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EDITOR’S LETTER

Winter is my least favourite season but this year, for the first time, I have strangely been looking forward to it. Which made me wonder why. Restrictions were in place last winter, we couldn’t leave Sydney for most of it and we couldn’t do the annual ‘wintery’ activities that make winter, well, winter. We usually descend on the nearest pub with a fireplace for a meal, a group of families head to our friends’ property in Bilpin for a weekend, my husband and I enjoy a break in the Southern Highlands, and we take the kids skiing. In 2020, none of that was possible or was too difficult with the pandemic, so it makes sense I am looking forward to making up for lost time and doing things that make winter a novelty. Of course, some markers of the cooler months were still there last year, my favourite of which is making the house cosier. The fans go up into the attic and the oil heaters come down. So do the doonas, flannelette sheets, throws for the sofa, extra cushions and a rug for the living room. In this issue we visited The Ruin in Bingleburra, NSW, to shoot our beautiful rug story which was styled by the talented Jodie Gibbons. The stone walls are between 150 and 200 years old and provided the perfect backdrop for the rich colours in the rugs. To see more, turn to page 90. Given I am going to make the most of this year’s winter, I am also planning on replicating Sophie Hansen’s picnic (see page 104) and inviting friends and family to enjoy a ploughman’s lunch and some cool fresh air with me. However, without a property like Sophie’s, mine might have to be held in my backyard. I ho e ou en oy this issue and embrace the change in the seasons.

PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT DRESS COUNTRY ROAD

Kylie Imeson

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JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 5

“It was built in the 1970s on the most magical piece of land – a ridge surrounded by blue gums, mountain ash, fern gullies and the most amazing view.”

JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 7

50 COVER STORIES

90 Rug up for winter 90 Out of the ruins: step inside a converted 104 121

stone barn Let’s go outside: Sophie Hansen’s winter picnic All aboard: a steam train carriage in rural Victoria

WOMEN ON THE LAND

18 WAITING FOR THE RAIN

South Australian psychologist and farmer, Stephanie Schmidt, has created a mental health program especially designed to help people in rural areas.

22 A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

Thirty days of events, from a celebration of the revered truffle to rock’n’roll and supporting local producers impacted by the bushfires, this month’s events have something for everyone.

26 PRODUCER’S LUNCH

Country Style visited the food bowl and winemaking hub of Orange NSW to host the magazine’s annual producer’s lunch.

PEOPLE

28 TO THE LETTER

Lawyer and writer Mea Campbell has created a heartwarming program to combat loneliness, based on the old-fashioned art of letter-writing. MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD Champion netballer Susan Pettitt shares her memories of a childhood filled with sport, animals and a loving, close-knit family.

98 WEAVING A TALE

Designer and entrepreneur Frances van Hasselt creates beautiful mohair rugs that evoke the colours of their origins in the South African Karoo.

HOMES

50 DAY DREAM BELIEVERS 62

One Melbourne couple’s passion for rural Australia led to a life-changing move to West Gippsland. COTTAGE INDUSTRY Foraged finds and treasured pieces have transformed an old mechanic’s cottage in Central NSW into a cosy retreat. COUNTRY IDYLL A dovecote, stables and barn in the British county of Oxfordshire have been lovingly converted into a traditional and comfortable home.

GARDEN

82 DIVINE INSPIRATION

The grounds of a former presbytery in a village near Bathurst have been reworked to fulfil the owners’ vision of an English country garden.

DECORATING

9o RUG UP FOR WINTER

Warm up your home with richly coloured rugs with an historic restored stone barn in Bingleburra, NSW, as the backdrop.

104 FOOD

OUTDOOR PURSUIT A winter picnic is one of life’s greatest pleasures, says chef and author Sophie Hansen.

J u n e 2 02 1 | c o n t e n t s

121 114

121

PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON, WARREN HEATH/BUREAU, CLANCY PAINE

131

134

TRAVEL

MY TOWN: WILLUNGA This vibrant village just south of Adelaide is surrounded by natural beauty, bountiful produce and heritage charm aplenty. BACK ON TRACK Immerse yourself in the bygone era of steam trains with a stay in a beautifully restored train carriage.

FASHION AND HEALTH

THE STYLE DIARY Belinda Satterthwaite, owner of homewares store Tomolly in historic Carcoar NSW, reflects on the shelves of her shop, as well as her fashion choices. SMELL GOOD, FEEL BETTER Elevate your mood with scents that evoke feelings of bliss, or maximise your mental performance with aromas that help to improve alertness.

10 14 17 126 136 139 154

REGULAR READING

Contributors Your page: Readers’ emails and letters Maggie MacKellar: A Day in the Country Regional Shopping Guide: More amazing stores and eateries to visit this winter Book Club Collectables Country Squire: Rob Ingram calls for an end to the put-downs by city folk

SERVICES

112 SUBSCRIBE TO COUNTRY STYLE FOR YOUR 140 142 150

CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF 20 THERMOMIX PRIZE PACKS, VALUED AT $2500 EACH Field Guide Country Emporium Country and Coastal Retreats

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Country Style acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the place we now call Sydney, where this magazine is published. Country Style also pays respects to Elders past and present. PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of Country Style magazine is published by Are Media Pty Limited (Are Media). Are Media 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 Are Media publications, products, services and events. Our Privacy Policy is located at aremedia.com.au/privacy. It also sets out on how you can access or correct your personal information and lodge a complaint. Are Media 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 Are Media 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 Are Media’s Privacy Officer either by email at privacyofficer@aremedia.com.au or mail at Privacy Officer Are Media Pty Limited, 54 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

OUR COVER

PHOTOGRAPHY Brigid Arnott STYLING Jodie G ibbons

ON THE COVER Cosy textiles are our cover stars this month, with soft rugs and tactile cushions in rich jewel tones warming up the ancient stone walls of The Ruin, an old barn in Bingleburra, NSW. The crumbling, century-old stones were saved and became the starting point for a comfortable home when their owner commissioned a local architect to build a cedar house around them. See page 94 for product information.

CONTRIBUTORS

in this i s s u e . . . S U E

A keen photographer since the age of eight, Sue shot our garden story on page 82, in the grounds of St Patricks Catholic Church in Rockley, NSW.

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DISCOVER THE UNIQUE BEAUTY OF

S T U B B S

REGIONAL AUSTR ALIA

Of growing up on a smallholding outside Melbourne, Sue says, “I loved the freedom and endless horizons, the horses and the smell of grass hay. We had chickens, cows, pigs, sheep, horses and a veggie garden and two gates to open before you got to the house paddock. I still don’t like opening gates.” Now she lives in a former postmistress’s house on Sydney’s outskirts, with Skittles the border collie, Willow the greyhound, and two ginger rescue cats, Gimli and Squeak (who was found in the garden by Skittles as a wild kitten and has since become “a princess who looks a little like Garfield and hunts down and collects socks”).

Food writer and deer farmer Sophie lives outside Orange, NSW. She wrote the recipes on page 104 for her new book, In Good Company. BUSH BUYS

Regional shops to visit and support

THE OPEN ROAD

Driving holidays in every state and territory

A COUNTRY WELCOME Charming towns to visit around Australia

ON SALE NOW Available to purchase at selected newsagents and supermarkets

“I’ve been telling stories about food, and the people behind it, for a while now,” says Sophie, who studied print journalism at the University of Canberra and now lives on a 570-hectare deer farm with her husband Tim, daughter Alice, 13, and son Tom, 11. Golden lab puppy George and cat Abby complete the family. “I love that our kids are growing up a part of our farm business, contributing to it by helping in the holidays and on weekends,” says Sophie, 45, of the family deer farm. But chiefly she loves the space and beauty of the countryside. “It’s been my home for 16 years and I hope many more.”

WORDS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY SUE STUBBS, CLANCY PAINE, SOPHIE HANSEN

S O P H I E H A N S E N

E S T. 1 9 7 9

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Editor KYLIE IMESON Art director SARAH FARAGO Features editor HANNAH JAMES Queensland contributing editor CLAIRE MACTAGGART Subeditors SUE RAMSEY, JANICE HOGG, SARAH PICKET TE, DARREN CHRISTISON

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Published by Are Media Pty Limited (ABN 18 053 273 546), 54 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. The trademark Country Style is the property of Are Media Pty Limited © 2021. All rights reserved. Printed by Ovato, 8 Priddle Street, Warwick Farm, NSW 2170. National distribution by Gordon and Gotch Australia Pty Ltd. 1300 650 666. ISSN 0004-931X. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without written consent from the copyright holders. Are Media Pty Ltd does not accept responsibility for damage to or loss of freelance material submitted for publication. Allow several weeks for acceptance or return. For inquiries regarding subscriptions, call 136 116, Monday-Friday, 8am–6pm AEST, email magshop@magshop.com.au or mail letters to: Country Style Reply Paid 3508, Sydney, NSW 2001, or subscribe online at magshop.com.au. Standard subscription rate*: Australia $79.99 (one year, 13 issues); NZ A$120.00 (one year, 13 issues); other countries A$180.00 (one year, 13 issues). All overseas subscriptions sent air speed. *Recommended price, trademark Country Style.

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

WA Truffle Kerfuffle, June 25-27 Just follow your nose to the Truffle Kerfuffle festival in Manjimup – the unmistakable, mouthwatering scent of the underground fungus will lead you straight to the Festival Village, where you can taste your way around the stalls, trying local wine, produce and truffle dishes. Or sample the work of some of the country’s most lauded chefs – top billed is the legendary Guillaume Brahimi, whose work you can sample in his Chef’s Cabin, after watching him cook and chatting to him over a glass of wine. You can also expand your skills in one of the masterclasses, and of course take part in a truffle hunt across the beautiful orchards of the Southern Forest region. Visit trufflekerfuffle.com.au

NT Alice Springs Beanie Festival, June 25-28 Britain has a cheese-rolling festival, Finland enjoys wife-carrying championships and Australia has its very own quirky community celebration: the Alice Springs Beanie Festival. Initially created to sell hats crocheted by Indigenous women in remote communities, the festival’s success was such that it’s now become a pre-eminent event celebrating both Indigenous and non-Indigenous textile arts. It’s run by a group of passionate locals who are selfdescribed as “beanie-ologists”, so

24 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Truﬄe time in WA; vintage cars at Cooly Rocks On; Lisa Margan from the Hunter’s Margan Wines & Restaurant; beanies on display in Alice Springs.

you know they know their stuff! With workshops, exhibitions and opportunities to get involved by creating your own headwear, it’s a great way to support handmade textile arts. Visit beaniefest.org

QUEENSLAND Cooly Rocks On, June 9-13 Rock’n’roll never died – and the proof is in Coolangatta. Cooly Rocks On showcases the best of swing, rock’n’roll and rockabilly, with live music from artists including the Pacific Belles, Pat Capocci and the Memphis Suns. There are also hundreds of classic cars and bikes on display, dance performances, vintage markets and, of course, more Elvises than you can shake a stick at. Visit coolyrockson.com

NSW Winter Bites Festival, June 5, Tumbarumba Celebrate regional food, wine and produce while supporting local businesses impacted by the catastrophic Dunns Road bushfire that burnt 600,000 hectares of the Snowy Valleys in January 2020. On the edge of the Snowy Mountains and the Riverina, Tumbarumba is rich in beautiful produce – particularly cool-climate wines, chestnuts and berries – which will be on display at the Winter Bites Festival. The wonderful Busby Marou will be playing live to make it a feast for all the senses. And if you can’t make this date, there’ll be two other festivals in July and August, in Adelong and Batlow. Visit winterbites.com.au

BOOK A TICK ET NSW Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival, June 1-30 Enjoy long lunches under open skies, or a glass of hearty red beside a firepit at this celebration of the region’s goodies. Visit winecountry.com.au

YOUR PAGE

On the cover of our food and wine issue, we set an autumnal table amid the vines at Nashdale Lane Wines @nashdalelanewines, near Orange, NSW. Owners Tanya and Nick Segger’s border collie, Milo, is ready for any scraps to be brushed off the tablecloth. Alla Wolf-Tasker shows us around her new farm @dairyflatfarmdaylesford. A visit to Grampians small-batch winemaker Adam Louder of @subrosawine shows us he and his communications executive partner, Nancy Panter, are the perfect pair in life – and in business. We meet the members of the Central Coast Poultry Club whose support for their community, even in troubled times, is unwavering. Then, we take a look around the beautifully renovated home of Jayne Stewardson @hatch_designstudio and get her top tips on restoring a heritage house. Photography @photographybypip Styling @belljarinteriors

Built in 1857, this stately bluestone homestead has evolved dramatically over the years. Despite being the fifth generation to call Woolbrook home, Lachie Morrison didn’t expect to take the reins as an adult. However, fate had other ideas, and when the opportunity to stay at the 1800-hectare property presented itself, Lachie “jumped straight at it”, he says. Happily, his partner, Anise Boulot, was on board, too! Photography @marniehawson Styling @bellebrightproject

OOPS!

PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN PAUL URIZAR STYLING MICHELE CRANSTON

In the May issue, we inadvertently left out the sugar in the first step of the recipe for the lip-puckering yet delicious ‘Grannie’s Lemon Pudding’. It should have read: “In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar (1 cup), 1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks and the boiling water.” We’re so sorry if you’ve already discovered our error. GRANNIE’S LEMON PUDDING Serves 4-6 1 cup caster sugar, plus ½ cup extra 3 eggs, 2 separated 1 cup boiling water 2 lemons, rind grated and juiced ¼ cup cornflour cream or ice-cream, to serve

Pour into a shallow 4 cup (1 litre) oven-proof dish and cool. Meanwhile, beat egg whites in a clean, dry medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually, add the extra sugar (½ cup), beating well between additions until smooth and glossy. Spoon on top of cooled lemon mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve hot or cold with cream or ice-cream.

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Preheat oven to 150°C. In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar (1 cup), 1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks and the boiling water. Add the rind and juice. Combine cornflour with ½ cup cold water in a small jug. Add to pan, cook, stirring over medium heat, for 3 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens.

Share your thoughts and experiences with us by writing to Country Style, PO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW, 1028, or emailing austcountrystyle@aremedia.com.au. Please include your address and daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space and clarity.

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A DAY IN THE COUNTRY

WINTER WELCOME AS THE SEASONS CHANGE MAGGIE MACKELLAR HAS HER OWN RITUALS TO GREET THE COOLER DAYS AND LONGER NIGHTS.

PHOTOGRAPHY MAGGIE MACKELLAR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY JO ADAMS

IT’S WINTER’S EVE . The days are drawing in and the drying

leaves rattle and shiver on the poplars like wind chimes. Here at the bottom of Australia the days get short quickly, but even though June is the official start of winter I’ve learned not to look to the calendar to understand when the seasons start and finish. Instead I know the silver birches lose their leaves first, then the poplars and the two massive mulberry trees. The liquidambar and the grapevine will flame red, the wisteria will yellow but it’s only when the oak’s bare branches are lit with a thousand candles by the setting sun that I know winter has arrived. Winter’s eve brings with it a sense of anticipation. The world gets quieter. There’s no whirr of insect life or choir of frogs. I can weed the garden beds without bracing myself for the fright of a tiger snake’s tail disappearing into the irises. The yellow-tailed black cockatoos are down from the highlands and set up base camp in the pines. They grow fat on the pine cones while the teenagers in the group swing through the still cool air, outdoing each with daring aerial stunts. Beyond the garden the crows (technically forest ravens) gather in groups of 50 or more and work the paddocks like a mass direct drill, searching for grubs with their sharp beaks. All these things tell me winter is almost here. Winter’s eve means shearing our ewe mob. It may seem an odd time to shear, but there’s a logic to it. A Merino ewe heavily pregnant with a full fleece is easily cast (can’t get up) and often has trouble lambing. So we shear in the last days of autumn. This gives the ewes a chance to grow a protective layer of wool before the cold really sets in.

