Domain Review Stonnington & Boroondara - July 19, 2023

TASMA WALTON HOPE & BEAUTY IN HER NEW FILM

CHEF’S SECRETS DESSERTS TO DEVOUR

FOOTY FOOD WHERE TO GRAB A PRE-GAME BITE

In 2001, our cover star Gemma Ward made her acting debut in a film by Perth director Elissa Down. No, not The Black Balloon (that would come later). It was called Pink Pyjamas. It featured a young Ward who played the best friend to the lead character – who happened to be my sister. Ward, of course, went onto a very successful modelling career, though she kept one foot in the acting biz, too. She is set to rekindle her love of performing in the hit play 2:22 – A Ghost Story, which is coming to Her Majesty’s Theatre next week. She and co-star Ruby Rose told us about their excitement to return to the stage. ●

Compiled by HAILEY COULES

DIVERSE FLAVOURS \ Get to this year’s Winter Feasts in North Fitzroy. Chefs from social enterprise Free to Feed will serve cuisines from Ukraine, Egypt, Sri Lanka and more. July 27 to August 24. ● freetofeed.org.au

FROM ABOVE \ Chadstone’s newest rooftop bar has just opened at Euro-brasserie Cityfields. The Terrace has panoramic views of the city skyline, a toasty fire pit and delish snacks and drinks. ● cityfields.com.au

THE EDIT

Things we love about Melbourne

Gemma Ward

Photographed by Daniel Boud

Go to domain.com.au/domain-review

General inquiries \ editorial@domain.com.au

Editor \ Jemimah Clegg

Editorial producer \ Hailey Coules

Group picture editor \ Kylie Thomson

Senior designer \ Colleen Chin Quan

Graphic designer \ Emma Drake

National magazine editor \ Natalie Mortimer

Group content director \ Mark Roppolo

Chief marketing officer \ Rebecca Darley

Chief executive officer Domain Group \ Jason Pellegrino

Real estate sales director \ Ray van Veenendaal \ 0438 279 870 ray.vanv@domain.com.au

Retail sales \ retailsales@sales.domain.com.au

Is your mag missing? Distribution \ distribution@domainreview.com.au

MAKES SCENTS \ The team behind Daily Boom florist has launched its own hand-poured candle label, Öde Studio. The three scents in the collection are designed for reflection and self-care. ● odestudio.com.au

CALM DOWN \ Get cosy at any Ovolo or By Ovolo hotel this winter. The Hygge Package lets guests save up to 25 per cent on a two-night stay and includes a velour blanket and two divine cocktails. ● ovolohotels.com

ASHLEY LUDKIN

HUGH DAVISON

Words

Whether you’re yellow and black, your heart beats true, or you support the old, dark navy blues, there are more options than Collingwood’s forward line when it comes to enjoying the biggest game in town.

From sitting in the outer to heaving pubs with delicious fare or cosying up on the couch with tasty treats, there are many ways to enjoy the footy.

A drop punt away from the MCG is the famous London Tavern Hotel, a traditional fan favourite.

“Our location is massive,” says venue manager Gina Cimarosti. “It’s an institution for Melbourne footy, and the atmosphere is amazing.”

A game-day menu bursting with traditional pub fare satisfies the 700-odd punters who converge on the venue in the lead-up to the first bounce.

Just down the road at the mighty MCG, there’s something for every footy lover, from Royal Stacks burgers and Industry Beans coffees to star-studded menus in the famous function rooms.

A new player is the Lucy Liu Lounge in the Ponsford Stand where MCC members can tuck into dishes from the popular city Asian restaurant. Guests in the Committee Room by Grossi pair their football with a line-up from duck and porcini tortellini to herbed, crumbed veal cutlet.

In the iconic Long Room on match days members enjoy Victorian charcuterie and antipasto, porchetta, house-smoked brisket or marinated chicken chops with seasonal veg and a salad bar.

At the 1875 Ascot Vale Hotel, a short trip from Marvel Stadium in the inner north-west, you might even bump into a Bulldog given stars Tom Liberatore and Caleb Daniel are both partners here.

Best on ground

Owner-operators Brad Olsson and Nick Schultze relaunched the venue during COVID in 2020.

