Country Style has been around for 30 years and I’ve been lucky enough to have been its editor for more than a decade. Last night, I sat at my little desk at home cluttered with the debris of a deadline and thought about all the wonderful people you and I have met together on these pages. Dairy farmers, artists, wool growers, novelists, market gardeners and even prime ministers... they have been a very diverse crowd but all with one thing in common — their experiences of life on the land have made for some fascinating stories. Talking of great tales, there are many in this issue. Maggie MacKellar writes about one of the annual walks that she does with her walking group, the Tough Old Goats (don’t you love that name!). “I met them seven years ago sitting around a fire at their legendary annual ladies lunch. I’d arrived a stranger and many hours later found myself invited on their next trip.” Everyone needs friends like these in their life. Turn to page 23 to see how they went. A person who has always inspired me is on page 40. In my early days as an editor, writer and stylist Sara Silm was always up for a challenge and had many funny anecdotes about her adventures on the road. And the same can be said of everyone who I have worked with on Country Style over the years — thank you for your hard work, dedication and sense of humour. But many of my favourite stories have come from you, the readers. From Sharne, who wrote to me about her dad Bill’s famous passionfruit sponge cake that went on to be one of the most popular recipes we ever had, to the reader who wrote to me after she had moved just down the road from my m0ther’s place in NSW’s Kyogle. “After years of reading the magazine, I was inspired to move to the country and I’m very happy that I did, but why didn’t you tell me about all the black snakes?” When I told my mum, who had recently called the snake catcher to extract a lovely six foot red-bellied black from under the kitchen dresser, she completely agreed with the reader. “Yes, why didn’t you!” Usually, I sign off and say ‘until next month’ but this is my last editor’s letter to you. There, I have written it down and I’m looking at it in black and white on my laptop screen. It has been a wonderful journey and thank you for keeping me and our team company along the way. I have loved every minute.
PHOTOGRAPHY DAMIAN BENNETT STYLING LIZ KAVANAGH
Victoria Carey
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CONTRIBUTORS
in this i s s u e . . . A N G E L A J O N E S
HOMEWARES OUT NOW
During a visit home to Australia to escape the New York winter, Angela snuck in a visit to her beloved Blue Mountains to photograph Aaron Brocken of Harvest Farm on page 16.
Shop the Country Style range at madraslinkonline.com.au
J O C A R M I C H A E L
PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE
Based in Perth, this talented stylist helped capture Tanya Cain-Abbs’ gorgeous home on page 48 and also works as an interior design consultant.
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The vast Western Australian landscape Jo Carmichael enjoys now is very different to the lush, bucolic scenes she experienced growing up. “I have fond childhood memories being brought up in the beautiful countryside of Worcestershire in England,”’ she says. “It was a life shared with wild ducks on our ponds… and a pet lamb. Mum had 60 rare-breed sheep that she bred for wool; she knew every single one by name.” Jo began her career in London before moving to live in Sydney 14 years ago. After a six-year ‘layover’, Jo and her husband moved to Perth to be closer to his family and extend their own (they now have two girls aged 10 and six). “It’s a very beautiful place to live and has become the perfect up-and-coming place for design and style,” she says.
WORDS TRACEY PLATT PHOTOGRAPHY JO CARMICHAEL, ANGELA JONES, MARNIE HAWSON
Angela grew up at Shellharbour on the NSW South Coast, later moving to Wollongong. While she now lives in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, the call of the ocean is still strong. “The first thing I do when I get off the plane for my yearly visit home is drive to the beach and have a swim, there is something very restorative about it.” Aaron’s community farming project in the Blue Mountains also brought back childhood memories of bushwalking with her family and the organic community farm her parents once worked on. “I have memories of picking raspberries with Dad and eating most of our findings along the way. This sense of community and organic farming has stayed with me into my adult years.”
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30 COVER STORIES
23 Walking in Tasmania 30 From the ruins: Rebuilding a historical 48 90
bluestone farmhouse Among the gum trees: A WA family’s new home in the bush High spirits: The regional whisky trail
65 DREAM BATHROOMS
Be inspired to create a relaxing sanctuary to wash away the worries of the day.
GARDEN
72 HARD YARDS
Jane Burrell is the custodian during drought of a garden created by generations before her.
PEOPLE
16 GROWING COMMUNITY
Meet Aaron Brocken, a new kind of farmer who has connected with neighbours to work their land.
MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD
26 Presenter Anna Daniels on growing up in a big family in Rockhampton, Queensland.
HARVEST TABLE COMPETITION
78 LIFE LESSON
84
HOMES
30 OUT OF THE RUBBLE 40 48
A bluestone house with convict origins is given new life by a couple in Yass on NSW’s Southern Tablelands. POSTCARD: A GRAND PLAN The tale of how one Australian family ended up living in the French countryside restoring a chateau. BUSH TONIC The landscape surrounding this house in Yallingup, WA, provides constant inspiration.
DECORATING
56 SECRET GARDEN
Follow the winding path to unearth garden objects and discover the beauty of time spent with nature.
Chef Troy Rhoades-Brown, who owns two restaurants in NSW’s Hunter Valley, explains why he’s passionate about teaching his children how to grow vegetables. A COOL CHANGE Enter our Harvest Table competition, in association with Fisher & Paykel, for a chance to win great prizes.
FOOD
86 HEIRLOOM: PASTA MASTER 88 90
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A granddaughter shares the recipe for timpana, a Maltese pasta pie, and memories of her Nanna. MELTING MOMENTS Chef Steve Cumper reinvents a favourite — the toastie — by using fancy cheese and adding mushrooms. DRINK: WHERE THE WHISKY IS With a climate similar to Scotland, Tasmania is the perfect location to distill whisky. We meet the distillers behind the labels to find out their stories. FLAVOURS Meet a beef farmer with a difference and discover two inspiring cookbooks.
J u n e 2 02 0 | c o n t e n t s
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40 104
PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT, LISA COHEN, CHINA SQUIRREL, MICHAEL WEE
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TRAVEL
MY TOWN: CANUNGRA Meet the locals of this south-east Queensland town and put it on your bucket list of places to visit in Australia.
CRAFT
A KNOT IN TIME Take time to slow down and create a market bag, baskets or even decorative hearts from string.
FASHION AND HEALTH
THE STYLE DIARIES Textile designer Tanya Cain-Abbs spends a lot of time outdoors so she loves stylish but practical pieces. FAST ASLEEP Dr Michael Mosley reveals why sleep is so essential for good health and goes through all the top advice for getting your absolute best rest possible.
PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of Country Style magazine is published by Bauer Media Pty Ltd (Bauer). Bauer may use and disclose your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, including to provide you with your requested products or services and to keep you informed of other Bauer publications, products, services and events. Our Privacy Policy is located at bauer-media.com.au/privacy. It also sets out how you can access or correct your personal information and lodge a complaint. Bauer may disclose your personal information offshore to its owners, joint venture partners, service providers and agents located throughout the world, including in New Zealand, USA, the Philippines and the European Union. In addition, this issue may contain Reader Offers, being offers, competitions or surveys. Reader Offers may require you to provide personal information to enter or to take part. Personal information collected for Reader Offers may be disclosed by us to service providers assisting Bauer in the conduct of the Reader Offer and to other organisations providing special prizes or offers that are part of the Reader Offer. An opt-out choice is provided with a Reader Offer. Unless you exercise that opt-out choice, personal information collected for Reader Offers may also be disclosed by us to other organisations for use by them to inform you about other products, services or events or to give to other organisations that may use this information for this purpose. If you require further information, please contact Bauer’s Privacy Officer either by email at privacyofficer@bauer-media.com.au or mail at Privacy Officer Bauer Media Pty Ltd, 54 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000.
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REGULAR READING
Contributors Your page: Readers’ emails and letters Chris Ferguson: A Day in the Country A Month in the Country: Maggie MacKellar on a very special walk in Tasmania. Regional Shopping Guide: Support the bush and look at these great country-based businesses. Books Country Squire
SERVICES
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AND ENJOY FREE HOME DELIVERY Stockists Field Guide Country Emporium Country and Coastal Retreats
OUR COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Lisa Cohen STYLING Belle Hemming and Lynda Gardener
ON THE COVER English springer spaniel Finn in the garden (see more on page 56). The home’s exterior is painted in a colour matched to Colorbond Woodland Grey, a similar bathtub can be found at Fossil Vintage, the tall pot on the left of the door is from Perfect Pieces, the small bucket on the right is from Found at Hepburn, the Marina Square occasional chair is from Globe West and the flowers are from Wombat Hill Florist. All other items are the stylist’s own. For stockist details, see page 130. Shot on location at Room + Board Daylesford, roomandboard.com.au
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YOUR PAGE
In our April issue we asked chef Adam Newell from New Zealand’s Union Square Bistro + Bar to share some of his recipes. As well as running the restaurant, Adam owns the Martinborough Hotel with his wife Nicola. “The community has really welcomed us. You can walk down the street and say ‘Hi’ to people and it’s all genuine. It gives you a fuzzy feeling, whereas in the city, you get lost a little,” Adam says. Photography @markroperphotography
Lots of our readers wished that they called this beautiful house on the cover of our April issue home. @theoverflowmacedon, seen here with her black labrador Maggie, designed and built this off grid home in the Macedon Ranges with interiors by @mainehouseinteriors. Photography @lisacohenphoto Styling @tess.newman.morris
YOUR PAGE
THESE DAYS IN ISOLATION HAVE BEEN A TIME FOR SOME READERS TO PLAN AHEAD AND THINK ABOUT LIFE, WHILE ANOTHER IS IN HER ORCHARD PICKING FRUIT TO MAKE INTO JAM.
A CHANGING WORLD There’s nothing more sobering than a monthly magazine deadline to highlight just how quickly Australia (and the world) can change. The overwhelming sadness of seeing pages of social events that are now not to be, the unrealised pain ahead for some of the people and industries in the pages (including the Country Style team) and how blessed it is to have a safe and comfortable family home, are all poignant reminders of how fragile and fortunate life can be. I hope we can get through this devastating time together and find some point of return soon. I look forward to seeing what inspiring warmth Country Style’s ‘We’ve turned the corner’ edition will bring down the track. Take care, everyone. Lesley Apps, Grafton, NSW
INSPIRING READ
the renovations, gardens, farming, fashion and all that is quintessentially Australian — there is not one section of my home that doesn’t feature a small thing that has grabbed my attention from the pages of your magazine. Caroline Vogel, Mossy Point, NSW
WINNER
DREAM MOVE Recently my husband started a new job in country NSW, so we left our city abode and moved into a country cottage with a vast garden including a productive orchard. I have always enjoyed gardening but had not planned to rent a place with a large garden because of all the maintenance involved. How thankful we are during this time of isolation and restricted travel, to be in a place surrounded by such beauty and many rewarding tasks to do each day. I have lost count
How refreshing it was to read the March issue featuring artists in light of the current world crisis. For all those in isolation who, like me, had back issues of Country Style to browse at leisure there was no need to look any further than your pages for inspiration and purpose. I am in isolation due to a medical condition yet my days are filled with colour. I have my paints and a supply of canvases at the ready, limited only by my imagination. I’m inspired by
of the number of figs we have picked, eaten with cheese, stewed and baked. There have been endless quantities of plums turned into delicious jars of jam and given away. Having stopped my work to move here, I have enjoyed doing lots of cooking and entertaining, sharing gardens and making new friends. Now that we can no longer socialise, I am thankful for long, safe walks about the countryside and a garden to escape to whenever spirits are low. My companions are the local birdlife: wrens, spinebills, thornbills, fantails and parrots. We have been busy sowing seeds, planting strawberries and picking mushrooms. Over the months ahead, there will always be something growing and changing just as we have had to through this difficult and challenging time. Wendy Straw, Crookwell, NSW
Congratulations to Wendy Straw who has won a $300 gift voucher from Woolerina. For more information about these wonderful pieces made from merino wool, telephone (02) 6851 2100 or visit woolerina.com.au Share your thoughts and experiences with us by writing to Country Style, PO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW, 1028, or emailing austcountrystyle@bauer-media. com.au. Please include your address and daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space and clarity.
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10 COUNTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
A DAY IN THE COUNTRY
PHOENIX RISING I HEAR THE whir of my partner’s gyrocopter behind me,
then the chop chop of the rotors as he comes in to land. I am focused on fixing a gate, the warm sun shining on my bent back, hands in the red dust of this outback station that has been in my care for almost 20 years. I imagine him walking into the house and filling the kettle while he looks out the kitchen window towards where I am working. He will empty the teapot out the back door and then take two large mugs off their hooks, gauging that I will be done soon and looking for breakfast. I am anticipating that hot cup of tea when it hits me like a punch to the chest. The teapot, the mugs, the house — it’s all gone — burnt to the ground before my eyes more than three years ago. I swear that I can feel it there at my back — our home. I can see the kid’s height marks on the door frame; I remember every detail of the schoolroom where my children received their less than perfect primary school education from School of the Air and me. I can see the door that my son ran into laughing and broke it, the front step where I would sit and watch the rain, the kitchen where I invented a myriad meals with dehydrated peas, potato and mutton in the long spaces between trips to town for supplies. Every minute detail is crystal clear in my mind. It’s all gone, but I can still feel it right there behind me. Is this how it feels after the loss of a limb? My house burnt down in an accident. It happened so quickly that my legs went from under me and I struggled to stand upright. I trembled and shook as though it was the earth that was shaking and not my heart.
Chris’ beloved house on her 25,000-hectare property at Wanaaring near Bourke in NSW, before it burnt down. She describes the accident as “a series of calamities that began with a pot left on the stove and a pup chasing sheep”. 12 COU NTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
My neighbours saw the smoke and came to help but there was nothing that could be done. They used their satellite phone to call the Rural Fire Service who quickly rallied and drove the 60 kilometres from the village of Wanaaring. They could do little but offer moral support, sitting with me as we watched my home smoulder away to nothing. Someone asked, “What’s that smell?” My gaze never left the fire as I answered, “My beautiful polished pine floorboards.” I made my way through the time that followed like wading through thigh-deep mud. The days turned into weeks, then months and now years. The house has been replaced with a shipping container fitted out with all that is necessary and nothing that isn’t. It serves the purpose of shelter on my visits to the station, but it is far from the home that we lost. A few days after the fire I took my camera to photograph the rubble in an attempt to record something through the numbness. As I was carefully framing the picture through the viewfinder, I noticed my shadow falling across the corrugated iron roof that now lay on the ground. I lowered the camera and enjoyed the golden afternoon light, smiling at the obvious; for my shadow to fall the sun had to be shining on me. Standing before the remnants of my home, I had no idea then that the fire had burnt through the rope anchoring my heart to this place. The catastrophe that I believed I would never recover from turned out to be a catalyst that moved me into a bigger and better life. Isn’t that often the way with catastrophes? Chris Ferguson is a grazier and shares her experience of life in the outback at @lifeinthemulga on Instagram.
PHOTOGRAPHY MATILDA FERGUSON PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY GREG ROBERTSON
SUFFERING THE LOSS OF HER HOME PROPELLED CHRIS FERGUSON FORWARD AND INTO A BETTER LIFE.
Editor-in-chief VICTORIA CAREY Creative director JO QUARMBY Deputy editor KYLIE IMESON Melbourne editor VIRGINIA IMHOFF Senior copy editor K ATE BARBER Art production/designer MATUS KUNDRAT Junior designer SOPHIE WILSON Stylists LISA BURDEN, NATALIE JOHNSON Homes group production editor TAMARAH PIENA AR Homes group coordinator MATILDA RINGROSE (02) 9282 8456 Regular contributors CLAIRE MACTAGGART (Queensland contributing editor) DIXIE ELLIOTT (Food) ROB INGRAM (Country Squire) ANNABEL LAWSON (Books) JOHN McPHEE (Collectables) CHRISTINE REID (Gardening) BARBARA SWEENEY (Flavours) JULIETTE WINTER (Health and Beauty)
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PEOPLE MOUNT TOM A H NSW
AFTER RETURNING TO THE FARM WHERE HE WAS BORN, AARON BROCKEN IS WORKING TO PRESERVE FARMING TRADITIONS FOR THE FUTURE. WORDS BA R BA R A SW EENEY PHOTOGRAPHY A NGELA JONES
Aaron Brocken’s small herd of Nigerian dwarf goats follow him around as he works on the farm he leases in the NSW Blue Mountains. FACING PAGE The inquisitive goats provide milk and keep the grass down. 16 COUNTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
PEOPLE MOUNT TOM A H NSW
AARON BROCKEN’S COMMUTE to work each day involves a stroll
through a paddock with the churring call of silver bowerbirds hanging in the air. Beyond a stand of tall eucalypts on the far side of the field lies a Garden of Eden, where edible delights can be plucked straight from the tree. There’s a forest of macadamia, pecan, chestnut and walnut trees, plus berries ranging from the dark-hearted blackberry to the bright red growth and glossy green leaves of the Tazziberry. There’s even a citrus orchard with four different types of lemon trees. Aaron was born in a cottage on this 65-hectare farm at Mount Tomah, in the upper reaches of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. Back then, it was a commercial blueberry farm and his parents were the farm managers. They left when he was four years old, and now, aged 33, after 10 years spent travelling and living in Mexico, he’s back. This market gardener now lives and works on this bush block, but he doesn’t own the land. Buying land in areas such as Mount Tomah on the fringes of our cities is out of reach for most young farmers. Instead, Aaron has entered a gentleman’s agreement with the owner, Johnny Chorley, that allows him to live on the farm in a tiny three-room dwelling fashioned out of a shipping container. Here, he grows potatoes and garlic, tends to the existing fruit and nut trees, and keeps a small herd of Nigerian dwarf goats — a buck, three does and three kids — for their milk and to keep the grass down.“Johnny may be my landlord, but he’s like an uncle, teaching and helping me with the tractor, netting and orchard,” he says.
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Aaron has a similar arrangement with Phil and Irene Spasaro, a few kilometres down the road at Bilpin. With Phil’s help, he’s spent the past six years restoring an orchard of 500 apple trees. He also grows more than 22 types of vegetables — kale, carrots, tomatoes and the colonial Hawkesbury white maize — in black volcanic soil. “The maize is a project I am doing to preserve a variety that has a strong historical and cultural significance to our area,” he says. “The seed was thought to be lost but discovered in an old seed bank at a community garden by my father. I save the seed for others to use as it has quite a unique taste.” Aaron accepts the lack of secure tenure in exchange for being able to work in a community he knows and loves, to grow food, and to be closely connected to his city customers. “I farm because I want to engage with nature,” he says. The future of farming is also on his mind. “The average age of farmers is 70 and we’ll see big changes in the food system and agriculture in the next 15 years,” he says. “It’s exciting because there will be lots of opportunities to be creative.” One of his visions involves pairing young people with land owners in the same way he has with Johnny and Phil. “Imagine the social and environmental benefits if young farmers worked small lifestyle blocks near big cities for owners. We’d retain agricultural skills, improve the quality of the landscape and its water-load capacity, all the while creating resources that are essential to life, from food and timber to education… You wouldn’t believe the number of people who tell me they have land I could use.” >
CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Aaron at work, followed by his herd of goats — his constant companions on the property; one of the Nigerian dwarf goats; a chestnut tree. FACING PAGE Aaron on the tractor. His landlord Johnny Chorley helps him with the tractor and some of the farming work.
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Green shoots after the fire; the 33-year-old was born on the land he now farms; Aaron is keen to preserve the old skills of local orchardists. FACING PAGE Nigerian dwarf goats are known for their gentle, playful personalities. The bond between Aaron and his goats is obvious.
MOUNT TOM A H NSW PEOPLE
The food he grows and gathers is sold direct via his Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project called Harvest Farms, where customers pay upfront for fortnightly deliveries of fresh produce, thereby ensuring capital and income. He also sells at the farmers’ market he set up with The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Other customers include local restaurants, such as Spicers Sangoma Retreat. As we sit at the kitchen table to talk over a cup of tea, those silver bowerbirds swooping onto the last remaining grape bunch on the vine that grows over the front door, Aaron talks about community and the importance of connecting. He actively encourages customers to visit his Harvest Farms for field days and also holds long-table lunches so that others can experience nature as he does. “CSA appealed on so many levels. It’s basically a bunch of people hiring a farmer to grow vegetables for them. My customers ring to ask how ‘our’ garlic is going and to check on the tomatoes.” When he lost his shed and tools, irrigation lines and most of the apple trees on Phil’s place in the fire that ravaged Bilpin in December 2019, his customers had his back.
“When I told them I wasn’t able to deliver boxes they said not to worry and to use their fee to rebuild. Which is why I think it’s important that we invest in social capital.” The investment goes both ways. More than 300 people turned up to the fire fundraiser film night he organised in Sydney in February. “They come because they know these things aren’t normal,”he explains. “It’s ironic that it takes a fire, which did have a Doomsday aspect to it, to open up the conversation. But at last it has.” And the conversation has continued during the pandemic. Despite circumstances forcing him to stop his dinners, put his market on hold and restaurants cancelling their orders, subscriptions of fresh produce boxes have increased. “People’s appreciation for what I do is amazing at the moment,” he says. “I’ve had a crazy amount of feedback and interest. The loss in business has more than been made up for by the amount of people subscribing.” The future for this market gardener, and the land he tends to, looks bright. To sign up as a Harvest Farms CSA customer for spring or for future dinners and tours, visit harvestfarms.com.a
“My customers ring to ask how ‘our’ garlic is going and to check on the tomatoes.”
JUNE 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 21
T H E M O S T B E AU T I F U L T OW N S I N R E G I O N A L AU S T R A L I A
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A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY Tasmania’s west coast, where Maggie MacKellar and her walking group, Tough Old Goats, did their annual trek
With events around the country on hold for now, Maggie MacKellar recounts a different kind of get-together in the Tasmanian wilderness.