Shearing is always busy, and all the other jobs on the farm are done to the bare minimum. I cook all week. At morning smoko I send over hot pies and sausage rolls, a cake and sandwiches and then move on to peeling potatoes, getting the meat in the oven and the table cleared and set so all is ready when the crew troop over to the house for ‘dinner’ (as lunch is known in regional Tasmania). My menu is not extensive – roast lamb, chicken pie, shepherd’s pie, beef and stout pie, lamb shanks and repeat. When the last sheep is shorn, the board swept clean and the cheques written, the farmer puts on a ‘cut out’. There’s a fire pot outside the shed, and the flames leap and dance as shearers reappear with shining faces and hands. I carry over a basket heavy with chops, snags, potatoes, tomato sauce and a loaf of white bread. I share a beer and then walk home leaving them to their tall tales and celebration of a hard job done. I have my own ritual to greet the change in season, and in the quiet I rearrange our central courtyard so the couch is in front of the fire. It feels cosy like this, as if the house turns into itself. Our evening routine will change and, instead of sitting out on the verandah while the colours fade from the day, I’ll stoke the fire and curl up on the couch in front of it. There’s something so satisfying in this act of rearrangement, it’s a gentle way of marking time. I like to think I’m welcoming the new season, accepting the gifts winter brings. The room will stay like this until the swallows return, the birch trees bud and the oak leaves unfurl and then I’ll move the furniture again as we turn outwards to greet the warming sun.

Winter’s eve signals that it’s shearing time for Maggie’s Merino flock. JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 17

WOMEN ON THE LAND

WA I T I N G F O R T H E R A I N

THE PRESSURES COUNTRY PEOPLE FACE LOOK DIFFERENT FROM THOSE IN TOWN – AND SO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SHOULD TOO, BELIEVES SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FARMER STEPHANIE SCHMIDT. WORDS EMILY HER BERT PHOTOGRAPHY A LYSH A SPA R KS

STEPHANIE SCHMIDT’S postnatal depression five years ago

surprised no one more than her. As a clinical psychologist, the South Australian farmer thought she’d recognise the signs and symptoms better than most – but at the time, the rabbit hole was dark and deep and it wasn’t until others pointed it out that she realised she needed help. “As much as I know all the signs when I see it in someone else, I was so far into it that I couldn’t see it for myself,” says Steph, 33. “My husband Simon was working very long hours; as we farm marginal country, he works very hard in good years to make up the rest of the time. So I was quite isolated, with not a lot of support.” Things started to spiral downwards with a baby that simply wouldn’t sleep. “I had severe sleep deprivation, and when Ted started crawling around seven months, the postnatal depression really hit. At my worst, I would just lie there on the ground in the foetal position while he destroyed the place around me. It was a friend in my mother’s group that came with me to one of the first GP appointments and looked after Ted so I could actually take that time with my doctor.” Steph ended up seeing a psychologist who helped set her back on her feet again. “Starting on antidepressants was actually a big step and probably gave me what sleep couldn’t give me at the time. Because of my existing knowledge, I only needed a handful of appointments with my psychologist before things got on track fairly quickly,” she says. “We’re quite lucky in that we’ve got a good group of GPs locally, but that’s not the case across a lot of regional Australia.” The experience gave Steph pause to think about how others manage dips in their mental health when living regionally and rurally. She and Simon run a broadacre cropping and sheep operation over 6,500 hectares in the eastern agricultural area of South Australia, around two hours north-east of Adelaide. With the region going into its fourth year of drought in 2020, the need for producer resilience was stronger than ever. “We purchased our two main farming properties in the beginning of 2018, which we didn’t realise was the start of

18 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

the most severe drought in history of our area. Like most farmers, even prior to the drought we had experienced the impact of Mother Nature, with severe hailstorms, bushfires and locust plagues,” she says. “With the financial pressure of a large debt, as well as the everyday farming pressures of uncertainty combined with long hours and raising a young family while working part-time off farm, I’m very aware of the impact of ongoing and prolonged stress. I also see the impact on my husband as he also tries to juggle all of the above and can see how quickly things can flip from seeming to be coping okay, to not coping at all.” They’re challenges that look different from what was around her growing up. The entrepreneur was raised in Adelaide, with a supermarket at the end of her street. She started studying international relations at university, and was working at the iconic Woolshed pub when Simon walked through the door. As the pair grew more serious, Steph switched to psychology, before making the move to the farm from the city. Working at a clinic in the rural town of Clare, Steph started to think about how services could be tailored differently in the bush. “In an ideal world, I’d love to see everyone have skills around resilience and adaptability, before we actually need them. Rather than providing services in drought areas after they’ve been in drought for three years, it’d be great to have them in place before the stress actually hits. Our brains are so much more receptive to learning when we’re not in stress,” she says. “My experience with postnatal depression is it’s not something where one day you’re fine and then one day you’re not; it’s a gradual build-up that if we don’t put helpful coping strategies in, can escalate and get worse. We can face challenges and adversities, but still be able to have a rich and meaningful life at the same time.” After joining the organising committee for South Australia’s Thriving Women’s Conference, Steph heard of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award and was encouraged to enter. She developed pilot mental health program, ACTforAg, which ultimately snagged the 2020 South Australian title. Based on the evidence-based model >

AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2020 winner for South Australia, Stephanie Schmidt.

H A R V E Y N O R M A N M A T T R E S S E S

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ABOVE Beautyrest Black® Medici Plush Queen Ensemble $4499; Beautyrest Black® Memory Foam Standard Pillow $349ea; Rialto 1-Drawer Bedside Table in Oak $449; Urchin Pendant Light 50cm $475. *Accessories are not made in Australia.

ALSO AVAILABLE ON YOUR PHONE

Beautiful Batlow, NSW, will come alive when the Winter Bites Festival arrives in August, after visits to Tumbarumba in June and Adelong in July. 22 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

BELOW Body Balance Lotus 30cm Plush Queen Mattress $3899; Designer Series Memory Foam Medium Pillow $149ea; Westbury Queen quilt cover set $169; L’Avenue Summer Cushion in Charcoal $29.95ea; Adamson Queen Bed (featured in ‘Aged Smoke’ stain) $2399; Adamson Bedside Table $1199ea; Visconti Large Rug (200cm x 285cm) in Camel $849. *Accessories are not made in Australia.

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

24 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Truﬄe time in WA; vintage cars at Cooly Rocks On; Lisa Margan from the Hunter’s Margan Wines & Restaurant; beanies on display in Alice Springs.

you know they know their stuff! With workshops, exhibitions and opportunities to get involved by creating your own headwear, it’s a great way to support handmade textile arts. Visit beaniefest.org

EVENT OR A NGE, NSW

PRODUCING M AGIC

THE ANNUAL COUNTRY STYLE MEET THE PRODUCERS LUNCH WAS EXTRA SPECIAL AFTER IT WAS CANCELLED TWICE LAST YEAR. WORDS KY LIE IMESON PHOTOGRAPHY MONIQUE LOV ICK

THE MEET THE PRODUCERS LUNCH has been held for the

past 12 years, but in 2020 the lunch did not go ahead because of the pandemic. The rescheduled date in October had to be cancelled too, which is why there was excitement in the air when I pulled up at the aptly named Style Pavilion, part of the Australian National Field Days’ site at Borenore, 15km west of Orange, NSW. Stepping inside the pavilion was like walking into the pages of Country Style. The lunch’s powerhouse organiser and caterer Cath Thompson of Me‘n’us Cooking Catering Concepts had excelled herself. This was my first Producer’s Lunch, but I was quick to work out that it has a very loyal following. Some guests had attended every single one; others had travelled from as far afield as South Australia and Brisbane to go to the lunch. I understood why as lunch was served – a delicious plate showcasing the very best local produce, including melt in your mouth venison, and a glass of riesling from Brangayne. Speaking of venison, I never expected to know so much about deer farming or be so amused by it, but I was after listening to Tim Hansen from Mandagery Creek Australian Farmed Venison. Then Basil Baldwin from Fourjay Farms, who grows hazelnuts, took to the stage to share his funny and fascinating tales of establishing his orchard. When it was the turn of Justin Jarrett, from See Saw Organic Wine, he gave one of the best talks on wine I’ve ever heard. In fact, all the producers gave informative, entertaining talks about their businesses, their passion for what they do shining through. No wonder the Producer’s Lunch sells out every year. I know I’m looking forward to the next one.

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CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The Meet the Producers Lunch organiser Cath Thompson and Country Style editor Kylie Imeson; each guest enjoyed a glass of See Saw sparkling on arrival; the lunch platter; guests Annalise King and Brenda Dayman; flowers by Botanica Flora were sold at the end of the lunch to raise money for Beyond Blue; Hillside Harvest’s stall packed with their fresh produce; guests enjoying the lunch; the stylish table setting, complete with a copy of Country Style.

HOME YA R R AGON V IC Originally a trip hazard, the wraparound verandah was levelled and is now a glorious spot to enjoy the views.

“You can sit there and feel the whole energy of the space, of the view, of the trees whistling around.”

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LONELINESS I G IN REMOTE AREAS, SO ANISATION BASED ON GOOD OLD-FASHIONED PEN PALS. WORDS EMILY HER BERT PHOTOGRAPHY CLA NCY PA INE

PEOPLE DUBBO NSW

MEA CAMPBELL KNOWS WHAT IT IS TO BE LONELY and

isolated. In 2017, the lawyer and writer moved to a property 90km outside Walgett in northern NSW, near her husband’s freight business. While the family thrived in the small country community, the worst drought on record had started to show its brutal face. “The only truthful description is it was the best of times and the worst of times,” Mea, 34, says. “There was real community. The parents swam in the school swimming carnivals and everyone would congregate at the pub on Fridays after assembly and enjoy each other’s company. I just loved it.” However, the flow-on effect of the big dry was terrible. Mea’s husband, Scotty, 36, was forced to travel further away for work, just after the couple had welcomed their second daughter. “I saw the financial pressure change him into someone quite the opposite of who he was. He became frustrated, irritable and angry. This turned

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into crippling depression,” she says. “Even though the people and the community were fantastic, they didn’t live with me and I was alone much of the time. The isolation was real, and that experience has clearly carved my direction in life since.” In late 2019, Mea decided to move to Dubbo with their children, Charlotte, 10, and Georgia, two, to be closer to family, with Scotty splitting his time between Walgett and Dubbo. When COVID-19 began to corral households within their homes, Mea had the idea for Connected AU – sparked by the memory of her late grandfather. “I was very close to him all my life. He was a fiercely independent man,” she says. “I kept thinking how distressing the experience of the pandemic would have been for him. In his later years he was blind and deaf. In today’s world he would feel very small and invisible. I began using him as my compass when considering how vulnerable people feel in today’s technological world.” >

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Mea and her family now live in Dubbo; tackling the mountain of post; Scotty and Charlotte; the Dubbo landscape. FACING PAGE The Letterbox Project now distributes 500 letters to lonely and isolated Australians each week.

PEOPLE DUBBO NSW

One sleepless night, Mea got up and started researching isolation and loneliness. “It’s estimated that 40 per cent of the 250,000 Australians in aged care don’t get visits, and 2.5 million Australians aren’t connected to the internet,” she says. “Loneliness is an equal mortality risk as smoking and obesity. Equal! The statistics were startling and just kept going. I decided I could offer a solution. I thought of the name Connected AU and the programs that would help a variety of people and then I went to sleep.” The next day Mea woke early and got to work. She registered the business name, purchased domains, wrote the legals and created a basic website. Two days later, Connected AU was up and running; an organisation providing social connection, companionship and community for people experiencing isolation and loneliness. Her first offering was the Letterbox Project; a letterwriting network for those who don’t have access or capacity to ‘get online’. Mea thought she would facilitate around 20 pen pal letters a week. Just 12 months later and the

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project has reached more than 3.5 million Australians. Included among the scribes are students from 475 schools and employees from multiple national corporations, all writing to residents in nursing homes, people using disability services and those who register on the website looking for connection. Now, with Tetley Tea joining the organisation in 2021 as a major sponsor, the free national service looks set to grow still more. “The program grew so quickly because people are inherently good, and when you offer a way for people to support others they want to take it,” Mea says. “Letters are tangible. We can touch the very paper that the writer has touched. We can see the slope of the handwriting and the smudges and blemishes. From all of this we can see and feel the effort.” It’s not just about letters – Connected AU also offers a number of online hobby groups, including a virtual book club and gardening club. “The groups are designed for people who do have access to technology, but may not have >

The family enjoys a walk. FACING PAGE Mea picks up the post; the letters are a tangible way to connect; sisters Georgie (left) and Charlotte.

PEOPLE DUBBO NSW Through the Letterbox Project, handwritten letters are sent to nursing home residents, people using disability services and those who register on the website looking for connection.

anyone to engage with,” Mea says. “There are a lot of people who just don’t have anyone in their life. The groups are popular with isolated and lonely people who are looking for community and connection, but in a safe and monitored way away from social media.” Local councils have been quick to jump on board. This year, Mea is launching tailored 12-month packages to Local Government Areas, including localised Letterbox Projects, access to the four online hobby groups and in-depth statistical reporting – and she’s happy to credit Tetley’s sponsorship for this particular win.

“Tetley’s support has been enormous; they provided the step I needed to build strong foundations and ensure sustainability moving forward,” she says. “There are 537 councils in the country. My goal this year is to engage 50, then over 50 per cent within five years. The data we can provide will support councils to better target and address mental health issues in their municipalities.” It seems we needed one letter to turn a sleepless night into a solution tackling Australia’s rampant loneliness. We just needed someone like Mea to lick the stamp and send it. For more information, visit connectedau.com.au

“The program grew so quickly because people are inherently good, and when you offer a way for people to support others they want to take it.”

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Stay in touch when you stay at home

It’s never been easier to stay in touch with family and friends via video call, because Telstra Smart Modem gives you reliable home Wi-Fi, backed up by Australia’s best 4G network. So if the connection to your home stops, we’ll have you back online in minutes. And because reliable home Wi-Fi is more important than ever, Telstra Smart Modem is included on all Telstra home internet plans for new customers who stay connected for 24 months. Head to your local Telstra store where we have the right people committed to helping you connect to the right home internet plan. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: Mobile backup is available to premises in 4G coverage areas. Check coverage at telstra.com/coverage. Your mobile backup connection is capped at 25 Mbps for downloads and 2 Mbps for uploads. Actual speeds may be lower due to local conditions and content accessed.

MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD

CHAMPION AUSTRALIAN NETBALLER SUSAN PETTITT SHARES HER MEMORIES OF A SPORT-FILLED CHILDHOOD ON A FARM ON THE NSW FAR SOUTH COAST.

AS ONE OF AUSTRALIAN netball’s best

goal shooters, it’s no surprise that Susan Pettitt’s love of sport began early in her life. “I was a pretty quiet, shy kid who didn’t like to be out of her comfort zone too much,” she admits. “But I was also a tomboy and quite competitive, so any chance there was to play sport and try to win, I was out there doing it.” The 37-year-old was born in Canberra, where her parents Michael and Marilyn Pratley met. When Susan was six months old the family, including her two brothers Graeme, now 46, and Mark, 43, and sister Joanne, 40, moved to a 32-hectare property on the far south coast of NSW. They spent nine years living in a shed on the farm while Michael built their family home. “It was fantastic growing up on the farm with so much space to run around and create memories with my siblings,” she remembers. “Our parents never really had to worry about where we were or who we were with because there wasn’t really anywhere to go.” After being signed to the Sydney Sandpipers squad straight out of high school, Susan moved to Wollongong, where she also studied law and commerce at university. She earned an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship and played her first professional netball games with the AIS Canberra Darters in 2003. Moving to Sydney in 2016, she spent 11 years playing for the Sydney and NSW Swifts, then two years with the Giants. Susan, who was a member of the Australian Diamonds from 2006 to 2018, retired at the end of the 2018 season with 71 test caps, having competed at three Commonwealth Games. “One of my greatest netball highlights was being part of the winning team at the World Championships in New Zealand in 2007. That was such a special time. My first

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Aussie coach, Norma Plummer, took a chance on a junior. She helped me grow into a more mature player and gave me opportunities I never thought I’d get,” she says. Susan is passionate about athletics for country kids and has been running netball coaching clinics across NSW for the past 15 years. She hopes that by travelling to regional areas she can offer opportunities those kids mightn’t have otherwise had. “I was so lucky when I was growing up that Mum was able to drive me to every carnival and selection day, but I know that there are lots of kids who have so much sporting talent that miss out on those opportunities,” she says. It’s clear the vital elements of Susan’s childhood – a close family, lots of sport and a love of animals – are just as important today. She lives near Wollongong with her husband Brad, 35, and their 11-month old son, Cooper, with a new baby due in October. The couple, who met through friends when Brad was working for Cricket NSW, own a café and Susan juggles motherhood and her netball clinic business. The family share their acreage with two cavoodle dogs, two miniature pigs, two Scottish Highlander cattle and about 40 chickens. “We bought a couple of acres in Albion Park a few years ago and I did the commute to Sydney until I retired,” she explains. “I’m happy to let playing netball take a back seat at the moment after occupying a lot of space in my life for so many years. I have lots of other things going on and I love our lifestyle with our small zoo of pets and our respective businesses. And we’re only a three-and-a-halfhour drive from my parents, who still live on the farm.” Susan and Brad own Three Flamingos Espresso in Albion Park; follow @threeflamingosespresso. For information on Susan’s netball coaching clinics, visit spnetball.com >

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED BY SUSAN PETTITT

WORDS A LICE MOFFITT

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Sister Joanne (left) and Susan with horse, Copper; showing talent at 15; with her older siblings; riding Copper, with Joanne and Graeme; Susan, 15 (left), at a netball carnival; on dad Michael’s knee, with Joanne, Mark and mum, Marilyn. FACING PAGE Susan at home with her cavoodles, Eric and Harvey.