“We want to be known for having the best, coldest beer,” Olsson says. “It’s a pretty simple thing but consistency is key and we show every game with the volume up and people know what they’re going to get pre, post and during the footy. Given the area, there’s a strong Essendon flavour, but people recognise the link to the Bulldogs, so we get the Bulldogs crowd and North Melbourne and Carlton.”

Locals love the seafood spaghetti, chicken parma or famous dim sims with house-made chilli jam and soy sauce, a nod to the “old” pub, which had just two beers on tap and only dim sims on the menu.

The hotel also hosted one of the Australian Hotels Association Publican’s Lunches, headlined by former champs David King and Billy Brownless.

If you need to feed a crowd watching the game at home, Collingwood aren’t the only hot pies in town – National Pies’ new players are also heating up.

Straight out of Tasmania, like the AFL’s soon-tobe newest and 19th club, bacon and cheese pies and pepperoni pizza pockets are new members of the

team, which includes age-old performers like the classic beef pie and golden sausage rolls.

If a sweet treat is more your thing, you can have your favourite player and eat them too with handmade gourmet cookies baked in Geelong, home of the reigning premiers. Fookies custom decorates its vanilla shortbread biscuits with royal icing in club colours or digital images of your team’s stars. ●

KAYLA MAREE PHOTOGRAPHY

From pubs to new-style pies, here are some firm fan favourites.

MEGAN HUSTWAITE

LONDON TAVERN HOTEL

Ascot Vale Hotel’s dim sims with soy sauce and house-made chilli jam.

CHEF’S SECRETS

Sweet space

Bricks-and-mortar is back. At least, it is for bakers Alisha Henderson and Alice Bennett, known to their Instagram followers as @sweetbakes_ and @misstrixiedrinkstea.

The cake creatives opened Co.Bake Space on Swan Street in Richmond on Mother’s Day as “a place for pick-ups and popups”. They bake out the back with clients collecting in the front showroom, but the space is also on offer to small businesses who want to test the waters with a shop or put on special events.

The curvy, peach interior designed by Dot Dot Dash features a “caking in progress” light box, frilly ceramic sconces, terracotta-toned marble and touches of gingham. But nothing tops the warmth that accompanies a waft of freshly-baked cake.

“We are finding our online audiences are the first ones in the queue on pop-up days, but we’ve attracted new customers from the amazing local Richmond community,” Henderson says. Her first bake sale sold out in an hour. Bennett’s within two. There are more scheduled over winter, including a sweets and flower sale with Fig + Salt and Wild Flos, plus a bake sale from Reece Hignell (aka Cake Boi).

“I started this business at 19 years old and a decade later I feel I’ve only just warmed up,” Henderson says. “Starting a business was easy, maintain longevity in business is hard. I’ve had to reinvent the wheel and the business model so many times to stay relevant, and being here with my favourite iteration of Sweet Bakes and now Co.Bake is my proudest moment.”

Many of the Sweet Bakes orders are “cakefirmations”, a cake range with messages ranging from “So proud of you” to “You’re hot” painted with chillies. Once she hand-painted a pregnancy announcement on a cookie, which a woman sent to her father when he wasn’t able to travel interstate.

One of her most popular creations is also her most recent: the “Tiramisuki”, a golden-edged, gooey-centred, espresso chocolate-chip cookie crowned with tiramisu mascarpone. It took her months to perfect the cookie dough.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed quality control,” she admits.

While the Tiramisuki recipe remains under “lock and key”, Henderson has created a cake version to share – lucky us! ●

Sweet Bakes’ tiramisu cake recipe

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE

350g butter, room temperature

½ cup vegetable oil

600g caster sugar

5 eggs

200ml buttermilk

150g sour cream

360g plain flour

1.5 tbsp baking powder

4 tbsp coffee powder in

2 tbsp boiling water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla bean paste FOR THE COFFEE SOAK

½ cup caster sugar

½ cup water

¼ cup instant coffee powder FOR THE TIRAMISU TOPPING

250g mascarpone

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

Cocoa powder to finish

METHOD

1. Line a 28cm cake tin with baking paper on the base and the sides. Preheat oven to 160 degrees, fan-forced.

2. With the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat oil, butter and sugar on high for five minutes until pale and fluffy.