JUNE 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 23
A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
“WHAT! ARE YOU all lily livered sissies?”* This was the
message my phone blinked at me from Lucy to our walking group Tough Old Goats. To give her due, she’d just woken after coming off night shift in the Emergency Department at Hobart Royal where she and three others in our group work as nurses. When she had left for work our (12 months in the planning) trip to walk the Tarkine Coast was set to go. She woke to find a frenzied mess of messages between the other five of us about the horrible weather conditions forecast to hit the west coast of Tasmania in the middle of our six-day walk. Lucy’s message had us in stitches, she was right, we had walked in so much worse. Of course we went. The women I’m lucky enough to walk with are all born and bred Tasmanians who’ve known each other half their lives. Then there’s me, the mainland migrant. I met them seven years ago sitting around a fire at their legendary annual ladies lunch. I’d arrived a stranger and many hours later found myself invited on their next trip. I passed my initiation by hauling a flagon of wine up Frenchmans Cap. Since then we’ve walked all over Tassie, always off the beaten track. This year our walk was the Tarkine Coast, described in the track notes as five to seven days long, difficult, untracked wilderness, no phone coverage, river crossings, snakes and quicksand. A more accurate way to describe it is a landscape of long stretches of wild beaches broken up by massive sand
dunes stretching for kilometres inland. Afterwards I would think of us walking between two wild worlds. On our left was a wild horizon of breakers, waves driven by the Roaring Forties to crash against the west coast of Tasmania and on our right hundreds of kilometres of virtually impenetrable wilderness. We were to thread our way between the two. When we finally hefted our packs on to our backs, settled into our stride and walked north, all the effort to coordinate getting away was worth it. Each of us brought something different to the walk, different strengths and fragilities, different stresses we needed to lay aside, but we shared the need to annually strip life back to what we could carry on our backs. It’s something I crave, a resetting of sorts, a literal walking away from all the layers of modern life, into a world where only the present is pressing. Our days quickly fell into an easy routine. The weather was brutal, but nothing we couldn’t handle. We got wet, the wind whipped up the sand and scoured our skin. We walked past huge middens and felt the surge of stories this landscape holds for Indigenous Tasmanians. We’d made good time until the third day when we arrived at the swollen Lagoon River. It was brown, fierce and flowing fast. We waited for the lowest tide to try and cross at the mouth, but Kristy and then Amanda sank to the waist in quicksand. If in doubt boil the billy, so we did while Barb read the track notes aloud
PHOTOGRAPHY MAGGIE MACKELLAR
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT With tents pitched, the friends enjoy happy hour drinks around the fire after a long day of walking; the Pieman River on the west coast of Tasmania; a makeshift clothesline; the Arcadia II, built in 1939 from Huon pine, took the group down the Pieman River to their starting point; the fire dries out wet walking shoes. FACING PAGE The Tarkine Coast walk takes up to seven days and has several river crossings.
again. “The Lagoon River can be impassable in winter or after heavy rains and it should be crossed with extreme caution.” This seemed patently obvious. In between rain squalls we watched the river running swiftly out to sea. The water was like molasses, full of tannin, leached out of the button grass and tea tree wilderness. We trekked upstream, slipping and sliding on sand dunes as steep as cliffs. Here the forest overhung a different river, dark and uninviting. We walked back to the coast, were patient and watched the tide go out and then come back in. We were stuck and frustrated. We cautioned ourselves not to do anything silly. As the day closed in we decided the safest place to cross was away from the mouth at the widest point. Because I swim all year round off the coast near our farm, I was judged to be most immune to the cold, I waded out into the river. The water gripped me but the current wasn’t too strong, the bottom was hard sand. The water crept higher until it was under my chin, but I made it easily through the deepest section. I swam back and with another squall of rain bearing down on us ,we all stripped and walked across together, our heavy packs held above our heads. It had taken us six hours to cross, but we were euphoric and our bodies glowed red as the blood rushed back to our edges. We camped tucked into a deep gully. The wind howled over the lip of the dune but down in the gully the flames from our
fire leapt and danced. We were doing what has always been done on this coast — coming here to be renewed. We laughed till our bellies ached at the ridiculous sight we would have been — six middle-aged women, 12 children between us, our bodies carrying the scars of life, bare to the elements, but each of us leaving some secret fear, some lesser version of ourselves on the other side of the river. Two days later we walked out of the wilderness and into the tiny huddle of fishing shacks given the grand name of Temma. We flung our packs down and wrung out wet socks. Elizabeth found a scrap of phone reception and rang an old mate who lived further up the north-west coast. Within a couple of hours, two blokes in four-wheel drive utes turned up to take us to the Marrawah Tavern. We bought them drinks and the howling wind and nipping cold was forgotten as the fire roared in the grate. As the pub filled up with locals, I left them to it and walked back to my tent pitched in the paddock. Lying in my sleeping bag, I realised the walking quietens everything down in me. Each time I walk here I make a bigger space to stand in this place I now call home. * Language has been changed to protect the innocent as Lucy may have used stronger language to express her views. Maggie MacKellar has written two memoirs, When It Rains and How To Get There, and lives on a sheep property on the east coast of Tasmania.
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MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD
AUTHOR AND PRESENTER ANNA DANIELS IS AN EXPERT AT NOT TAKING HERSELF TOO SERIOUSLY AFTER GROWING UP IN A BIG FAMILY IN QUEENSLAND’S ROCKHAMPTON. WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA RT
for the Vogel’s Literary Award and is one of the nation’s top-selling debut novels. growing up in Rockhampton, journalist, Now based in Sydney and producing broadcaster and author Anna Daniels for ABC Radio, Anna also has plans to has plenty of comic fodder to draw from. host a podcast for Beef Australia called “There was always just so much laughter What’s Your Beef later this year, reverberating through the house,” the interviewing people in the lead-up to the 39-year-old recalls. “Even now when we all 2021 event to be held in Rockhampton. get together at home with Mum and Dad She regularly returns to her hometown you sometimes can’t get a word in edgewise to catch up with family as well as Banjo, for the laughter!” her much-loved kelpie. Anna’s parents, pharmacists Jan and “Going out for coffee with Mum and Wayne, taught their daughter and her elder ABOVE Celebrating her 10th birthday Dad and inevitably bumping into and brothers Nick, now 45, and Carl, 41, and at Sizzler in Rockhampton. FACING younger siblings Sam, 32, and 30-year-old PAGE Today, Anna is based in Sydney. catching up with people wherever we go is nice, too,” she says. Sally to always look on the bright side of life. Throughout her youth, she spent a lot of time at Danovea, “I think it’s one of the great gifts they gave us, to have an 800-hectare property at Joskeleigh, near Rockhampton a heightened appreciation for the silliness and ridiculous where her father runs beef cattle. “It’s in my blood, the moments in life,” she says. sense of life in the bush,” she admits with a smile. Anna, who is known for her comedic style of reporting “What I would really love to do is champion the stories across radio and television including Network Ten’s for rural and regional Australia for a major network in The Project, honed an early love of public speaking by a very funny, entertaining, upbeat type of way,” she says. performing at the local Rockhampton Eisteddfod from Her recent work with the ABC’s Australia Talks, a show the age of seven. She did well at school and was college that examined the attitudes and views of Australians on captain at The Cathedral College in Rockhampton. For a number of important issues, reinforces the importance a time, she considered a career as a physiotherapist. of this for Anna. One of the findings to come out of the Instead she studied journalism and creative writing survey was that more than 76 per cent of Australians say at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane and the bush is central to our national character. her botched 2003 interview with Russell Crowe — which “Even though the majority of us don’t live in regional she saved from disaster by turning into a hilarious example Australia, there’s still a sense of great nostalgia and of how not to interview — went on to earn her the ABC’s love for the bush,” Anna says. Comedy Segment of the Year award. For more information about Anna and her work, visit In 2016, Anna’s first novel Girl In Between, which is a annamdaniels.com or follow @annadaniels on Instagram > romantic comedy set in regional Australia, was short-listed AS THE MIDDLE CHILD of five siblings
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“What I would really love to do is champion the stories for rural and regional Australia...�
MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD CLOCKWISE, FROM RIGHT Anna, aged 10 with her mum Jan and siblings Carl, 12, at the piano, eight-month-old Sally, Sam, four, and Nick, 16, seated behind; nine-year-old Anna and Sam, three, at the beach house at Keppel Sands; sitting on Blaze.
I HAD A FREE-RANGE upbringing in Rocky and there was always a sense of fun in our family. Mum and Dad were both pharmacists and owned opposing pharmacies in a country town which was pretty funny. That set the scene for us not to take things too seriously. My grandad Fred was a pharmacist and he ran Shotker’s Pharmacy in William Street and my grandmother Eileen was a pharmacy assistant who worked in the business with him. Their daughters, Jan, who was my mum, and Judy, both became pharmacists and took over Shotker’s Pharmacy. Dad is quite the entrepreneurial businessman and he opened up his own Wayne Daniels Pharmacy just a few blocks around the corner from Mum. It was cause for much laughter when our parents came home and mentioned they saw a long-standing customer in the other’s store that day. Sometimes Dad would catch people out when he went around to have lunch with Mum and a customer would see him and say,
card and say, ‘Just pop across and get me a good murder!’ They were always large print titles like The Longest Coffin or The Deadly Dagger and she used to sign her initials in the front once she’d read them... I was flat out finding any without her scribble in the front when I was a teenager! My Dad’s other great passion was being a cattle farmer and we spent
“When we all get together ... you sometimes can’t get a word in edgewise for the laughter!” ‘Sorry, Wayne. I couldn’t get a park at your pharmacy.’ ” The Wayne Daniels Pharmacy delivery van was bright yellow and emblazoned with signwriting like ‘we hire and sell bed wetting alarms and breast pumps’. If it came into my high school car park to pick me up when I was 14 or 15 years old, I sprinted and dived in there as quickly as I could. My grandmother Eileen stayed on at that pharmacy until well into her 90s and she was a real drawcard for the business. She’d always share a joke with customers. The town library was just opposite the pharmacy and she used to give me a wink with her library
a lot of time at the property near Keppel Sands, about 35 minutes from Rockhampton. Dad is very much a country man and we grew up riding horses and praying for rain. We’d go to the top of a lookout and have a cup of tea with a makeshift table and a pink Chelsea bun loaf. We had these very old beach houses at Keppel Sands — one belonged to my Dad’s parents and my Mum’s parents purchased the one beside it. We ran between the two and a lot of my memories are tied up there, playing board games and rounds of cricket on the beach. We had table tennis in the middle of our lounge room and if we
couldn’t find the net, we’d get my youngest sister Sally to lay across the table and we’d play over her! I was cheeky as a child but also quite quiet. Being the middle of five kids, I think I was a keep-the-peace type person. I was sporty and a bit of a goody two shoes and tried to do well at school. I always looked forward to anything that required you to write and I devoured books from Enid Blyton to Roald Dahl — my absolute favourite was Anne of Green Gables. My parents are very kind, generous, down-to-earth and sincere people. They taught us the value of hard work, having confidence in yourself and treating everyone the same. All my siblings have gone down the health path following Mum and Dad’s example and the passion they had for serving the Central Queensland community. I always joke that they are all doctors and I am Dr Seuss. I followed the creative path and always loved making people laugh from an early age. Mum once joked with me that she’s never seen me come so alive as when I’m talking about myself! Public speaking and connecting with people through humour and words has always been a love of mine.
ROCKHAMPTON Known as the beef capital of Australia, this city of about 80,000 people is just over 600 kilometres north of Brisbane. Home to the Darumbal people, European settlement began from 1855, when William and Charles Archer explored the area and established Gracemere Station. Other settlers followed and the port town grew, spurred by the Canoona gold rush. Today, the newly developed riverside precinct has a collection of colonial buildings on the waterfront, which continue to house a thriving business community underpinned by agriculture, health services and education. The nearby Capricorn Coast and Keppel Islands are popular holiday spots.
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HOME YASS NSW Steve and Fiona Green and their kelpie Tom at the main entrance of their home, which combines a steel and glass structure with two pavilions with stone found in the ruins on a neighbouring paddock. The original rafters now frame the front door. FACING PAGE The mud room wall still bears traces of its previous life with remnants of old paint. The bench is made of rosewood timber and an Akubra hangs on the wall. For stockist details, see page 130.
OUT OF THE RUBBLE A LONG HELD DREAM GAVE NEW LIFE TO THE REMAINS OF A 19TH-CENTURY HOMESTEAD. WORDS CER I DAV ID PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT ST YLING JODIE GIBBONS
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THIS PAGE, FROM TOP The two bluestone sections were restored with stone from the ruins on the adjacent farm; the dining setting is from Sally Beresford. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Tom beside a Henry Beguelin chair and a rug from Cadrys. The artwork is Bird Tamer by Emma Gale and the basket and pot are from 55 Parrots; vases by Penelope Dillon from Kusu Ceramics in the guestroom; the view from the study. For stockist details, see page 130.
FOR FIFTEEN YEARS, Fiona Green gazed at the bluestone
ruins on the farm adjoining hers, dreaming about what they might once have been. She’d moved to the country from Canberra in 2000, keen for her children to swap concrete and street lights for fields and trees. “I’ve lived everywhere, but when the kids were little it seemed like a good idea to let them grow up on a farm,” she says. And so they bought one just outside the town of Yass in the NSW Southern Tablelands, less than an hour’s drive north of Canberra, an area with a strong focus on merino sheep and cattle. “It wasn’t big enough to make an income from. More of a lifestyle change.” Something which suited Fiona, a teacher, with no background in farming and three small children to wrangle, the youngest just a year old (they’re now 26, 23 and 21). It was everything the now 53-year-old had hoped for. “They spent most of the time outdoors, building cubby houses and catching things in the river — doing risky things, but surviving. They had horses and bikes and a giant slippery dip that came out of their tree house. They had so much freedom. It was magical.” A few years later, they increased the size of their land by buying the farm next door, which is where she discovered the remains of the old property. Three piles of rubble were left, with partial walls, bits of roofing, an old AGA, a laundry copper and a bed frame. “It must have been a big house in the old days, but there are no plans for it so we don’t know exactly,” says Fiona. “I’m guessing a lot of it was timber rather than stone, because so much had gone.” >
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YASS NSW HOME
HOME YASS NSW
ABOUT THE HOUSE
• The house was designed by Rodney Moss
of Cox Architecture, which has offices around Australia. Rodney has now officially retired from the business, though he remains involved. (02) 6239 6255, coxarchitecture.com.au The old bluestone section was reconstructed over several months by JVS Stone Masonry, who specialise in walls, fireplaces and paving, as well as doing rescue jobs on projects. 0428 228 725, jvsstonemasonry.com.au The older-style exterior doors have been painted in Dulux Colorbond Windspray. 132 525, dulux.com.au The pendant lights above the dining table are by Harriet Goodall, based in the NSW Southern Highlands. 0402 346 106, harrietgoodall.com Keen to soften the look of the concrete used on the floors and walls, Fiona engaged stylist Jodie Gibbons of Belljar Interiors to decorate the home. 0414 672 129, belljarinteriors.com.au
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A made-to-order sofa, armchairs from Coco Republic, and tables from Globe West go well with a rug from Armadillo & Co. The cushions are from Barefoot Gypsy, Pampa, Spence & Lyda and Adairs, the throw is from Aura Home and the crystal on the table is from 55 Parrots. The ceiling is finished in hoop pine veneer plywood. Raincows by Alan Healy sits on the mantel above the Heatmaster fireplace. For stockist details, see page 130.
HOME YASS NSW
A little research unearthed the fact it had been a luxurious homestead built in the 1800s belonging to Samuel Terry — an Englishman transported to Australia in 1801 for stealing 400 pairs of stockings. He turned his fortunes around working in bloodstock and breweries, going on to become very wealthy. Fiona hasn’t been able to find out why the house fell into disrepair, but believes it was last lived in around the 1950s, when it was known for the parties thrown in its ballroom. “We were hoping we could build something that would combine the old parts with something new, so there’d be a contrast,” says Fiona. “I didn’t know if it was too crazy a dream.” She came across a house online designed by Rodney Moss of Cox Architecture, admiring its simple lines and natural materials, and reached out for advice. “He came and had a look, and fell in love. He was just as excited as us, and his first sketch was exactly what we wanted.”
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The concept was to rebuild the old structures where they stood, repairing the walls using stone scattered around the property, linking them by way of a modern steel and glass structure. Work began in 2015, taking two years to complete, and the result is breathtaking. The house is accessed by a dusty gravel road flanked by cypress trees. “Those are the original old trees,” says Fiona. “I love the idea that it would’ve been horses and sulkies that came up there back then. It’s easy to romanticise what it would have been like.” That low-key driveway is the perfect foil to the home’s dramatic entrance, created using rafters from the ruins, cut to size and stained with natural oil. The cantilevered living space has 180-degree views of the undulating hills and river. And yet the bluestone that was dug from the adjacent paddock in the 1800s is the star of the show. >
Le Corbusier chair in the study with a sheepskin from Temple & Webster and a cow hide from Orient House. The artwork was brought back for Fiona from Argentina. FACING PAGE Julie, one of the their three beloved Scottish Highlanders, with Angus cattle. For stockist details, see page 130.
HOME YASS NSW The gravel driveway is bordered by cypress trees. BELOW A hat from Hatmaker and a vase from Bison on an old console. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Angus cattle in the oats paddock; Bemboka bed linen and a Sheridan throw on beds in the guestroom; the main entrance features Southern Highlands by Bryan Westwood and a Cadrys rug. For stockist details, see page 130.
“We’ve had two winters here, and when people ask what my favourite thing is, it’s being warm.”
The place looks beautiful. More importantly, given it’s a working farm with 300 head of Angus cattle, it’s practical. The mud room combines commonsense with style, the characterful stone wall and long timber bench offering ample space to shed the grubbier elements of farm life. Meanwhile, far more complex is the geothermal heating and cooling energy hidden beneath the concrete floors. “We’ve had two winters here, and when people ask what my favourite thing is, it’s being warm,” says Fiona with a laugh. “This is the first warm house I’ve lived in!” Now retired from teaching, and with the children all grown up, Fiona shares the home with husband, Steve, 70, and their 10-year-old kelpie, Tom. They also have three horses, Tip Toes, Moonshine and 34-year-old Candy. “He’s the kids’ old pony and he only has one eye,” she says. “He’s so precious. When they come home, they bring him carrots and treats.” And lastly, their three pet Scottish Highlanders: Bronwyn, Julie and Malcolm. “They live with the other cattle but we sometimes have to split them up because they can be a bit naughty, chasing the others with their horns.” Life on the farm is hands-on. “We’re calving at the moment, so we have lots of Angus mummies and babies,” says Fiona. “It can be very physical, but this is the perfect house to unwind in afterwards. I’ve got a beautiful thing hanging on the mud room wall that says, ‘At the end of the day your hair should be messy, your feet should be dirty and your eyes should be sparkling’.”
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Antique jelly moulds collected in the UK sit with quinces and wildflowers on a cedar meat safe, which is a family heirloom. “This is one of the pieces we brought from Australia,” says owner Sara Silm. FACING PAGE Sara with Adelaide, her standard black French poodle.
a grand plan
FROM NSW’S SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS TO MOSCOW AND KAZAKHSTAN, A FAMILY TRAVELS THE WORLD BEFORE FINALLY SETTLING IN THE FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE TO RESTORE A CHATEAU. W0RDS V ICTOR I A CA R EY PHOTOGRAPHY MICH A EL W EE
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FR A NCE POSTCAR D
POSTCARD FR A NCE
THE FIRST TIME WE CAUGHT UP WITH Sara Silm she was living
in a rammed earth house she had just built on a farm near Cobram on the Murray River in Victoria. Fifteen years later, she and her husband Jason are living in a ‘petite chateau’ in the Béarnaise countryside of South West France with their three children — Hugo, 20, Annabelle, 17, and Toby, 13 — and a menagerie of animals that include a goat called Audrey Horn-burn and a wire-haired dachshund called Stanley. Along the way, Jason’s job in finance has taken his family to Moscow and Kazakhstan since they left Australia in 2011. But the purchase of Chateau Montfort five years ago has kept Sara, a stylist and cook, firmly in the Northern Hemisphere. “It’s a bit like one of those old jokes that begin with ‘two Aussies walk into a bar…’ We were living in Kazakhstan and eating a curry at an Irish bar in Almaty with some English friends. The children were at boarding school in the UK at the time and we wanted a holiday house. The friends suggested the Béarn in South West France and the rest is history. But it wasn’t a simply a fly in and buy process. French real estate agents have an eye for the foolish foreigner who dares to dream big and renovate a chateau. We saw some true renovators’ delights, one with rain pouring into the living room through an enormous hole in the roof; another with a colony of bats hanging from the bedroom rafters! > TOP The entrance hall runs through the centre of the house. LEFT A glimpse of the butler’s pantry. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT The house sits on a hill; Bentwood chairs are matched with a dining table found in a local brocante; Sara with her goats; the duck-egg blue AGA. BACKGROUND Darwin wallpaper in Azure from Little Greene. For stockist details, see page 130.
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POSTCARD FR A NCE
ABOUT THE HOUSE
• Wallpapers are featured throughout.
One of Sara’s favourites is the Darwin pattern in Azure from Little Greene in one of the bedrooms. This 1760 design is a typical 18th-century hand-painted Chinese paper that was found in a house in Aix-en-Provence, France. In the kitchen Sara mixes a Fritz Hansen Drop chair by Arne Jacobsen with Chair One by Konstantin Grcic for Magis.
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• Sara is writing a book on the house
restoration. Thames & Hudson is due to publish it in 2021. When the Silm family bought the property, the bottom field was covered in bamboo. Sara didn’t want to use poison so her solution was to first clear it. “We then bought the goats and ever since they’ve kept the field completely under control.” Sara plans to hold cooking classes and workshops in her barn. For details, visit chateaumontfort.co or follow @chateaumontfort on Instagram.
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The wallpaper in the hall is High Street in Rouge from London Wallpapers III, a Little Greene design that is discontinued. The old workbench is from Australia. The study is painted in Farrow & Ball Hague Blue. For stockist details, see page 130. JUNE 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 45
POSTCARD FR A NCE
I think I fell in love with the way the house made me feel. There had been happiness and laughter in this house and it seemed to have impregnated the walls. There was a gently flowing little stream at the bottom of the garden and two towers that looked down over a once-loved garden. So often, old homes that are renovated represent a false economy because they’re rarely done to your taste and you end up getting rid of most of what you’ve paid for. Our house was, as the French say, dans son jus (in its original state) and had been empty for more than 20 years. It was like an old house from a movie; dusty sheets thrown over furniture, a damp musty smell and a tangle of blackberries in the garden. The house was built by a celebrated French general who was once mayor of the village. He made a living from the estate, grew grapes, tobacco and had fine beef cows (the local breed Blonde d’Aquitaine). After he died, his son continued in the same vein, though I’m told that despite sampling a large number of potential ladies, he was unable to settle on just one and died a single, though not particularly lonely, man! After the end of World War II it was bought by a local Frenchman and his wife, a Belgian aristocrat who was the sister of King Leopold III of Belgium’s wife. We purchased it from one of their three sons, who has since given me some history on the house. The attic was full of suitcases of old letters from the Rothschilds and Cartiers. There were Limoges plates and old leather-bound books… it was as if the house was trying to join the dots for me and tell me its story. The renovation is still ongoing. COVID-19 has left me with a sole tradie on site! Learning the language was probably the biggest challenge. The Béarn doesn’t see too many tourists and virtually nobody speaks English so I studied French language and culture for three years at university; without it I would never have been able to manage the trades and communicate the designs. There were a few months when I was living in it alone without any doors on the ground floor. The neighbours all thought I was crazy sleeping in an old open house on my own but it never bothered me… until one night. I needed to go upstairs to the attic to close a flapping shutter during a wild summer storm. The door to the attic stairs was new and we were yet to put the handle on it. I needed to use a gyprock saw to prise it open. It was pitch black and I only had two hands. Should I take my iPhone with the torch or the saw, I thought? In the end I chose the saw, which turned out to be such a good decision. Once I’d closed the shutter in the attic the wind blew the door to the staircase downstairs shut and I was locked in the attic; thankfully I had the saw, which was my key to escape. I probably would have been rescued by the builders the next day, but I wasn’t wearing much... so thank goodness for gyprock saws!” TOP Sara and Adelaide out walking. BELOW In the bathroom is Stag Toile wallpaper in Juniper from Little Greene. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT The kitchen terrace and pool; the oak staircase; the tower bedroom with Darwin wallpaper in Azure from Little Greene. Sara has plans to upholster the antique bed. BACKGROUND Whitehall wallpaper in Prussian from Little Greene. For stockist details, see page 130.