POSTCARD OX FOR DSHIR E ENGLA ND A wooden spoon rack and an old school clock are set among artwork in a corner of the kitchen. FACING PAGE A Colefax and Fowler gothic lantern is used to light the entrance hall.

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H A R V E Y N O R M A N M A T T R E S S E S

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CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Centranthus ruber (valerian) attracts the birds and bees; solar panels have been added to the restored stables; the original footprint of the 1860s house has been retained; lush green Solomon’s seal; apple blossom in the morning sun; locally sourced gravel defines the fire pit area.

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H A R V E Y N O R M A N M A T T R E S S E S

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ROCK LEY NSW GARDEN

“The tulips come before the peonies and irises in spring, and then in summer, it’s the roses,” says John. The pretty blush colour palette serves as a complement to the golden stonework and milk-hued gravel used for structure throughout. “I choose purples, mauves and then into the pinks, adding highlights with contrasting colours, white as a foil, and lots of silver foliage plantings,” John explains. The reinvention of the gardens has revived the thoughtfully preserved heritage buildings, a harmonious marriage best observed in the courtyard framed by the L-shape of John and Jude’s home and the church’s magnificent back wall. The couple has retained the original footprint of their 1860s era house but given new purpose to its rear, adding a verandah paved with Sydney sandstone and a dining and fire pit area defined with locally sourced gravel. The construction of a new kitchen is underway, and once complete, the heart of the home will open onto the courtyard via double French doors. It’s a striking outlook toward the church, where the patchwork of masonry and mossy shingles adds warmth and texture and reconfirms the historical significance of the surroundings. “We call it the ‘borrowed’ landscape,” says John. Sunday Mass attracts a handful of locals, as it has done for 150 years, but otherwise, the only noises here are the birdsong, the buzz of bees, and the occasional scuffle of the resident echidna. Working outdoors is a form of meditation for John. “It’s peaceful, and it gives me time to think,” he shares. “I am always amazed when certain plants do things I never thought they would be doing. Like at the moment, there is a clematis flowering when it shouldn’t be. It’s those little wonders.” Jude recognises the joy that he draws from time spent pottering outside. “For him, it’s just pure pleasure. He comes back into the house a nicer person!” she says with a cheeky, loving laugh You can visit John and Jude’s garden as part of The Rockley Gardens and Art Festival on November 13-14, 2021. rockleygardensandart.weebly.com

H A R V E Y N O R M A N M A T T R E S S E S

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RUGS DECOR ATING FROM LEFT Dash & Albert Zinnia rug, $2550 (243cm x 304cm), from Winton House; Beni Mona Mguild rug, $4950 (300cm x 185cm), and Nabel Mguild rug, $3025 (305cm x 190cm) from Few & Far. Woven wicker basket, from artist Harriet Goodall.

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HOME YA R R AGON V IC An ornamental grape was climbing over the veranda when Kristy and Neil Plumridge bought their house, and they’ve delighted in how it changes with the seasons.

DAY DR E A M BE L I E V E R S

A PASSION FOR RURAL AUSTRALIA LED THIS MELBOURNE COUPLE TO THEIR NEW HOME IN THE ROLLING HILLS OF WEST GIPPSLAND, CHANGING THEIR LIVES IN THE PROCESS. WORDS CER I DAV ID PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Hale Mercantile Co. crush throw in Russo, $389, from Suzie Anderson Home. Loom Tribal Gul rug, $1150 (120cm x 174cm), from Koskela. Washed velvet quilted throw in Jam, $179, from Suzie Anderson Home. Overland swag in Tanguy fabric, $595, from The Society Inc. Vintage Indian wood and iron bench $450 from Few & Far. Blue Moroccan ribbed cushion, $350, from Cadrys. Baxter print cushion in Rorshach, $165 (40cm x 65cm), from The Society Inc. Afghan Bohemia rug, $2700 (128cm x 348cm) from Cadrys.

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WHEN NEIL PLUMRIDGE FIRST ANNOUNCED that he’d like to

become a cattle farmer, years ago, his wife didn’t take it especially seriously. “We’re city folk!” Kristy laughs. “I dismissed it as a flight of fancy.” Living in inner-city Melbourne, Neil, 56, was a management consultant and Kristy, 51, worked in marketing. Neither of them had a farming background, but they’d always loved exploring remote areas, making the most of the fact that Kristy’s brother lives in the Northern Territory. They’d visit with their young children, Lily and Riley, as often as possible, taking long road trips and stopping at cattle stations on the way – which is where Neil’s dream first drifted into view. “He was captured by the dusty, red, laid-back charm that is outback Australia,” says Kristy. “So, over the years, he researched and read and asked questions, until it reached the point where our future genuinely included a farm.” Initial fantasies of buying land in Western Australia or on King Island were replaced by a far more practical plan: they plotted a circle around their Melbourne home, and explored all the options within a 90-minute drive. After 18 months of searching, they settled on Green Hills Farm in Yarragon, West Gippsland. Falling in love with its 81 hectares of pasture, bushland and forest, the Plumridges weren’t put off that it didn’t include a house. They had their work cut out clearing land, attacking capeweed, re-fencing (the list goes on), and were >

JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 53

HOME YA R R AGON V IC

The cabin’s original ceiling has been left untouched, contrasting beautifully with the crisp interior walls, painted in Haymes Dream throughout. 54 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

“We always said that if it came up for sale, we’d look at buying it.” happy to drive back and forth from the city, with a view to building a house later on. During this time, they discovered a strip of grazing land that seemed to encroach onto their property, belonging to the farm next door. “We always said that if it ever came up for sale, we’d look at buying it.” Which is precisely what happened, two years into their work on Green Hills Farm. Even better, it included a four-bedroom farmhouse. “It was built in the 1970s on the most magical piece of land – a ridge surrounded by blue gums, mountain ash, fern gullies and the most amazing view,” says Kristy. Still, The Ridge House, as they named it, was far from perfect. “What you find is that farmers can be very resourceful, often doing a lot of things themselves without much investment. And that’s fine, that’s how farming works.” They started fixing up their fixer-upper, tackling it as a family over the following 18 months. “The kids still talk about how they’d be here on weekends, puttying up holes, sanding, pulling out the kitchen, scrubbing grout,” says Kristy, who reminisces about nights spent in sleeping bags on blow-up beds. “Even while we were doing all that, it had the most delightful cosy feeling. It was a real adventure.” >

YA R R AGON V IC HOME

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT A hanging basket with a difference; the renovated kitchen was part of the upgrades the Plumridges added; echidnas are among the many species of wildlife that visit the house; enjoying the view over a glass of wine; a family get-together on the verandah. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP Kristy and a friend make their way to the lookout deck; native flowers – both real and in artistic depictions – are a regular feature throughout the home.

JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 57

HOME YA R R AGON V IC

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Spectacular views from one of the bedrooms; many varieties of birds visit the area; beautiful blooms; linen is a great choice for adding texture in the bedrooms, and to find a good selection of mattresses, Harvey Norman is the go-to place; flowerbeds frame the edge of the garden. FACING PAGE To capitalise on the views from the lookout across the valley, the owners have added a deck in treated pine, which has been left to grey in the elements.

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Structurally, the house – including the roof – was sound. Beyond that, everything needed work. Doors intended for inside use had been hung externally, leaving huge gaps for weather – and field mice – to come in. The flooring was part boards, part concrete slab. The wrap-around verandah was a trip hazard that needed to be pulled apart and re-levelled. As well as a new kitchen, new bathrooms were installed, windows and lighting replaced, and everything was painted, inside and out. “It was a top to tail renovation,” says Kristy. Completed in March 2019, the result is a seamless mix of old and new, full of beautiful textures, from the original lining boards to the rugs, blankets and dried flowers Kristy has dotted around. Meanwhile, natural light floods into every room, so there’s no ignoring the spectacular setting. Captivated by the view over the valley towards the Baw Baw ranges, they built a little lookout, a short walk from the house. “You can sit there and feel the whole energy of the space, of the view, of the trees whistling around. And we get to really see the changing weather. You’ll feel the

temperature drop and notice the birds suddenly becoming silent because a storm front is coming through.” Throughout, they continued their work on Green Hills Farm, eventually building their dream home, which they moved into last August. The Ridge House is now available to rent on Airbnb, though it remains close to Kristy’s heart. “I often go there if I need time in a creative space, to write or work on some photography or do some cooking.” The family live in both Melbourne and Yarragon, though they’ll move full-time to the country once both kids finish school. Riley turns 16 in October, while Lily, 18, recently started university. “She’s doing a Bachelor of agricultural sciences at Melbourne Uni,” says Kristy, “which I don’t think is a path she’d have thought of before. Who knew buying a farm would have such an impact on her!” And of course, Neil’s dream came true. He started gently with 25 Black Angus cattle in 2017, and now has 700, grazing on grass both here and on neighbouring farms. “He’s so happy,” laughs Kristy. “He just keeps saying he can’t wait until all he gets to do is talk to cows For more on The Ridge House, visit theridgehouse.com.au

HOME YA R R AGON V IC Originally a trip hazard, the wraparound verandah was levelled and is now a glorious spot to enjoy the views.

“You can sit there and feel the whole energy of the space, of the view, of the trees whistling around.”

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1 14

RUSTIC CHIC

EMBRACE EARTHY TONES AND IRRESISTIBLE TEXTURE. PRODUCED BY SA FFRON SY LV ESTER

1 Belling 900mm canopy rangehood, $499, from Harvey Norman. 2 ‘Classic Trim’ basket, $75, from 2 Duck Trading. 3 ‘The Ratatat’ hat, $99.95, from FallenBrokenStreet. 4 Scandinavian ﬂoor lamp, $129, from Lighting Collective. 5 EasyLine wall lining, $25/sqm, from Easycraft. 6 ‘Carter’ cushion, $109, from Domayne. 7 ‘Buhera’ pot basket, from $95, from Pan After. 8 Bath towel in Arctic, $149, from Loom Towels. 9 Robert Gordon ceramic egg crate, $34.95, from Nest. 10 KitchenAid KSM160 Artisan stand mixer, $749, from Harvey Norman. 11 Barrydale Weavers cotton blankets, $180 each, from Pan After. 12 ‘Stol’ chair in Black, $360, from Thonet. 13 Botanical Night II print by Kimmy Hogan, $480 (framed), from Kimmy Hogan. 14 ‘Leone Strap’ mirror, $219, from Domayne.

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SLEEP TIGHT In winter, it’s even more enjoyable to spend time tucked up in bed. To maximise your comfort and help you get a good night’s slumber, A. H. Beard’s Nature’s Rest ‘Verde’ mattress and mattress topper feature full body support and response technology to minimise sleep disturbance. From $2050. domayne.com.au

HOME CA RCOA R NSW Belinda Sattherthwaite outside Hargans Cottage, which she has renovated with a modern country look. FACING PAGE Guests staying at Hargans Cottage get a warm welcome – and some delicious treats.

COTTAGE INDUSTRY A COLLECTION OF TREASURED PIECES AND FORAGED FINDS HAVE TRANSFORMED AN OLD MECHANIC’S BOLTHOLE INTO A COSY HIDEAWAY. WORDS PENN Y CA R ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY A BBIE MELLÉ

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HOME CA RCOA R NSW

ABOUT THE HOUSE:

• The cottage interior is painted Dulux Lexicon White, and

the floorboards are stained with Feast Watson Black Japan Floor Finish. The exterior is Dulux Antique White USA and Timeless Grey. dulux.com.au; feastwatson.com.au Nickel beds from Incy Interiors strike a modern country note, incyinteriors.com.au, paired with In The Sac bedlinen, inthesac.com.au Much of the décor is sourced through Tomolly, including the sofas, cushions from Pony Rider, and ceramics by Otti Made and The Two Throwers. tomolly.com.au Belinda loves scouring Bowerbird Old Wares and The Salon des Refuses in Millthorpe for antique furniture. facebook.com/thebowermillthorpe; millthorpeantiques.com

• • •

MY TOWN W ILLUNGA SA Willunga’s wonderful heritage can still be seen and enjoyed in the quaint home frontages. FACING PAGE The nearby Fleurieu Peninsula offers many picturesque photo opportunities.

MY TOWN

WILLUNGA

THIS VIBRANT VILLAGE JUST SOUTH OF ADELAIDE HAS NATURAL BEAUTY, BOUNTIFUL PRODUCE AND HERITAGE CHARM. WORDS CLAIRE MACTAGGART PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON

the chance to give the cottage an overhaul. “Molly asked what she could take and I told her, ‘Take whatever you want, because the rest of it is going and I’m restyling the whole place,’” laughs Belinda. The idea of refreshing an entire house might be daunting for some, but for Belinda, an experienced renovator who owns Carcoar’s famous homewares store Tomolly, it was the kind of project she thrives on. “I’ve always been creative,” she says. “It’s just something I do – that’s just me!” The cottage had already been updated by its previous owners with a simple stainless-steel kitchen, a modern bathroom and skylights that usher light into the darker areas. Heritage details like the original windows and wall panelling remain, giving Belinda the kind of characterfilled canvas she adores. “We were very lucky, the majority of it was done,” she explains. “We just refreshed it all white, changed the blinds and painted the timber floors black, and added a wood fire.” With those base elements in place, Belinda embraced giving the cottage her signature modern country look, with honey-hued timber furniture, layers of linen and foliage from the garden, which is rich with apple, plum, pepper and fig trees. “I like earthy tones and I love lots of textures,” Belinda explains. “I’m often out foraging things and I love a lot of dry things as well. I’m quite minimal though, I don’t like miles of stuff.” >

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CA RCOA R NSW HOME

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE The rustic timber towel hooks were made by Stephen; Belinda at the entrance to the cottage; a metal cabinet gives the bathroom a touch of vintage style; some of the foliage foraged by Belinda. FACING PAGE The wood fire and painted timber floors add to the home’s character.