3. Add eggs, scrape the bowl down and beat a further two minutes.

4. Sift in plain flour and baking powder and beat on low until just combined.

5. Add the buttermilk and sour cream and beat one minute, until mixture comes together.

6. Add the hot coffee, vanilla and salt, Mix for a further minute. Scrape down bowl to fully incorporate.

7. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when poked in centre of cake.

8. Once cake is removed from oven, place all coffee soak ingredients in a saucepan on high heat.

9. One mixture comes to a rolling boil, pour the syrup all over cake so it seeps in.

10. Allow cake to cool, and refrigerate (you can leave it overnight or for three days prior to serving).

11. Once cooled and ready to serve, remove cake from pan and place on plate.

12. Whip together mascarpone, egg yolk, icing sugar and vanilla until medium-soft peaks form.

13. Place into a piping bag and pipe in spots across top of cake. Finish with a dusting of high-quality dark cocoa powder.

TIRAMISU CAKE

Alisha Henderson from Richmond’s Co.Bake Space shares her twist on a classic Italian dessert.

Getting in the spirit

Gemma Ward and Ruby Rose are set to star in the highly-lauded London play, 2:22 A Ghost Story, which makes its way to Melbourne in July.

Supermodel and actress Gemma Ward is returning to the stage for the second time in her career. It’s a move she’s thought about often, but it was her international modelling career that took precedence, which saw her walk for the fashion giants Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Marni and Prada.

The Perth-born model who became the face of Calvin Klein’s Obsession campaign in 2003 (replacing Kate Moss) lives in Sydney and is temporarily in Melbourne to rehearse for her theatre comeback in 2:22 A Ghost Story.

For Ward, performing at the iconic Her Majesty’s Theatre is a dream come true. The last time she was in a play was for the Perth Theatre Company’s The Ugly One in 2011.

“I was honoured to be given this opportunity to make my stage return,” says Ward, a mother of three young children with her partner, David Letts.

“Theatre is a great place to learn, and while I did step away from acting for a while, it’s good to be

Words JANE ROCCA ● Photos AARON FRANCIS

back. I want to get into more TV and stage roles, so this was the perfect moment. My family is really supportive and happy for me.”

Ward performs as Jenny in 2:22 A Ghost Story, a paranormal thriller that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.

The plot traces Jenny and her husband Sam (Remy Hii) as they renovate a house in Greater London.

For several nights, at exactly 2.22am, Jenny hears the sound of someone moving around the house and becomes convinced that the house is haunted.

While her husband Sam remains a steadfast cynic, Jenny convinces some friends to stay up until 2.22am to see what happens.

Ward was in London last month to watch the West End hit play, and was

totally taken by Lily Allen, who played her character there.

“I was hooked the moment I read the script,” Ward says.

“That’s when I immediately knew I wanted to be part of it. And seeing the show in London meant I got more of a sense of the set production, sound effects and lighting that goes into the show.

“It was interesting to see how the actors played their roles and how I’ll do mine differently. I also got a sense of how much [of] an ensemble cast it is, and how much each character must bring to the role.”

Ward is joined by Melbourne-born and Hollywood-based actress Ruby Rose, former Neighbours star Daniel MacPherson and Wellmania’s Remy Hii. It’s the first time the four of them will work together.

what it will feel like. But I like the stage – I have done some plays and worked as a VJ in the past, so I guess there’s a shared transaction of energy with the others that I am looking forward to.

“Making a film with special effects is very different to being at the theatre. This is more immediate, fun and outside the comfort zone.”

Rose noticed Ward at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney on many occasions in the late-2000s. Rose herself became the face of Maybelline New York, and worked with brands like Urban Decay and Nike.

“I saw Gemma on the runway and everybody was rightfully talking about her gangly beauty,” she says. “That’s where I remember thinking, ‘I get it – she is pure – and this is for her.’ I knew that modelling wasn’t for me and never focused my effort on walking the runway after that.”

