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WELCOME LETTER
We all have that special spot in our house where the light comes in just so, bathing the room in a golden glow in the late afternoon. After a long day working, it’s nice to watch the sun fade and the light shrink to a sliver. You know the day is done and it’s time to make dinner, or at least that is what happens to me as I work from home and the western sun finally dips behind the trees. It is this play of light that makes photographer Abbie Mellé’s bedroom ‘her’ place. When I asked her if she could shoot and style it for the cover, she said, “It’s truly a favourite spot for me, so it would be special to see it on the cover.” It’s the window that makes it so appealing to her, regardless of whether rain is falling or sunlight is dancing on the petals of spring blooms placed on the bedside table. This is Abbie’s favourite place in her home, that spot that just feels right and makes her want to spend time there. For others, it’s not necessarily a room, it might just be a comfy armchair tucked into a corner. In my case, you can often find the cat in my ‘spot’ too, curled up in the sun. On page 88 in Guiding Light, we show you how to decorate these areas and entire rooms to transform them into spaces where you want to spend all your time. We dedicate this issue to everyone in Victoria who, at the time of printing, was still in lockdown in their homes.
PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT DRESS COUNTRY ROAD
Kylie Imeson
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NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 7
CONTRIBUTORS
in this i s s u e . . . H A N N A H
J A M E S
Country Style’s new features editor wrote about Hold Cottage (see page 60) and is happiest walking for days or with her nose in a book.
B R O N W Y N P H I L L I P S
Writer and editor Bronwyn, who fondly reminisces about her pony-mad childhood, explored a regenerative farm (page 50) and a converted church (page 68) for this issue.
HOMEWARES OUT NOW Visit madraslinkonline.com.au to shop online or see page 144 for stockists.
Walks in Centennial Park are Bronwyn’s tonic in her busy Sydney life. But she grew up on the city’s outskirts, in the tranquillity of Pittwater. “It was before the property boom, when houses were single-storey family homes,” she recalls. “We were very free children – roaming the waterfront, sailing little boats and swimming all summer.” Childhood trips to the Southern Highlands and a friend’s property in the Riverina had one thing in common: horses. “For my pony-mad sister and me, it was heaven as we rode every day.” Her current favourite holiday is in the Blue Mountains. “They soothe my city self. I unwind; slow down.”
WORDS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT, MARNIE HAWSON, LLIANE CLARKE
Hannah lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her partner, Jim, and as many books as she can squeeze into the house. “I often walk into Manly along the harbour path,” says the 40 year old. “I grew up in Brighton, in the UK, and much prefer the beaches here!” She’s also a fan of the countryside and loves a weekend away. “I do multi-day walks whenever I can. My most memorable was in Nepal, thanks to the beauty of the Himalayas – and the altitude sickness!” Her first job, on a British magazine full of Georgian rectories and Tudor cottages, ignited Hannah’s love of homes and history.
Boundles living DESTINATION HOME
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PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING ABBIE MELLE
Windows frame greenery outside and a fragrant bunch of blooms make this the perfect spot to curl up with a book.
N o v e m b e r 2 02 0 | c o n t e n t s
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68 50 68 88 146
COVER STORIES
The custodians: A new life on a regenerative farm Heaven sent: From church to family home Time to dream: Create beautiful spaces at your place Country Squire: Rob Ingram returns
HOMES
50 THE CUSTODIANS
60
HOMEGROWN
PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT, MARNIE HAWSON STYLING JODIE GIBBONS
22 Award-winning industrial designer Charles Wilson explores the themes of “escape” and “fantasy”, while borrowing subtle, practical influences from his rural upbringing.
68
PEOPLE
24 FABRIC OF LIFE
From Windsor Castle to a palace in Brunei, Glenlyon-based master upholsterer Andrew Hemming has worked his magic with fabric on many impressive projects.
DECORATING
88 GUIDING LIGHT
Glean inspiration for farmhouse-style rooms for your own home. From rustic and vintage to contemporary, add small details and contrasting interiors to create practical living spaces with plenty of personality.
32 A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
Artstate festival heads to Wagga Wagga in NSW this year, for a four-day celebration of music, visual arts, theatre and Indigenous culture and arts.
GARDENS
96 A TALL TALE
36 MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD
Radio and TV presenter Craig Zonca fondly recalls his youth in Rockhampton, Queensland, as a time of free-spirited fun, sports in the sunshine and knockabout adventures with his schoolmates.