The furniture is a mix of pieces from her carefully curated shop, like the soft slip-covered sofas and vintagestyle beds, alongside rustic finds she’s picked up over the years. “I’ve collected old bits and pieces forever,” Belinda says. “Sometimes from the tip! Some things stay, some things don’t.” Stephen, 58, who works in the mines and crafts metal sculptures in his spare time, has made timber benches, hanging pegs and lamps for the cottage. Belinda and Stephen were both born and bred in Broken Hill, where they met and had their children, then they lived in Millthorpe for 20 years before moving down the road to Carcoar. So, Belinda explains, the slow country lifestyle is in her blood. After a busy day chatting to customers in her shop, “I like to just be at home, doing my own thing,” she says. Tom and Molly still refer to Hargans Cottage as “their house”, Belinda laughs, but they now share it with a steady stream of guests eager to experience a taste of country life. “Nobody was in here and I thought, you know what, how about I open it for beautiful guests to stay via my Instagram,” says Belinda. “I just love it… I bake my own sourdough, and a Moroccan spice cake [for guests] – I like to make it extra-special.” An unofficial tourism ambassador for Carcoar, Belinda has played a key role in promoting the tiny town of around 270 people via her popular Instagram platform. “It’s got a beautiful feel, it’s so peaceful,” she says of the quaint village. “It’s surrounded by a valley, and because the Belubula River goes through the centre of town, it’s very picturesque. You hear the church bells ring on the hour every hour… it’s a beautiful little place.” To book a stay at Hargans Cottage, visit tomolly.com.au. Find Belinda on Instagram @tomolly_carcoar

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT An array of pizzas from local eatery Russell’s Pizza; Mandy de Rose sits outside her cafe, de Rose Kitchen; rustic touches at Hither & Yon’s cellar door; wine tastings at Hither & Yon are an intimate affair, limited to 14 participants at a time. FACING PAGE The Jetty offers its guests unrivalled views over Port Willunga.

HOME CA RCOA R NSW

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE LEFT The courtyard is a charming spot to enjoy breakfast; a vintage-style nickel bed from Incy Interiors; some of Belinda’s rustic finds; foraged foliage adds to the modern country feel. FACING PAGE The bedroom light fitting arrived with broken glass, but Belinda decided to embrace the look, rather than return it.

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COU NTRY IDY LL

IN ENGLAND’S VERDANT OXFORDSHIRE IS A DOVECOTE, STABLES AND BARN THAT HAVE BEEN LOVINGLY CONVERTED INTO A COMFORTABLE HOME FULL OF PERSONAL TOUCHES. WORDS JENN Y ROSE-INNES PHOTOGRAPHY SIMON GR IFFITHS

OX FOR DSHIR E ENGLA ND POSTCAR D These once-derelict stables have been restored to their former glory and are now shared by designer Emma Burns and her family.

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WHEN EMMA BURNS’ PARENTS FIRST SAW DOVECOTE , their

property in Oxfordshire, England, she says, “It was derelict, with a beaten earth floor and chickens living upstairs. The garden was a mound of rubble and old cars.” Emma inherited Dovecote in 2002 after her mother died and, looking at the work she has done on it since, also inherited her parents’ resolve to make the most of these old buildings, which used to be the dovecote, stables and hay barn for Bampton House next door. “My parents had been looking for a project – they saw it on the Sunday and bought it on the Monday,” says Emma, a designer. Friends and family were coerced to go there on weekends to fix it up. This took four years, and Emma, who heads a design team at British design firm Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, talks about them camping in the barn. Her parents furnished the house “out of skips and with leftovers”, so when Emma and her late partner, Menno, moved in, they decided to “sort the house out for us”. Apart from bringing their own furniture, one of the first things they did was to put in a new kitchen, which meant removing an old pine island and installing an Aga. It also meant replacing lino with old flagstones to match the floor in the hall (put in by Emma’s mother), making a door taller “and grander to marry up with the drawing room door on the other side of the hall”, and using reclaimed doors for cupboards and larder. “We hardly ever leave this room, and I’ve crammed 12 people around the table for lunch,” says Emma. With its portraits and other decorative elements on the walls, the wing armchair in the corner and the “slightly hippie and relaxed” Robert Kime ‘Ashoka’ panel curtains, the kitchen feels more like a living room that happens to have a sink and Aga in it. >

STAYS The beautifully restored living-dining area exudes the feel of a bygone era.

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“My parents had been looking for a project – they saw it on the Sunday and bought it on the Monday.”

R EGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE

FROM LEFT Co-owner of The Store Room, Inky Barwick; Just a Smidge boutique; gorgeous soaps stocked by Butlers Vintage Depot.

PHOTOGRAPHY FABLE & FIG, PERNILLA FUREY, LISA CASAMENTO, KATIE MENDL

QUEENSLAND The Store Room

Firm friends Inky Barwick and Jill Bliss grew up in regional Queensland and have recently reconnected in Toowoomba where they both now live. Each with full family lives, plus careers in teaching and accounting respectively, their shared passion for beautiful homewares, furnishings and art often took a back seat. But in mid-2020, after the COVID-19 lockdown, the pair swiftly set about realising their joint vision and they opened the doors of The Store Room not long after. In lovely tree-lined Campbell Street (opposite The Baker’s Duck, for those in the know), the smart, expansive space is a one-stop shop for countless Australian brands we love – think GlobeWest furniture, Batch ceramics, Alex Muir Australia cushions and sleepwear, Bright Threads table linen and Long Track Pantry preserves. Inky explains, “Connecting with small businesses was an enormous factor for us both. Being country girls and growing up on properties (me near Longreach and Jill near Meandarra) meant that sentiment was strong in our hearts.” What really sets the store apart though is Jill and Inky’s eye for paintings. Their relationship with a range of local and regional artists (like Jill Richardson, Kate Owen, Leisl Baker, Lisa Wisse-Robinson, Karen Backus and Samantha Hobbelen) turns the quest for what to hang on your walls into a pleasure. Like all lifelong friends, it’s evident

Jill and Inky know how to have a good time – they were insistent on an in-house espresso machine (serving Noosa-based organic Padre coffee, no less) so their customers could enjoy it while they browse, and when asked about working as a team, Inky replies, “We honestly love working together – we back each other, respect and truly care for one another and each other’s families. Communicating, working hard and lots of laughter, we feel, is the key!” The happy energy is certainly catching, so make a trip to the store in person if you can, or purchase items via Instagram @thestoreroom_toowoomba. 2/111 Campbell Street, Toowoomba, (07) 4617 8270, the-storeroom.com.au

NEW SOUTH WALES Just A Smidge

Many know Mittagong for its close proximity to Bowral, but thanks to an exciting new dining scene, quiet historic laneways and outstanding schools, this leafy Southern Highlands town is having its moment in the sun. The retail offerings are growing, too. Leading the charge is Just a Smidge, nestled in a great part of the main street, between antique shops and bustling cafes. The store is striking for its colourful eclectic vibe, and customers have even dubbed it a ‘mini Anthropologie’, a comparison owner Belinda Dare considers the highest praise. “Before I had a bricks and mortar store, I ran Just a Smidge out of a vintage caravan,” she says, which goes some way to explain the cosy,

creative feeling inside the shop. Filled with unique clothes, handbags and jewellery, the boutique caters for all ages and budgets. Belinda explains, “We work hard to keep most of our products Australian made or designed. There is some wonderful talent in this country and we really try to showcase that.” Shoppers particularly love Mojo candles, made by a local couple, who cleverly use recycled wine bottles to encase hand-poured soy wax. Rancho jewellery from the Hunter Valley is another one of Belinda’s mainstay brands, loved for its fine, simple designs. If you pop in this season, be sure to add a little colour to your winter wardrobe – there are some great sweaters in greens, mustards and earthy pinks and fun striped and spotted scarves. 16A Bowral Road, Mittagong, 0456 449 880

VICTORIA Butlers Vintage Depot

Surrounded by the forests of Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, the township of Olinda boasts charming boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Among them you’ll find a double-fronted shop called Butlers Vintage Depot. The large picture windows have ever-changing displays of wonderful wares and once you’re inside, you’ll hear time-worn timber boards creaking underfoot. “It’s perfect for leisurely treasure hunting,” says Lisa Casamento, who co-owns the store with her childhood friend, Lisa Webley. One space offers new >

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Emma, who shares the house with her children Bobby and Amelia, son-in-law Alex, granddaughter Hope, and Dahlia the pug, also opened up the entrance to the house by replacing the large, solid doors with a half-glazed door and sidelights. “It changed the house dramatically – the light floods in, making it feel twice as big,” she says. She also “fiddled about” with the bedrooms upstairs and “tweaked” the drawing room, adding an antique stone bolection fireplace and new cornice. The walls of the drawing room are in Farrow & Ball’s Chemise. “This room is never light,” she says. “I love the contrast of the thundery walls with the printed linen slip covers.” The coffee table is in an oxblood tint – Emma used the reverse of a Kenzo belt when she was describing the shade she wanted to the painter. A corner cupboard, which Emma originally bought for her mother, stands in the room, its shelves filled with books and decorative items. “My mother wouldn’t have it in the house – she said it was clearly haunted. I’d always thought if you were a ghost, you wouldn’t want to be in a corner cupboard, but would play a more central role.” There are a few black-and-white family photos on a table top. “I don’t like colour photos on display – they belong in albums,” she says. At the top of the stairs is the dovecote, which is original to the house and after which the house is named – Emma’s sense of fun comes through when you notice the family of decoy doves now living there. A floor-to-ceiling bookcase houses only detective novels. “We’ve all been obsessed with crime novels for years,” she says. “Here, I’ve got really old green Penguin paperback ones, which I especially love.”

The most radical change she has made to the property has been to convert the stone barn into a library, using the original bricks from the loose boxes in the house to pave around the outside. “Menno and I painted all the bookshelves ourselves,” she says. The space is cleverly designed with galleries at either end, supported by the bookcases which conceal, via hidden doorways in the shelves, a bathroom at one end and, at the other, a bar area. A bedroom in the eaves is reached via a ladder. A television is tucked away in a large cupboard that Emma bought from Robert Kime. It’s a room used for relaxing, for entertaining and, sometimes, for sleeping. “When we have guests, I tend to sleep here and put the guests in my room in the house,” says Emma. “It’s the most glorious place to sleep, because you have the whole of the barn roof above you.” Furniture and artefacts are a mix of family pieces and those that Emma has picked up along the way, in keeping with her approach throughout her home. Her ability to put things together in an individual way began when her parents used to let her rearrange their furniture and rehang their paintings. She also spent a lot of her childhood by the sea in Devon with her architect grandmother. “She was wildly creative – she did a lot of sewing, gardening and drawing – we were always making things.” Emma’s mother wanted her to be a dress designer but, instead, after secretarial and cooking courses, she trained with the decorating firm Charles Hammond before moving to Colefax and Fowler in 1984. “I wanted to work there more than anything in the whole world,” she says. She always imagined herself as “a complete and utter Londoner”, and thought she was absolutely ensconced >

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POSTCARD OX FOR DSHIR E ENGLA ND

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GlassesForGirls.com.au or call 131 226 today!

FROM TOP The old stone barn that has been converted to a library; the dovecote, which now houses ‘decoy doves’. FACING PAGE Emma with Dahlia, the pug, in the entrance to her home.

This is an edited extract from British Designers at Home by Jenny Rose-Innes (Hardie Grant Books, $60).

there. But as she’s getting more passionate about the garden at Dovecote, she’s finding herself drawn away from the capital in a way she didn’t expect. On top of sharing Dovecote with her family, she’s swapped her house in London with Amelia and Alex for their much smaller flat. She says it gave them a bit more space with their daughter, and “I’ve found it quite nice living in the little flat – it simplifies my life in a way, and it could do with simplifying!” There’s a sense that houses in Emma’s family, are, like memories, for sharing, passing on and keeping.

Q&A WITH EMMA BURNS

What’s your idea of home? The best place to be. Who are your design heroes? David Hicks – I love his considered table arrangements, and Roger Banks-Pye for his obsession with all things blue and white. What book do you always reach for? John Stefanidis’ Living by Design. What’s your favourite room to design? I love organising space, so a bathroom or kitchen is always pleasing – solving the problem of fitting in everything that’s needed. But my favourite room to design must be a library. What’s your favourite season in your house? Winter – I love having the fires lit, and the low light is so beautiful. Do you collect anything? I’ve collected stuff all my life, and I didn’t think I’d ever say it, and perhaps it’s not 100 per cent true, but things don’t seem as important to me as they used to. Now, I prefer to collect plants

GAR DEN ROCK LEY NSW

The flourishing gardens of John Monty and Jude Reggett in the historic village of Rockley, NSW. FACING PAGE The couple’s cat, Paws, goes for a walk. 82 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

Divine inspiration ON THE GROUNDS OF A FORMER PRESBYTERY IS A HEAVENLY GARDEN THAT HAS BEEN A LABOUR OF LOVE FOR JOHN MONTY AND JUDE REGGETT FOR OVER A DECADE. WORDS JESSICA BELLEF PHOTOGRAPHY SUE STUBBS

GAR DEN ROCK LEY NSW

FOR A CENTURY AND A HALF, St Patrick’s Catholic Church

has sat on a hill’s crest overlooking the historic village of Rockley, located 30 minutes south of Bathurst in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. The church is resplendent with a sandy stone facade and Victorian Gothic details, designed by prominent 19th-century architect Edward Gell. Next to the church, on half a hectare of undulating ground, you’ll find the double-fronted brick presbytery surrounded by flourishing gardens. John Monty, a horticulturist, and his partner Jude Reggett, a psychotherapist, have been pouring heart and soul into the restoration of the house and land since 2008. Spending a weekend in Rockley as a new couple 13 years ago, Sydneysiders John and Jude weren’t expecting to make any significant real estate decisions together. However, they were romanced by the potential of the derelict presbytery and immediately set the sale in motion. Well, almost. “We contacted the church the next day and negotiated a price, but it took five years for the sale to go through. We were on a peppercorn lease during that time,” John explains. The city couple spent every second weekend working on the property until it became their permanent home in 2016. “People had tried to buy it before, but it had all fallen through for them. I think it was here waiting for us,” Jude muses. John wasted no time in reworking the land. “Designs were running through my head at that very first visit,” he shares, “and it was certainly planned where things were going to go and what sort of plants I wanted to put in.” His vision was of an English country garden, perhaps inspired by his time working for World’s End Nurseries in Chelsea, London, in the 1980s after his studies at the School of Horticulture in Sydney’s Ryde. At Rockley, John was faced with an almost blank slate. The grounds surrounding the presbytery were bare save for a few stone retaining walls, the main gravel drive down the eastern side of the home, and a tumble of weedy, persistent creepers and blackberry. “The very first thing I did was clear the suckering elms growing out of the foundations at the front of the house and tidy it up so people could see something was actually happening there after all those years,” John shares. The property now boasts a formal vegetable patch, a cluster of beehives, a fruit orchard by the refurbished stables, and blossoming beds that hug the home and elegantly stretch out to the church. “I mow the church grounds, and the planting is slowly creeping across,” John chuckles. “Which Father Paul is very pleased about,” Jude adds, with a twinkling eye. A mix of mass planted perennials bloom through the seasons, and artfully layered shrubs spill over quartz retaining walls. >

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CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE LEFT Jude and John with Paws; Bechtel’s crabapple in bloom; the rear facade of St Patrick’s Catholic Church; expansive views from the edge of the property; tall bearded iris ‘Moroccan Magic’ adds colour; bountiful beds of valerian and lamb’s ear.

“People had tried to buy it before, but it had all fallen through for them. I think it was here waiting for us.”

John’s landscape design was inspired by English cottage gardens. “Designs were running through my head at that very ﬁrst visit,” says the horticulturalist. 86 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

ROCK LEY NSW GARDEN

“I choose purples, mauves and then into the pinks, adding highlights with contrasting colours, white as a foil, and lots of silver foliage plantings.”

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ROCK LEY NSW GARDEN

ADD WARMTH TO ANY ROOM WITH A RICHLY COLOURED, SOFT RUG TO SINK YOUR TOES INTO. PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT ST YLING JODIE GIBBONS

This feature was shot on location at The Ruin in Bingleburra, near Dungog in NSW. These stone walls are steeped in agricultural history, having stood on this cattle property for more than a hundred years. Wanting to preserve the crumbling walls, which are all that’s left of an old barn, in 2000 the owner, Tom Smith, commissioned local architect David Hilliard to build a three-bedroom cedar home around them. And so they created The Ruin, a happy family home with a heritage twist. Many thanks to Lynette Squire and Tom Smith.