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BUSH TONIC A HOME IN A BELOVED POCKET OF SOUTH-WEST WESTERN AUSTRALIA PROVIDES THE PERFECT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR A TEXTILE DESIGNER AND HER FAMILY. WORDS ELIZA BETH W ILSON PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON ST YLING JO CA R MICH A EL
Collections of natural objects occur throughout Tanya Cain-Abbs’ home. On this sideboard are bowls by her friend, Perth ceramicist Melanie Sharpham. FACING PAGE Tanya Cain-Abbs, her son Ollie, 12, and labradoodle Maisy love their home among the gum trees, in Yallingup, Western Australia. Tanya and her husband Duncan opted for a simple shed-style home, clad in Colorbond Monument so it nestles into the bush. For stockist details, see page 130. 48 COUNTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
YA LLINGUP WESTER N AUSTR ALIA
To keep costs down, Tanya and Duncan mixed designer items with budget finds. The kitchen is by Kaboodle Kitchen. The dining table — a Granada outdoor table from Globe West — was originally bought for the deck but Tanya preferred it indoors. Dining chairs and kitchen stools are from Kmart. The rug and Hamilton sofa are from Freedom, ceiling fans from Beacon Lighting and the pendants are from Bowerhouse (now closed). Photographic print by Tanya’s friend, Clare McFarren. FACING PAGE A drawing done by Ollie when he was only six sits on a shelf. “It’s a drawing of the house before it was built. It has incredible likeness to what the house turned out to be in the end,” says Tanya. For stockist details, see page 130.
YA LLINGUP WESTER N AUSTR ALIA
TEXTILE DESIGNER TANYA Cain-Abbs has always loved the
sights and sounds of the Australian bush. As a young girl, she loved camping and foraging for precious objects from the natural world. And now, as a mum of two, she realises not much has changed. “I’m always looking for different forms of inspiration for my designs,” she says. “When I go for bushwalks, I’m always picking up things — leaves, feathers, rocks, stones — and I take photos of everything I see.” The lifelong pull of the bush inspired Tanya and her husband, Duncan, to buy a 1.4-hectare block of land at Yallingup, two-and-a-half hours south of Perth, six years ago. It took them a couple of years to build on the site and when they did, they opted for a simple but sophisticated shed-style home, which has become a regular getaway destination for the couple and their sons Lucas, 14, and Ollie, 12. They escape here as frequently as they can. “We love Yallingup because it’s a bush setting with proximity to the beach,” says Tanya. “It’s beautiful and pristine, located on a cape, with bays on one side that are perfect for snorkelling and swimming, and surf beaches on the other side, where our boys surf and fish — it’s the best of both worlds.”
It is also a constant source of creative inspiration for Tanya whose textile designs are all drawn from the flora she finds in this thrumming pocket of south-west Western Australia: the spikes and serrated leaves of banksia trees, flowering gums, eucalyptus foliage and protea flowers are all recurring motifs in her work. “When I started creating my own fabrics, I just naturally gravitated to an Australian aesthetic,” she says. “I’m just really influenced by the textures and shapes of the natural environment.” Tanya studied fashion and textile design at the West Australian School of Art and Design in Perth and then worked in the fashion industry in both Sydney and Perth until Lucas was born. For a creative outlet, she started writing a personal blog named Old Grey House — named after the weatherboard Perth home and studio she works from — and this quickly evolved into a showcase for her fabric designs. Equipped with her own silk screens, she began printing the fabrics, producing them from the back deck of her home. “I started doing markets, selling fabrics to crafters and it evolved from there,” says Tanya. “People loved the fabrics, but not everyone can sew. I realised there was a market for gifts, and started printing onto tea towels, tableware, cushions and homewares.” >
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WESTERN AUSTR ALIA YA LLINGUP A branch of gumnuts forms a delicate sculptural piece atop the sideboard in the living space. The Ethnicraft buffet is from Globe West, and the lamp is from Kmart. The ottoman is from Table Tonic. All the cushions are by Tanya and the framed artwork on the sideboard is one of her tea towels framed. On the wall is a woven basket from Empire. For stockist details, see page 130.
ABOUT THE HOUSE When Tanya and Duncan first contacted local shed manufacturer Sheds Down South, the company specialised in industrial sheds. It now offers residential sheds in its portfolio. Sheds Down South, (08) 9752 2250, shedsdownsouth.com.au The couple chose to clad their shed in Colorbond Monument, a deep charcoal tone that suits the bush setting. Colorbond, 1800 022 995, colorbond.com The floors throughout are polished concrete. “It’s the slab floor, lightly sealed,” says Tanya. “It’s not highly finished, it’s still very textural which is exactly how we like it.” The aim was to build and furnish the home on a strict budget. When it came to the interior design, Tanya opted for a mix of designer products and budget-conscious purchases: furniture from Globe West sits alongside lamps from Kmart. Globe West, globewest.com.au Kmart, kmart.com.au When sourcing all homewares and furniture, Tanya has tried to support WA businesses as much as possible. One of her favourites was Bowerhouse, a WA-based online store now sadly closed.
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CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Lucas (left) and Ollie share Tanya’s love of fossicking and watching the flames in the fire pit; Tanya loves baking in the camp oven — olive and rosemary damper is a favourite; the outdoor shower is handy after beach visits: “The boys pretty much only use this one during summer,” says Tanya.
It’s grown into a business she juggles alongside her work as an art technician/support teacher at a girls’ college in Perth. Tanya hand draws her designs on paper first, before refining them for screen printing onto off-white and oatmeal-toned linens. She also uses pale grey colours on black fabrics, creating botanical studies that look like photographic negatives. “I just love this monochromatic palette — it brings out the interesting shapes of the subject matter,” says Tanya. “I like colour, but in my work I just like to stick with neutrals.” When it came to building their home on their Yallingup property Tanya and Duncan, a graphic designer, enlisted a local shed manufacturer, Sheds Down South. They sited the north-facing structure so that it tucks into a hill, away from the full force of coastal winds. Made with a steel frame and classic corrugated iron cladding, the home is a simple rectangle with a skillion roof and an internal blade wall that separates the open-plan front living area (kitchen, dining and lounge) from the three bedrooms, bathroom and laundry running along the back. A deck stretches along the front. “It’s north-facing, so we soak up the beautiful winter sun,” says Tanya. >
WESTERN AUSTR ALIA YA LLINGUP Linens in neutral tones prevail in the main bedroom, including cushions by Tanya — featuring her signature black-and-white nature studies — including the Eucalyptus, Banksia and Flowering Gum prints. The artwork is a photograph of a landscape near Denmark by Clare McFarren. The striped throw is by local WA label Hobo and Hatch. The pendant was from Bowerhouse. For stockist details, see page 130.
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CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Duncan, Ollie, Tanya, Lucas and Maisy in their magical bushland setting; this old dresser was bought second-hand off Gumtree, from a farm in Kojunup. Tanya sanded and restored it and it sits in pride of place near the kitchen, perfect for displaying her collections; carrying a basketful of dried leaves and sticks for the fire.
Inside, the home is decorated with creative flair. Designer pieces mingle with second-hand and thrifty purchases, while open shelving showcases artful arrangements. The colour palette is white, black, timber and ochre — “an earthy palette to match its location”, says Tanya. The interiors are very comfortable and family friendly, but it’s the outdoor world that beckons most here. The home is ringed by a forest of marri and jarrah trees, both species endemic to the area, and Tanya adores the birdlife attracted into these canopies. “We see a lot of red-tailed cockatoos and Carnaby’s black cockatoos — they both feed off the gumnuts on the marri trees,” says Tanya. “The red-tailed cockatoos are endangered so it’s lovely to see them. They’re so raucous!” Beneath the branches, in the dancing light, Tanya and Duncan have positioned a firepit, which has become a magnetic destination point for the family during the cooler months, when Tanya cranks up the fire oven. “I love cooking and sharing food around the fire,” she says. Bush and beach walks, swimming, snorkelling, and mountain biking are year-round activities for Tanya and her outdoorsy family. “The thing I love about the bush is the freedom, and it brings back good childhood memories.” Tanya sells her textiles and homewares online at Old Gre House. For more information, visit oldgreyhouse.com.au
DECOR ATING BOTA NICA L
This custom-made glasshouse in Daylesford, Victoria, was made by Mark Anstey Crafted Furniture. FACING PAGE Seven-month-old English springer spaniel Finn sits on a Tropez bench, $699, from Provincial Home Living. ON GROUND Metal bucket, $145, from Found at Hepburn. ON SHELF, FROM LEFT Hanging basket, inquiries to Florabelle Living. Chalice vase, $54, from Urban Eden & Co. Anchor Ceramics Undercut planter in Olive, $145, from The Plant Society. HK Living vase, $99.95, from House of Orange. Natural planter by Peta Armstrong, $60, Buzzby and Fang tripod planter, $110, and secateurs, $44, all from The Plant Society. 1930s sideboard, stylist’s own, painted in Bauwerk General by Lynda Gardener paint, $120/4L. ON SIDEBOARD, FROM LEFT Leaf and Thread vase in Watermark, $119, from Ivy Muse. Fog Linen Work magazine basket, $58, from The Hub General Store. IN BASKET Woodcut book by Bryan Nash Gill published by Princeton Architectural Press, $59, from The Hub General Store. The Plant Runner indoor plant food, $12. Chalkboard plant markers, $12.50 each, from Saardé. Ikebana bowl, $85, from Asobimasu Clay. ON WALL Flower press, $55, from Found at Hepburn. Flowers throughout from Wombat Hill Florist. All other items, stylist’s own. For stockist details, see page 130.
TAKE A WALK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN AND DISCOVER THESE BOTANICAL BEAUTIES. PHOTOGRAPHY LISA COHEN STYLING BELLE HEMMING AND LYNDA GARDENER
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DECOR ATING BOTA NICA L ON WALL Vintage egg print, $20, from Nook Vintage. 1930s sideboard, stylist’s own, painted in Bauwerk General by Lynda Gardener paint, $120/4L. ON SIDEBOARD, FROM LEFT Lumen vase in Shadow, $130, from Ivy Muse. Bud vase in Sage, $52, from Ghost Wares. Plate (under vase), $25, from Sarah Schembri Ceramics. Bud vase in Slate, $65, from Ghost Wares. Anchor Ceramics Undercut planter in Olive by, $145, from The Plant Society. Dish, $25, from Sarah Schembri Ceramics. Plant pot in Sage, $48, from Ghost Wares. Swaffer Bracken fabric in 25, inquiries to Marco Fabrics. All other items, stylist’s own. FACING PAGE Timorous Beasties Merian Palm superwide wallpaper (in background), inquiries to South Pacific Fabrics. CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Bauwerk paintbrush, $23, and General by Lynda Gardener paint, $120/4L. Mokum Peonia wallpaper in Parchment, inquiries to James Dunlop Textiles. Ceramic black dish, $22, and speckled white dish, $20, from Sarah Schembri Ceramics. Schumacher Diana wallpaper, inquiries to Grant Dorman Interior Products. Ephemera clip, $22, from The Society Inc. Ceramic black dish, $25 and speckled white plate, $30, from Sarah Schembri Ceramics. For stockist details, see page 130.
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The natural world has inspired many of our favourite wallpapers and paint colours.
DECOR ATING BOTA NICA L
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ON SHELF, FROM LEFT Hanging basket, inquiries to Florabelle Living. Chalice vase, $54, from Urban Eden & Co. Anchor Ceramics Undercut planter in Olive, $145, from The Plant Society. HK Living vase, $99.95, from House of Orange. Natural planter by Peta Armstrong, $60, Buzzby and Fang tripod planter, $110, and secateurs, $44, all from The Plant Society. Bathing vessel, $380, from Asobimasu Clay. Haws mister, $59, from The Plant Society. Stem vase by Andrei Davidoff, $65, from Ivy Muse. Framed butterflies, $495, from Found at Hepburn. Simone Karras ceramic watering can, $140, from Ivy Muse. HK Living vase, $89, from House of Orange. Shibo vase in Chalk, $165, from Asobimasu Clay. 1930s sideboard, stylist’s own, painted in Bauwerk General by Lynda Gardener paint, $120/4L. ON SIDEBOARD, FROM LEFT Leaf and Thread vase in Watermark, $119, from Ivy Muse. Fog Linen Work magazine basket, $58, from The Hub General Store. IN BASKET Woodcut book by Bryan Nash Gill published by Princeton Architectural Press, $59, from The Hub General Store. The Plant Runner indoor plant food, $12. Chalkboard plant markers, $12.50 each, from Saardé. Ikebana bowl, $85, from Asobimasu Clay. Painting, $399, from Found at Hepburn. Puebco watering jug, $95, from The Hub General Store. Woodfolk bag, $85. ON WALL Flower press, $55, from Found at Hepburn. ON DOOR Broom, $55, from Nook Vintage. All other items, stylist’s own. For stockist details, see page 130.
DECOR ATING BOTA NICA L 1930s sideboard, stylist’s own, painted in Bauwerk General by Lynda Gardener paint, $120/4L. ON SIDEBOARD, FROM LEFT Zephyr vase in Fog Grey, $73, from Urban Eden & Co. Schumacher Garden Stripe fabric in Meadow, inquiries to Grant Dorman Interior Products. Timorous Beasties Ruskin Floral fabric in Grey, inquiries to South Pacific Fabrics. Bud vase in Slate, $65, from Ghost Wares. Gastón y Daniela Retiro fabric in Verde, inquiries to Domestic Textile Corporation. Schumacher Manning Stripe fabric in Black/Natural, inquiries to Grant Dorman Interior Products. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Gastón y Daniela Retiro fabric in (from top) Ocre and Verde, inquiries to Domestic Textile Corporation. Mokum Eternal linen in Turmeric, inquiries to James Dunlop Textiles. Hertex Avenida fabric in Ivy, inquiries to Marco Fabrics. Paint swatch in Porter’s Paints Horse Chestnut, $130/4L. Paint swatch in Bauwerk General by Lynda Gardener, $120/4L. Hemptech Molesworth fabric in Willow (with small green stripe) and Mokum Eternal linen fabric in Forest (centre), both inquiries to James Dunlop Textiles. Paint swatch in Porter’s Paints Khaki, $135/4L. Bowl, $35, from Sarah Schembri Ceramics. Interiors colour ceramic glaze chips, $6/set of six, from Robert Gordon. Schumacher Bermuda Blossoms fabric in Snow, inquiries to Grant Dorman Interior Products. Plate, $25, and spoon, $15, from Sarah Schembri Ceramics. Designs Of The Time Misu fabric in YP15005, inquiries to James Dunlop Textiles. Eldorado Sisal, $50/m2, from Natural Floors Melbourne. Background in Bauwerk Cardamon paint, $120/4L. All other items, stylist’s own. For stockist details, see page 130. Shot on location at Room + Board Daylesford. For more information, visit roomandboard.com.au
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Live safe. Live in style.
Live Well.
BATHROOMS DECOR ATING A Loom towel hangs on the timber shutter in Lynda Gardener’s house in Trentham, Victoria. All Loom towels are hand-woven in Turkey and if looked after can last decades. They recommend soaking new cotton towels in cold water for 12 to 24 hours before its first use. This enables the cotton to expand, making it become highly absorbent. See over the page to read more about Lynda’s bathroom. For stockist details, see page 130.
dream bathroo m s A PLACE TO RETREAT AND UNWIND, YOUR BATHROOM SHOULD BE A CALMING, BEAUTIFUL SPACE. WORDS KY LIE IMESON PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON
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DECOR ATING BATHROOMS
Keeping it simple
It was in such a state of disrepair, Lynda Gardener had to completely rebuild the bathroom at her house, The Estate Trentham, in Trentham. Built in 1902, Lynda was determined that the new bathroom be in keeping with the age of the house and have a simple, rustic feel. An old clawfoot bathtub was re-enamelled on the inside, but the exterior was left as is. Reclaimed timber boards were used to line the walls and Lynda found the tapware at a salvage yard. A pair of shower curtains from Ikea and a bath caddy found at a second-hand store complete the look. “This bathroom has an outlook to the gardens so it’s very calming and special,” she explains. For more information, visit theestatetrentham.com.au
A living room
“I love feeling like I am in an almost living room rather than
a bathroom,” says Theresa Albioli of the bathroom she designed in her home, Piccadilly House, in Daylesford, Victoria. An “obsessive collector”, Theresa bought the bath, sink and taps second-hand. She then surrounded the bath in cedar and painted it white in keeping with her black and white colour scheme. Shutters, to provide privacy, were also painted white. Images from vintage magazines framed in black and second-hand Bentwood chairs complete the look. As a nod to the house’s age, it was built in 1860, a mirror from an old Victorian house and a brass luggage rack from on old train carriage were added. “Bathrooms don’t need to be clinical, they can be functional as well as being completely beautiful,” says Theresa. For more information, telephone (03) 5348 2008 or visit thehousesdaylesford.com/piccadilly-house
Up in the trees
Tucked into the corrugated roof line of the upstairs bedroom in Fleur Leslie’s home, Otways Loft, in Forrest, Victoria, is a clawfoot bath. Originally it was in a downstairs bathroom and Fleur’s husband Mike and their “artist builder” lugged it into this position. They installed brass garden taps to match the rustic feel of the mountain ash beams that form the structure of the house. “There something romantic and whimsical about the bath being in the bedroom,” says Fleur. “As the bedroom is on the second storey it looks out through the tree canopies. It’s gorgeous sitting in the bath and watching the birds in the trees. For more information, telephone 0428 688 263 or visit dufflebird.com.au
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DECOR ATING BATHROOMS
Old-world charm
It’s the original features that really make this bathroom at Lumière Lodge on the outskirts of Hobart in Tasmania something really special. The stained glass window was moved from another room in the house to take pride of place in the bathroom, while the fireplace and floorboards — finished to withstand the wet — date back to the 1800s. “Relaxing in the clawfoot bath at the end of the day with the gentle flicker of candlelight and the curves of the old chimney is the loveliest of experiences,” says owner Kerran Langley. “During the day, an array of colours bathe the room from the stained-glass window.” An antique sconce that mimics the shape of the fireplace was installed and is the perfect perch for a glass of wine or candles. The moral of the story: don’t be tempted to rip everything out to create a new bathroom. Preserve the historic features and make them the centrepiece. For more information, visit lumierelodge.com
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DECOR ATING BATHROOMS
Beauty on a budget
At risk of stating the obvious, a bathroom can be one of the most expensive rooms in the house to renovate. A bath, tiles, sink, toilet, taps — it all adds up. But it doesn’t have to be that way, as decorator and stylist Lynda Gardener has proved in her home in Trentham, Victoria. An old table was recycled to become a vanity with an Ikea sink and tapware fitted, while the mirrored cabinet was already in place. The only splurge? A Weytlandts timber and ceramic light fitting. For more information, visit theestatetrentham.com.au
BATHROOMS DECOR ATING
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UPDA ATE YOUR BATHROOM WITH THESE A ACCESSORIES AND HARDWARE.
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PRODUCED BY SOPHIE WILSON
1 Elba nattural stone from Artedomus. 2 Perrin & Rowe Deco basin set in Gold, $1816, from The English Tapware Company. 3 Artesserae Polardur tiles from Artedomus. 4 Baina Josephine hand towel, $40, from Oliver Thom. 5 Hudson basin, $690, from Slabs by Design. 6 Terracotta Cotto Maneti tiles from Artedomus. 7 Large Meraki marble tray in Beige, $78, from Design Stuff. 8 Home Republic Mark Tuckey Byron rattan baskets, $89.99, from Adairs. 9 Kado Era 1700mm bath, $2276, from Reece. 10 Saardé vintage wash towel in Tobacco, $79, from Oliver Thom. 11 Artesserae Elba tiles from Artdomus. A 12 Spirit desert lime and salt coffee scrub, $16.95 for 300g, 3 and Spirit lemon myrtle and banksia body wash, $15.95 for 500ml, both from Natio. 13 Ferm Living Herman laundry basket in Black, B $279, from Design Stuff. 14 Oscar floor-mounted bath filler in Brass, $629.90, from Abi. 15 Saardé soap holder in Brass, $39, from Oliver Thom. 16 Wave towel in Black and White, $189, from Loom. 17 Luxuries Marco Stripe towel, $37.80, from Domayne. For stockist details, see page 130.
