mobile 0433 567 071 email atzovlas@umco.com.au Directory & Travel Angela Jevdich ph (02) 9887 0641; mobile 0431 092 095 email ajevdich@umco.com.au Advertising Production Co-ordinator Christine Orchard Advertising Art Director Martha Rubazewicz Publisher Janice Williams For Subscriptions and Mail Orders phone 1300 303 414 Circulation Enquiries to our Sydney Head Office (02) 9805 0399

Chairman/CEO Publisher Chief Financial Officer Associate Publisher Finance & Administration Manager Circulation Business Development Manager Creative Director Editorial & Production Manager Marketing & Acquisitions Manager

Prema Perera Janice Williams Vicky Mahadeva Emma Perera James Perera Mark McTaggart Kate Podger Anastasia Casey Chelsea Peters

Australian Country Vol. 21.5 (No 129) is published by Universal Magazines, Unit 5, 6-8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113. Phone: (02) 9805 0399, Fax: (02) 9805 0714. Melbourne office, Suite 4, Level 1, 150 Albert Road, South Melbourne Vic 3205. Phone (03) 9694 6444 Fax: (03) 9699 7890. Printed in Singapore

by Times Printers, timesprinters.com. Distributed by Gordon and Gotch, Australia. Singapore — Car Kit Pte Ph 65 6 282 1960 magazines1source.com NZ Distributors: Needlecraft: (06) 356 4793, fax: (06) 355 4594, needlecraft.co.nz.

Netlink, (09) 366 9966 This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the publishers. The publisher believes all the information supplied in this book to be correct at the time of printing. They are not, however, in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. Prices, addresses and phone numbers were, after investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, up to date at the time of printing, but the shifting sands of time may change them in some cases. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements which appear in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility must therefore be on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisements for publication. While every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. * Recommended retail price ISSN 1323-9708 Copyright © Universal Magazines MMXVIII ACN 003 026 944 umco.com.au Please pass on or recycle this magazine.

This magazine is printed on paper produced in a mill that meets Environmental Management System ISO 9001.

WE ARE A MEMBER OF

FOR OUR NEXT ISSUE

we’ve taken a broad swoop across the country to visit many fascinating people and places for your reading pleasure. We start in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Natte Yallock in the Victorian Pyrenees, where artist Lin Van Hek and her partner, singer/songwriter and poet Joe Dolce have turned a deconsecrated church into a colourful creative retreat. we also venture to the other end of the spectrum in the Western District, where Tim and Jane Fraser are gradually restoring the splendid 1905 bluestone homestead at Yalla-y-Poora. Then we catch up with an old AC friend, Vicki Dreier, at her holiday house at Halls Gap in the Grampians. In Albury, we meet up with teacher Kathy Rupp and learn about her passion for all things French while at the other end of NSW at Murwillumbah in the Tweed Valley, we visit a lovely tropical hideaway curated by serial renovator Jane Rennie-Hynes. Our garden feature comes from Birdwood in the Adelaide Hills, our fashion feature welcomes spring and our travel story heads to the NSW Central-West.

There’s loads of inspiration on every page so keep an eye out for AC 21.6, which goes on sale November 1. australiancountry.net.au

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where to buy

Baker's Dozen, page 12

STOCKISTS & CONTACTS Akubra ph: (02) 6562 6177, e: salesenquiries@akubra.com.au, w: akubra.com.au Antique Baths 162 Bungaree Rd, Pendle Hill NSW 2145. ph: (02) 9896 0109, e: info@antiquebaths.com.au, w: antiquebaths.com.au Belle Couleur ph: 0417 913 192, e: melissa@bellecouleur.com.au, w: bellecouleur.com.au Birdsnest ph: 1300 696 378, w: birdsnest.com.au Chatterton Lacework 43 Beverage Dr, Tullarmarine Vic 3043. ph: (03) 9330 4466, e: info@chatterton.com.au, w: chatterton.com.au Cheminee ph: (02) 9564 2694, e: sales@cheminee.com.au, w: cheminee.com.au Clementine Sleepwear ph: (08) 9284 1602, w: clementinedesign.com.au Colonial Castings 95-97 Market St, Smithfield NSW 2164. ph: (02) 9604 8222,

Birdsnest, Store Strolling, page 136

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e: info@colonialcastings.com.au, w: colonialcastings.com.au Coola Cozzies ph: 0419 649 634, e: admin@coolacozzies.com, w: coolacozzies.com Coomber Bros Jewellery 78 McDowell St, Roma Qld 4455. ph: (07) 4622 1145, e: sales@coomberbros.com.au, w: coomberbros.com.au Eco Haven 27 Murray St, Hobart Tas 7000. ph: (03) 6223 7620, e: shop@ecohaven.com.au, w: ecohaven.com.au Emu Wire Industries 2/25 Encore Ave, Somerton Vic 3062. ph: (03) 9308 5599, e: sales@emuwire. com.au, w: emuwire.com.au Fleur Furniture 267 Victoria Rd, Gladesville NSW 2111. ph: (02) 9817 1844, e: info@fleurfurniture.com.au, w: fleurfurniture.com.au Gilly's Waxes & Polishes PO Box 279, Mundaring WA 6073. ph: (08) 9295 1973, e: info@ gillyswaxesandpolishes.com.au, w: gillyswaxesandpolishes.com.au Glamwrap ph: (08) 8431 6315, e: linda@glamwrap.com.au,

w: glamwrap.com.au Goondiwindi Cotton PO Box 288, Goondiwindi Qld 4390. Ph: (07) 4671 5611, e: info@goondiwindicotton.com.au, w: goondiwindicotton.com.au Harkaway Homes 57 National Ave, Pakenham Vic 3810. ph: (03) 5943 2388, e: steve@harkawayhomes.com.au, w: harkawayhomes.com.au Howard Products 33 Griffin Ave, Tamworth NSW 2340. ph: 1800 672 646, w: howardproducts.com.au Inner Space Furniture 144 Leura Mall, Leura NSW 2043. ph: (02) 4784 1143, w: leuramall.com Jetmaster ph: 1300 538 627, e: sales@jetmaster.com.au, w: jetmaster.com.au John Deere w: deere.com.au John W Thompson & Son Suite 1, Level 4, The Dymocks Building, 428 George St, Sydney NSW 2000. ph: (02) 9233 3520, e: enquire@johnwthompson.net, w: johnwthompson.net Malcolm St James 112 Victoria Rd, Drummoyne,

NSW 2047. ph: (02) 9719 2400, e: info@malcolmstjames.com.au, w: malcolmstjames.com.au Marple Antiques and Collectables ph: 0408 270 289, e: admin@marpleantiques.com.au, w: marpleantiques.com.au Rocky Point Mulching 709 Stapylton-Jacobs Well Rd, Woongoolba Qld 4207. ph: (07) 5546 2470, e: baled@rpmulching.com.au, w: rpmulching.com.au Smitten Merino PO Box 199, Battery Point Tas 7004. ph: (03) 6212 0197, e: admin@smittenmerino.com, w: smittenmerino.com The Original Lamp Shop 84A Duncan St, Braidwood NSW 2622. ph: 0408 483 255, e: robert@kero-lamps.com.au, w: kerolamps.com The Soleilo Store ph: 0418 591 021, e: info@soleilo.com.au, w: soleilo.com.au Woolstar 6 Shaw Rd, Ingleburn NSW 2565. ph: (02) 9829 6199, e: sales@woolproducts.com.au, w: woolstar.com.au

www.goondiwindicotton.com.au For your nearest stockist phone - (07) 4671 5611