A combination of ancient wisdom and modern methods has seen Michelle and Murray Prior create a thriving, biodiverse farm on the banks of the Yass River in NSW. TO HAVE AND TO HOLD When Tim Bean and Belinda Neame stepped inside a delightful 1910-built cottage in Gunning, NSW, it immediately felt like home – and there was a very good reason why! GOING TO THE CHAPEL Searching for the ideal country getaway for their young family, Tim and Sasha von Ess’s prayers were answered in the form of an historic church in Lyonville, Victoria.
103
Inspired by the fascinating history of Ray Brodie Cottage in the Adelaide Hills, owner Brenton Roberts let his imagination run wild when revamping the garden. IN THE GARDEN Snippets of floral inspiration, new hands-on workshops and the latest sought-after gardening tools. >
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 11
120 94 128 BOOK CLUB
118
Country Style’s Annabel Lawson gets lost in the pages of a thrilling 1950s war tale, a new murder mystery from Anthony Horowitz, and a stirring account of a past global pandemic.
104
REGULAR READING
8 Contributors 14 Your Page: Readers’ emails and letters 21 A Day in the Country: Maggie MacKellar discovers that less is often more when it comes to hosting a family wedding. Regional Shopping Guide: Stores to support in rural areas Country Squire: Rob Ingram dons a protective face mask and rediscovers the heroic fun – and folly – of his childhood alter egos.
114 146
FOOD
104 THE JOY OF SHARING
110 112
Cook and food writer Skye McAlpine serves up simple dishes from her cookbook, A Table for Friends: the Art of Cooking for Two or Twenty. THRILL OF THE GRILL Chef Steve Cumper fires up the charcoal grill and cooks a flavoursome flathead – bones and all! FOR THE LOVE OF CHOCOLATE Country Style’s Kylie Imeson shares a beloved family recipe that will excite chocoholics.
126 SUBSCRIBE OR EXTEND YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TO COUNTRY STYLE AND YOU’LL RECEIVE A BONUS 2021 COUNTRY STYLE CALENDAR AND DIARY Field Guide Country Emporium Country and Coastal Retreats
130 133 142
OUR COVER
Regular Country Style photographer Abbie Mellé’s beautifully serene bedroom is a special spot for her in her home in the Southern Highlands of NSW.
FASHION AND HEALTH
ESCAPE THE EVERYDAY HEAVEN SENT From church to family home
120 THE STYLE DIARY 124
PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING Abbie Mellé
NOVEMBER 2020 I AUSTRALIA COAST TO COAST
THE CUSTODIANS A new life on a regenerative farm
Farmer Michelle Prior on her fashion and beauty influences, and her favourite country brands. MADE TO MEASURE As technology improves, so too do our skincare options. We profile custom beauty brands that offer fast, effective personalised products.
COUNTRY SQUIRE Rob Ingram returns
CREATE BEAUTIFUL SPACES AT YOUR PLACE
ON THE COVER If Abbie Mellé had to choose a favourite room in her home, it would have to be her bedroom. Positioning her bed under the window means the scene outside is her bedhead. Linen from Hale Mercantile Co, Cultiver, and Major-Minor Wares; teacup and small plate from Winterwares; small dish from Lisa Peri Ceramics; earrings from Peggy & Twig; large plate from Kinfolk & Co; bedside table from Suzie Anderson Home.
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.
12 COUNTRY STYLE NOVEMBER 2020
PHOTOGRAPHY SIMON GRIFFITHS, BRIGID ARNOTT, SKYE MCALPINE STYLING JODIE GIBBONS
96
SERVICES
A R M A D I LLO - C O.C O M
Our rugs lie lightly on this earth.
YOUR PAGE SEPTEMBER 2020 I AUSTRALIA COAST TO COAST
September marks the beginning of spring and the beautiful cottage garden in Trentham, Victoria, with climbing roses in bloom on our cover typifies the season. Designed, planted and cared for by gardener Tim Pilgrim, we visited the half-hectare block and talked to him about the magical, meadow-like grounds @the_estate_trentham. Words @ceridavid Photography @marniehawson Styling @inside_story_studio
ESCAPE THE EVERYDAY
With COVID-19 grounding Brent Wallace and Dan Ingram’s travel business, Mr Wallace Travel, the couple and their golden retriever, Abby, hunkered down in their 1910 cottage in Picton, NSW. “This is the longest we’ve been home in years,” says Brent. Visit mrwallacetravel.com for more about their business. Words @penny.carroll Photography @brigidarnottphotography
Stop to smell the roses
UP ON HIGH
A LANDMARK EDWARDIAN HOME IN DAYLESFORD
FLOWER POWER
The perfect cottage garden
Hardworking rooms
• Beautiful kitchens • Functional laundries
YOUR PAGE
WHAT’S IN STORE REGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE
AS VICTORIA ENDURED ITS SECOND LOCKDOWN, READERS FROM THE STATE WROTE IN TO SHARE HOW COUNTRY STYLE HAS HELPED THEM THROUGH THIS TOUGH TIME.