PHOTOGRAPHY DEREK SWALWELL BATHROOM PROJECT NEOMETRO, MA ARCHITECTS
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COMMON DENOMINATOR Every bathroom needs privacy so good window coverings are essential. Luxaflex’s new Lumi Shade blinds fit the bill. “By simply turning the fabric vanes, homeowners can achieve sheer light control or total privacy,” says design guru Neale Whitaker. luxaflex.com.au
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GAR DEN NA R R A BR I NSW
HARD YARDS
TIME, EFFORT AND A FEW SETBACKS HAVE NOT DETERRED JANE BURRELL FROM TRANSFORMING HER CENTURY-OLD GARDEN. WORDS SKY E M A NSON PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT
Jane Burrell has created a green oasis on her property, Woodlands, near Narrabri in NSW’s north west. The Burrell family have lived here for three generations. FACING PAGE Richard and Jane with their two-year-old chocolate labrador Ollie. 72 COU NTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
GAR DEN NA R R A BR I NSW
AT 5AM EACH morning, the garden summons Jane Burrell
from her bed. There’s watering to be done and fossicking for new bud life. “I always move and check the hoses each morning and afternoon and see what flowering surprises greet me,” Jane says. “I also fill the birdbaths for the king parrots and bowerbirds, apostlebirds, chuffs, honeyeaters, wrens, skinks and lizards.” It’s a routine that is repeated at the end of the day when Jane returns home from her full-time job at local homewares shop, Marval Designs, and Yield café. Jane, 54, lives at Woodlands, a small cattle property to the east of Narrabri in north-western NSW, with her husband Richard, who works on a nearby cotton irrigation farm. Woodlands has been in Richard’s family for three generations; his grandfather built the boundary fences and original parts of the house from wood felled on the farm. Richard and Jane have been here since they were married at St Paul’s in Brisbane almost 36 years ago. The couple originally lived in a cottage until moving into Woodlands’ main homestead 12 years ago. In recent years, the 101-year-old, five-bedroom weatherboard house has been altered to suit their needs, including their three children Georgie, 30, Angus, 27 and Hugh, 25, who now live away from home but return often for holidays and family events. One of the family’s favourite places to relax is under the grapevine-covered pergola on the front verandah, often accompanied by Ollie the two-year-old chocolate labrador. “The best view of the garden is from our long eight-seater iron table that Richard made, looking over the pool past two conifers leading to mountain views beyond,” says Jane. Under Jane’s horticultural stewardship, the garden now covers just over a hectare, encompassing an orchard, parkland tree planting and enclosed garden featuring plants that are, like the house, more than a century old. Here salvias, viburnums and old-fashioned roses, such as ‘Jean Ducher’, ‘Sally Holmes’ and ‘Mutabilis’, give rambling highlights to the formal structured edges and clipped hedges of rosemary, Teucrium, Japanese box and spirea. Over the years, Jane has opened up the garden, crafting sweeping beds for both aesthetic reasons and ease of mowing the buffalo grass lawn, which takes about half a day. “My overall approach has been softening the house with shade trees, creating vistas from windows,” Jane explains. “I have planted to create more shape and form, adding mass plantings of my favourite varieties such as Miscanthus grasses, Easter daisies and sedums.” >
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CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE ‘Sally Holmes’ roses; Jane applies mulch liberally to her garden beds to keep plant roots cool and retain moisture in the soil; it takes Jane about half a day to mow the buffalo grass lawn. The large, raised water tank is an essential at Woodlands. Jane had some plant losses in the recent drought; an iron seat under the grapevine-covered pergola is a cool spot to take a rest from gardening; Jane has built sweeping beds for both aesthetic reasons and ease of mowing.
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Jane at the gate to the driveway up to the homestead; the old conifers and purple jacaranda trees screen the water tank. Water has always been a precious resource on this property and the verdant garden is in contrast to the surrounding paddocks; the curving garden beds and trees give way to the bush-covered mountain. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP Jane and Ollie take a walk; trees planted by Richard’s grandmother provide welcome shade in the garden at Woodlands.
NA R R A BR I NSW GARDEN
These favourites are layered with one-off plantings of winter foliage and summer-flowering specialities, such as smoke bush, melianthus and mock oranges. She has also added special features, such as the beautiful rose garden that helps soften the northern side of the tennis court. Here, Grecian-style urns create a grand entryway to the traditional clay court, with a low hedge evenly clipped to form faux plinths. There is also a teucrium hedge surrounding the pool and a stunning cloud-pruned elaeangus hedge, which is a stand-out in the parklands as you drive into the garden. Nearby, lavender hedges are the focal point of a vegetable and herb garden where the family enjoy a bounty of homegrown produce. “From marmalade to avocados in the winter, to figs and mulberries in the summer,” says Jane. Jane admits the garden needed a lot of work when the family arrived at Woodlands but there were some existing gems, particularly the old date palms, Gleditsia (honey locust) and carob trees planted by Richard’s grandmother. “She watered them with leftover tea from the teapot as water was very scarce in the early days,” explains Jane. “The property has always been scarce of water, we have had to be very conscious.” To conserve these precious supplies, Jane waters in the cool of the early mornings when there is less evaporation and she mulches heavily to keep plant roots cool and retain moisture. Most of the garden runs on a drip system or is watered with underground bore water. “It really is a full-time job at the moment. It’s been very challenging in the past year and we have had some plant losses,” Jane laments. “I’m not getting the flowering responses from the roses, they are simply surviving, and kangaroos, echidnas and goannas are using the garden as a refuge and water source.” For Jane, who has always dabbled in painting and creative pursuits, her plants are now her artworks and the garden is a constantly evolving natural canvas. “I have always loved using my hands to make things and in the garden you are painting with nature,” says Jane. In fact, despite the challenges and the hours of watering, there is nothing Jane enjoys more than grabbing a pair of secateurs and heading out to tame a wayward branch or clip a straggly hedge — it’s what gets her up each day. “I have always loved being outdoors,” she says. “Working in a garden provides you an opportunity to create visually pleasin spaces in nature. I suppose I am a creative deep down
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LIFE LESSON
FOR CHEF TROY RHOADES-BROWN, GARDENING AND GROWING VEGETABLES IS A SKILL THAT HE IS PASSING ON TO HIS CHILDREN THAT HE HOPES THEY’LL CARRY INTO THEIR ADULT LIVES. WORDS KY LIE IMESON PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT ST YLING STEV E PEA RCE
COMPETITION HARVEST TABLE Chef Troy Rhoades-Brown in his vegetable garden near Branxton in the Hunter Valley, NSW, with his children Hudson, seven, and four-year-old Edie.
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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Hudson, Troy and Edie on the verandah of their home near Branxton, in NSW’s Hunter Valley; Troy built 14 raised garden beds at his home; Edie and her grandfather Terry; one of Troy’s creations: a dark chocolate and wattleseed tart topped with mulberries, which he grows in the garden; the children pick nasturtiums. FACING PAGE Hudson, Edie and cousin Matilda inspect the cattle that graze on their neighbour’s property.
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“IT’S BASICALLY A whole lesson on life in one square block
of dirt,” says chef Troy Rhoades-Brown of growing your own vegetables. “I’ve always built and had vegetable gardens at every house I’ve lived in. I feel I need it, not for the produce but for the feeling it brings me. It forces you to slow down, be patient, makes you accountable if you mistreat it, and rewards you when you love it.” Troy, who owns Muse Restaurant and Muse Dining in NSW’s Hunter Valley, has passed on his love of growing his own produce to his children, Hudson, seven, and four-year-old Edie. “I think it’s about setting a good pathway for nutritional choices,” he says. “It’s so confusing with how much misinformation there is out there regarding diets and what’s good for you. But I believe nutrient-dense wholefoods
are key. I don’t preach the educational side of it to them, they learn through being outside, touching, feeling, smelling, tasting and being inquisitive.” Which is why he would encourage all children to enter the Harvest Table competition (see page 84). “My kids’ grandma and grandad have a beautiful vegetable garden as well so they start to accept and understand it as a way of life,” explains the 35-year-old and the garden he has created at his two-hectare property near Branxton isn’t too shabby either. He has 14 raised garden beds, 40 fruit trees, compost bays, bees and 12 chickens that all work in harmony together. With winter fast approaching, he has been planting frost-friendly vegetables such as kale, cauliflower, broccoli, savoy, red cabbage, radicchios, stem >
HARVEST TABLE COMPETITION Harry the boxer dog likes it when Hudson, Troy and Edie get into the garden. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP LEFT Slow-roasted tomatoes with toasted ciabatta — a great way to use up a bumper crop of tomatoes; the family harvesting greens from their garden.
“I try to keep it fun for them. They help with the watering, planting, picking and are always eating their favourites like peas, strawberries and carrots.”
lettuce, beetroot, turnips, carrots, chicory, peas, leeks and hardy herbs with Hudson and Edie’s help as well. He’s also been busy fixing fences in preparation for the arrival of some alpacas — a surprise for the children. The garden has been a good distraction for Troy as both Muse Restaurant and Muse Dining had to temporarily close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It represents down time for me as well,” he explains. “Of course it takes a bit of hard work and sweat sometimes, but I love just spending time watering, watching, picking, listening to music, it’s totally therapeutic at times.” When the time comes and his restaurants reopen, they will need support, like all country-based venues. As Troy explains, “A good regional restaurant supports and promotes the area through employing and training predominately locals. It also finds and supports local producers and suppliers that share similar values, from your milkman, chicken producer to your florist.” But for now he is happy to work in the garden, and on the fences, with Hudson and Edie who love to get involved. “I try to keep it fun for them. They help with the watering, planting, picking and are always eating their favourites like peas, strawberries and carrots. But they are kids, so depending on what mood they are in they will be helping me or building mud pies in the wheelbarrow, sword fighting with garden stacks, chasing the chickens, digging up all of my worms, fighting over the hose or having a time out on the milk crate watching the iPad. If they’re getting dirty and outside, I’m happy.” Muse Restaurant, Hungerford Hill Winery, Broke Road, Pokolbin, NSW, (02) 4998 6777, musedining.com.au Muse Dining, Keith Tulloch Winery, corner Hermitage and Deas roads, Pokolbin, NSW, (02) 4998 7899, musedining.com.au
COOKING WITH KIDS Troy, Hudson and Edie enjoy getting into the kitchen together and cooking the produce they have harvested from their garden. “Their favourite is making anything with the mixer,” explains Troy. ”Doughs are the most fun — pasta, bread, pizza and milk buns.” When it comes to cooking with kids Paul Mounsey, Fisher & Paykel’s global cooking experience manager says: “With all of us having to spend more time at home together, now is the perfect time to introduce kids to the kitchen and get them to help cook a family favourite or treat. Choose a dish that suits your kids’ age or skill level and remember to expect some mess. Most importantly have fun, so relax and encourage them to follow the recipe and only step in if necessary.”
BASIC PIZZA DOUGH Place 1 teaspoon of yeast, 1 teaspoon of caster sugar, a pinch of salt and ⅔ cup of warm water in a small bowl. Stir with a fork until yeast dissolves, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until bubbles appear. In a large bowl add 2 cups of plain flour, pour in the yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until a smooth dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and stand it in a warm place for 20-25 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down using your fist and then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into 4 and roll out using a rolling pin until 2-3mm thick. Add your chosen topping and bake in a 180ºC preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden.
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A COOL CH A NGE
WITH THE COOLER WEATHER COMES A NEW CROP OF VEGETABLES FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO HARVEST. Fennel, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts are just some of the vegetables that are in season in the cooler months as well as some fruits such as lemons and navel oranges. If your children have been tending to these plants in the garden, now is the time for them to be harvested and included in their Harvest Table competition entry. We invite all school-age children from all over Australia to show us what they are growing in their vegie patches. There are two great prizes to be won: 1. $5000 for the Best Class or School Harvest Table. 2. An iPad Air (16GB with wi-fi), valued at $1175, for the Best Student’s Journal on a vegetable garden (their own or their school’s).
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COMPETITION HARVEST TABLE
HOW TO ENTER For Best Class or School Harvest Table, send photographs of your Harvest Table with a description of how you created the table in 500 words or less. Please include the name of your school and class, contact name, address and telephone number. For Best Home Harvest Table Journal, send your
Make stuffed mushrooms, roasted honey carrots or cheesy fennel gratin in Fisher & Paykel’s Freestanding Dual Fuel Cooker (pictured). The large convection oven has a cool touch door for safety, twin fans, self-cleaning function and nine settings. For more information, telephone 1300 650 590 or visit fisherpaykel.com/au
journal (which includes photographs of your Harvest Table with a description of how you created the table in 500 words or less) with the adult’s and child’s name, address and telephone number. We will be unable to return all journals; photographs become the property of Bauer Media Australia Pty Ltd. Send entries to Country Style, Harvest Table Competition, PO Box 4088, NSW 2000. Entries close on November 2nd. Conditions apply, see bauer-media.com.au/competitions. Commenced February 27th, 2020. Ends 12AM AEST/AEDT on November 2nd, 2020. AU residents 18+. This is a game of skill, not a game of chance. The Promoter is Bauer Media Pty
PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE STYLING KERRIE-ANN JONES
Limited (ABN 18 053 273 546) 54 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000.
HARV TABLEST E IN A SSOC I AT I ON W ITH
HEIRLOOM Maggie Vella, pictured below in 1952, was born in 1928 in Malta. She had three children, seven grandchildren and several great-grandchildren when she died.
pasta master
THIS MALTESE BAKED PASTA PIE WAS SUCH A FAVOURITE IT BECAME A SUNDAY SPECIAL. WORDS TRACEY PLATT PHOTOGRAPHY AND ST YLING CHINA SQUIRREL
EVERY SUNDAY, Maggie Vella would head to her small kitchen
to cook two special dishes. One was a simple chicken-based soup that became known as ‘Nanna soup’; the other a baked pasta pie, called timpana, a traditional recipe from her Maltese homeland. “Nanna’s timpana was a staple at family get-togethers as well as a regular dish at home,” says granddaughter Tamarah Pienaar. “My grandparents were very proud of their Maltese heritage, even though they actually lived in Australia for a lot longer.” Maggie and her husband Paul also loved each other for over 60 years. The couple married in April 1946, just after World War II. “The story my aunty tells is that they met while walking along a promenade in Valletta,” Tamarah explains. After the war, Paul worked with the Royal Navy as a civilian. The couple decided to migrate so Paul could spend less time at sea and more with his family, and to give their children better opportunities. They arrived in Australia in 1961 with their daughter, 14-year-old Michelle, and 10-year-old son, Charles (Tamarah’s father). A second daughter, Marise, was born on Aussie soil. The family settled in Kingsgrove, NSW, and Paul worked as a boilermaker at the Garden Island naval base while Maggie cared for her family.
86 COU NTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
Tamarah, who grew up 15 minutes from her grandparents, says Maggie was a talented seamstress. She made all her own clothes, her daughters’ wedding dresses, and special pieces for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Maggie was a keen gardener too. “They only had a small backyard but it was full of flowers, citrus trees, grapes, figs, pumpkins, passionfruit and whatever else she wanted to grow.” Maggie would regularly cook up a storm in the spotless kitchen that was so small the fridge was kept in another room. “Every winter she made imbuljuta tal-Qastan — a traditional spiced hot chocolate with chestnuts. It was another family favourite,” Tamarah recalls. She also made pudina tal-hobz (bread pudding), stuffed eggplant and figolli (cut-out Easter biscuits filled with marzipan). “She also made the most amazing Maltese ravioli — by hand — that would quickly get eaten by impromptu visitors.” Tamarah says she inherited her nanna’s love of cooking and is grateful she obtained a number of her recipes, including timpana, before she passed away in 2010. “Nanna’s timpana is similar to lasagne but much easier. I make it for family occasions such as Christmas and for everyday meals as my son loves it, too.”
TIMPANA Serves 8–10
FOOD PREPARATION AND RECIPE TESTING CHINA SQUIRREL
1 large onion, peeled, finely chopped 500g beef mince 1 beef stock cube, crumbled 1 bacon stock cube, crumbled ½ cup hot water 1 medium eggplant, cut into 5mm cubes ½ teaspoon curry powder ½ cup tomato paste salt and pepper, to taste 500g pasta (such as penne or shells) 3 large eggs 2 tablespoons milk 250g ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons grated parmesan extra ¼ cup grated parmesan 3–4 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook onion and mince, stirring, until browned. Dissolve stock cubes with hot water in a small jug. Add stock to meat mixture with eggplant, curry powder and tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool at room temperature. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and allow to cool. Preheat oven to 200˚C. Grease a 4-litre-capacity shallow baking dish. Using a fork, combine 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon milk, ricotta and 2 tablespoons parmesan in a bowl. Add to meat mixture with pasta and mix well. Spoon into prepared dish and sprinkle with extra parmesan. Beat remaining egg and milk in a small bowl. Join as many pastry sheets needed to cover pan by brushing edges with a little beaten egg mixture, then pressing firmly to seal. Carefully arrange joined pastry over baking pan, trimming any excess. Using fingertips, press pastry around edge of pan to seal. Use leftover trimmed pastry to decorate top of timpana. Prick pastry top about 8 times with point of a sharp knife to let steam escape. Brush top of pastry with remaining egg mixture. Bake for 30–45 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Serve hot.
SHARE YOUR FAMILY FAVOURITES Do you have a recipe that has been passed down through generations? Send it to us, the story behind it and a copy of a photograph of the relative who passed it on. Remember to include a telephone number. Email vcarey@ bauer-media.com.au or send a letter to Heirloom Recipe, Country Style, PO Box 4088, Sydney NSW, 1028.
melting moments
STEVE CUMPER PREFERS NOT TO CORRUPT THE CLASSICS — UNLESS HE’S THE ONE DOING IT. PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE STYLING OLIVIA BLACKMORE
I’LL BE THE first to admit that when
chefs take a fairly prosaic food item, such as a toastie, and go all ‘chefy’ on it you can bet two things will happen. One, it’ll be more expensive and, two, they’ll overdo it and muck the whole thing up! What many of these chefs fail to understand is this; you can’t improve on what is already a good thing. Not just a good thing, but a universally accepted standard that has people coming back for more of the same. For evidence of this, one need look no further than how many fish and chip shops now have the word ‘gourmet’ in front of them, or the proliferation of trendy burger ‘bars’ that seem to pop up overnight like mushrooms after a shower. I’m no fast-food marketer but — to use their language — I’m pretty sure ‘heavy users’ of fish and chip shops or burger joints aren’t interested in how the ‘chef’ will interpret their favourites and they certainly don’t want to pay over the odds for the
privilege. This is why the ‘grand opening’ sign is often quickly replaced by the ‘for lease’ poster on so many of these businesses. Which brings me back to the toastie, the sandwich staple that countless takeaway shops, bakeries, corner stores and milk bars have satiated the hunger of generations with. For many, a toastie in a café was their first experience of eating out, as it was mine. In the 1970s, Melbourne’s Swanston Street had dozens of identical cafés where you could choose a song from the jukebox, become delirious with the saccharine aroma of those luridly yellow pineapple doughnuts, sit in a booth and, of course, order a toastie. My dear old Ma used to take me to the Six Ways Café at Camberwell Junction where I would marvel at how the Kraft Single partnering the slice of ham in my toastie would congeal and begin to solidify as it cooled. It’s where I also acquired the wisdom learnt by toastie lovers everywhere that tomato should
be included at your own peril after my bottom lip and chin was repeatedly scalded by cruel hot tomato slices intent on punishing me for daring to include it. Recently I stumbled upon an old school café where I enjoyed a delicious toastie that transported me back to those simple times. Enthused by my encounter, what did I do? What every chef usually does — I came back to my own kitchen and knocked out a deluxe version of what I’d just eaten! My toastie has the luxury of creamy mushrooms and the pungency of earthy raclette cheese, which makes for ideal snacking on a chilly day spent inside. It also makes a nice change from your everyday ham and cheese, which I know makes me sound like a hypocrite but at least I resisted putting the word ‘gourmet’ in front of it! Steve Cumper is a chef and funnyman who lives in Tasmania and dreams of one day owning a fleet of holiday vans called Wicked Cumpers.
STEVE CUMPER COUNTRY COOK
MUSHROOM TOASTIE
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY DAMIAN BENNETT STYLING LIZ KAVANAGH FOOD PREPARATION DIXIE ELLIOTT
Serves 4
100g butter 1 brown onion, finely chopped 3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 garlic cloves, crushed 500g button mushrooms, sliced 250g shiitake mushrooms, sliced 250g oyster mushrooms, sliced 2 cups pure cream pinch nutmeg ½ cup finely grated parmesan extra 40g butter, softened 8 slices sourdough bread 8 slices raclette cheese* sea salt, to sprinkle
Melt butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook onion and thyme, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is golden. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until softened and liquid from mushrooms has evaporated. Add cream, stirring, and carefully bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until cream has reduced by half. Season. Stir in nutmeg and parmesan. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Transfer to a bowl and place in refrigerator to set.
Heat a sandwich press or large frying pan over a medium heat. Spread extra butter onto 1 side of bread slices. Place 4 slices, butter side down, on a chopping board. Top each with mushroom ragout mixture and 2 slices of raclette. Cover with remaining bread slices, butter side up. Cook until golden on both sides, ragout is hot and cheese is melted. Cut sandwiches in half, sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately. * Rachlette is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese available from good cheese shops and Harris Farm.
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DRINK W HISKY DISTILLERS Heather Tillott, head distiller at Sullivans Cove Distillery. FACING PAGE Barrels at the distillery in Cambridge, Tasmania.
WHERE THE WHISKY IS WHISKY MAY HAVE ITS ORIGINS IN SCOTLAND, BUT AUSTRALIA IS HOME TO MANY AWARD-WINNING DISTILLERIES. WORDS KYLIE IMESON
90 COUNTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
DRINK W HISKY DISTILLERS McHenry Distillery has recently built cabins on its land where you can stay. FACING PAGE The owner and distiller at McHenry Distillery, William McHenry, with Daisy, an eight-year-old black labrador.
“BELIEVE IT OR NOT, for many years I didn’t drink spirits at
all,” says Heather Tillott, head distiller of Sullivans Cove Distillery in Cambridge, Tasmania. “My first memories of whisky were playing pool at small town pubs on the NSW North Coast, with a cheap whisky and Coke in my hand!” Now, she is responsible for 15,000 to 20,000 bottles of whisky per year produced at Sullivans Cove Distillery, the second oldest whisky distillery on the island state. The oldest whisky distillery in Tasmania, and in Australia for that matter, is Lark Distillery. It was established in 1992 by Bill Lark, who is considered the founding father of modern whisky making in this country. But before Bill could begin crafting the first single malt whisky produced in Australia for 154 years, he had to apply for a distillation licence. During this process he found the laws to be antiquated, which led to them being amended and paved the way for the flourishing craft distilling industry today. There are now close to 300 distilleries operating around Australia, and one of them belongs to Bill’s daughter, Kristy Lark-Booth. Kristy is the first second-generation whisky distiller in Australia and the first female to own and operate a distillery, Killara Distillery. “Killara was named as a tribute to my parents and my history,” she explains. “Killara is the street my parents lived on where the first modern distillery was licenced in Tasmania, it is the same place where the still sat right outside my bedroom door when I was growing up.”