On the day we meet, Rose is feeling emotional as she’s back in her hometown and it’s stirring all the feels. She went to school not far from the theatre she’ll perform in; not always the greatest memory as she was bullied at high school.

Ruby Rose, who grew up in North Melbourne and owns an apartment in the same street as her grandparents and brother, says returning here last month for two weeks was emotional. It had been five years since she was last in the city.

The actress got her big break in the US with Orange is the New Black and says the cutthroat pace of LA keeps her on her toes. But she won’t lie –she craves for normalcy here too.

“Sometimes, all I want is a homecooked meal and kinder people,” she says. “I do miss the lifestyle in Australia that’s for sure.”

Rose plays Lauren in 2:22 A Ghost Story, and is looking forward to the thrill of being on stage.

“I am both nervous and not nervous,” she says. “As we haven’t started rehearsals yet, I can’t fathom

“It sometimes feels as I get older, I get more sensitive and less resilient,” Rose says. “When I was younger, I wanted to get out of here and find something new. But there is something very real, healing and emotional about coming back home.

“Orange is the New Black was huge, but everything happened within a schedule after that and my life became a blur. It’s hard to stay grounded in this business and know who is in your corner. You don’t have time to download and debrief what you are doing.

“I know I lost the plot many times but I don’t know how you don’t. Right now, I am excited to be in the same play as Dan MacPherson – that is a real ‘pinch me’ career moment and I am staying in the moment.” ●

2:22 – A GHOST STORY \ Her Majesty’s Theatre, July 25-August 20.

“Theatre is a great place to learn, and while I did step away from acting for a while, it’s good to be back.”

GEMMA WARD

2:22 A Ghost Story cast: Remy Hii, Gemma Ward, Daniel MacPherson and Ruby Rose.

Road to discovery

Tasma Walton was drawn to a motherly but stern role in a movie that connected with her roots.

Words JANE ROCCA

In the coming-of-age Australian drama Sweet As, filmed in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, actor Tasma Walton does a lot of bus driving.

Her character, Mitch, is busy ferrying a group of troubled teens to the outback, swapping mobile phones for a hand-held camera as they –much to their reluctance – embark on a journey of self-discovery.

The movie is based on the life experience of filmmaker Jub Clerc,

a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) from the Kimberley.

Clerc spent years in theatre before moving into film and television, working on award-winning productions, including Bran Nue Dae, Mad Bastards, Jasper Jones and season two of Mystery Road

“When I read the script, what really sang to me was this beautiful message of hope and resilience that travels throughout the story,” Walton says.

TASMA WALTON

“I’ve known Jub for 20 years, and she has this delicate artistry and beautiful eye for Country, and that comes to life in the film – as does her cheeky sense of humour.”

Playing Mitch felt natural to Walton, who was drawn to the motherly yet stern role.

“She is definitely the sort of character I am drawn to – authentic, down to earth, a great sense of humour and solid,” she says.

The 49-year-old has a daughter Ruby, 9, with her husband, TV personality Rove McManus, and is best known for her roles in Blue Heelers and Mystery Road and, more recently, playing forensic pathologist Karin Margolius in The Claremont Murders TV series.

Sweet As follows the story of 16-year-old Indigenous girl Murra who finds herself in dangerous

circumstances with her addicted mother. On the cusp of being lost in the child protection system, a local cop throws her a lifeline by suggesting she go on a unique photo safari.

Murra joins a group of other disaffected at-risk teens to see life through a different lens – literally –and her time away from the town and in the harsh but beautiful outback puts a new spin on self-discovery.

It’s a tender look at the strains of friendships, teen crushes and trusting your instinct.

It’s about finding yourself.

“Mitch doesn’t like goodbyes,” Walton says of her character, who at times holds back tears in the film.

“And if you have had traumatic goodbyes in your life, it can trigger that sense of being separated from people you care about.”

Walton was born in Geraldton in outback Western Australia and raised by her mother. She moved to Sydney when she was 18.

“We didn’t get a lot of movies that came to town in Geraldton,” she says. “I think the one movie I saw that stood out as a teenager was Dangerous Liaisons. That was edgy, sexy and different for Geraldton.”