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DECOR ATING RUGS

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Dash & Albert Briar rug in blue, $1295 (152cm x 243cm), from Winton House. Vintage wash cushion in blue $89 (40cm x 60cm), from Saardé Home. Gigi ribbed vase, $69, from Cabana Jo’s. Beach House bench, $550, from Rabbit Trap Timber. Mai Collection runner, $3690 (94cm x 462cm), from Koskela. Dash & Albert Big Sur rug in blue $1460 (152cm x243cm), from Winton House. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Afghan Caucasian runner, $1573 (85cm x 235cm), from Cadrys. Malta rug in blue, $1020 (152cm x 243cm). from Winton House. Vintage Hungarian potato basket ,$90, from The Society Inc. Nala wool rug, $2415 (2m x 3m), from Armadillo & Co. Antique Turkish Kars rug, $5000 (145cm x 220cm), from Cadrys. Velvet cushion in olive, $95 (40cm x 50cm ), from Saardé Home. Antique Turkish Sivas Kilim rug, $5500 (125cm x 320cm), from Cadrys. Homes with Hearts serving board, $50, from Country Squire Collection. Cottage mountain ash stool, $275, from Rabbit Trap Timber. McMullin & Co. Humphrey terracotta vase, $169, from Cabana Jo’s.

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DECOR ATING RUGS

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Chinese elm stool, $545, from Few & Far. Berlingot velvet cushion in Caramel, $254, from Suzie Anderson Home. North Sea stripe throw, $600 (160cm x 220cm) from Suzie Anderson Home. Alev candle holder, $55 (medium), $65 (large), from Saardé Home. Ceramic pedestal bowl, $150, from KuSu Ceramics. Maci ceramic vase, $99, from Cabana Jo’s. Afghan Fine Caucasian rug, $6300 (170cm x 240cm) from Cadrys. Vintage Anatolian Sparta rug in blue, $5600 (203cm x 322cm), from Koskela. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Beach House stool, $275, from Rabbit Trap Timber. Wicker basket with leather straps, from artist Harriet Goodall. Mica cushion in Lagoon, $198 (40cm x 60cm) from Suzie Anderson Home. Velvet bolster cushion, $139 (40cm x 90cm), from Saardé Home. Nomadic Beluch rug, $1000 (145cm x 220cm), from Cadrys. Beach House bench seat, $550, from Rabbit Trap Timber. Anatolian Sparta rug in blue, $5600 (203cm x 322cm), from Koskela. Antique Turkish Sivas Kilim rug, $5500, from Cadrys.

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NATURE CALLS

The Birds and the Bees collection from House of Heras includes the Golden Peacock rug (left) and Honeybee rug (right), $5100 each (both 200 x 300cm), from Designer Rugs. 1300 802 561, designerrugs.com.au

RUGS DECOR ATING

FADED ELEGANCE

With its Persian-inspired pattern, Freedom’s Aaliya cotton rug will give any room an oldworld, lived-in look. Available in three sizes. $399 (160 x 230cm). freedom.com.au

NEUTRAL TERRITORY THE MADRID RANGE OF WOOL RUGS ARE A STUDY OF NEUTRAL TONES THAT WOULD WORK WELL IN ANY STYLE OF HOME. OUR FAVOURITE IS MADRID IN SAND. $479 (200 X 290CM). HARVEYNORMAN.COM.AU

under cover

ADDING A RUG TO A ROOM IS AN EASY WAY TO CHANGE THE WAY IT LOOKS AND ADD WARMTH AS THE TEMPERATURE DROPS. For the love of bees It’s not every day that you discover a new range of rugs was born of a fascination with native Australian bees, but so it is with the Birds and the Bees collection from House of Heras for Designer Rugs. “We were looking at so many different types of bees and how intricate and beautiful each species was and in a moment of inspiration I knew these bees needed to be the focus of my next range,” says designer Silvana Azzi Heras, who heads House of Heras. “From there I started researching more exotic birds and flowers to see what else I could incorporate into the pieces.” The collection consists of four rectangular rugs and one round rug, and is hand-tufted in New Zealand wool with highlights of bamboo silk. Colours of teal green, burgundy and coral, inspired by ’70s design, were chosen. “I’ve always had a love of the 1970s,” says Silvana. “I still have vivid memories of specific clothes, homewares and packaging from around my childhood home during those early years.” Designer Rugs, 1300 802 561, designerrugs.com.au

BLUE BLOOMS

Made from hard-wearing jute and wool, the Bettino rug in Natural Blue from Oz Design Furniture has a subtle floral pattern. $649(160 x 230cm). 1300 721 942, ozdesignfurniture.com.au

OUTDOORS AND IN Rugs just aren’t for creating a cosy living room, they can also add warmth under foot in your bedroom and even your outdoor area. Domayne has all your winter essentials covered, including Nature’s Rest mattresses and this Howlett outdoor rug in Coral $279 (180cm). domayne.com.au

SOUTH A FR ICA PEOPLE The mohair used to make Frances V.H. rugs is hand-spun, then dyed and woven to reflect colours and textures inspired by the natural surroundings.

WE AVIN G A TALE MAKER, DESIGNER AND ENTREPRENEUR FRANCES VAN HASSELT CREATES BEAUTIFUL MOHAIR RUGS THAT REFLECT THE UNIQUENESS OF THEIR ORIGINS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN KAROO.

PRODUCTION SVEN ALBERDING

WORDS ROBY N A LEX A NDER PHOTOGRAPHS WA R R EN HEATH / BUR EAUX

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PEOPLE SOUTH A FR ICA CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Frances’ studio is a simple and practical space; a mohair rug shows off its tactile appeal; one of the prized Angora goats; a rug in progress; Frances gets much of her inspiration on her walks. FACING PAGE The Karoo is an arid yet uniquely beautiful area. “Our rugs are inspired and informed by the places, spaces and people of the Karoo,” she says. “We try to replicate its dusty plains, the rich colours of delicate vegetation, its textured landscapes and crisp light.”

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THE ARID, SEMI-DESERT LANDSCAPES of South Africa’s

central Karoo region are an acquired taste. This is a place where extreme harshness – scorching hot summer days, icy cold winter nights – coexists with the delicate beauty of indigenous plant life, and where the bone-dry air is scented with dust yet still exquisitely clean and crisp. The people of the Karoo are special too: friendly to every visitor yet maintaining an inner reserve that reflects the elusive nature of the place in which they live and work. It’s also an area renowned for its exquisite mohair. The mohair fibres produced by the Angora goats of the Karoo are among the best in the world, prized around the globe (especially in the textile centres of Italy and Japan). In South Africa itself, however, the exceptional quality of local mohair isn’t as well known. Almost all of it is exported as a raw material, to be spun, dyed and woven elsewhere. Which is why, as designer, rug-maker and Karoo native Frances van Hasselt explains, it was only once she had spent some time working in the international fashion industry that she “came to realise how incredibly special and unique mohair is”. Frances had always known about mohair: she grew up on the van Hasselt family farm, which is outside the small town

of Prince Albert and includes one of the oldest Angora goat studs in South Africa. The mohair produced by those goats is an integral part of her heritage. No wonder then, that she “became determined to produce a local product... that highlights [mohair’s] unique and desirable qualities”. And so in 2017 she created Frances V.H Mohair Rugs. Making one of her rugs is a uniquely creative process for Frances. “When I am in the Karoo I make sure I spend time outside walking, as this is where most of my ideas and inspiration come from,” she says. The light and the colours, the patterns formed by the region’s gravel roads and folded mountain ranges – all of these unique signifiers of place are reflected in her graphic designs. These might be inspired by “the tiniest folds of a veld flower or the balancing act performed by rock formations”, she says – adding that, for her, nature’s most valuable lesson is that of simplicity. But nature also has lessons for the very practical business of making. “A sustainable, circular economy does not start in factories,” says Frances. For this designermaker, weaving and finishing a rug are the last few steps of an intricate supply chain that “starts with rain, the delicate ecosystem of the veld, the role of herdsmen, the importance of healthy animals to produce quality >

PEOPLE SOUTH A FR ICA A dried seedpod might inspire colours, shapes or even textures in the design of one of Frances’ rugs. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The herd of Angora goats; one of Frances’ new rug designs; undyed and hand-spun mohair; the vintage spinning wheel in Frances’ studio is still used to spin yarn.

“When I am in the Karoo I make sure I spend time outside walking, as this is where most of my ideas and inspiration come from.” mohair”. She’s also very aware that the resulting raw fibre has to undergo multiple processes – washing, cleaning, dyeing and spinning, most of which is done by hand – before the yarn ends up on her loom. All those tasks are carried out by the many people involved in the creation of Frances’ rugs. Although she designs them, to create the physical objects she must collaborate both with her clients and local traditional textile workers. In this part of the world, jobs are scarce, so it’s important to Frances that she offer sustainable employment and training. One result of this multifaceted approach to what she creates is that no two days of Frances’ working life are the same. She spends time finding her inspiration in the Karoo landscape around her, formulating her designs and collaborating with clients. “All our work is made to order, so I have a very close relationship with clients.” She’s also kept busy sharing the story of the Frances V.H brand with the world, and of course, there is always something happening in the studio, “from dyeing yarns, to spinning, weaving up new orders or playing around with different finishes”. Because this is a working farm, everyday administration, logistics, packing orders and fixing equipment form an inevitable part of day-to-day business, too. But the never-ending to-do list is all worth it when she remembers her reasons for doing what she does. For Frances, her rugs reflect the unique nature of the Karoo’s ever-changing landscapes, as well as her own passion for mohair. “South African mohair should be recognised in the same way cashmere is in Scotland or alpaca in Peru,” she says. Her rugs, locally created from start to finish, represent luxury in a new and very contemporary sense, believes Frances: not as a result of being costly, but because they encapsulate what she describes as a “world view” that is all about “clean air, open spaces, an appreciation for nature, meals around a table with friends and family, and building a functional home in which you feel safe, calm For more information on Frances’ handmade mohair rug collections, visit francesvh.com

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Price: $2,000,000 ONO

Contact: Linda Shore-Perez 0427 378 687 4

‘Yurunga’ – Maleny, Sunshine Coast, Queensland Commercial premises with historical homestead in the heart of town. This 1.5 acre property offers a myriad of opportunities, as a commercial business (currently a doctors surgery) or as a private residence. The house has original features and fittings! BUT the most beautiful part is the gardens and historic fig tree!

villarealestate.com.au

MUDGEE, NSW

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. 0400 417 711 6 Henry Lawson Drive Mudgee www.littlecookingschoolmudgee.com.au

IN LUXURIOUS COMFORT AND UNIQUE STYLE

NUNDLE, NSW

Feel welcome year-round at Nundle, a charming town of 300 people in the beautiful Hills of Gold, 50km south-east of Tamworth. Relax in the peaceful environment, surrounded by sheep and cattle grazing properties, and forest and bushland covered hills forming part of the Great Dividing Range.

62 Byng Street Orange NSW 2800 P 02 5317 8200 | info@byngstreethotel.com.au WWW.BYNGSTREETHOTEL.COM.AU

NundleNSW #nundlensw www.nundle.com.au

Prestige Properties | New South Wales

VISIT NUNDLE

THE LITTLE COOKING SCHOOL

COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS

For Sale

Enjoy unparalleled luxury and comfort in this stunning heritage property. Let the warm hospitality and tranquil peace overtake you… It’s all about the detail and intimacy here at Bishop’s Court Estate Bishop’s Court Estate 226 Seymour St Bathurst NSW 2795 Ph: 02 6332 4447

www.bishopscourtestate.com.au

HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/COUNTRY-STYLE

JUNE 2021 COUNTRY ST Y LE 151

OUTDOOR PURSUIT

FRESH AIR AND FABULOUS FOOD: A WINTER PICNIC IS ONE OF LIFE’S GREAT PLEASURES, SAYS SOPHIE HANSEN. INVITE SOME FRIENDS, RUG UP AND ENJOY! PHOTOGRAPHY CLA NCY PA INE, SOPHIE H A NSEN

104 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

SOPHIE H A NSEN COUNTRY COOK Beetroot pickled eggs: “Perfect in a ploughman’s lunch, topped with salty capers,” says Sophie Hansen, author of In Good Company. FACING PAGE Sophie lives with her family on a farm just outside Orange, NSW.

WINTERY PLOUGHMAN’S LUNCH We are so lucky here in

Orange to be surrounded not only by beautiful orchards and vineyards, but also friends who make and share wine from the latter and share the former with us for apple picking and picnics. The Swift family of Printhie Wines have a long tradition of making some of this region’s finest wines and they also happen to be good friends to us. It was such a pleasure to share an afternoon with them in the golden, early winter sunshine and graze on a ploughman’s lunch with an apple pie and a few bottles of Printhie’s best wine. I don’t think there is anything more lovely or picnic-perfect than a good ploughman’s lunch. Add a lamb chop straight off the grill and you have, perhaps, my ultimate meal.

EM SWIFT’S NOTES ON WINE AND PICNICS

Picnics and Picnics and wine are the perfect partners, but it’s best to keep your wine selection to varieties that will go with lots of different dishes, especially if your guests are all bringing food along. For picnics on those long warm afternoons, consider a pinot gris followed by rosé. If picnicking during the cooler months, warm yourselves up with a pinot meunier and then cabernet, which goes perfectly with cheese platters. Sparkling is a must to start – no matter what time of year it is! (And note that a pressure stopper is the best way to keep opened sparkling wine fresh for several days. Please do not use a spoon in the bottle – that is a complete myth!) Pairing food and wine: • White meat generally goes with white wine. • Spicy food suits pinot gris, riesling and rosé. • Red meat can take the heavier reds – lamb with cabernet and beef with shiraz. • Game meat such as duck and venison goes very well with pinot noir or pinot meunier. • Sparkling (preferably méthode traditionnelle) goes well with seafood and lighter-flavoured menus.

BIG FLAVOUR TOMATO SOUP A little mug of this soup by a bonfire or fire pit, or at the kitchen table, delivers big, bright flavours and comfort. Best of all, it uses pretty much all pantry ingredients. Keep the soup hot in a big thermos and pour it into little cups to warm hands and tummies at a wintery picnic. My kids also love this with toast soldiers for dinner. You can roast and peel the capsicums yourself or just buy a jar of roasted capsicums that are all ready to go. Serves 8-10 as a starter ⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil 1 brown onion, roughly chopped 2 roasted red capsicums (peppers), halved, seeded and roughly chopped

106 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 2 tbsp thyme leaves ¼ cup (60g) tomato paste (concentrated purée) 800g tin whole peeled tomatoes 2 cups (500ml) chicken or vegetable stock 1 tsp red wine vinegar A sprinkle of Simple Dukkah (for recipe, see page 99 of In Good Company by Sophie Hansen) to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add capsicum, garlic and thyme and cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, stock and red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Transfer the soup to a blender and blitz until smooth. Check the flavour to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, and perhaps add a little more salt. Serve the soup sprinkled with a little dukkah for extra flavour and crunch.