Currently in the process of building a new distillery and cellar door in Richmond, Tasmania, Kristy will also grow her own barley on her 10.5-hectare property. “It will be a paddock-to-bottle operation,” she says. “My parents introduced me to whisky,” explains the 39-year-old who has more than 20 years distilling experience under her belt. “I learned from my dad, so there’s a family connection for me. I love that using only three ingredients you can make something different. That’s the creative aspect of distilling.” Unlike Kristy who grew up around distilling, Heather came from a winemaking background. “I was drawn to distilling after being introduced to malt whisky,” says the 31 year old. “It has depth, texture, and a strong narrative. It pulled me in and I have been mesmerised by the process of making craft single malt ever since.” And it is quite a process. Unlike gin and vodka, which can be bottled straight after being distilled, whisky must be matured in barrels for a minimum of two years — 10 is ideal. Second-hand port or sherry barrels are often used as those flavours are then imparted to the whisky. Tasmania is ideally situated for ageing whisky as its climate has a lot in common with Scotland; it’s cool and moist with high humidity and low temperatures. This means evaporation in the barrel or the amount of whisky lost — referred to as the ‘angel’s share’ — is kept to >
“Food and beverages bring people together — it’s magic to create that for people.”
JUNE 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 93
a minimum, between 1.1 to 1.5 per cent. That’s not to say there isn’t whisky being produced on mainland Australia (see facing page for details). William McHenry, owner and distiller at McHenry Distillery says it is essential to have really clean, soft water to produce quality single malt. He chose his property, just two kilometres from Port Arthur, to set up his still because of the five natural springs. “I grew up in Adelaide so I cherish the idea of having an abundant, clean spring,” William explains. “Water is precious.” For the 58 year old, distilling whisky became a romantic idea after he was made redundant from his stressful biotech, job which had been his career for over 20 years. He was at a loss as to what to do next. “I was at a barbecue with friends when one said, ‘Your name is William Fraser McHenry. You should learn the bagpipes and make whisky.’” And so he and his family left Sydney for Tasmania. “Food and beverages bring people together — it’s magic to create that for people,” he says. “And it relates to my heritage. I’m trying to create a legacy for my family.” As Heather says: “Australian whisky is going through an amazing time right now. Overall, we’re seeing more sophistication, more investment and more diversity without losing that passion at the craft level that really built this industry. Unfortunately, a lot of people are doing it tough right now because of the COVID-19 outbreak, so we hope everyone remembers to buy local and support small businesses so we can all come out stronger on the other side.” Sullivans Cove Distillery, 1/10 Lamb Place, Cambridge, Tasmania, (03) 6248 5399, sullivanscove.com Killara Distillery, killaradistillery.com McHenry Distillery, 229 Radnor Road, Port Arthur, Tasmania, (03) 6250 2533, mchenrydistillery.com.a
94 COUNTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
PHOTOGRAPHY SUE DAVIS
CLOCKWISE, FROM INSET Whisky from Fleurieu Distillery; managing director and distiller Dean Druce (left) and head distiller Beau Schilg of Corowa Distilling Co; Old Kempton Distillery. FACING PAGE A bottle of whisky from Killara Distillery.
W HISKY DISTILLERS DRINK
ON THE TRAIL Tasmania’s climate is well suited to whisky making and mirrors that of Scotland, the birthplace of single malt whisky. With low temperatures — essential so minimal whisky is lost to evaporation while it is in the barrel — moist conditions and an abundance of barley, it makes sense that most of Australia’s whisky distilleries are located on the island state. The Tasmanian Whisky Trail takes in 17 distilleries, including Lark Distillery, Sullivans Cove Distillery and McHenry Distillery. Next time you visit Tasmania, why not follow the trail to find out distillers’ stories? For more information, visit taswhiskytrail.com
AUSTRALIAN WHISKY DISTILLERIES B L AC K GAT E
J OA DJA D IST ILLE RY
DIST I L LERY
The Southern Highlands is well
Touted as NSW’s first hot-climate
known for its ties to Scotland;
whisky distillery, Black Gate
hundreds of Scottish oil shale
Distillery is located in Mendooran,
miners came to the area in the
45 minutes north of Dubbo in the
1870s and brought their love of
state’s Central West. Established
whisky with them. That tradition
in 2009 by Brain and Genise
continues with Joadja Distillery
Hollingworth, its single malt
producing two single malts. The
whiskies were been listed at
Joadja Wee Heavy Scottish Ale is
top Danish restaurant Noma
also a must-try. 1760 Joadja Road,
when it had a pop-up in Sydney.
Joadja, NSW, (02) 4878 5129,
M T UN C L E D IST ILL ERY
72 Forrest Road, Mendooran,
joadjadistillery.com.au
Far North Queensland might be
TIM B O ON RA ILWAY SHE D DIST ILL ERY
the last place you’d expect to find
Housed in a former railway
L A R K D ISTIL L ERY
a distillery producing whisky but
shed in the Great Ocean Road
Wander through the barrels at
Mt Uncle Distillery in Walkamin on
hinterland, this distillery was
COROWA D IST IL LERY CO
what is arguably the birthplace
the Atherton Tablelands is doing
inspired by the town’s history
On the banks of the Murray River
of modern Australian whisky and
just that. There are two single
in whisky making, which dates
in Corowa, NSW, football mates
sample its wares on a tour of Lark
malts to sample. 1819 Chewko
back to the 1890s. Sample the
Dean Druce and Beau Schilg
Distillery, which was founded by
Road, Walkamin, Queensland,
two single malts and stay on
produce seven distinct single malts
Bill Lark. 14 Davey Street, Hobart,
(07) 4086 8008, mtuncle.com
for lunch. The Railway Yard,
at Corowa Distilling and Chocolate.
Tasmania, (03) 6231 9088,
That’s right, there’s also chocolate
larkdistillery.com
NSW, (02) 6886 1123, blackgatedistillery.com
and a café. 20-24 Steel Street,
1 Bailey Street, Timboon,
OL D K E M PTON
Victoria, (03) 5598 3555,
DISTILL E RY
timboondistillery.com.au
Corowa, NSW, (02) 6033 1311,
L IM EBU R NE R S
Dysart House, a grand sandstone
corowadistilling.com.au
Limeburners Heavy Peat Cask
inn built in 1842, is now home to
Strength Single Malt was recently
the Old Kempton Distillery with the
WIL D RIVER MOU NTAI N DISTIL LERY
F L E UR I EU DI ST ILLE RY
named Best International Craft
Tasmanian-made copper still in
At 869 metres above sea level
Located on South Australia’s
Whisky in The World by the
the historic convict brick stables.
on Queensland’s Atherton
beautiful Fleurieu Peninsula.
American Distilling Institute, which
You can taste the three single malts
Tablelands, husband and wife
Perch on a stool at the tasting
is reason enough to check out
made on site and stay for lunch.
team Wes and Amy Marks
bench overlooking the water
Great Southern Distillery Company
They also run a distillery school
produce two single malts:
and taste Fleurieu Distillery’s four
in Albany. 252 Frenchman Bay
if you’d like to learn tricks of the
Elevation and Small Batch.
different single malt whiskies.
Road, Albany, Western Australia,
trade. 26 Main Street, Kempton,
Both these whiskies are
1 Cutting Road, Goowla, South
(08) 9842 5363, distillery.com.au/
Tasmania, (03) 6259 3082,
available online. wildriver
Australia, fleurieudistillery.com.au
limeburners
oldkemptondistillery.com.au
mountaindistillery.com.au
“Australian whisky is going through an amazing time... we’re seeing more sophistication, more investment and more diversity.”
FLAVOURS Aya Nishimura’s tea pork from her book, Japanese Food Made Easy.
TASTE OF JAPAN AT HOME
In Japanese Food Made Easy (Murdoch Books, $39.99), London-based food stylist and cook Aya Nishimura takes the mystery out of preparing and presenting your favourite Japanese dishes. Step-by-step illustrations take you through some of the more advanced techniques, such as rolled omelette, and there’s a section that details all the pantry items you need for success. If you’re wondering what to do with one ingredient, such as tofu or eggs, she provides six quick recipe ideas. Aya covers condiments and the foundation recipes of the Japanese kitchen, dashi broth and sushi rice, in depth. In every way, from the tone of the recipes to the illustrations and photographs, the book expresses a quiet Japanese aesthetic. ayanishimura.com
f lavours
THIS MONTH BARBARA SWEENEY MEETS A UNIQUE BEEF FARMER AND FINDS THE BEST BEESWAX WRAPS. Follow Barbara on Instagram stagram @foodand @foodan dwords MEET THE PRODUCERS Bec Lynd, Big River Highland Beef, Plenty, Tasmania The story of how Bec Lynd came to da farming begins with a horse. “I wanted few acres for my horses and I fell in love with this property,” says the former paramedic. “I’m an atypical and unintentional beef farmer and this is an atypical beef farm: more than half of it is covered in native forest and the remaining north-facing pasture is steep.” This landscape led her to buy Scottish Highland cattle, those lovely doe-eyed beasts with long reddish hair and horns. “I needed an animal that was low maintenance, didn’t need to be mollycoddled, didn’t mind hills and could cope with extremes in weather,” she says. There was no existing fencing infrastructure so Bec also needed an animal that could run inside a portable electric fence. “The fact that they are also great foragers also won me over.” Bec who runs Big River Highland Beef with her wife Rebecca Tudor, sells the beef direct to her community, offering family beef packs at the New Norfolk Market four times a year. The bursary Bec won when she became the 2017 Tasmanian Rural Woman of the Year funded research into on-farm abattoirs in the USA and inadvertently led to her new role as CEO of the Huon Valley Meat Company, a business that works direct with farmers and runs both abattoir and specialist butcher shops in Hobart, where you can buy Tasmanian beef, including Big River Highland Beef. 0418 520 100, facebook.com/BigRiverHighlandBeef
under wraps
The transition to beeswax wraps from plastic is effortless once you’ve felt (and smelt) Queen B’s Uber wrap. Measuring 100cm x 75cm, it can be cut to suit individual needs. Made with wax supplied by Australian beekeepers, we love the ones in pretty Liberty London fabric. (02) 9905 1188, queenbwraps.com
SET THE TABLE State of Permanence tray in Natural, $110, and hammered mug, $58, both from Story of Things. storyofthings.com.au
TASTE OF HOME
In her first book Coconut & Sambal (Bloomsbury Publishing, $39.99), Lara Lee’s Indonesian family story unfolds like the papery layers of murtabak, the ubiquitous blistered Indonesian flatbread. Lara, who was born and raised in Australia and who now works in London as a chef, explored her father’s homeland in pursuit of her culinary heritage. Her love and enthusiasm for her family, and the cooks she meets on the way, spills onto every page and you can almost taste the salty peanuts in the rempeyek, smell the galangal, turmeric and ginger in the Padangstyle rendang and hear the praise you’ll get when you serve the pandan sponge cake, kue pandan dan kelapa.
HEIRLOOM RECIPE The traditional method of making Schulz Organic Dairy’s quark was passed down by Hermann Schultz, who started the business in Victoria’s Timboon in 1972. The German style fresh cheese can be spread on bruschetta or used in place of mascarpone in tiramisu. $5.50 for 365g. (03) 5598 3803; schulzorganicdairy.com.au 96 COUNTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
ON SALE NOW USE CODE ‘250FF’ FOR A 25% DISCOUNT & FREE SHIPPING BEFORE 27TH MARCH AT BAUER BOOKS
With over 200 evocative colour photographs of original Australian beach houses, this intimate interior book is packed with ideas and resources to inspire you in your own home.
AVAILABLE WHERE ALL GOOD BOOKS ARE SOLD AND BAUERBOOKS.COM.AU
R EGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE Rebecca Isijanovski, the owner of Mountain House Co. located in the Gold Coast hinterland, Queensland. FACING PAGE The shop has a selection of homewares including pottery by Larissa Warren and Comfort & Calm.
SHOW YOU R SU PPORT
THE EVENTS OF THIS YEAR HAVE LEFT MANY REGIONAL BUSINESSES STRUGGLING. HELP SUPPORT THEM BY SHOPPING ONLINE AND, WHEN YOU CAN, TAKE A ROAD TRIP TO VISIT THEIR BEAUTIFUL TOWNS. WORDS A BBY PFA HL
PHOTOGRAPHY SABINE BANNARD
JUNE 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 99
R EGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE Thistle & Fern Lifestyle, a store located in Rutherglen, Victoria, stocks a range of brands such as HK Living, The Society Inc. and Frank Green. FACING PAGE Baskets from Back to Baskets at the entrance.
Australia-wide shipping available. Shop 6, Clermont Plaza, 62 Daintree Street, Clermont, (07) 4983 1910, kennedyandgrace.com
NORTHERN TERRITORY Parap Fine Foods
This foodie destination in Parap, Darwin, is like an Aladdin’s cave of culinary inspiration. Napoleon and Irene Pantazis opened the shop in 1968. It has since evolved from a respected fruit and vegetable supply shop into a vast gourmet produce store, under the management of their children, Paula and Neville. There are local and imported goods, a deli with an unmatched cheese selection, health products and an impressive wine room, complete with a large range of spirits from near and far (including Fannie Bay Whiskey and Australian Green Ant Gin). With spices, bush tucker, preserves, ready-made meals, coffee and homemade treats (the traditional Greek Ekmek is a must-try), it’s your one-stop shop for essential ingredients in the top end. 40 Parap Road, Darwin, (08) 8981 8597, parapfinefoods.com.au
QUEENSLAND Mountain House Co.
Bringing more charm into everyday life is the ethos that underpins this enchanting store, located in the luscious surrounds of Tamborine Mountain within the Gold Coast hinterland. The shop’s owner, 26-year-old Rebecca Isijanovski, says it always takes your eyes a little while to adjust as you walk inside the rambling cottage from the bright sunlight outdoors. When they do, a farmhouse-style space unfolds, with cool, dark tones of wood and blackboard forming the canvas for a treasure trove of designer homewares. Rebecca cites her inspiration as a “mix of the European countryside, the wilds of the Australian landscape and the artistic offerings of major metropolises like New York and London”. We love Mimosa Botanicals’ small-batch Australian bath soaks and essential oil perfumes, locally
made Comfort & Calm ceramics and Rebecca’s beautiful range of woven market baskets. 128 Long Road, Tamborine Mountain, 0403 236 901, mountainhouseco.com.au
Kennedy and Grace
Thanks to Kennedy and Grace, locals in the classic little town of Clermont, 100 kilometres north of Emerald, don’t have to travel far for their retail fix. The shop’s distinct style takes its cues from old-fashioned country life with a hint of the Hamptons thrown in. Accents of dusty pink and eucalyptus green feature throughout the collection of homewares and gifts, and textiles printed with florals are in abundance. The wide range of stock ensures broad appeal — from pearl jewellery and gingham dresses to mango-wood furniture and cow-hide rugs. An easy-to-use website lets customers shop from the comfort of their home with a click-and-collect option and
NSW The Hall
Nine years ago, Lindy Hall opened a small clothing store in Condobolin, primarily in response to the lack of menswear available in town. As time passed, retail declined in the area and, tellingly, the local Target closed its doors. But Lindy and her husband David took a leap of faith in another direction — they expanded. Seeing the opportunity left, both in the market and physically, by the vacant Target space, the pair moved in and The Hall was born. Lindy and David painted over the brown tiles from the ’70s, among other changes, and the shop got a fresh, new look. Lindy bought in homewares and increased her clothing offering to include not just work shirts, overalls, jeans and sports essentials, but a bright and beautiful range of womenswear “straight from the city,” she explains. Importantly, the team installed a coffee machine, meaning The Hall has become a thriving,
“Inside the cool, cave-like boutique... you’ll find owners Kathy Kayll Talbot and Carla Walsh creating bouquets or arranging their new lifestyle offerings.”
joy-filled meeting place for the drought-affected community. “We have the mums and bubs, girls after the gym and the men, often straight from the paddock comparing weather apps, all calling in for coffee and a catch up,” says Lindy. You can also purchase items over the phone. 59 Bathurst Street, Condobolin, (02) 6895 4008, thehallcondo.com
PHOTOGRAPHY GEORGIE JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY
The Old Produce Store
Next time you’re on a road trip between Sydney and Melbourne, take a turn off the Hume Highway into Binalong. The tree-lined village is no longer a locally kept secret, due to its heritage buildings and its genuine country hospitality. Catherine Kerslake, the owner of The Old Produce Store, agrees the tiny town is country Australia at its best. She says keeping that spirit alive is her shop’s raison d’être. In each picture window of her Victorian-era building, dating back to the 1880s, a giant urn displays an abundance of local flora while a large deer, Rudy, sits above the welcoming fireplace. The shop sells a variety of produce from the Hilltops region, Yass Valley, Batlow, Cowra, Wagga Wagga and beyond — think award-winning olive oils, honey, beeswax products, apples, vinegars and nuts — as well as local artisan creations such as stunning handmade fine jewellery, puzzles, Australiana ceramics and leather goods. Visitors love the tasting table, where they can try Cathy’s popular Binalong Bushranger Blend range of jams, jellies, pickles, chocolate bullets and honeycomb, plus an all-natural billy-style tea, which was recently sent to the Queen. In true tight-knit community style, a blackboard-wall displays a list of the best things to do in the area — highlights include stocking up on Mick the butcher’s famous sausages, grabbing an ice-cream from Billy at the General Store, a hot chocolate from Cafe on Queen or a cold beer and real country meal at the Binalong Hotel. 25 Fitzroy Street, Binalong, 0409 555 855, theoldproducestore binalong.com.au
VICTORIA Thistle & Fern Lifestyle
The front doorstep of Thistle & Fern Lifestyle in Rutherglen tells a story in itself. The huge river red gum slabs are beautifully weathered — the sign of a well-worn path into the 1885 building. Inside the cool, cave-like boutique, which opened as an offshoot of florist Thistle & Fern in nearby Wodonga, you’ll find owners Kathy Kayll Talbot and Carla Walsh creating bouquets or arranging their new lifestyle offerings. Shop Mavi jeans, Australian botanical tees by Ryder, locally sourced candles, bath bombs, Society Inc. hardware, homewares, gifts and hats. Art lovers are in for a treat, with Kathy and Carla the entrusted vendors for a collection of vintage oil paintings by the late Peg Hyville. 111 Main Street, Rutherglen, 0447 844 785, thistleandfern.com.au
SOUTH AUSTRALIA Peregrine Store
Jessie Zarubin had been dreaming of opening a shop for years when an unexpected move back to her home town provided the missing piece of the puzzle. “The products I love make sense in the seasons here… they fit the landscape of the Adelaide Hills. I’m in an environment I find inspiring and authentic,” she explains. This sentiment certainly rings true in the store — it has a rustic, mountain country feeling and sells interesting products for indoors, outdoors, men,
women and children. There’s also a nod to years gone by, with Falcon Enamelware, Pendleton picnic rugs, classic Planet Finska games and sweet Modern Monty toys — “it’s all about invoking memories of simpler times,” says Jessie. She tells us there’s a lovely ethos that underpins every item she stocks: to encourage reconnection with family and friends. This might be through days spent in nature with a bespoke Le Weekend picnic basket, learning the art of wreath-making or whittling via a book from Jessie’s thoughtful collection, or entertaining >
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loved ones over a Winestain platter, made by a father-daughter duo in the Barossa. 19 Albert Street, Gumeracha, (08) 7286 5897, peregrinestore.com.au
TASMANIA Cracked and Spineless Like something straight from a literary novel, this wondrous Hobart bookshop is hard to find. Hidden within the Imperial Arcade, which itself sits in the old Imperial Hotel on Collins Street, The Imperial Bookshop was opened in 1989 by eccentric Scottish collector, the late Ian Beveridge. It’s now owned by business partners Richard Sprent and Mike Gray. Anyone who frequents the store, knows the pair live and breathe books. Richard came across the shop as a boy: “I would visit the place nearly every day after
second-hand books and learning about authors. He then moved on to the world of new books for 15 years, before he was tracked down after Ian died. “Mike came and found me in 2013. We changed the shop’s name to Cracked and Spineless and we began to stock new books, too. I’d always wanted to own a store where it didn’t matter if the books were new or old. I just wanted to have the books that people wanted.” Though there’s seemingly something for everyone, from children’s tales and obscure horror fiction to wonderful literature and cookbooks, plus specialty Tasmanian history, Richard assures us he and Mike are very picky about what they stock. So, next time you’re in Hobart, visit this “cabinet of curiosities”, complete with walls of taxidermised bugs, spiders and
“Like something from a literary novel, this wondrous Hobart bookshop is hard to find.” school… and on weekends, too. I would find stuff there that I would never find anywhere else,” he says. Of those early times, Richard explains “[Ian] somehow managed to cram around 50,000 used books, records and tapes into an area suited to maybe half that. It was incredible. And ridiculous. He didn’t really care if people bought stuff. He was a collector at heart and wanted a place for other collectors to come and fossick”. Richard worked under Ian at the shop “for four glorious years,” digging through endless piles of
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moths, and do some fossicking for yourself! Imperial Arcade, 9/138 Collins Street, Hobart, (03) 6223 1663
VICTORIA The Foundry Named for the historic brick foundry it’s housed in, this homewares and clothing shop has rustic wooden beams, exposed brick walls and industrial proportions — unique character its owner, Liz Green, says her customers adore. An interior designer and architecture lover,
Liz has been in the retail game for 14 years. It’s clear her experience and personal touch is what keeps this Ballarat business booming. She greets locals by name as they come in to enjoy organic coffee and cake, and is constantly rotating stock “so there’s always something new and fresh,” she explains. Trips throughout Asia, the Middle East and Europe fuel Liz’s passion for textiles and colour. She sources pieces “from all corners of the globe, unseen in our regional centre” but also prides herself on longstanding relationships with some big-hitting Australian and international suppliers — Elk, Nancybird, American Vintage and Jones & Co to name a few. 411 Mair Street, Ballarat, (03) 5331 4192, foundry411.com.au
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Barney & Fleur The owner of Barney & Fleur, Vanessa Brogan, describes Bridgetown as beautiful, with rolling hills and an interesting mix of shops and cafés. Like so many regional areas, however, she goes on to say that its true beauty lies in the community that lives there. “Bridgetown is what every country town aspires to be — relaxed, friendly and unpretentious,” says Vanessa. This relaxed air extends to her store, with much of the bohemian-style womenswear coming from Byron Bay. Flowers and greenery are dotted throughout the space, creating an organic feel. “We are definitely not shiny surfaces and glitzy glam,” explains Vanessa. Loyal customers, often visiting for the day from nearby cities like Bunbury and Busselton, love that there’s a story behind many of the products. “We have beautiful hand-loomed mats from northern India, where a percentage of each sale goes to educating underprivileged children,” says Vanessa. “We have Italian perfumes that come from a family business that stretches back 150 years. We recently started stocking non-toxic nail polishes from Albany where one tree is planted for every bottle sold.” 135 Hampton Street, Bridgetown, (08) 9761 2777.