When she’s not acting, Walton is busy writing. At the moment, she is working with Scholastic on a series aimed at middle-grade novel readers.

“They’re looking at bringing to life the dreaming stories of my mob, the Bunurong people,” she says.

It actually took working on the series Mystery Road for Walton to learn more about her own Indigenous heritage. She wasn’t quite sure of her own heritage until later in life.

It was while living in the US with Rove that she did a DNA test and found her background was 93 per cent British and 7 per cent unknown. It prompted her to know more.

“I have always felt a deep connection to Country no matter where I am,” she says. “As an Aboriginal person that is always with you, and life works the best when you are listening to country.” ●

SWEET AS \ Available to rent on Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV and ACMI. ● cinema3.acmi.net.au

Creative By Design we are proud to produce custom joinery for any room in the home, making each space more usable and pleasant to spend time in.

The team will work with you throughout the design, manufacture and installation journey to bring your dream to reality.

“When I first read the script, what really sang to me was this beautiful message of hope.”

FEATURE HOUSE

BALWYN \ 2 MYAMBERT AVENUE

Here is a grand family property in a prestigious pocket of Balwyn. Agent William Chen notes the 1935 build evokes the refined grandeur of the Tudor era, and these qualities are immediately apparent in the stirring facade.

Inside, there are three bedrooms, a home office, soaring ceilings and plenty of natural light. The total allotment is sizeable, at around 755 square metres. That’s plenty of space for the kids to enjoy the private backyard, and with two separate living rooms, there’s plenty of space for the family to spread out indoors as well.

An elegant front porch sits at the entrance to the house. To the right, a living room with a cosy, tasteful open fireplace opens onto the covered rear al fresco area. The other living room, which is more formal, is to the left and also has a fireplace. This room leads into the formal sitting room.

An open kitchen and meals area is at the rear of the house, and the kitchen has granite benches and Miele appliances. Two sets of double doors lead to the backyard via the rear al fresco area, which is covered. With easy access to the rear garden and plenty of space for circulation, this whole part of the house seems tailor-made for easy entertaining. You’ll find the property’s three bedrooms all upstairs, alongside a separate bathroom. The main bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe and en suite and its own north-facing balcony. There’s a built-in wardrobe in the other northfacing bedroom, while the third bedroom can be accessed through an upstairs study that has a built-in desk.

An oversized garage offers secure parking, but there’s also driveway parking for up to four more vehicles. Hydronic heating offers ambient heating throughout the house, and there’s lots of storage underneath the stairs. There’s also a powder room downstairs and a separate laundry that also has a shower and doubles as a second bathroom.

The location is zoned for both Camberwell High School and Canterbury Girls Secondary College and is close to Whitehorse Road’s cafes, restaurants and shopping. The 109 tram is also easily accessible. ●

ANDERS FURZE

property@domain.com.au

Agent: Marshall White, William Chen 0438 383 336

Price: $3 million-$3.3 million

Auction: 11am, July 29

FINAL WORD

“EVOKING ALL THE REFINED GRANDEUR OF THE TUDOR ERA, THIS LOFTY, LIGHT-FILLED HOME IN A PRESTIGIOUS POCKET IS FRAMED BY ATTRACTIVE VISTAS OF ITS FORMAL GARDENS IN ALL DIRECTIONS.”

WILLIAM CHEN – AGENT

Hover your camera over the code to see Domain listings in Balwyn

CAMBERWELL \

3 2

Built in 2001 for the vendor’s mother, this house was “designed for her long-term living needs”, says agent Geordie Dixon, which is why the main bedroom (with en suite) is on the ground floor, the living room is oriented for maximum northern light, and there’s direct, secure access from the garage through the laundry. With two more bedrooms upstairs, plus retreat space, a bathroom with a bath, and a separate toilet, the property is ideal for downsizers

with visiting loved ones, or young families and professional couples. The dining room leads to a private rear patio, and there’s green space behind the high front wall, so kids can play safely outdoors. Another bonus is that all the amenity of Camberwell Junction is just a short stroll away. ●