PLOUGHMAN’S WITH A CHOP

Imagine spending a bright, clear winter’s day sitting outside on a picnic rug, enjoying a ploughman’s lunch with a lamb chop straight off the barbecue – now that’s one of the most pleasant picnics you’ll ever have! A ploughman’s lunch is, like any simple meal of good ingredients, greater than the sum of its parts: a crunchy apple, a sharp hunk of cheddar, some good bread, pickles and plenty of sunshine. What could be nicer? This is a great way to feed just yourself, small groups or even a bunch of people at a party, in which case I’d recommend buying and glazing a whole ham as well. Here are the basic elements of a really great ploughman’s lunch, but you can add or remove ingredients to taste: Cheddar cheese Good quality ham Really good, crispy, crunchy apples Beetroot pickled eggs (see next page for recipe) Bread and butter pickles, kraut or any pickles you have lurking around in the fridge Sliced, crusty bread Tomato (or other) relish Grainy mustard >

COUN TRY SQUIRE

ALL TOGETHER NOW ROB INGRAM CALLS FOR AN END TO CITY FOLK PUTTING THEIR COUNTRY COUSINS DOWN. hair cut at a Tupperware party. I would not suggest to a stranger that his gene pool has no deep end, or ask him if his toilet paper has page numbers on it. But then I don’t live in the city and feel the need to assume higher ground over people who live in the country. “I remember Dunedoo,” a city acquaintance told me recently. “It’s where the locals point up into the sky when a plane flies over.” Very droll, but maybe it’s time to call a halt to the banality of half-serious insults between city and country folk. Where does it come from anyway? Is it from people so insecure in their choice of environment that they feel the need to be condescending about the alternative? Way back, sometime, somewhere, a wise old philosopher sitting at a bar told me, “Arrogance is the camouflage of insecurity.” At least, I think that’s what he said. He also told me “Hypocrisy is the Vaseline of political intercourse”, so I figured he knew what he was talking about. But, okay, time to ’fess up. In the slanging match between rat-race of city living need to understand that country the Big Smoke and the Bush, I’m happy to be cowering in the living’s higher quality of life is not because of what it has, trenches on the bumpkin side of the barbed wire. but rather because of what it does not have. Even in the heady old days when the country was riding on By assuming the intellectual high ground, the smugly the sheep’s back, metropolitan Australia was lampooning metropolitan face the danger of looking snide and personal and denigrating the image of our rural life. Now we’re riding in their derisive comments. Witness the haircut and toilet on the back of the mining truck, and the chasm between paper put-down approach. The country strategy is much less small-town resilience and big-city pretension is still almost direct and acerbic, but can be deadly as deep as the pit mines themselves. ES in its fake innocence. But how can urban dwellers – “SURELY THERE COM A supercilious city motorist who especially in the current economic A TIME IN OUR LIVES stopped at a petrol station in a squeeze – not envy our life in greener WHEN WE ALL HEAR country town near here, loftily pastures? When times are tough, the THE CALL OF THE WILD.” scanned the slightly-weary mean streets are no place to be. streetscape, and said to the local attendant: “This would have Poverty – to be picturesque, poetic even – needs to be to be the arsehole of the Earth, wouldn’t it?” The pump rural. City and suburban poverty is ghastly. attendant hesitated, then quietly asked, “Just passing In recent times, city-country stereotyping has yet another through, are you?” new label – geographical profiling. It sounds almost like I like the sly country counterpunch to the city aggression. something you might study in the third year of a humanities I like the way country people take the bayonet charge out degree. Of course, there are those peacemakers who claim of an exchange with the quiet cunning use of the simile the mud-slinging is all good fun and lighthearted, but any and the colloquialism. term used by one group to denigrate another is as bad as any One of the reasons things are a little slower out here is other, be it social, racial, political or, okay, geographical. that you need to take the time to analyse the rural art of Surely there comes a time in our lives when we all hear ambiguity. Why, one of the local identities told me herself, the call of the wild. Okay, some say we should hang up “When a new Country St le arrives, I waste no time immediately… like we do when we hear the call of the reading your column.” credit card hotline. But those trapped in the aspirational

154 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY SAM MCADAM-COOPER STYLING PHOEBE MCEVOY

PERSONALLY, I WOULD NEVER ask someone if they got their

The best investment for your home.

Find inspiration here – new issues out now

“The pie should be golden and a thing of beauty when you take it out of the oven.”

SOPHIE H A NSEN COUNTRY COOK “Narnie’s Apple Pie epitomises exactly what this book is about: families and friends coming together over food and food traditions,” says Sophie.

NARNIE’S APPLE PIE

This is, without a doubt, the best apple pie I have ever tasted. It comes via my friend Amber, whose husband Derek took the mantle of making it for every family gathering soon after he joined her family. This recipe is exactly what this book is about: families and friends coming together over food, creating traditions and taking the time to cook delicious things for each other. Thank you to Derek and the pie’s original creator, Dot Ryan, for sharing the recipe. Serves: 8-10 12 tart Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced ¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar 4 cloves

PASTRY

1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, softened ½ cup (110g) caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 1 large egg, plus 1 egg, extra, for brushing 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour ½ cup (75g) self-raising flour

Combine the apple, sugar, cloves and ½ cup (125ml) water in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until the apple is soft (don’t overcook it or it will be too watery). Dig out the cloves and set the pan aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

For the pastry, put the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture has doubled in volume, at least 6 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Change to the paddle attachment and reduce the mixer speed. Add the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Once all the flour has been added, the dough should be quite stiff and dry. Place two-thirds of the pastry in a 24cm spring-form tin. Gently push the pastry out to cover the base and come about 3cm up the side, as evenly as possible. Don’t worry if it looks a bit lumpy – it will puff up on cooking and will be quite fluffy. Return the saucepan of apple to the stovetop and bring to the boil (you want it to be really hot when it hits the pastry as this cooks the base and side). Gently spoon the hot apple into the pie shell. Take small pieces of the remaining pastry and crumble it over the apple, covering as much of the apple as possible. (Keep in mind that the pastry will puff and expand as it cooks, so it should form itself into a fairly cohesive pie topping in the oven.) Whisk the extra egg and brush it over the pie, then sprinkle it with the extra sugar. Bake for 30 minutes

or until the pie is golden. Watch carefully towards the end – you might need to reduce the heat to 180°C if the pastry is cooking too quickly. The pie should be golden and a thing of beauty when you take it out of the oven. But please don’t attempt to cut it straight away or everything will collapse into a crumbly (albeit delicious) mess. Leave it to cool and firm up in the tin, then cut it once it’s at room temperature or even from the fridge. Reheat the pie if you like, but I love it best cold

This is an extract from In Good Company by Sophie Hansen (Murdoch Books, $39.99)

JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 111

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MY TOWN W ILLUNGA SA Willunga’s wonderful heritage can still be seen and enjoyed in the quaint home frontages. FACING PAGE The nearby Fleurieu Peninsula offers many picturesque photo opportunities.

MY TOWN

WILLUNGA

THIS VIBRANT VILLAGE JUST SOUTH OF ADELAIDE HAS NATURAL BEAUTY, BOUNTIFUL PRODUCE AND HERITAGE CHARM. WORDS CLAIRE MACTAGGART PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON

THE CHARMING VILLAGE OF WILLUNGA grew after slate was

discovered in the nearby hills in 1840 and, a decade later, Port Willunga Jetty was built to launch the hardy material to Port Adelaide, Sydney and other settlements. Today, slate is evident in many of the beautiful historic buildings, bridges and cottages of this town of just over 2300 people. Less than an hour south of Adelaide, Willunga is surrounded by vineyards and is just a 12-minute drive from Port Willunga Beach. It’s known for its heritage, excellent education facilities and weekly farmers’ market, considered to be one of the best in Australia. Emma Read, 42, moved here 12 years ago for the Willunga Waldorf School and her sister Sarah Hall, 44, joined her three years ago so that they could live in the same town and their children could grow up together. The sisters sell vintage furniture and homewares through their business, Read & Hall Traders, while also doing freelance styling jobs. “We love the size of Willunga. Everything you need is on the main street – a mix of coffee shops, retail and cellar doors. It’s a community of like-minded people, everyone

knows one another and you see bunches of kids walking to school together,” Sarah says. Come the weekend, there are plenty of ways to fill their days, all within easy reach. “Port Willunga Beach is so picturesque and we like to visit the wineries or go to Russell’s Pizza, which is only open on the weekend,” she adds. Fellow local Mandy de Rose, 29, opened her cafe, de Rose Kitchen, on High Street with her husband Dan two years ago. “We have the best of everything here. The city is only 45 minutes away yet there’s this small-town village feel,” she says. “We know 70 per cent of our customers’ names, their dogs’ names and the whole family. That’s really special.” With a range of cafes, restaurants, eclectic shopping spots and accommodation options to entice visitors, and new small businesses opening frequently, Willunga is the perfect place to stay and explore the nearby villages, wineries and stunning Fleurieu Peninsula coastline. > For more information visit willunga.com and mclarenvaleandfleurieucoast.com.au

JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 115

MY TOWN W ILLUNGA SA

GETTING THERE

REASONS TO STAY

REASONS TO VISIT

renowned wine region along this sealed walking and cycling path, which is an extension of the Coast to Vines Rail Trail and connects McLaren Vale with Willunga. walkingsa.org.au

Willunga is 47km south of Adelaide, which is around 45 minutes’ drive.

ALMOND BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

This celebration during July includes a family fair day, almond cookery and market stalls. Willunga Recreation Park, almondblossomfestival.com.au HITHER & YON Stock up at the cellar door of South Australia’s first certified carbon-neutral wine brand. 17 High St, hitherandyon.com.au PORT WILLUNGA BEACH Discover one of the Fleurieu Peninsula’s most beautiful beaches and the remnants of Port Willunga Jetty, just 10km from town. fleurieupeninsula.com.au

WILLUNGA SLATE TRAIL AND MUSEUM Discover many historic sites and learn about the town’s slate industry. 61 High St, nationaltrust.org.au

A visit to the wine trails is a must. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Willunga Farmers’ Market; even the libraries are cute; one of the many beautiful homes in the area; sisters and co-owners of Read & Hall, Sarah Hall and Emma Read. 116 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

SHIRAZ TRAIL Experience the

WILLUNGA FARMERS’ MARKET Support regional farmers and food producers at this popular market, with fresh, local and seasonal produce each Saturday 8am-noon. Corner Main Rd and St Peter’s Tce, willungafarmers market.com.au WINE REGION There are a few ways to explore wineries and cellar doors in the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast region – join a tour or visit at your leisure. mclarenvaleandﬂeurieucoast.com.au TRAILS Whether you enjoy cycling, hiking or riding, there are trails to suit all in this beautiful region. mclarenvale andﬂeurieucoast.com.au

OPPORTUNITY CALLS

Healthcare and social assistance is the largest industry of the City of Onkaparinga local government area, followed by retail and manufacturing. The City of Onkaparinga has an ON Business Partner Program to support and enhance the local economy, and to announce grants, events and job opportunities. onbusinesspartnerprogram.com

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

New residents can ﬁnd a Welcome to Willunga kit at willunga.com/ new-residents. Willunga has a preschool centre and playgroup. There is a government primary school and high school, along with a range of non-government schools, including Willunga Waldorf School. >

MEDIAN HOUSE PRICE $600,000 MEDIAN RENTAL PRICE $435 per week THE MARKET RANGE Pricing generally starts at about $450,000 for a three-to-fourbedroom home in the township and up to approximately $1.3 million for a family home on acreage. MARKET WATCH “There’s always great demand for property in Willunga because of its historic and charming nature, sense of community and beautiful country properties close to the beach while only a short drive from Adelaide CBD,” says Holly Freeland of Harcourts Wine Coast Real Estate. “Willunga has several schools, including Willunga Waldorf School, and reputable sporting clubs and facilities, making it an attractive town for families. The township offers fantastic cafes and shops, in addition to three hotels, a Saturday Farmers’ Market and annual festivals and events.”

W ILLUNGA SA MY TOWN

EAT

SHOP

and-wife team share a love of local, seasonal produce. 17A High St, derosekitchen.com

beautiful? This shop’s range of clothing, homewares, jewellery and skincare is exactly that. 1/1 Aldinga Rd, iamtallpoppy.com.au BEV’S REMNANT HOUSE Pop in for designer upholstery fabric and homewares. 30 High St, bevsremnanthouse.com.au

Browse unique vintage wares and second-hand furniture. They also make vintage French fabric cushions. @readandhalltraders

Stock up with a large range of local produce, dry goods and gourmet products in store. 10 High St KOOKERY STORE Find all things practical and appealing in the kitchen – such as Dominika Yindi pottery, plus

shack is just 100 metres from the Esplanade and close to Port Willunga Beach. lashack.place THE JETTY Three luxury beachfront apartments overlooking Port Willunga. thejettyportwillunga.com.a

DE ROSE KITCHEN This husband-

FOUR WINDS CHOCOLATE

Professional chocolatier Wendy Ashwin crafts delectable chocolates, patisserie and cakes, which are available between 8am-1pm each Saturday. 30 High St, fourwindschocolate.com RUSSELL’ S PIZZA Founded almost 30 years ago, the wood-fired pizzas here are a local favourite. Try the slowcooked lamb with sheep’s milk yoghurt, preserved lime and dukkah – you won’t be sorry. 13 High St, russellspizza.com

I AM TALL POPPY Eco-friendly and

WILLUNGA GENERAL STORE

a range of fun tea towels designed by owner Amy Palmer-Millin. 18C High St, kookery.com.au

READ & HALL TRADERS

STAY

LA SHACK This wonderfully curated

JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 119

Only $2.50* when you purchase a participating magazine Or $9.99 when purchased separately

STAYS Adventure on the rails: the kids will love this train carriage bedroom.

BACK ON TR ACK STEAM TRAINS MAY BE A THING OF THE PAST, BUT ONE COUPLE HAS GIVEN AN OLD CARRIAGE A NEW LIFE IN REGIONAL VICTORIA. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 121

STAYS

THE ROMANCE OF STEAM TRAINS IS UNQUESTIONABLE, reminding us of times

past. So spending a long weekend in a first-class carriage dating back to 1926 is a dream come true for steam buffs and history lovers alike. Beautifully renovated by owners Mike and Fleur Leslie, the three-bedroom carriage – located near the Great Ocean Road in Forrest, Victoria – was used as a workshop by the previous owner when he was working on the house next door (which the Leslies also own). Many of its interior materials and fittings made their way into the house, so by the time the Leslies came to convert the carriage into accommodation, it was in a pretty sorry state. “There wasn’t enough intact to restore it, so we’ve developed our own style that is vaguely steam-punk influenced,” says Fleur. It took the pair – and two builders – nine months to renovate the carriage, whose exterior originally sported a pink and white paint job. It’s now a sleek black; the solution to more than one design dilemma. “Originally we were going to sand back and varnish the floors,” says Fleur, “but there were too many tight corners. Once we stripped back the grime, the floorboards weren’t much of a feature. So we painted the floor gloss black.” The “steam-punk” aesthetic she references reveals itself in exposed pipes and fixtures, many of which were sourced at salvage yards, both to keep costs down and achieve an authentic look. Also exposed are some of the mechanisms that used to keep the carriage on the rails. “One day, we pulled up a panel in the floor,” recalls Fleur. “It covered a linkage mechanism, the thing that joins the carriages together. It is about the size of a small car engine. We oiled it, and covered it with safety glass. It’s now a feature – you can walk over it in the master bedroom.” Although the carriage was finished in 2015, the pair still consider it a work in progress, and plan to keep tweaking it – a prospect that’s all too tempting for guests considering a return visit. Visit dufflebird.com.au to book.

122 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Bathing is an outdoor affair; a chandelier adds a little glam; the oh-so-cosy master bedroom; a touch of industrial art. FACING PAGE The carriage’s exterior.

STAYS The beautifully restored living-dining area exudes the feel of a bygone era.

124 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

W O N E L A S ON AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE AT NEWSAGENTS AND SELECTED WOOLWORTHS, COLES & COLES EXPRESS AND AT MAGSHOP.COM.AU

COUNTRY CHARM CALL INTO THESE ENCHANTING SHOPS AS YOU VISIT TOWNS AROUND AUSTRALIA. WORDS A BBY PFA HL

Native blooms on display at Makers & Merchants Barossa.

R EGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE

FROM LEFT Co-owner of The Store Room, Inky Barwick; Just a Smidge boutique; gorgeous soaps stocked by Butlers Vintage Depot.