PHOTOGRAPHY GOLDEN POINT PHOTOGRAPHY
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The Foundry in Ballarat, Victoria; Meraki dish soap from Mountain House Co. in Queensland’s Tamborine Mountain; cushions from The Foundry; Relic jug from Kennedy and Grace in Clermont, Queensland; Seline boot from Barney & Fleur in Bridgetown, WA.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING CHINA SQUIRREL
JULY ISSUE ON SALE JUNE 18
Enjoy our baking special in our Food and Wine Issue, cook recipes from our country chefs in your own kitchen and discover the latest label from a famous South Australian winemaking family. SEE OUR GREAT SUBSCRIPTION OFFER ON PAGE 128 OF THIS ISSUE.
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MY TOWN CA NUNGR A QUEENSLA ND Hot air ballooning is another way to experience Canungra and the Scenic Rim in south-east Queensland. FACING PAGE Wine barrels in the cellar of O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards, close to town.
MY TOWN
CANUNGRA
THIS PRETTY TOWN IN THE GOLD COAST HINTERLAND IS A GREAT PLACE TO UNWIND, EXPLORE AND INVEST. WHILE CANUNGRA, LOCATED in south-east Queensland,
is only 32 kilometres west of the Gold Coast, it feels like a world away. Tucked in the lush foothills of the World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park, the village of about 1200 people is known for its natural beauty. Given its proximity to Brisbane and the coast, tourists, hikers and daytrippers mingle here each weekend, exploring the town’s cafés and boutiques, often en route to the surrounding national parks of the Scenic Rim. After falling in love with Lamington National Park, Nikki Hobbs, 34, moved to Canungra with her husband Luke five-and-a-half years ago. They were introduced to the area by Nikki’s stepfather Dave who is a paramedic in town and the couple now operate their award-winning business Hobbs Building & Interiors, from just outside of Canungra. “After renovating, holding or flipping several projects for over a decade, we’ve finally settled into a property and home which we adore and there are no plans for relocating any time soon,” Nikki says. “The like-minded community and neighbourhood is a huge factor, including our morning coffee shop addiction, gym sessions, cycling club and hotel pizza nights with friends.”
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Once a timber town, Canungra is now a supply centre and hub for the surrounding agriculture, tourism and equine industries, and the Kokoda Barracks training base, that was established in 1942, is close by. While the Canungra region was impacted by fire last year, the community rallied together and welcomes visitors to the region with a large range of experiences and accommodation options. Trish Wilson, 52, of Country Mile Escape in the Flying Fox Valley just south of Canungra has lived in the region for most of her life. Her grandfather originally developed a dairy at the end of the valley and now Trish and her husband Murray have diversified their 28-hectare cattle property with two accommodation studios perched high in the hills. “We wanted to give everyone a taste of what we have every day,” Trish says. “It’s a beautiful area and still secluded from the nearby large population of people. We are in the heart of the national parks so a lot of bushwalkers base themselves here.” Whether you’re after relaxion or adventure, this pretty town with its country hospitality is sure to delight. For more information, go to visitscenicrim.com.au or canungrainformationcentre.com.au >
REAL ESTATE PRICES ARE CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT.
WORDS CLAIRE MACTAGGART PHOTOGRAPHY PIP WILLIAMS ILLUSTRATION DANIELLA GERMAIN
MEDIAN HOUSE PRICE $476,250 MEDIAN RENTAL PRICE $470 per week BY THE NUMBERS From $200,000 to more than $2,000,000 MARKET WATCH “Dubbed the gateway to the Scenic Rim region and nestled in the foothills of the hinterland, Canungra is a small country town which attracts a large number of tourists all year round,” says Drew Slack-Smith from Scenic Road Properties. “People move to Canungra for the beautiful village lifestyle, with local school, doctors, dentist, cafés, gym, boutique shopping — it has it all. Country living with great access to national parks and rainforests, close to the beach and the city of the Gold Coast. People often commute for work to Brisbane or the Gold Coast but enjoy the best of both worlds — there’s nothing quite like the caring community of Canungra.”
MY TOWN CA NUNGR A QUEENSLA ND Livestock grazing in the Scenic Rim region. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards; a bouquet by florist Lydia’s Garden on display at local homewares store My Country Escape; curious cattle; homemade cake at Canungra Hub Café; Nikki Hobbs of Hobbs Building & Interiors.
REASONS TO VISIT
CANUNGRA VALLEY VINEYARDS
Enjoy a gourmet picnic and a glass of wine on the bank of Canungra Creek and visit Mountview Alpaca Farm, also at the vineyard. 852 Lamington National Park Road, (07) 5543 4011, oreillys.com. au/canungra-valley-vineyards HOT AIR BALLOONING Take in the beauty of the Scenic Rim from the air followed by a champagne breakfast in a vineyard. Hot Air Balloon Gold Coast, 23 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, (07) 5636 1508, hotair.com.au LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK The World Heritage Gondwana Rainforest is popular for camping, picnics and hiking. Green Mountains and Binna Burra are two sections that are worth seeing. Look at the website before planning a visit as
the Binna Burra section has been closed since the 2019 bushfire. parks.des.qld. gov.au/parks/lamington POLO The Queensland polo seasons runs from May through to September and various matches are held near Canungra at three different locations. The Australian Open is planned for September 13th this year, while the Queensland Gold Cup and Pink Polo Day are on September 20th, both held at Elysian Fields. queenslandpolo. com.au; seqpoloclub.com.au
REASONS TO STAY COUNTRY LIFESTYLE In close
proximity to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Canungra offers a more relaxed way of life in the beautiful Scenic Rim. Agritourism is a growing industry and
the annual Scenic Rim Eat Local Week is a great way to connect with farmers in the area. eatlocalweek.com.au NATIONAL PARKS The Scenic Rim is home to six diverse national parks, with Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage areas. visitscenicrim. com.au/about-us/listed-national-parks TURNING CANUNGRA PINK The community turns pink each October to raise awareness and funds for cancer.
EAT
CAFÉ METZ This coffee shop offers
country hospitality and good food. 37 Christie Street, (07) 5543 4322 CANUNGRA HUB CAFÉ Everything here is homemade and the café caters for people with all dietary requirements. 32 Christie Street, 0422 894 174 >
“The like-minded community and neighbourhood is a huge factor, including our morning coffee shop addiction... ”
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GETTING THERE
Canungra is approximately 78 kilometres (one hour’s drive) south of Brisbane and 32 kilometres east of the Gold Coast. Flying in? Gold Coast airport is 54 kilometres south east while Brisbane airport is 85 kilometres to the north. goldcoastairport.com.au; bne.com.au
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Nikki Hobbs CO-OWNER, HOBBS BUILDING & INTERIORS
Nikki runs a building company with her husband Luke.
Canungra has a primary school from prep to year six, a kindergarten and a childcare centre. The Scenic Rim Regional Council has produced a booklet for new residents that contains a services directory and overview of the region. scenicrim. qld.gov.au/downloads/file/2019/ new-residents-welcome-pack-pdf
OPPORTUNITY CALLS
French bulldog Louie greets visitors to The Shoe Vault. CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Canungra Cottages will open later in the year on Appel Street; the Lost World Valley in the Scenic Rim; St Luke’s Church; lavender at Canungra Books & Art; the town’s welcoming sign. FACING PAGE One of the studios at Country Mile Escape, accommodation located near Canungra.
Canungra is now known for its agricultural production, equine facilities, tourism and emerging wine industry. In the greater Scenic Rim, agriculture, forestry and fishing are the major industries, followed by health care and social assistance, training and education. Less than half an hour away, the Bromelton State Development Area is a nationally significant freight precinct. investscenicrim.com.au/bromeltonstate-development-area/ The Scenic Rim Regional Council will host an Asia Ready workshop on July 18th in Beaudesert so local business operators can learn about positioning their products for overseas markets. Canungra Chamber of Commerce is a support for local business. (07) 5543 5532 canungrachamber ofcommerce.epage.at For more information about investing in the region, visit, investscenicrim.com.au
CA NUNGR A QUEENSLA ND MY TOWN
GINJA NINJA CAFÉ AND BAR
For fresh sushi and more in a fully licensed premises. 28 Christie Street
SHOP
CANUNGRA BOOKS & ART Find
your next page-turner at this store, which stocks antique and modern books as well as vintage clothing. 6 Kidston Street, 0418 792 161, canungrabooksandart.com.au LYDIA’S GARDEN A boutique florist for celebrations, events and every day. Flowers can be purchased through My Country Escape (see right). 29 Christie Street, 0488 664 183, lydiasgarden.com.au
MY COUNTRY ESCAPE This shop has
fashion, homewares and beauty items. 29 Christie Street, (07) 5543 4042, mycountryescape.com.au O.W.L. WHOLEFOODS Find organic grocery items and fruit and vegetables. Shop 1/8 Kidston Street, (07) 5543 4371, owl-wholefoods.business.site THE SHOE VAULT Beautiful shoes, accessories and bags can be found in this store in the centre of town. 35 Christie Street, 0400 477 818
STAY
CANUNGRA LUXURY STAYS Stay
at the beautiful Canungra Homestead, which has five bedrooms, or the more
contemporary-style Canungra House. 17 Colvin Road and 893 Lamington National Park Road, 0407 506 178, canungraluxurystays.com.au COUNTRY MILE ESCAPE Choose between two studios in the Little Flying Fox Valley — The Shay with one bedroom and The Aerial with two. 63 Little Flying Fox Road, Flying Fox, 0419 090 246, countrymileescape.com.au
O’REILLYS RAINFOREST RETREAT
Discover the beauty of the rainforest with a guided walk or wildlife encounter. There are a range of accommodation and activities for everyone at this iconic destination. Lamington National Par Road, 1800 688 722, oreillys.com.au
“Once a timber town, Canungra is now a supply centre and hub for the surrounding agriculture, tourism and equine industries...”
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TEXTILE DESIGNER TANYA CAIN-ABBS LOVES TO SIT AROUND THE CAMP FIRE SO SHE NEEDS TO BE PRACTICAL BUT STYLISH. PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON
FASHION
The camp oven is often in use at Tanya Cain-Abbs’ property in Yallingup, WA, as are her gumboots. FACING PAGE Tanya, with her husband Duncan and their sons Lucas, 14 and Ollie, 12, carries a basket of kindling to the camp fire. The family’s labradoodle Maisy is never too far away when the family go outside. JUNE 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 111
Knits are an important part of Tanya’s wardrobe. BELOW, FROM LEFT Graphic prints are Tanya’s trademark; tablecloths and napkins form part of her collection. FACING PAGE Sketching at her kitchen bench in Yallingup, WA. For stockist details, see page 130.
TANYA CAIN-ABBS TEXTILE ARTIST AND MOTHER, 44
Tanya relishes the time she spends with her two sons, Lucas, 14, and Ollie,12, at their home in Yallingup and it is where this busy artist gets a lot of inspiration for her fabric designs. What do you love about living in the country? The open spaces, the bush and the beaches. Spring is my favourite time of year, when the native orchids can be spotted on bush walks and we cook around the camp fire. How would you describe your style? I’m drawn to timeless pieces in natural fabrics with an earthy colour palette. Textural wool knits, cardigans, denim and linen anything are my staples. Although I do like a little sparkle or lace for special occasions. Are you interested in fashion? I have a background in fashion, but it’s fabric that’s my real love. It’s always fabric first, then the cut and style. What’s the best style advice you’ve ever received? Wear what you feel good in. What are your wardrobe essentials? A wide brim fedora hat and a white cotton shirt for sun protection in summer; gumboots in winter. Where do you shop for clothing and accessories? I like to support the small, independent stores that are run by their owners. What are your favourite clothing labels? Elka Collective, Jac and Jack, All That Remains, Assembly Label and Flannel for lace and embroidered pieces when I want something a little bit fancy. Do you have any favourite accessories? My favourite perfume is Nomade by Chloé, a gift from Mum. I love Robin Wells jewellery, and Bahru leather bags too. Where do you shop locally? Milc and Laneway for clothes, Supernova for shoes, Empire for homewares, Merchant & Maker for gifts, all in Dunsborough. Yallingup Cheese, Pure & Local Yallingup honey and Yallingup Wood Fired Bread is always a treat! What are you reading, listening to and watching? My favourite bookclub book from last year was Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I love listening to podcasts when I’m driving: Chat 10 Looks 3, The Design Files Talks, Lady Startup and any true crime are all favourites. What do you never leave home without? Sunglasses and my phone, which I use more for the camera. I’m constantly taking photographs for reference. To see more of Tanya’s home, see page 48.
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FASHION
FASHION
CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Enamelware is essential for outdoor cooking; the family gather around the camp fire — Tanya is wearing her favourite gumboots; tea towels; the billy over the fire; Lucas stacking firewood.FACING PAGE Ollie, Duncan, Lucas and Tanya with Maisy love spending time together outside.
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DENIM, GUMBOOTS AND A COMFY KNIT ARE ALL TANYA NEEDS. PRODUCED BY SOPHIE WILSON
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1 Darcy dress in Stone, $290, from All That Remains. 2 Chloé Nomade eau de parfum, $185 for 75ml, from Myer. 3 Andy hat in Oak, $149, from Will and Bear. 4 Cable sleeve jumper in Linseed, $109, from Yarra Trail. 5 Relaxed sweater in Ginger, $119, from Marco Polo. 6 Bird Keepers mid-rise skinny jeans, $119.95, from Birdsnest. 7 Lightweight cashmere V-neck jumper in Snow White, $395, from Everyday Cashmere. 8 Banksia hand-printed linen tea towel, $30, from Old Grey House. 9 Where the Crawdads Sing book by Delia Owens and published Little Brown Book Group, $22.99, from Booktopia. 10 Leather Paris tote bag in Caramel $280, from Bahru. 11 Cirque freshwater pearl and sterling silver earrings, $145, from Robin Wells. 12 Mollini Oshker shoes in White and Dark Tan, $110, from Supernova. For stockist details, see page 130.
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CR AFT STR ING Crocheted string baskets (make page 121). Shamrock Craft jute twine in medium, $27 for 315m, and Shamrock Craft Naturals hemp rope, $13 for 50m, from Spotlight. Linnmon table top (100cm x 60cm), $19.99, from Ikea. Similar spoon, egg cup and jug from The Shelley Panton Store. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP String heart garland (make page 121). Shamrock Craft jute twine in fine, $27 for 570m, from Spotlight. Similar linen pinstripe pillowcase from Scout House. Similar grey linen pillowcase and flat sheet from Bedouin Societe. For stockist details, see page 130.
A KNOT IN TIME
LOOKING FOR A CREATIVE PROJECT TO FILL IN THE DAYS? CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FOR YOUR HOME USING ROPE AND STRING. WORDS MELODY L0R D PHOTOGRAPHY M A R K ROPER ST YLING TA M A R A M AY NES
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CR AFT STR ING MacramĂŠ string bag (make page 122). Shamrock Craft jute twine in fine, $27 for 570m, from Spotlight. Sipa Cut natural ash chair, $513, from Curious Grace. FACING PAGE Rope trivet (make page 122). Linnmon table top (100cm x 60cm), $19.99, from Ikea. Similar spoon from The Shelley Panton Store. Stelna glass mug, 99 cents, from Ikea. Hasami teapot in Clear, $155, from Mr Kitly. Similar lamp from Curious Grace. For stockist details, see page 130.
Making something with your own hands can be meditative and the creation gives you a sense of pride and satisfaction.
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Rope basket (make page 123). Similar clothes airer from Miss Glass Home. Similar bath sheet (on left) and hand towel (in basket) both from Bedouin Societe. Similar Citta jacquard towel and Redecker round bath brush, $59.95, both from The Shelley Panton Store. FACING PAGE Grunt 8mm cotton sash cord, $16.50 for 15m, from Bunnings. For stockist details, see page 130.
STR ING CR AFT
CROCHETED STRING BASKETS MATERIALS 100m hemp rope, about the thickness of 8ply wool (makes 1 basket 16cm diameter x 8cm high + 3cm cuff) EQUIPMENT 5mm crochet hook scrap yarn (optional) scissors MEDIUM Some craft skills required (crochet).
1 Make 4 chain (ch) and slip stitch (sl st) into first chain to form a circle. Work 8 double crochet (dc) into the centre. Work in a spiral without finishing each round. 2 Round 1: 2dc in each stitch (16 sts). 3 Round 2: *1dc in next stitch, 2dc in following stitch*, repeat from * to * to end of round (24 sts). 4 Round 3: *1dc in next 2 stitches, 2dc in following stitch*, repeat from * to * to end of round (32 sts). 5 Round 4: *1dc in next 3 stitches, 2dc in following stitch*, repeat from * to * to end of round (40 sts). 6 Round 5: *1dc in next 4 stitches, 2dc in following stitch*, repeat from * to * to end of round (48 sts). 7 Round 6: 1dc in every stitch. 8 Round 7: *1dc in next 5 stitches, 2dc in following stitch*, repeat from * to * to end of round (56 sts). 9 Round 8: *1dc in next 6 stitches, 2dc in following stitch*, repeat from * to * to end of round (64 sts). The base will measure about 14cm diameter at this point. NOTE If you want a larger basket, continue increasing in alternate rounds until you have a flat disc of the desired diameter. 10 Round 9 and following rounds: 1dc in every stitch, continuing for about 15 rounds until the basket is the desired height. Slip stitch into next stitch to finish the round.
11 Cuff: Turn the work (so you are working back across the stitches you have just made). Make 1ch to start, then 1dc in every stitch as before, for 4 or 5 rounds. 12 Finish off with a slip stitch, pull the yarn through the last loop and then weave the tail of the rope into the previous row. Weave in the tail at the beginning. Fold over the cuff. VARIATION 1 SMALL BASKET OR BOTTLE HOLDER 1 Work the first 6 rounds as for the basket, then slip stitch into the next stitch. 2 Every round: 3 chain (counts as 1 treble), 1 treble in every stitch to end, slip stitch in top chain. 3 When you reach the desired height (ours is 6 rounds high), work one round of 1dc in every stitch and finish with a slip stitch, pulling the rope through the last loop and then weaving the tails in. VARIATION 2 RUSTIC LOOPY BASKET 1 Using medium (2mm) jute twine and a 12mm crochet hook, start with the first three rounds as for the basket base. Work into the back of each stitch and keep the tension loose. 2 You may find you need to work a round of 1dc in every stitch after round 3 and again after round 4 to keep the base flat. 3 After round 5, work 1dc in every stitch to make the sides until you reach the desired height, then finish off by pulling the rope through the last loop and weaving in the tails. TIP Use a short length of coloured yarn to mark the beginning of the round, and weave it through at the beginning of each new round. You can simply pull it out and discard it when you’ve finished.
STRING HEART GARLAND MATERIALS 50–60m fine (1mm) jute twine (6m for each heart) EQUIPMENT 4.5mm crochet hook scissors MEDIUM Some craft skills required (crochet).
1 Make 4 chain (ch) and slip stitch (sl st) into first chain to form a circle. 2 Round 1: 4ch, 4 treble (tr) into centre of circle, 2 double treble (dtr) into centre, 4ch, sl st into centre, 4ch, 2dtr into centre, 4tr into centre, sl st into top chain. 3 Round 2: 4ch, 1tr into same stitch, 2tr into each of next 3sts, 1tr + 1dtr in next stitch, 2dtr in next st, 3dtr in next st, 1tr in 1st ch, 4ch, sl st into centre, 4ch, 1tr in 4th ch, 3dtr in next st, 2dtr in next st, 1dtr + 1tr in next st, 2tr into each of next 3sts, 1tr into next st, sl st into top chain. 4 Cut twine and weave in tails at start and end. 5 Cut a 30cm length of twine and thread it through the top of the heart. Tie the heart to a longer length of twine for the garland. 6 Repeat the instructions to make as many hearts as you need. >
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CR AFT STR ING
MACRAMÉ STRING BAG
MATERIALS 120m fine (1mm) jute twine two 6cm squares of leather or similar for handles EQUIPMENT 4.5mm crochet hook scissors wire coathanger 8 clothes pegs or bulldog clips sewing machine or heavy-duty needle and thread liquid adhesive (suitable for leather) DIFFICULT A good understanding of a variety of craft skills required.
1 Make a crocheted base by following the instructions for the baskets [see page 121] to the end of Round 5 (48 stitches). End with a slip stitch into the next stitch. 2 Round 6: 2ch (counts as 1 treble), *1ch, 1tr* in every stitch. When you have completed the round, slip stitch into top of 2nd chain and weave in ends. 3 Cut 48 two-metre lengths of twine. Fold each length in half and feed the folded end through one of the gaps in the outer row of the crocheted base. Pass the two cut ends through the folded loop and pull tightly to secure. Repeat with a new length of twine in the next gap until you have completed the circle. There will be 96 strands of twine hanging from the crocheted edge. 4 Pass the hook of a wire coathanger through the hole in the centre of the crocheted base. Bend the ends of the coathanger around so that they support the crocheted circle, making a temporary frame to hold the bag open as you work the knots. Use the coathanger hook to hang the work from a doorknob. 5 Take two pairs of twine strands next to each other. Let the middle
two strands (one from each pair) hang together. Pass the left-hand strand across the front of the middle strands, forming a loop on the left side. Pass the right-hand strand over the left-hand strand, behind the middle strands and bring it forward through the loop, making a granny knot across the hanging middle strands, about 2cm from the top. 6 Take the right-hand strand (which was formerly the left-hand strand) and pass it across the front of the middle strands, forming a loop on the right side. Make another granny knot as before, capturing the middle strands. Pull the knot gently until it catches firmly, but don’t pull it too tight. 7 Repeat this with the next two pairs of twine strands, until you have made knots all around the bag and are back at the starting point. 8 For the next row of knots, you need to take the right-hand strand from the first knot and the left-hand strand from the second knot. These will be the hanging middle strands of the new knot. Using the next strand to the left, make a loop on the left as before and tie it with the next strand to the right. This will place the second round of knots offset between the first round. Pull the knots until they catch, but don’t make them too tight or you will lose the open mesh appearance. 9 Repeat around the bag, then move to next round of knots, offsetting each round from the previous one as before. Work about 16 rounds of knots until the bag is the desired size. 10 On the final round of knots, work an extra granny knot to make it a little more secure. Remove the coathanger frame and discard it. 11 To make the braided handles, gather three groups of four strands and plait them about eight times. Use a clothes peg or bulldog clip to hold each braid
while you plait the remaining strands. You should have eight braids. 12 Take two adjacent braids and combine them together into one larger braid. Braid for about 40cm from the join then use a sewing machine to stitch across the braid to secure it. (You could use sewing thread to tie them off by hand if you don’t have a machine.) Trim the ends of the string about 1.5cm from the stitching. Repeat with the remaining pairs of braids until you have eight large braids. 13 Join a pair of the large braids by crossing the ends over each other at the stitching line and stitch several times back and forth across the overlap to secure. Make sure the braids are not twisted when you join them. Repeat with the remaining braids for the other handle. 14 Wrap a piece of leather around each join, applying glue to both the stitched part of the handles and the leather. Press flat under a heavy object while the glue dries overnight.