JOANNE BROOKFIELD

MALVERN EAST \ 1 CARMELO AVENUE

4 2 2

Agent: Jellis Craig, Geordie Dixon 0418 588 399

Price: $1.75 million-$1.9 million

Auction: Noon, July 29

Set behind a hedge in a tree-lined culde-sac, this charming home impresses both inside and out. From the attractive double-level brick facade of the c1930s English-style residence to the substantial renovation and extension, every detail delights. High ceilings and full-length glass stacking sliders flood the contemporary open-plan living-dining zone (which includes a Miele appointed gourmet kitchen) with northwestern light while also

providing views and access to the solarheated pool and paved al fresco area. A kids’ zone, with three bedrooms, retreat space and bathroom, occupies the top floor, while a fitted home office with its own entrance adds options at ground level. Other highlights include a powder room, separate laundry, remote blinds, auto gates and a security system. ●

JOANNE BROOKFIELD

Agent: Marshall White, Daniel Wheeler 0411 676 058

Price: $2.5 million-$2.75 million

Auction: 12.30pm, July 29

HAWTHORN \

G02/160 POWER STREET

2 2 1

This house is all about easy living in a lifestyle-friendly location. Downstairs is for entertaining, thanks to the stone bench kitchen, high ceilings and sliding glass doors opening into the rear al fresco area and private garden. Both bedrooms are upstairs. The main bedroom has access to an en suite through a walk-in wardrobe and boasts its own entrance to the upstairs balcony, which offers leafy views. Other features include a European laundry,

secure parking, a storage cage and video intercom. It is found close to Hawthorn train station, the Yarra River, Burwood Road and Glenferrie Road’s shopping and cafes. Richmond’s buzzing lifestyle options are all also nearby. ●

ANDERS FURZE

Agent: Kay & Burton, Walter Dodich 0413 262 655

Price: $950,000-$1.045 million

Auction: 11am, July 29

BALWYN NORTH \ 6

4 3 2

Enjoying an elevated position and the attendant views is this impressive family home. Better yet, it’s also located within the desirable Balwyn High School zone. Over two levels, there’s plenty of space for a growing family, with a fully contained lower-level retreat (complete with a living/dining area, kitchen, bathroom and laundry) that is ideal for teens, grandparents or guests. Inside, there are several formal and informal spaces in

which to gather, complementing the three al fresco dining areas, which include the awning window and breakfast bar attached to the Smeg-equipped entertainers’ kitchen. Other highlights include a home office, powder room, travertine bathroom with spa bath, laundry and abundant storage throughout. The Doncaster Road shops and transport are within walking distance. ● JOANNE

BROOKFIELD

Agent: Jellis Craig, Patrick Dennis 0409 321 159

Price: $1.95 million-$2.145 million

Auction: Noon, July 29

Belmore LOCKSMITHS

THE LOCAL DIRECTORY WINTER 2023

CARPETS/CURTAINS

Harkness Interiors (inc Thomas

O’Keeffe) Wool carpet specialists. For all your needs for carpet, shutters, blinds, curtains and timber and hybrid flooring. Quality products with quality workmanship.

Contact: 9830 4172 www.harknessinteriors.com.au

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

J.L Hutt Electrical Specialising in all electrical installations: Extensions/ Refurbishments, Stove/Oven/Hot

Water Repair, Switchboard upgrades, House Rewires, TV/Phone/Data, Safety switches. Free quotes. 24 hour service. Lic 17824.

Contact: Jason 0411 300 772. www.jlhuttelectrical.com.au

FENCING

Websters Fencing Building quality fences in Stonnington and Booroondara since 1982. Websters fencing provides a tailored and reliable service, with the experience to ensure quality and longevity of your fence. We specialise in boundary fencing. Please call Les Webster between 7am and 7pm for a quote.

GUTTER VACUUM

Sol Shine “We perform all Exterior Cleaning services for your home. Gutter Vacuum. Roof Cleaning. Window Washing. House Washing. Pressure Washing. Cobweb Removal. Solar Panel Washing. Specialist Equipment for Tall Houses. $10m Liability Insurance & Work

better

Educating girls and boys together for 32+ years. We are the leading inner-city co-ed Catholic Secondary College on two spacious, convenient campuses.

Book a tour today to find out more.

We lift students higher

together WINDSOR