PHOTOGRAPHY FABLE & FIG, PERNILLA FUREY, LISA CASAMENTO, KATIE MENDL

QUEENSLAND The Store Room

NEW SOUTH WALES Just A Smidge

VICTORIA Butlers Vintage Depot

JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 127

homewares, decor and linen clothing, while the other houses stall-holders who curate and sell preloved pieces – everything from furniture to kitchenware. Lisa describes it as “a feast for the eyes and souls of lovers of vintage”. There’s also a large outdoor area stocked with garden chairs, pots, tools, plant stands and salvage pieces. Lisa and Lisa pride themselves (and their staff) on helping customers blend the old with the new, and love to provide inspiration for decorating homes. Lisa Casamento tells us that Lisa Webley is responsible for styling the windows, and it’s clear she has a natural flair for storytelling, while also showcasing the new arrivals. “Our ‘window day’ posts on Instagram are eagerly awaited by our followers,” says Lisa. Whether you’re looking to add character to your home or are an avid collector, there’s an amazing selection of farmhouse pieces with lovely, weathered patinas like small milking stools, meat safes and kitchen dressers. You’ll also find early French furniture and vintage kitchen gems like mixing bowls, wooden spoons, jugs and bread boards. If you can’t make it to Olinda any time soon, you can follow @butlersvintagedepot on Instagram and call to purchase what takes your fancy. 1552 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, Olinda, (03) 9751 1138

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Makers & Merchants Barossa

A generous community spirit and a talent for spotting a good brand meant self-confessed ‘people-enthusiast’ Shelley Cox was already on the path to success when she left her qualified position as a winemaker in 2018. She began a consultancy venture, which focused on guiding small businesses in the Barossa Valley. But she soon

noticed the need for a collaborative space in the area due, conversely, to its healthy tourist trade. Shelley remarks: “In prominent tourism areas, such as the Barossa, it can be quite cost-prohibitive for a shopfront opportunity. So why couldn’t there be another way?” Cue the opening of Makers & Merchants Barossa in Tanunda (the wine region’s beating heart). Shelley showcases a careful selection of local wares and artisan goods in a historic building, allowing them space to shine. She explains, “Peg boards surround the perimeter, with clean, minimalist lines – no shelf crowding here – so that quality, locally branded products are the heroes.” Find leather goods from Sunshine Barossa, handmade stoneware by Katespots, boutique wines by Ben Murray Wines and unique jewellery from Anthea Louise. Shelley adds that her team members are keen to share the makers’ stories – “after all, it’s what gets us excited!” There’s a workbench at the centre of the store, designed for gin tastings, jewellery workshops, pottery demonstrations and the like. Makers & Merchants can also provide professional support for businesses if required, with specialists in marketing, content and product photography in-house. The website allows for even more exposure for the brands, which, as Shelley points out, helps artisans reach new customers, leaving more time for them to create the pieces we love. 3/117a Murray Street, Tanunda, 0490 139 740, makersandmerchants.com.au

ONLINE Suzie Hope Designs

We love it when we can share products that spark a little extra joy into the everyday. So, for those not yet acquainted, allow us to introduce

you to the household item you never knew you needed – a Suzie Hope Designs ironing board cover! Not just essential for their deluxe furnishing fabrics, sure to style up your daily round of chores, but for the plump padding they add to the board. In the same way that handwriting on a stack of paper just feels better, the cushioning brings a satisfying comfort to the ironing process and yields smoother, crisper results… meaning you’ll get through that pile faster. The brand was founded by Suzie Wood (née Hope) in 1983. From her then home on a property in Cootamundra, she decided the blanket and sheet covering the family ironing board, held together with big safety pins, had to go. In turn, Suzie became the first person in Australia to develop a reversible padded cover and, to this day, she remains the go-to for savvy shoppers, who swear by her long-lasting designs. She makes each cover by hand, with sizes perfected over the years to meet her clients’ needs. She uses only the most durable fabric in fresh, bright designs. “I have two ranges of covers,” Suzie tells us, “my Country Collection of checks, stripes and ticking, and a limitededition range which I continually update, including some beautiful Australian designs of gumnuts, birds and eucalypts.” Find a size to match your board online or call Suzie direct for special orders. 0438 423 824, suziehopedesigns.com

R EGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE

“Connecting with small businesses was an enormous factor for us both.”

Co-owners of The Store Room, Jill Bliss (left) and Inky Barwick. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT Makers & Merchants Barossa; Butlers Vintage Depot. JUNE 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 129

GlassesForGirls.com.au or call 131 226 today!

FASHION Belinda heads into Carcoar, where she runs her homewares store, Tomolly. On her right is the old courthouse, built in 1882, which is now a museum – worth a visit for its beautifully restored cedar interior.

OWNER OF TOMOLLY IN HISTORIC CARCOAR, NSW, BELINDA SATTERTHWAITE HAS A SENSE OF STYLE THAT’S NOT ONLY REFLECTED ON THE SHELVES OF HER SHOP BUT IN HER FASHION CHOICES, TOO. PHOTOGRAPHY A BBIE MELLE

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FASHION

Belinda takes a walk along the disused railway track – a popular route, thanks to its great views over the historic village of Carcoar. FACING PAGE Belinda with her dog Dusty.

BELINDA SATTERTHWAITE BUSINESS OWNER, 58

Belinda calls herself The Shopkeeper in the Town Time Forgot, but Carcoar is impossible to forget – as is her shop, Tomolly, named after her two children. Where do you live? What sort of property? I live in the historic village of Carcoar in a converted Old Flour Mill dating back to the early 1800s. I live with my husband Steve and our dog, Dusty. We have two adult children Tom and Molly, both of whom now live in Orange, just a 40-minute drive away. How would you describe your style? My style is elegant, informal, unpretentious , natural and a little rustic. These elements are constants through my shop, home and personal style. Are you interested in fashion? I love fashion, especially clothes made from natural fibres and am a lover of all things linen. Do you have any favourite labels? La Bottega di Brunella, Eva’s Sunday and Montaigne. What’s the best style advice you’ve ever received? Always wear what makes you feel good and that’s comfortable – no matter what . What are your essential beauty products? ZO Skin Health by Dr Zein Obagi for my daily skincare. I have embraced my natural curls so have fallen in love with Clever Curl products for my hair health . Do you have a signature fragrance? Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne. Do you have any favourite accessories? A beautiful leather belt from Angus Barrett saddlery, my tan leather ankle boots that I bought at Lucknow Skin Shop & Boot Barn, and I always carry a tan leather clutch from Saddler & Co. What are you reading and listening to? I’ve never really been a reader but I must say I did buy Samantha Wills’ book Of Gold & Dust and find it hard to put down. I love beautiful coffee table books on all things interiors that you’ll find in perfect stacks at home. I also have an addiction to cookbooks. My favourite podcast is Natalie Walton’s Imprint. Do you have any favourite local spots to eat? There are so many cafes to choose from in our region but my favourites would have to be Millthorpe Providore, Groundstone and Anything Grows – both in Orange – for breakfast or brunch. For a special dinner, Tonic in Millthorpe and for a dining experience, Antica Australis in Carcoar. What do you never leave home without? I never leave home without my lipstick – Natio in Magnolia. To read more about Belinda’s life in Carcoar and the property she has restored, see page 62.

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tasty tones BELINDA LOVES DELECTABLE SHADES OF BUTTERSCOTCH, BISCUIT AND CREAM. PRODUCED BY LISA BUR DEN

1 Hat, $99, from Will & Bear. 2 ‘Paige’ jacket, $499, from Mia Fratino. 3 The Foraged Home book by Joanna Maclennan, $55 (Thames & Hudson), from Tomolly. 4 Belt, $145, from Angus Barrett. 5 Clutch, $160, from Saddler & Co. 6 Lime Basil & Mandarin cologne, $140 for 50ml, from Jo Malone. 7 Mohair throw, $299, from St Albans. 8 Ceramic bowls, $12 each, from Imprint House. 9 Natalie Walton, creator of the Imprint podcast, podcast nataliewalton.com. 10 Pesci Che Volano ‘Elba’ bracelet, $174, from Tomolly. 11 Ariat men’s ‘Midtown Rambler’ boots, $259.95, from Lucknow Skin Shop & Boot Barn. 12 Natio lipstick, $15.95, natio.com.au. 13 Porcelain ‘Meera’ dress, $299, from Brigid McLaughlin.

7 12 8 9 10

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

SMELL GOOD, FEEL BETTER A BLISSFUL MIST CAN ELEVATE YOUR MOOD AND BRIGHTEN UP A DARK DAY. DISCOVER THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SCENT FOR WELLBEING. WORDS TR ACEY W ITHERS

co-founder of Australian brand Ayu, which works with artisan chemists in India to blend Ayurvedic perfume elixirs. your go-to for years – it’s wearable to work and your lover “Smell is the most primitive of the senses, triggering... likes it. That’s nice. But if your personal fragrance isn’t instincts.” From an Ayurvedic perspective, it’s about also a therapeutic spritz of upbeat clarity, grounded balancing Vata, Pitta and Kapha energies. “To ground resolve, calm or happiness, it’s only doing half the job. airy, anxious Vata, opt for grounding, warming amber, Here’s your cue to trade up to a functional fragrance patchouli, vanilla, sandalwood and frankincense,” Alanna – a perfume composed to synergise with your senses explains. For a jumpy, stressed Pitta? “Look towards and mind. And smell amazing. cooling, sweet aromatics such as rose, sandalwood, vetiver, “Aromachology is the art-meets-science of influencing mint, ylang ylang and jasmine.” A lethargic Kapha is emotion, mood and behaviour through smell,” explains energised by stimulating citrus and spice. “Think lemon, Amanda Stevens of South Australian natural perfumery lime or sage, bergamot, juniper and clove.” Rewild Co. A perfumer who designs bespoke scents for The wildcard is that scent is deeply personal. Fragrance spaces and brands as well as exquisite personal wellbeing can snap you back to a place or a time faster than looking perfumes at her lab on the Limestone Coast, Amanda at a photo. Lavender might be well known for sleepy chill observes that marketers have long used aromachology but if your toxic former boss wore it, it’s probably not to invisibly influence our psychology. It’s the realtor’s old going to melt much of your tension. bake-bread-before-showing-the-house chestnut. And it’s Even so, there’s much evidence that some scents are why Crown Resorts pipes a comforting signature scent through glossy casinos and hotel lobbies in Melbourne and hardwired into human reactions. Psychology researchers at the UK’s Northumbria University Sydney (you can even buy the candle found that aromas of rosemary and in the gift shop). “It’s absolutely a FEEL-GOOD FRAGRANCES lemon oil spike alertness and that wellbeing tool you can harness for Relaxation: Rewild Co. Blossom ($179.95 ginseng and lemon balm can improve your own benefit,” Amanda says. for 100ml), rewildco.com.au – floaty mental performance. So how do you want to feel? For jasmine, orange blossom, optimistic Perfume that hacks into both relaxation, jasmine can be sweetly mandarin. Serenity: Amouage Ashore personal memory and human grounding or uplifting, depending on ($459 for 100ml), libertineparfumerie. hardwiring can be transformative. the blend. Amanda adds that native com.au – sublime jasmine sambac, rose “We know connecting with nature is Australian boronia is “amazingly absolute. Joy: Tocca Belle EDP ($190 for rejuvenating and we can capture relaxing” and soft lilac instils a sense 100ml), mecca.com.au – upbeat freesia, evocative notes of resin, woods and of peace. Your overworked dial bergamot. Energy: Hermetica Source1 moss to take you forest bathing in spinning around? “Notes like black ($339 for 100ml), libertineparfumerie. a bottle,” says Amanda. “But this is pepper and clary sage are great for com.au – sunny bergamot and amber. powerful on a whole other level if also mental focus and I’d use palo santo Sensual: Gucci Bloom ($155 for 50ml), [an extract from a South American from David Jones and Myer – spellbinding, connected to a memory of earth underfoot, feeling the pressure of tree], which enhances creativity.” with creamy tuberose, jasmine absolute bark on your heel, hearing wind in Electroencephalogram brainwave and ylang ylang. Clarity: Rewild Co. the canopy.” tests have shown that smell can impact Botanical ($179.95 for 100ml) – mindYou can go on intuition. Nick the central nervous system and mood focusing clary sage, lime. Grounding: Ayu Smart, the director and importer of – but, of course, that knowledge is as Souq ($90 for 30ml), theayu.com.au luxurious niche perfumes at Libertine old as herbal medicine. “Scents are – mood-elevating jasmine, anxietyreally powerful as they travel to the balancing sandalwood. Uplifting: Jurlique Parfumerie, also has a background in aromatherapy and says: “You don’t olfactory bulb in the limbic system of Sweet Violet & Grapefruit Hydrating need to know what each note does – the brain that [controls] emotions and Mist ($52 for 100ml), jurlique.com.au – you might just know that floral, citrus, memory,” explains Alanna Quinn, instantly refreshing for skin and senses.

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PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA SOLJO STYLING KATE LINCOLN

WHAT HAS YOUR PERFUME DONE FOR YOU LATELY? It’s been

woody or aromatic fragrances make you feel the way you want to.” He says far from flatlining back in Covid lockdown when we had nobody else to dress up for, fragrance sales went boom and soft florals, with notes known for serenity and positivity, were popular. “We often gravitate toward what makes us feel secure, strong or happy,” he says. “And a perfume that’s in harmony with ourselves is going to seem beautiful to others.” Scent is the new daily self-care ritual. High fashion is onto it, with Firmenich and Givaudan, fragrance-making companies for houses like YSL, Gucci and Kenzo, investing in wellness neuroscience. Nick points to niche green science brand Hermetica, which blends perfume molecules with no-alcohol bases that moisturise the skin. Ayu spikes its perfume oils with

ashwagandha, an Ayurvedic herb to support adrenal glands that are prone to burnout when under stress. Valerie Laviolette manages research and development for Jurlique, where natural fragrance is central to skincarefor-wellbeing. “Scent has always been key to our approach to skincare,” she says. “We do clinical trials on the effect the scents in our formulations have on people’s moods and emotions.” Famous for relaxing rose, Jurlique grafted its own biodynamically-grown Jurlique Rose, which “smells a little sweeter, fresher and promotes happiness”. Valerie’s team even composes facial mists like fine fragrance with top, heart and base notes. “You feel an instant sensory uplift but also a lingering sense of calm.” Make that your reminder to take a deep breath. Appreciate yourself. “That’s what wellbeing is

BOOKS

BOOK CLUB AN OUTSTANDING MEMOIR, A DAZZLING DEBUT NOVEL, A REAL-LIFE ITALIAN ADVENTURE, PLUS SOME FEET-UP, PHONE-OFF SHEER INDULGENCE. REVIEWS ANNABEL LAWSON

Rod Barton, Black Inc. $32.99 If Fabergé were alive today he wouldn’t be making exquisitely bejewelled Easter eggs for royalty, he would be providing cocktail snacks to the American embassy in London. Newly arrived from Australia, junior operative Barton discovered that his boss was leaving for Australia immediately. His only guidance about how to proceed was: go to parties, give parties. But how could Canberra’s entertainment budget compete with what Washington dispensed in Grosvenor Square? A stroke of good fortune. The elusive boss had left behind a vast cellar. Untutored in the ways of entertaining MI6, Barton served superlative wines – with Vegemite sandwiches. This is all true! Of course the first rule of spying is not to be noticed, and the second is to befriend the hidden useful people who know stuff. Barton proved to be good in both respects. His exploits in Bahrain, Iraq and Somalia yielded intelligence that was often more detailed and deep than anything MI6 or the folks at Langley (i.e. the CIA) had come up with. Mossad, the Israeli secret intelligence service, helped. He wasn’t popular when the patronising CIA technician demonstrated the latest surveillance equipment for sending real-time info back from Baghdad to Langley, and Barton had to point out that since the sanctions there had been no phone lines out of Baghdad. Back home Barton, after uncovering Iraq’s orders for 38 tonnes of biological reagent ‘for medical testing’ when half a kilo would have been sufficient, knocked on the door of the appropriate Major General. “G’day sir, I’m Barton.” A puzzled frown followed by “I’m sorry?” That’s the problem with

136 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

spying. Keep a low enough profile and no one knows what you achieved. Theoretically secret agents are tasked to report what they see and leave the decision-making to their superiors. However, being there in the thick of it adds insight which doesn’t always transmit to a desk far away. Barton’s empathy for what it’s like to be a parent or a casual worker, or a prisoner in the Middle East, is unusual. The denouement pulls no punches. Barton’s interview on Four Corners in 2005 exposed a cultural cringe; Australia chooses to suppress what contradicts USA spin. There’s humour here, which probably won’t please the cast of characters who form a phalanx of inertia in most Government departments. More please.