ROPE TRIVET
MATERIALS 1 pkt 6mm window sash cord* heavy-duty sewing needle and thread scissors EQUIPMENT * Window sash cord is available from hardware stores in various thicknesses and lengths. You need about 5m. EASY No special craft skills required.
1 Make a loop in the end of the cord by folding over about 7cm of cord and crossing the cord. Fold the cord about 3cm along from the cross to make another loop and push the fold through the first loop. Pull the end of the cord to secure the knot around the second loop.
2 Fold the cord about 3cm along from the second loop to make another loop. Push this fold through the second loop. Keep the loops reasonably loose so they sit flat when laid on the table. 3 Repeat step 2 to make a chain about 120cm long for a 17cm diameter trivet. Finish by cutting the cord about 7cm from the final loop and pulling the end firmly through the loop to knot. 4 Thread the sewing needle with strong thread and double it for extra strength. Knot the end of the thread and anchor it through the knot at the beginning of the chain. 5 Lay the chain flat, with the loops flat-side down, and start to curl the chain around itself in a spiral. Stitch through the side of each loop and then back through the side of the loop in the previous round to hold together. 6 Continue stitching around the spiral, turning it over occasionally to check that the loops are sitting flat on the top of the trivet. When you get to the end, work a couple of back stitches to fasten off the sewing thread and sew the tail inside the cord to hide it. 7 Use your fingers to weave the tail ends of the rope into the underside of the trivet and trim the ends neatly. Turn the trivet over so the flat side of the loops are uppermost.
ROPE BASKET
MATERIALS 45m x 8mm cotton window sash cord EQUIPMENT scissors bucket heavy-duty clear-drying liquid adhesive (optional) heavy-duty sewing needle and thread (optional) EASY No special craft skills required.
1 Cut eight 1m lengths of cord. 2 Take 3 of the lengths of cord and cross them over each other in the centres to form a star shape. Holding them together in the centre with one hand, take one of the cords and weave it around the other 5 spokes, going under one, over the next, under the next, and so on until you have used the whole length of that piece of cord. Tuck the end back into the weaving to secure it. 3 Turn the bucket upside down and place the woven disc on top, with the spokes of cord hanging down over the side of the bucket at regular intervals. Take one of the remaining 5 lengths of cut cord and thread it through the last round of weaving between two of the spokes, pulling it through so the ends are even and it is folded in half over the last round of weaving. Allow the ends to hang over the side of the bucket. Repeat with each of the gaps between the original spokes so you now have 15 spokes hanging over the side of the bucket. 4 Using the remaining uncut cord, anchor one end into the woven disc and continue weaving as before, incorporating the new spokes into the pattern. When you reach the edge of the bucket base, stop and tug lightly on the spokes to ensure they are evenly spaced around the base and that the weaving is firm and secure. 5 Continue weaving around the spokes and working down the side of the bucket, until you reach the height you want the basket to be. If you need to start a new packet of cord, tuck the
Everyone needs more storage and you can weave a pretty, practical rope basket to hold keys or even a pot plant — and it’s easy to make too! ends into the previous round of weaving as you did before. Finish weaving by cutting the cord and tucking the end back into the weaving. 6 Lightly tug on the ends of the spokes to ensure they are evenly spaced and the weaving is firm, then remove the basket from the bucket, turning it up the right way. There will be tails of cord from the spokes sticking out of the top of the basket. 7 To finish the top edge of the basket, take the end of a spoke and lay it along the top edge of the basket, wrap the next spoke over it and allow the tails to fall inside the basket. Repeat around the top edge. Now go around and pass the tails of each cord around the next spoke along, between the top two rows of weaving, and tug lightly to secure. Trim off the cord ends close to the weaving inside the basket. 8 To secure the ends of the cord, you can use a blob of clear-drying liquid adhesive or stitch wi eedle and thread, if you prefer.
JUNE 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 123
HEALTH SLEEP The attic guest bedroom at Crofters Fold in Pipers Creek, Victoria, is serene and sleepfriendly. The bed is made with a combination of bedlinen from Cultiver, Aura Home and Ikea. The cage pendant light is from Fat Shack Vintage. For stockist details, see page 130.
FA S T ASLEEP
A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP IS IMPORTANT TO OUR OVERALL WELLBEING WRITES DR MICHAEL MOSLEY. PHOTOGRAPHY LISA COHEN ST YLIST TESS NEWMAN-MORRIS
SLEEP IS SOMETHING we all do; in fact,
we spend around a third of our lives in this strange, unconscious state. And yet until recently we understood very little about what sleep is for, how much we need, and the role that dreams play in improving our mental health. Thanks to recent research, we know that too little sleep can devastate your body, brain and microbiome (gut bacteria), dramatically increasing your risk of developing a range of chronic conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and dementia. When it comes to sleep, it’s not just about quantity, but quality too. We have learned, through extensive sleep studies, that if you don’t get enough of the right sort of sleep, you increase your risk of depression and memory problems. Which is all very worrying, particularly if, like a third of the adult population, you suffer from insomnia. Fortunately, there are surprising and highly effective ways to improve your sleep quality, ensuring you fall asleep rapidly, get plenty of deep sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. This in turn should boost your happiness, creativity and even life expectancy. GET COOKING AND FERMENTING! Feeding up your microbiome by eating more fibre-rich and fermented foods is an important part of this program. If your diet isn’t currently fibre-rich, introduce these foods gradually otherwise you might become gassy! You can buy fermented foods, but making your own sauerkraut is quite easy and very rewarding. Just bear in mind that it will take time to mature. SORT OUT YOUR BEDROOM Ensure that your bedroom is a place where you sleep, nothing more. Replace any bright lights with bulbs that are softer and more diffused. If you like the idea of music or white noise to fall asleep to, get everything set up. HOW’S YOUR MATTRESS? As a rule of thumb, you should replace your mattress every seven to 10 years, but the life expectancy of a mattress varies considerably, depending on how good it was in the first place and how much it has been used. The main thing to watch out for is sagging. Take the
sheets off and have a good look to see whether there is an obvious dip. If there is, a mattress topper will provide extra cushion and support and will be much cheaper than a new mattress. WHAT SORT OF PILLOW IS BEST? In theory, you should replace your pillow every couple of years. To test if it is time for a new one, try folding it in half and see if it springs open. If it doesn’t, it probably won’t be providing a lot of support for your head and neck. If you do decide to replace it, what sort of pillow should you buy? According to the UK National Sleep Foundation (NSF) that depends on how you sleep. People who sleep on their back will benefit from thinner pillows which help to limit stress on the neck. Stomach sleepers need a really thin pillow, or no pillow at all, to keep the spine straight and minimise stress on the lower back. For side sleepers (the most common position), a standard pillow will do, though they might consider placing a pillow between their knees or thighs to help maintain spinal alignment as they sleep. KEEP IT DARK Finally, make sure that your room is cool, dark and quiet. If you have a clock, put it away, out of sight. Your mobile should, ideally, be switched off or placed face down out of reach of your bed. You might want to invest in decent curtains or blackout blinds, particularly if you are a shift worker, though a sleep mask will be cheaper. SLEEP HYGIENE DO 1 Try eating more fibre and fermented foods to help build a sleep-friendly
biome, which can significantly boost your chance of a good night’s rest. 2 Start doing 12:12 fasting. That means not eating for 12 hours, for example between 8pm and 8am. Try to finish your evening meal at least three hours before you go to bed and avoid snacking before going to sleep. 3 Cut out all alcohol and reduce caffeine for a week and see if that helps. 4 Remember to fill in your sleep diary. 5 Get out of bed if you can’t go to sleep and only return when you are tired. 6 Practise relaxing deep breathing exercises, during the day as well as the night. 7 Expose yourself to bright light, whether outdoors or using a light box, for at least 20 minutes first thing in the morning. DON’T 8 Have a TV in your bedroom. 9 Leave your phone beside your bed where you will be tempted to look at it. 10 Eat in bed! I met a woman who kept the drawer beside her bed stuffed with chocolate and wondered why she was sleeping so badly. Try practising good sleep hygiene, changing the way you eat to create a sleepy biome and doing your best to combat stress and anxiety to remain worry-free during the night. With all that sorted, it’s time to take the plunge and get started. It will be particularly helpful if you suffer from insomnia, but it will also benefit those of you who experience occasional disrupted sleep. This is an edited extract from Fast Asleep by Dr Michael Mosley, ished by Simon & Schuster, $29.99.
INVEST IN REST
Many people believe the firmer the mattress, the better it is for them, especially if they have a bad back. However, research has shown that a soft, comfortable, yet supportive mattress leads to a better sleep. Amanda Balech from Harvey Norman Mattresses recommends taking the advice of knowledgeable in-store staff to help you choose the right one for you and lying on as many mattresses as you can. And when you get a new mattress, replace your pillow too. “Firstly you need to think about how you like to sleep, side, back or both? Then consider your build — for pillow height — and how firm your mattress is,” explains Nigel Maddern from Dentons. Harvey Norman Mattresses, harveynorman.com.au Dentons, (03) 9887 0001, dentons.com.au
JUNE 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 125
BOOKS
BOOK CLUB THIS MONTH CHOOSE ONE OF THESE TITLES AS AN AVENUE OF ESCAPE TO A GORGEOUS VILLA IN FRANCE, A FICTIONAL INDIAN STATE, OR EXOTIC NEW GUINEA, TO NAME A FEW. REVIEWS ANNABEL LAWSON
THE SAFE PLACE Anna Downes, Affirm Press, $22.99 For readers too young to remember, let me explain. An au pair was a young woman who had just left school, wanted to see the world, and was ready to assist busy parents by looking after their children. The right agency could whisk you off to a chateau in the Dordogne or you could find yourself riding bareback in the Camargue. Downes herself was au pair to a warm and wonderful couple in midwest France. Their gorgeous home has been ‘borrowed’ for the setting. Downes hastens to assure us, however, that her characters are nothing like her former employers. The heroine, Emily, hopes to become an actress in London. Fat chance. So off she goes to a secluded paradise to help out Scott whose jargon grates with every utterance (he uses that phony ‘what do you think/want?’ ploy). His wife Nina evokes mixed feelings. They have a seven-year-old daughter with dyed hair and tinted contact lenses who doesn’t speak and doesn’t want to be touched. Courage, Emily, you can do this. Wonderful big scenes, a natural born bard.
THE SATAPUR MOONSTONE Sujata Massey, Allen & Unwin, $29.99 Close your eyes. Travel back to 1922. Location Bombay and beyond in Gujarati province. I don’t know about you, but the only pictures which sprang to mind were Gandhi and his campaign for Indian independence. A riffle through Wikipedia, the Salt March and the reek of mothballs at vice-regal balls. Well, you won’t need any of that. In Massey’s new novel other matters have top priority. We’re looking at a family feud in a fictional princely state, which the Brits supervise, but with a light touch. In living memory
126 COU NTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
for Brits in India in the 1920s (one Brit to 1000 Indians) were some ferocious rajahs who had made quite a nuisance of themselves back in the day. Massey offers a vision of a world beyond history books. Her tiny kingdom seethes with local politics and personalities bursting from their tightly wound cultural habits. In the imaginary state of Satapur chaos threatens. The king died of cholera. The heir was killed in an — erm — unfortunate hunting accident. A 10-year-old boy Jiva Rao is technically king but cannot assume office until he is 18. In the meantime there’s a Prime Minister, the boy’s roguish uncle Swaroop. Also a court jester Aditya who seems to have his nose in everyone’s business. The late king’s widow, called choti-rani — junior queen — wants her son educated in the best British schools. She foresees that the Indian royals will need to be sophisticated diplomats. Her son must have the right accent and be well-informed. Her mother-in-law, the despotic Putlabi, says that he will be educated by the very tired old tutor who has to obey the future king; when Jiva Rao wants to fly a kite, it’s no lessons for the rest of the day. The two queens are in purdah — sort of — and will not admit a man to their presence. Perveen Mistry is called in to mediate. She’s a solicitor, an odd calling for females in India at the time, and she’s a Parsi, one of the very small group of Indians who arrived from Persia long ago and have since dominated the intellectual scene. The British representative in the area is a sweet-natured man but slow to engage (he will reappear in the next murder mystery, mark my words). Perveen’s digging reveals a suite of crimes and a threat to the life of Jiva Rao. Massey tells a cracking yarn. Everyone is thinking one thing and doing the opposite. Makes for seething paranoia. The climax has everything,
rooftop drama, bows and arrows , ruses, deadly poison, charcoal — you’ll see.
A CONSPIRACY OF BONES Kathy Reichs, Simon & Schuster, $32.99 In the television drama Bones forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan writes thrillers about a character called Kathy Reichs. In the books (this is the 19th), it’s the other way round. Ha ha. Reichs brings new readers up to date in her author’s note at the back and in the helpful first chapter. In all her past thrillers Reichs has been invisible behind her characters. Last year fans were frustrated because there was nothing from Reichs. This was because she had an aneurysm, which could have burst and ended her life. State-of-the-art surgery makes that eventuality less likely. Instead of retiring, Reichs — who is a leading forensic anthropologist herself — exposed her own pains and fears by giving Brennan the same diagnosis. What forensic anthropologists do is examine dead bodies for clues that could help the justice system with its enquiries. Sounds like a quiet life but not a bit of it. Zombie ants (yes, they do exist) and underground bunkers, hectic forays into the dark web and sparkling repartee with Brennan’s loyal sidekick crowd in and keep the plot in constant tumult.
THE GILDED CAGE Camilla Lackberg, Harper Collins, $29.99 Faye hates her father, her landlady’s husband, and, eventually, the husband she once adored. She loves their young daughter and her landlady. Once she stops trying too hard to please she becomes irresistible and is never short of male company. This is Sweden and
for Faye’s tastes the measures handed out to ne’er-do-wells are too humanitarian. Her revenge program is devilishly clever. Once all who have wronged her are either behind bars or dead she calms down and settles to being a family person far, far from where she could be seized and jailed. I’m hoping there will be further adventures of this controversial righter of wrongs.
THE GUEST LIST Lucy Foley, Harper Collins, 29.99 Two wedding planners, a master of ceremonies, his over-domesticated wife, a bully and his cronies, a powerful magazine editor and her doleful sister gather on an island. Before you know it a storm has cut off access. In the pitch-black night a bloodcurdling scream… need I go on? Her finger
on the pulse of what teases and torments in our twisted modern society, Foley is well-versed in the essential skills: characters, pace and what she’s learned from masters of the genre about casting suspicion on everybody. She’s a dab hand at chapter endings too.
ELLIS ROWAN: A LIFE IN PICTURES Christine Morton-Evans, National Library of Australia, $34.99 Imagine the astonishment of a New Guinea tribesman in the 1916 as he saw an elfin white woman corseted and neatly coiffed stepping into the sunlight. Rowan would leave Australia for months on end to track down exotic flora and fauna. Her passion was to paint species which most of the world had never seen. These works have been
PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING NICOLA SEVITT
A good book can transport you far from home and stay with you long after you have read the final page.
carefully curated by the National Library of Australia but until now have been hidden from view. Morton-Evans has unearthed them and her book is a treasure trove of beauty and strangeness. The life story of this adventurous Melbourne housewife is full of joys and sadness. Her only child died after jailers gave him a beating in what is now Zimbabwe. Rowan’s skill and originality were not fully appreciated by the Australian government and they refused to pay a fair price for close to 1000 of her works. In a huff she donated what they would not buy. Hence the comprehensive collection. However, compared with the docile lives of her friends, wives pouring tea and circulating pinwheel sandwiches, she enjoyed a freedom that was unusual at the time. We are the grateful beneficiaries.
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Garden-inspired decorating ideas on page 56.
stockists
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130 COUNTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
Henry Beguelin shop.henrybeguelin.it Hobo and Hatch 38/55 Prince Street, Busselton, WA, (08) 9754 6464, hoboandhatch.com House of Orange 917 High Street, Armadale, Victoria, (03) 9500 9991; 231 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, (03) 9116 5610, houseoforange. com.au Ikea ikea.com/au Ivy Muse 1250 High Street, Armadale, Victoria, (03) 9939 0228, ivymuse.com.au James Dunlop Textiles 1800 123 705, jamesdunloptextiles.com Kaboodle Kitchen 1800 666 078, kaboodle.com.au Kmart kmart.com.au Kusu Ceramics 0414 752 452 Little Greene Wall Candy Wallpaper, 346 Beaufort Street, Highgate, WA, (08) 9328 3035, wallcandywallpaper.com.au Loom Shop 5, Kings Arcade, 974 High Street, Armadale, Victoria, 0417 443 271, loomtowels.com MA Architects 25 William Street, Cremorne, Victoria, (03) 9421 6671, maarchitects.com.au Magis magisdesign.com Marco Fabrics 155 High Street, Auburn, Victoria, (03) 9882 7238, marcofabrics.com.au Marco Polo 1800 001 399, marcopolo.net.au Mark Anstey Crafted Furniture 0427 724 149 Miss Glass Home 17 Paran Place, Glen Iris, Melbourne, Victoria, missglasshome.com Mr Kitly 381 Sydney Road, Brunswick, (03) 9078 7357, mrkitly.com.au. Myer 136 937, myer.com.au. Natio natio.com.au Natural Floors Melbourne, 0400 876 451, naturalfloorsmelbourne.com.au Neometro 11 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Victoria, (03) 9534 7774, neometro.com.au Nook Vintage 378 Smith Street, Collingwood, Victoria, 0417 187 196, nook-vintage.business. site Old Grey House oldgreyhouse.com.au Oliver Thom Shop 1, 181c Edgecliff Road, Woollahra, NSW, 0416 937 190, oliverthom.com.au Orient House 45 Bridge Road, Glebe, NSW, (02) 9660 3895, orienthouse.com.au Pampa Unit 1/12 Centennial Circuit, Byron Bay, NSW, (02) 6694 3152, pampa.com.au Perfect Pieces 1/7 Bungaleen Court, Dandenong, Victoria, (03) 9768 3125 perfectpieces.com.au Porter’s Paints 1800 656 664, porterspaints.com Provincial Home Living (03) 9089 1351, provincialhomeliving.com.au Reece reece. com.au Robert Gordon 114 Mulcahy Road, Pakenham, Victoria, (03) 5941 3144, robertgordonaustralia.com Robin Wells 1300 187 187, robinwellsjewellery.com.au SaardÊ Suite 2.02, 75 Mary Street, St Peters, NSW, 0401 818 157, saarde.com Sally Beresford Mount Ashby Estate, 128 Nowra Road, Moss Vale, NSW, (02) 9362 1733, sallyberesford.com.au Sarah Schembri Ceramics 10 Kent Street, Fitzroy, Victoria, 0414 377 397, sarahschembri.com Scout House 161a Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, Victoria, (03) 9525 4343, scouthouse. com Sheridan 1800 223 376, sheridan.com.au Slabs by Design Building 1, Suite C, 1110 Middle Head Road, Mosman, NSW, 0481 567 668, slabsbydesign.com.au South Pacific Fabrics (02) 9327 7222, southpacificfabrics.com Spence & Lyda 184 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills, NSW, (02) 9212 6747, spenceandlyda.com.au Spotlight spotlightstores.com Supernova (08) 9759 1590, supernovashoes. com.au Table Tonic tabletonic.com.au Temple & Webster templeandwebster.com.au The English Tapware Company 1800 465 080, englishtapware.com.au The Hub General Store 36 Cambridge Street, Collingwood, Victoria, (03) 9652 1228, thehubgeneralstore.com.au The Plant Runner theplantrunner.com The Plant Society 33-39 Keele Street, Collingwood, Victoria, 0439 282 409, theplantsociety.com.au. The Society Inc. Warehouse 3.02, 75 Mary Street, St Peters, NSW, 0429 589 982 thesocietyinc. com.au Urban Eden & Co 0424 609 893, urbanedenco.com Wombat Hill Florist 28 Raglan Street, Daylesford, Victoria, (03) 5348 1439, wombathillflorist.com.au Woodfolk 0468 966 355, woodfolk.com.au The Shelley Panton Store 440 Malvern Road, Prahran, Victoria, (03) 9533 9003, shop.shelleypanton.com Weytlandts weylandts.co.za Will and Bear willandbear.com Yallingup Wood Fire Bread 7 McLachlan Road, Quindalup, WA, (08) 9756 6306 Yarra Trail 1800 001 399, yarratrail.com.au
PHOTOGRAPHY LISA COHEN STYLING BELLE HEMMING, LYNDA GARDENER
STOCK ISTS
FIELD GUIDE
FIELD GUIDE
BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY GUY BAILEY STYLING ANNA DELPRAT
BROWSE OUR ADVERTISERS’ PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
MADE TO MEASURE
COCKTAIL HOUR
HEAT IS ON
This beautiful Horizon Azure Roman blind from Blinds Online is perfect for your own personal sanctuary. blindsonline.com.au
Sleek and stylish, the Georgia Acrylic Serving Cart is easy to move around and ideal for entertaining at home. domayne.com.au
The innovative AGA eR3 Series mix of ovens, hotplates and induction hobs means you have a cooker for all seasons. agaaustralia.com.au
FASHION FIRST
BY YOUR SIDE
CARRY ON
Ella & Sunday to create beautiful clothing from natural fibres using sustainable practices that you can wear every day. ellaandsunday.com.au
The Luxe two-drawer bedside table made from ash timber will suit most bedrooms and provide valuable storage. harveynorman.com.au
Why not plan ahead and dream of doing the St James walk, part of the Portuguese Camino, with the comfort of luggage transport. ibertours.com.au
FORM AND FUNCTION
RUG UP
THE NATURAL WAY
Caroma’s range of stylish Opal Support Rails promote independence in the home by reducing the risk of slips and falls. caroma.com.au
Take advantage of Birdsnest’s personalised style recommendations, and curated outfits when shopping for your winter wardrobe. birdsnest.com.au
Thea’s pure cotton sleepwear is comfortable to sleep in and pretty enough to wear to breakfast on the porch. thea-australia.com.au
COUNTRY EMPORIUM
Dee Jackson
10% OFF WITH CODE:
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ETHICAL, SUSTAINABLE & COLLECTABLE Australian artist creates beautiful watercolour portraits. Commissions Welcome.
lovemerino.com.au
T: 02 9416 2265 | M: 0439 986 452 | www.deejackson.com.au
Selina Wilson Art Teacup series • Sculptural mixed media paintings with vintage tea cups
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rawhome.com.au TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
shop online www.uimi.com.au
Luxurious sup rfin m rino wool fashion PROUDLY MADE IN TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA
COUNTRY EMPORIUM
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Smitten Merino – Superfine merino wool fashion – dresses, cardigans, tops, leggings and more. Our luxurious superfine merino wool is 100% Australian and proudly manufactured in Tasmania. Call 03 6212 0197 for expert advice or shop online
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
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COUNTRY EMPORIUM
ALEXANDRA STRONG For unique and beautiful hand-made home wares, soft furnishings, jewellery and gifts personally curated from around the globe and around the traps
Private commissions welcome
Berry | NSW South Coast
287 Comur Street, Yass, NSW 02 6226 1240 shop@merchantcampbell.com
me rchant ca mp be l l .com. au
www.alexandrastrongart.com @alexandrastrongart
LYN FR ANKE C O N T E M P O R A RY A RT I ST
Ly n F r a n k e i s a m u l t i a w a rd w i n n i n g a r t i s t p re s e n t i n g a s t ro n g t e x t i l e a n d p a i n t i n g b a c k g ro u n d . Lyn welcomes commissions, for private or corporate clients, interior designers, or community organisations.
W W W. LY N F R A N K E .C O M
Pure Cotton Luxurious Nightwear
www.thea-australia.com.au | 0411 267 872
0423 102 997 lynfranke@bigpond.com
Ly n F r a n k e A r t
“PLIGHT OF THE CARNABY’S” w o n t h e 2 0 1 8 To w n o f C l a re m o n t Councillors Art Prize.
PRE ORDER WEST HAMPTON 4 PCE SET
$1100.00 47 CHURCH STREET, BRIGHTON VICTORIA PHONE: 0448 865 728 TO ORDER WWW.MRSBLANCHETTS.COM
TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
Designed and made in Australia for stylish women of all ages
P: 07 3424 5641 @daronnenaturelle E: sales@daronne.com www.daronnenaturelle.com
Watercolour originals & fine art prints by Australian artist Helen Boughen
fighillfarm.net
Australian Designed & Handmade Jewellery Specialising in Venetian Glass. Express post & special gift on order.
www.ritzyrocks.com.au
COUNTRY EMPORIUM
RITZYROCKS
PJ MILLER
HOME OF BOWRAL BOXERS
The DLUX Baby collection is made from the finest natural fibres including Australian Merino Wool and Pure Cotton. Available gift boxed.
Stay warm & cosy this winter in our lovely cotton sleepwear French Country winter nighties sizes 8-24 Men’s & women’s brushed cotton nightshirts sizes XS-3XL
For Stockists
www.d-lux.com.au
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Beautiful, fine cotton French Country nighties
Phone (02) 4862 2520
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LUXURIOUS KNITWEAR Made In New Zealand LOOKBOOK AVAILABLE NOW: 1800 153 820 SHOP ONLINE: www.thewoolcompany.co.nz
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
Proudly Australian owned since 2005
www.ArthurAve.com.au
JUNE 2020 COUNTRY ST Y LE 135
COUNTRY EMPORIUM
Handmade ceramics from Spain
a thoughtful gesture Boutique gift boxes hand curated for luxury, quality and mindful gifting.
www.homegrownandcogifts.com
Meron Somers Artist
LAURA HOLLAND ART IRONING BOARD COVERS Great new range of colours and designs, new products all ready for Christmas
0411 424 225 www.meronsomersartist.com
www.sunpots.com.au 02 4847 5052 info@sunpots.com.au The Crewel Gobelin needleCrafT
www.laurahollandart.com
www.suziehopedesigns.com
Specialty Needlework Store Supplies and Workshops 02 9498 6831 THECREWELGOBELIN.COM.AU
88 PENSHURST ST WILLO UG HBY N SW 2068 046 8 759 200 | WWW.LEFO RGE .CO M. AU | AU STR A L I A WID E DE L IVE RY
TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
COUNTRY EMPORIUM
Home of The Year Round Rugby and the Essential Fleece 75 Walkerville Tce. Walkerville 5081 • 08 8344 5555
Paradechildrenswear.com.au
• 100% Cotton • Hand Block Prints
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
JUNE 2020 COUNTRY ST Y LE 137
HOME A ND GA RDEN EMPORIUM
THE
MO NTAU K L I G HT I N G C O.
The Montauk Lighting Co. brings the best of the world’s feature lighting to Australia, including collections by Ralph Lauren Home, Kelly Wearstler, AERIN, Thomas O’Brien and Kate Spade New York through Visual Comfort & Co. and Tigermoth Lighting from the UK. Let us help you find the perfect statement piece. Visit our website to browse the entire range.
Rustic, classic and timeless, the ‘Allegra’ Two-Tiered Chandelier by Ralph Lauren Home for Visual Comfort & Co.
Arabella Sleepwear • 100% Cotton
www.damaskbedlinencollection.com TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
montauklightingco.com @montauklightingco 0417 099 031
Keep it clean!
FLEXIBLE STEEL GARDEN EDGING WHICH BENDS TO VIRTUALLY ANY SHAPE FOR LAWNS, DRIVES, PATHS, FLOWER AND VEGETABLE BEDS. EverEdge® is easy to install (no extra pegs or joiners), suits all soil types and is available in a variety of colours and depths. EverEdge is made from 1.6 mm gauge mild steel galvanised and powder coated or with a Cor-Ten rusted finish.
www.everedge.com.au
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
0488 010 203
HOME A ND GA RDEN EMPORIUM
Wipe away the dust and grime to leave squeaky clean finish and the fresh scent of oranges
ORDER ONLINE OR FIND A STOCKIST NEAR YOU www.howardproducts.com.au
1800 672 646
JUNE 2020 COUNTRY ST Y LE 139
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
Prestige Properties | New South Wales
Prestige Buying and Selling Agents ts
Contact us today to learn how our professional service can help you locate and procure your Queensland en pro pr operty pu purchase. • Expert Advice • Integrity • 5 Star Rating on RateMyAgent • Secret Listings gs Contact: Linda Shore-Perez 0427 378 687 or David Perez 0427 378 600
villarealestate.com.au
FOR SALE: BARRABOOL, VIC
Neuchatel C1861 (former Suisse Vineyard) 460 MERRAWARP ROAD, BARRABOOL Price: $1,350,000 to $1,450,000 3 1 1 This charming Barrabool sandstone residence provides a rare opportunity with over 150 years of history, character and individuality. Originally built by pioneer Swiss Vignerons, the property, on close to two acres, features a breathtaking wine cellar, original stables and coach house. Located approximately one hour from Melbourne and with easy access to the Surf Coast. Contact: Heidi Trempel 0414 522 325 Dale Whitford 0417 500 576
Stay
IN LUXURIOUS COMFORT AND UNIQUE STYLE
62 Byng Street Orange NSW 2800 P 02 5317 8200 | info@byngstreethotel.com.au
W W W. B Y N G S T R E E T H O T E L . C O M . A U
LOCATION + GRANDEUR + SPACIOUS + COMFORT
TEAK TREE FARM
BYRON BAY HINTERLAND, NSW 2 Luxurious self-contained homes close to acclaimed cafes & vineyards in Mudgee NSW. Ideal for wedding groups, family get-togethers or weekend wine tasters. Cawarra Cottage c1866 has been lovingly restored with all original cedar period features throughout, yet also with all the modern conveniences. Haylock house is a fully renovated 1920’s Californian Bungalow tastefully furnished yet with a hint of old to complement this home away from home
Mention this advert to receive a discount on any mid-week stay. 27 & 29 Short Street Mudgee NSW 2850 | Ph: 0428 482 198 bookings@stayontheparkmudgee.com.au
w w w.stayontheparkmudgee.com.au
TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
A peaceful country escape, close to the eclectic town of Mullumbimby or a short drive to the famous coastal towns & beaches, or the beautiful Hinterland Villages. Circ.1905 farm house sits on 50 cattle grazing acres. Amazing wildlife. A total experience. 0448 343 422 teaktreefarm@gmail.com Teak Tree Farm www.teaktreefarm.com
JERVIS BAY, NSW
ECO RETREAT Each of the 4 luxury Villas at La Rocher Eco Retreat offers spectacular views of the world heritage Mount Warning/ Wollumbin and Border Ranges. Serenity, peace and tranquillity allows you to truly unwind and nourish your soul in this lush hinterland paradise, close to ancient rainforests and some of Australia’s best beaches. A comfortable 2-hour drive from Brisbane and just over 30 minutes from the Gold Coast airport.
gprocher@me.com • 7 Minto Place, Smiths Creek, NSW 2484 • 0402 272 727
www.larocher.com
Kingfisher Pavilion is a private suite at Bundarra Farm. Fronting Currambene Creek, which flows into Jervis Bay. Kangaroos and birdlife share the farm with cattle, horses, ducks and chickens. Featuring an outdoor spa, fire-pit and picnic table. The Kingfisher Pavilion is the ultimate luxury getaway. 0478 008 814 kingfisherpavilion@gmail.com www.kingfisherpavilion.com
HARBOURSIDE APARTMENTS
BALLARA RETREAT
The little cooking school offers informal, relaxed cooking classes showcasing the best regional produce resulting in a delicious, leisurely lunch. Adjoining the school is a newly refurbished accommodation sleeping 8. Fully self-contained and stylishly appointed. Accommodation, dining and cooking class packages available.
Sydney’s absolute waterfront accommodation offers fully serviced and equipped studio, one and two bedroom apartments. Conveniently situated at McMahons Point Ferry Wharf Harbourside is the perfect Sydney base for business or pleasure.
Experience the past, Explore the present, Discover a future. Beautiful heritage accommodation situated on Southern Yorke Peninsula. Surrounded by magnificent coastal scenery, it’s easy to find a beach all to yourself! Choose tailored art retreat packages, or just a relaxing few days away.
MUDGEE, NSW
0400 417 711 6 Henry Lawson Drive Mudgee www.littlecookingschoolmudgee.com.au
NORTH SYDNEY, NSW
02 9963 4300 stay@harboursideaparments.com.au harbourside apartments www.harboursideapartments.com.au
WAROOKA, SA
0408 545 003 www.ballararetreat.com.au
THE FUTURE IS EXCITING FOR SCONE, INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND AND A RELAXED AND AFFORDABLE RURAL LIFESTYLE AWAITS.
New South Wales | South Australia
THE LITTLE COOKING SCHOOL
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
KINGFISHER PAVILION
WWW.LIVEWORKINVESTSCONE.COM.AU
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
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South Australia | Queensland | Tasmania
Learn to paint from home with Blooms Online! There’s never been a better time to learn to paint from home. Become the artist you’ve always wanted to be! • No previous experience necessary whatsoever with my PROVEN Jacqueline Coates Blooms Painting Method, a system of painting anyone can apply to achieve beautiful results! • Discover there’s no need to be able to draw to be able to paint! • Become a colour mixing pro with every painting you add to your collection. • Learn how to handle the paint to gain control of stunning outcomes. Enjoy my HOW TO PAINT BLOOMS online 52 week painting program at the promo price $679 (save $100) and my Blooms Live Online One Day Workshop Pack $249 (worth $449). All of my online programs come with loads of invaluable support material, video access and Blooms Art Community Membership. No need to make the typical mistakes other newbie students make when you access my teaching! Accelerate your success! Hang out with likeminded others and be inspired by the new creative you! Art supplies startup packs available also. Learn from the go to artist of 30 years experience! See you in class online!
START YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY HERE! artscreativehub.com/workshops/paint-blooms-online/
artscreativehub.com/workshops/paint-blooms-online/ • Phone 0412 587 438
MISSION BEACH HOLIDAYS
KONDALILLA ECO RESORT
NINGALOO BED & BREAKFAST
Luxury to budget homes and apartments situated between Townsville and Cairns. Where to stay... what to do... in our paradise.
Only one and half hours drive north of Brisbane, nestled amongst 20 acres of abundant Sunshine Coast Hinterland rainforest, this authentic haven from city life allows you time to experience and reconnect with nature.
Want to swim with whalesharks or humpback whales? Want to snorkel Ningaloo Reef? Stay with us, it’s private, relaxing and personal. Not suitable for children under 10. Whenever you are ready to come we are ready to welcome you.
+61 7 5445 7650 hello@kondalilla.com www.kondalilla.com
0409 250 548 ningaloobedandbreakfast@netspace.net.au www.ningaloobedandbreakfast.com.au
MISSION BEACH, QLD
(07) 4088 6699 www.missionbeachholidays.com.au
SUNSHINE COAST, QLD
NINGALOO, WA
WHISKY AND WILDERNESS
at McHenry Distillery
A perfect base to explore the wilds of Southern Tasmania, or simply relax by the fire with a whisky in your own private escape. Our luxury self-contained 1 or 2 bedroom cabins are surrounded by wildlife and history. Distillery tours by appointment.
RIVER COTTAGE TASMANIA HEYBRIDGE, TAS
Escape life’s hustle & bustle at our tranquil cottage by the river. Close to beautiful sandy beaches + cafes & a short drive to the popular tourist towns of Penguin & Burnie. We are approx. 1.5 hour drive to the iconic Cradle Mountain & approx. 50 minutes to the beautiful historic township of Stanley. 0478 437 700 rivercottagetasmania www.rivercottagetasmania.com.au
TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
mchenrydistillery
mchenry_distillery
mchenrydistillery.com.au
Treat yourself to a totally private, tranquil waterfront retreat yet just a few minutes to the village of Cygnet. Far away from city distractions. Visit galleries, wineries, restaurants or curl up by the log fire with a book from the shelves and provided wine. “We have been astounded by the beauty and tranquillity, superb accommodation and sublime location at Coast House”
www.coasthousetasmania.com | stay@coasthousetasmania.com | Tel: 0409 446 290
Tasmania
PETER RABBIT™ GARDEN CAMBRIDGE, TAS
Take an enchanting stroll through Peter Rabbit’s™ garden, the only one in Australia. Also see, Jemima Puddle-Duck™, Jeremy Fisher™, Benjamin Bunny™, Mr Todd™, Two Bad Mice™, Mrs.Tiggy-Winkle™ & Tailor of Gloucester™.
Relax, Explore and Indulge in Tasmania A luxurious 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom holiday home in the township of Cygnet in southern Tasmania. It is an ideal couples escape or for groups and families looking to explore Tasmania’s famous Huon Valley. Other features include a spa, full breakfast provisions, walking distance to local attraction and well-known cafes and restaurants.
03 6248 5555 Riversdale Estate, 222 Denholms Rd, Cambridge www.thepeterrabbitgarden.com.au
embrace winter
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
COAST HOUSE TASMANIA
cygnetretreat.com.au | info@cygnetretreat.com.au
with a Tasmanian gourmet indulgence
Experience winter in Tasmania. Join us for our rustic dining showcasing local produce and wines. Luxury guesthouse offering accommodation for groups of up to 35 people between our historic Inn and our three heritage listed cottages. Catering for weddings and private functions for up to 120 people. Just minutes from Launceston. www.redfeatherinn.com.au
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
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@frenchmansrivercygnet
The crunch of frost beneath your feet, the stars a night and a fire to come home to. We love winter.
www.frenchmansriver.com.au • Kate/Posie 0466 790 142 • book@frenchmansriver.com.au
Tasmania | Victoria
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
“It was snowing as we arrived but we left in bright sun. We so loved our cosy days in this blissful place”
E X P E R I E N C E V I L L A T A L I A , t h e p r e m i e r l u x u r y a c c o m m o d a t i o n i n Ta s m a n i a ’ s u n i q u e a n d b e a u t i f u l H u o n Va l l e y – O n l y 5 0 m i n s s o u t h - w e s t o f H o b a r t . Gracious and simple in design, blending beautifully with its tranquil surrounds. From the wrap-around verandah there are views to the south of the Hartz Mountains and the southwest wilderness, with the Sleeping Beauty mountain range visible to the north. E N J OY A S L I C E O F H E AV E N
T O B O O K YO U R N E X T S TAY
Discover the ultramarine evening light and the everchanging hues and reflections of sky and water can be admired. Various wineries and cheesemakers dot the region, and the cafes and galleries of Cygnet are just ten minutes away.
Experience relaxation, privacy, breathtaking vistas & amazing places to explore. w w w.v i l l a t a l i a . c o m . a u • s t a y @ v i l l a t a l i a . c o m . a u • 0 4 2 7 9 0 1 1 8 8 •
Sandringham – Daylesford –
RIVERSDALE ESTATE CAMBRIDGE, TAS
French provincial styled cottages on private country Estate, set amongst award winning vineyard and olive grove. 1 queen and 2 singles. Panoramic water views, rolling countryside, rambling walks & private beach. Families welcome! 03 6248 5666 | 0448 701 447 wendy@riversdaleestate.com.au 222 Denholms Rd, Cambridge www.riversdaleestate.com.au
TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
Sandringham Daylesford
3
3
Luxury fittings and interiors.
Sandringham Daylesford, a lovingly restored 1930’s cottage with a relaxed yet sumptuous offering. Replenish in style.
www.sandringhamdaylesford.com.au
hellyersroaddistillery.com.au
ingrid bowen ACCOMPANIED ADVENTURES
8009
Small group adventures for lovers of landscape and art, accompanied by Sydney artist Ingrid Bowen. 6 night tours in Central Australia, June & Sept 2020
www.ingridbowen.com.au @accompaniedadventures
A travel agency specialising in walk travel Independent, tailored advice for the world’s best walking holidays. Advice on walking adventures and accredited travel agency services to pursue them.
www.walktraveladvisory.com 0484 683 429
FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS CAPTIVATING VIEW
P: 03 9819 2322 E: info@hawthorntravel.com.au W: hawthorntravel.com.au
hawthorntravel
Tailor made itineraries • Expert advice Heritage accommodation
1800 500 016 or 03 9867 8833 WWW.IBERTOURS.COM.AU
Discover the heart and soul of Puglia with ITALIAN TOURS!
10 – 23 May 2021 – Puglia, The Road Less Travelled Tour 2 – 9 May 2021 – Highlights of Puglia Tour
Including Return Airfares ex Melbourne (other cities available upon request) Small Groups, Personal Service
1300 885 255 w w w. s i s t e r h o o d w o m e n s t r a v e l . c o m . a u
NINA’S PATHWAYS
NOW IN
2021!
Slow down and experience the best of Puglia on one of our truly small group tours. Book now! 02 9358 4923 | ciao@italiantours.com.au | italiantours.com.au
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
Departing 14 December 2020 Priced from $13,779 twin share $15,579 single
Tasmania | Escape and Explore
Explore the real Spain, Portugal &Moro o
18 DAY CHRISTMAS MARKETS OF EUROPE
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
EXPERIENCE TASMANia, in spirit
My small group tours of Sri Lanka are personal and flexible. Book now for a remarkable experience with Nina’s Pathways, and let us be your guide in this tropical paradise.
/ninaspathways www.ninaspathways.com.au
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COUN TRY SQUIRE
GOOD ENOUGH ROB INGRAM REVEALS HOW HIS LOCAL SMALL TOWN SUPERMARKET TEACHES HIM THE VALUE OF ACCEPTANCE OVER TOLERANCE OR RESIGNATION. town living. I mean, have you ever had to explain to the gaggle of king parrots that wait for you each morning that the supermarket is out of Frankie & Friends Sunflower Seeds? They look you up and down with the sort of insolence that says, “Well, what are you going to do about it?” then spend the rest of the day sledging cheap insults like an Australian cricket team. The small town supermarket shapes regional living in more ways than we realise. American author Garrison Keillor is one of my favourite writers because no-one depicts the humility of small town life better. And Keillor taught me to the lessons of life offered by the small town supermarket. Or, in his case, the grocery store. In his fictitious hometown of Lake Wobegon, the grocery store was owned by Ralph. Ralph was reluctant to set his sights too high, especially in such a modest town as Lake Wobegon. So instead of spruiking his business as a supermarket, he decided to name his business Ralph’s Pretty Good Grocery Store. The expectations for a supermarket were just too high, but “a pretty good grocery store” sat comfortably with Ralph. respect of opening for me. And this, despite the fact that In this more modest endeavour, he easily succeeded, and he they promise so much more excitement than I do. ended up pretty happy with the result. And the town did, too. The doors at Trish’s Pretty Good Supermarket are His motto and, by extension, his message to the world at festooned with posters promising a festive frenzy snack large was “If you can’t get what you want at Ralph’s, you can food nirvana. Burger Rings, Twisties and Cheetos are probably get along without it.” two for $2, Aussie Bodies Arvo Peanut Protein Bars are half In Dunedoo, our Ralph is Trish. And we are all pretty price, Red Rock Deli Popcorn is $2.50 and Original Corn comfortable with the fact that Trish calls our grocery store Thins are $1.20. They sound like pretty good prices to me. a supermarket. In terms of expectation, it probably comes in It’s hard to spend too much money at Trish’s. Only at around “Trish’s pretty good supermarket”. Trish’s motto once I’ve been surprised. I got $10 out of my wallet, but might well be “You can get my selection of junk food came to GET PRETTY MUCH CAN U “YO pretty much everything you T AT TRISH’S $11.99. “You used to be able to load WAN YOU G HIN RYT EVE want at Trish’s Pretty Good up with a month’s supply for that,” ET ARK ERM SUP D GOO TTY PRE Supermarket … but maybe I said to the lady behind me. E” TIM RY EVE NOT BE MAY BUT ... not every time”. Like, you can “Yes, I know,” she said, “but now always get Felix Doubly Delicious Cat Food at Trish’s, but they’ve got cameras everywhere.” you can’t always get Frankie & Friends Sunflower Seeds. The important lesson that the small town supermarket If I could ever be persuaded to walk down the aisle again, teaches us is the value of acceptance ... of the often-overlooked it would be the cat food aisle and not the bird seed aisle. differences between tolerance and resignation and acceptance. What I particularly like about our supermarket, is that At the small town newsagent next door, gourmet magazines its doors are the only thing in town that acknowledges my are packed with recipes featuring trendy ingredients such existence. You might think that a writer — not as famous as kohlrabi, freekeh and cassava chips. The small town as Garrison Keillor, but famous enough to get a spot inside supermarket teaches us that if these aren’t on the shelves, the back cover of Country Style — would get a nod of move on… don’t fret or frown. Enjoy the clarity and calmness acknowledgement when seen in the main street of Dunedoo. that acceptance brings, and consider the options. Burger Well, think again. But when the doors at Trish’s Pretty Good Rings might be a fine replacement for cassava chips. But Supermarket sense my arrival, they pay me the bashful good luck explaining all this to the parrots.
146 COUNTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2020
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY SAM McADAM-COOPER STYLING PHOEBE McEVOY
OKAY, THERE MAY BE the occasional downside to small
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