AS SWALLOWS FLY L. P. McMahon, Ventura, $29.99 A debut novel from a professor of nephrology is a rare, maybe unique, event. L.P. McMahon has given us two unforgettable main characters: Kate, a plastic surgeon, and Malika, from rural Pakistan, a teenage mathematical genius who arrives in Melbourne thanks to a local priest (she’s a serious Christian). Father Louis and Father Mike have removed her from a hostile environment where she was raped and left with a damaged face which resembles, according to one character, ‘pizza’. She attends a girls’ school where her talent is suspect; she experiences the woke version of being accused of cheating and her need to wear a veil is cruelly challenged. The reader’s pity is swiftly erased by Malika’s strong spirit. She is more than capable of dealing with the likes of Miss Cullerton and nasty Chloe. Kate has her own problems exacerbated by her generosity. The unfortunate

Malika moves in with Kate and, as for women the world over, caring and involvement rob her of energy to combat the massive egos at work. You’ve probably guessed what will happen in the surgery line but there is much more to this twisted skein of goodwill and horrid fact. Australia as a melting pot of virtues and vices is shrewdly constructed. A real triumph.

ONE ITALIAN SUMMER Pip Williams, Affirm Press, $29.99 This real-life adventure begins with a lemon tree. Pip and her husband Shannon and their two boys, Aiden and Riley, were living in a terrace house in Sydney. Their lemon tree bore abundant fruit. Neighbours were welcome to help themselves. One day they woke up and the tree had been stripped. A gang had come and gone while they slept. When it happened again it was time to leave. They found a two-bedroom cottage 1000km away on enough land for them to contemplate self-sufficiency. Eventually it dawned on them: you need much preparation time plus the requisite skills before nature will yield you an income. The solution was obvious to Shannon and Pip, maybe not to the reader. They took off to Italy and became WWoofers – Willing Workers on Organic Farms. The plan was they would work hard for bed and board and learn how to husband animals, prune, reap, and manage bees. Their first host showed them a tiny room with two single beds for the four of them. Toilets and showers were “down the goat track, past the house, past the apartments, around the corner, past the honey room, and just at the top of the slope leading to the herb garden”. As WWoofers they had four very educational experiences, both practical

PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA SOLJO STYLING KATE LINCOLN

THE LIFE OF A SPY

and social, and returned home with a glorious concept – compromise. Somewhere between one lemon tree and a professional orchard lay a viable existence. The bonus was the arrival of their former hosts with their children – WWoofers for the Australian summer and playmates for Aiden and Riley. It was a joyous Christmas for all.

boyfriend Tim turns up looking for hotel freebies the contrast with honest gifted James should be obvious. It’s a ripsnorter from start to finish speckled with disconcertingly moving moments. Dent’s earlier novels were for young adults and this is her first for grown-up readers. Based on her own experiences, she says darkly.

READING THE SEASONS

OTHER WOMEN

Germaine Leece & Sonya Tsakalakis, Thames & Hudson, $32.99

Cathy Kelly, Orion, $32.99

If you’ve missed book club during the pandemic here’s consolation: two well-read women in conversation, via letters, about more than 200 books. Moreover, each has a practice which prescribes reading lists for life’s setbacks and for the good times. Some choices are simply for the pleasures of shock or laughter (Elizabeth Gilbert, Douglas Adams). Others are compelling enough to wrench the reader from desolation to an imaginary brighter world (Garner, Nabokov). There is also immense value in reading in order to know how to behave, to be a social success, to understand one’s children. Mid-life angst gets a lot of coverage. As book clubs start up once again it might be an idea to award books a therapy rating.

THE SUMMER JOB Lizzy Dent, Viking, $32.99 Birdy turns up at a once much-loved hotel in Scotland. She’s masquerading as her famous best friend who’d signed up to be the resident wine expert for a summer gourmet fest and then ducked off to Rome with a new lover. Do we buy this? Bear with me. Not only is Birdy faking it (she’s swotting up with Wine for Newbies) but the celebrity chef, who happens to be genuine, has handed over the actual kitchen work to young and fortunately talented James. The guests are paying exorbitant rates and for most of them that’s proof enough that what they’re experiencing is pure luxury. Dent has hit upon a valuable insight there. When Birdy’s sleazeball

What is it about Dublin that gives rise to such evocative and penetrating playwrights, poets and novelists – Oscar Wilde, Yeats, Iris Murdoch, Jennifer Johnson, Edna O’Brien, Maeve Binchy and Cathy Kelly? In a century where we’re pressured into

becoming all alike, Dubliners continue to create infinite variety. This is Kelly’s 21st novel. Just as the seamless virtue of one particular character becomes wearisome, he or she turns to the dark side. Just as you wish A. N. Other would disappear never to return, he or she comes good. Not permanently, of course. Children are a shared illusion, parents are to the end unfathomable, spouses a gamble. The workplace is where wars originate. As for love – mother love, lover love, love for and from friends – even a loner can catch the vibe. Kelly pulls you in to answer her questions: to what extent must one make do and soldier on? How much must be forever hidden? It isn’t getting any easier to be human, not in Dublin at any rate

“Just as you wish A. N. Other would disappear never to return, he or she comes good.”

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COLLECTABLES

AT THE MUSEUM THIS BEAUTIFULLY CARVED SCREEN HAILS FROM THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, WHEN EVERY HOME HAD SEVERAL FIREPLACES. L. J. HARVEY BEGAN HIS CAREER as an instructor in

wood-carving early in the 20th century, and before long, began teaching modelling and pottery at Brisbane Technical College. In 1938 he opened his own school of applied art where he encouraged numerous students to carve, make furniture, model clay and create pottery. At the time it was probably the largest private school of arts and crafts in Australia and hundreds of students followed Harvey’s example, creating objects decorated with Australian flora and fauna. This screen would have been used to protect the face of someone sitting by a fire from becoming too hot. One side is decorated with carved kookaburras and the other with a landscape. Made in 1931, the style is a combination of the realism of Australian Art Nouveau and the handicrafts of the Art and Crafts Movement. There is little evidence of the new Art Deco style with its more stylised architectural shapes. The Queensland Art Gallery has a large collection of the work of Harvey and his students, which allows us to glimpse a less frenetic world when handmade furnishings were valued. Many of these items were donated to the Gallery by Harvey’s twin grandsons, the Reverends David and Bruce Noble. QAGOMA, Stanley Place, South Brisbane QLD 4101, (07) 3840 7303, qagoma.qld.gov.au

$50

COLLECTABLES

JOHN MCPHEE FINDS A TILE TRIVET FAR FROM TRIVIAL. THIS IS A TILE TRIVET that came to me after our mother died. It measures 16.8cm x 16.8cm and was passed to my grandmother from my greatgrandmother (born in 1872 on Dirk Hartog Island) and maybe from her mother before (born in England in 1828). I am very interested to find out how old the tile is and who the maker was. I think it is Victorian. The trivet sits on our dining table and is used daily for a teapot or coffee plunger to sit on. Rosemary King, Torbay, Western Australia I love trivets. They are useful and an antique one like yours can be very decorative. Most of mine are wood and the sort of thing boys had to make in woodworking classes, along with a foot stool or a poker for the washing. Yours, incorporating a late 19th-century tile, is a little more sophisticated and probably made by an amateur woodworker as a gift. Transfer printed tiles were produced in thousands of Staffordshire potteries. They were most frequently used in fireplace surrounds, but also in numerous other decorative ways in a household. I have not been able to identify the pottery, but the design, featuring dogwood around a stylised sunflower, is very much in the Aesthetic style championed by tastemakers such as William Morris and Oscar Wilde.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF QAGOMA

John McPhee is an art historian who has worked in art museums for 30 years, and was curator of Australian Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Australia.

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Made from Queensland beech with supports of silky oak, this 1931 screen by L. J. Harvey (1871-1949) is held by the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art.

Do you have a precious object that puzzles you or a mysterious item that has been in your family for generations? Send your inquiry, along with a colour print or high-resolution digital image, your suburb or town, and your daytime telephone number, to hannah.james@aremedia.com.au. The photographs must be clear and show the whole object against a white background. Photographs will not be returned, even if they are not published.

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COUNTRY EMPORIUM

weave & burrow hand printed and naturally dyed te xtiles

Designed and made in Australia for stylish women of all ages

P: 07 3424 5641 @daronnenaturelle E: sales@daronne.com www.daronnenaturelle.com

Use code COUNTRYSTYLE15 for a 15% off

W IN I FRED H O USE.C O M

w e a v e a n d b u r r o w. c o m

Superior Quality Australian Made Knitwear

Shop online at judeaustralia.com

Kinyingarra - Oyster handprinted linen Cushion Cover Available in store on North Stradbroke Island and online hello@cockatoocollins.com

@w i n i f r ed h o us e s h o p

www.cockatoocollins.com

AUSTRALIA’S HOME OF FABULOUS YARN

Enhance your natural style with French Willow’s range of provencal inspired homewares, gifts, vintage ﬁnds, eco-conscious wares, chalk paint and more.

Featuring local and international yarns, notions and accessories for the contemporary knitter, crocheter and yarn enthusiast. Beginners are welcome! Visit our shop in Dulwich Hill Sydney or shop online.

T: 03 9737 1000 | 6 York Road, Mount Evelyn VIC

SHOP ONLINE at skeinsisters.com.au | 02 9554 7444

TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369

Seriously comfy gumboots and work boots. Check us out at

otwayfootwear.com.au

frenchwillow.com.au

www.treasurechestco.com

Authentic French styled market baskets for all your carrying needs. The stylish, comfortable and ethical label

linenwithluv.com.au

2ducktrading.com.au

COUNTRY EMPORIUM

Simple, classic and elegant leather jewellery and accessories

pod & seed Cushions and napery inspired by the modern farmhouse. Designed and made in Australia

farmhouselifeandstyle Farmhouse Life and Style

farmhouselifeandstyle.com.au

Everyday Greek sandals, beach, tote, clutch & insulated multi purpose bags

Bespoke, Unique, Vintage home decor & indoor plants

podandseed.com

www.soledelasoul.com.au

Australia’s Best Online Furniture & Home Décor Store Premium Home Brands at Best Prices www.livingstyles.com.au

Furniture

10000+ Styles

Lighting

4000+ Styles

Home Decor

8000+ Styles

Rugs

10000+ Styles

W LUXURIOUS KNITWEAR Made In New Zealand LOOKBOOK AVAILABLE: 1800 153 820 SHOP ONLINE: www.thewoolcompany.co.nz

HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/COUNTRY-STYLE

Register now to receive your $50 coupons* to spend store wide! Log on at www.livingstyles.com.au/hb or scan QR code to sign up. *Terms & conditions apply, please see sign up page for details

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Phone for Free Catalogue Now! 1300 575 107

Shop online sandravidendesign.com 11 Coondoo St, Kuranda Qld. 4881

287 Comur Street, Yass • 02 6226 1240 • shop@merchantcampbell.com

Free postage in Australia

06921ARJ

COUNTRY EMPORIUM

Est.1991 Australian made and designed

Dee Jackson

m e r ch a n t c am p b e l l . co m .a u

Australian artist creates beautiful watercolour portraits. Commissions Welcome.

T: 02 9416 2265 | M: 0439 986 452 | www.deejackson.com.au

Zephyr, 50 Mary St, Noosaville and Eumundi Square, Eumundi Market www.zephyrwares.com

1800 804 776

TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369

Zephyrloungewear

HannahRoseFarm Handmade Australian Products

hannahrosefarm.com.au 0408 914 823

Warm winter stock now instore & online including pure cotton French Country nighties and men’s & women’s nightshirts Upstairs in the Grand Arcade, Bowral. Open Tues & Wed 9-1.

www.pjmiller.com.au

Pretty pure cotton French Country Nighties 8-24

Phone (02) 4862 2520

COUNTRY EMPORIUM

ezijak.com.au • 0427 290 297

Specialist supplier of bulbs and plants

FLEXIBLE STEEL GARDEN EDGING WHICH BENDS TO VIRTUALLY ANY SHAPE FOR LAWNS, DRIVES, PATHS, FLOWER AND VEGETABLE BEDS.

Van Diemen Quality Bulbs

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

Request a catalogue Ph: 1800 179 113 www.vdqbulbs.com.au

0488 010 203

Grow Different Fruits On 1 Tree

Fruit Salad Trees Ground or Pots • All Climates Fruits Longer

3 Tree Types

*Citrus *Stone Fruits *Apples

ORDER ONLINE

FruitSaladTrees.com

ALL YEAR

(02) 6585 8115 1800 FRUITS

HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/COUNTRY-STYLE

GIFT VOUCHERS

Keep on giving!

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COUNTRY EMPORIUM

Breakaway Art LIVE | LOVE | WEAR 88 shades of linen and counting

For customised orders contact info@rawhome.com.au

rawhome.com.au

Hand painted letterboxes by artist Samantha Wortelhock of BreakAway Art

IRONING BOARD COVERS Great range of designs and colours in all sizes

Order enquiries to 0431 258 547 samantha@breakawayart.com.au

Breakawayart.com.au

www.suziehopedesigns.com

An eclectic mix for you and your home 2 Namoi Street, Coonamble NSW 2829

minkandme.com.au

Playful ART

unique - award winning - collectable greeting cards • art prints therapeutic art commissioned works

www.playfulart.com.au AUSTRALIA

Behaves like a real diamond Prices from $30

TRAVELJEWELS.COM.AU

Indigenous Australian ingredients (40,000+ years) + Traditional European recipes (200+ years) = 21st century Gourmet

www.currong.com.au

LUXURY EVERYDAY

03 98306811 info@d-lux.com.au @dluxonline d-lux.com.au

PRE ORDER WEST HAMPTON 4 PCE SET

$1300.00 122 BAY STREET, BRIGHTON VICTORIA PHONE: 0448 865 728 TO ORDER WWW.MRSBLANCHETTS.COM

TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369

Price: $2,000,000 ONO

Contact: Linda Shore-Perez 0427 378 687 4

villarealestate.com.au

MUDGEE, NSW

IN LUXURIOUS COMFORT AND UNIQUE STYLE

NUNDLE, NSW

62 Byng Street Orange NSW 2800 P 02 5317 8200 | info@byngstreethotel.com.au WWW.BYNGSTREETHOTEL.COM.AU

NundleNSW #nundlensw www.nundle.com.au

Prestige Properties | New South Wales

VISIT NUNDLE

THE LITTLE COOKING SCHOOL

COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS

For Sale

www.bishopscourtestate.com.au

HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/COUNTRY-STYLE

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MISTY VIEW COTTAGES

New South Wales | Queensland | Tasmania

Rejuvenate mind, body and soul

Just 1 hour drive North of Brisbane • Spectacular views of Lake Baroon from every cottage • 07 5442 9522 • mistyview.com.au

R e d f e at h e r i n n

stay eat relax - a slice of European style

Luxury accommodation, cooking school and bespoke intimate rustic dining, minutes from Launceston. Wander in our garden and meet and chat with your very own chef.

www.redfeatherinn.com.au

TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369

Winter dreaming fireside as the weather cools in your own corner of paradise on a private peninsular close to the village of Cygnet “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

NINA’S PATHWAYS

ninaspathways

www.ninaspathways.com.au

“Move over Hobart. The port town of Stanley in Tasmania’s north west knows how to do boutique hotels too - just look at the Ship Inn Stanley…” – Luxury Travel Magazine

Tasmania | Escape and Explore

Worth waiting for. Lovely Sri Lanka.

COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS

CYGNET COAST HOUSE TASMANIA

The Ship Inn Stanley is welcoming Tasmanian travellers…. just as it has been for over 170 years. Each boutique suite has its own compelling tale to tell. The hardest decision you’ll have to make is which one to immerse yourself in.

Become part of the story. Suites are filling fast, to avoid disappointment book your summer getaway now!

www.shipinnstanley.com.au | email: hello@shipinnstanley.com.au | Phone: 0439 749 140

HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/COUNTRY-STYLE

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154 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2021

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY SAM MCADAM-COOPER STYLING PHOEBE MCEVOY

PERSONALLY, I WOULD NEVER ask someone if they got their

The best investment for your home.

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