As I sit here in my home in Melbourne in lockdown, I have a pile of my Country Style magazines beside me. I am going back over so many wonderful stories, recipes and beautiful photography in each of the past copies. At one stage I find myself hugging a copy as it brings so much joy into this sad environment we find ourselves in, here in Victoria. I look forward to my September copy. I want to say thank you to each and every person who is responsible for bringing joy into our homes through this informative and beautiful magazine. Kathleen Maddock, Altona Meadows, Victoria
FAMILY TIES As many of your readers have found, Country Style has been a real calming influence during these difficult days. I am pleased I have kept back copies to read again and again as the country life stories are full of happiness and peace and they do indeed help us ‘Escape the Everyday’. I particularly enjoyed Grandma Knows Best in your September issue. I was born in Africa and my husband is Greek. Even though our sons were born in Australia 23 years ago, they loved visiting Greece and we follow all the traditions at Easter and special occasions. My hardworking, amazing mother-in-law was a fantastic cook (with an AGA cooker like you featured!) and taught my husband
14 COUNTRY STYLE NOVEMBER 2020
Greek dishes. He in turn has tried to teach me but my kourabiethes (shortbread crescents), karithopita (walnut cake) and spanakopita (spinach pie) do not begin to match up to his! Our sons remember their Yiayia with such love, and at my eldest son’s urging he and I started Greek lessons three years ago and my husband is delighted with our progress. As Nicole Azzopardi writes, with COVID-19 sweeping the globe, retracing the steps of family gives one heart to lead a simple life at home and for those lucky enough to be in the beautiful parts of the country you show so well. This is what brings us joy. Country Style continues to give me inspiration for what I do in my home and garden and I look forward to each issue. Thank you to your splendid team. Vickie Mavros, Sale, Victoria
THE GOOD TIMES I’ve kept old copies of Country Style. Now, during COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne, I’m reminiscing with the September issues from 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. A bit of soul food during these times. I’ve seen a few changes in your banners and styling over the passage of time. Country Style is a breath of fresh air and I’ve decided to subscribe again instead of picking it off the newsstand. My current September issue sits out for the month and keeps a smile on my face. You’ve filled a void in these unprecedented times. Thank you, keep up the good work. Tammy Fankhanel, Wonga Park, Victoria
LIFE IN LOCKDOWN Having just finished reading Kylie’s editorial in the September issue of > A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
Grandma knows best LIFE COMES FULL CIRCLE FOR NICOLE AZZOPARDI AS SHE LOOKS TO PAST SOLUTIONS FOR A MODERN CONUNDRUM. WOR DS A N D PHOTOGR A PH Y NICOLE AZZOPA R DI
YOUR GRANDMOTHER made me put my hand inside
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Nicole; with her beloved ke pie b ue hee er cross Lexi; Nicole s ch ldren Stevie and Joseph ne on the property; Y ay a N cole’s great grandmother holding her as a baby; Nicole with Josephine loves life in the country after a l fetime in the city; James N co e’s partner and the children enjoy ng lunch a fresco
PHOTOGRAPHY NICOLE AZZOPARDI. BAUERSYNDICATION.COM.AU. GETTY IMAGES
TAKING COMFORT
a duck that your father had just shot,” my mother recalls, as we speak on the phone “I was 22 years old Your dad and I were just married and she told me it was our job as women to gut this duck and get it ready for the table When I put my hand in there, it was still warm I never forgave her for it ” That night, in the tiny NSW town of Leeton, Mum was initiated into a tradition of what was considered her role to play Her role for a group of immigrants who had every intention of not just surviving, but thriving in their new found land Hunting for wild food was both a pastime and a means of supplementing the household staples for those who held itinerant jobs and lived with uncertainty My great grandmother, whom I knew as Yiayia, seemed as if she was born into her outfit black from top to toe She had long, dark hair scraped back into a bun I used to comb it for her when she finally sat down at the end of the day Yiayia’s wrinkled hands were always at work She raided the grapevines of friends’ farms, picking only the youngest of leaves to brine and keep for making dolmades She preserved capsicums and eggplants in olive oil At Easter, Yiayia lovingly made crescent shaped shortbread for the family I come from a family of immigrants and survivors, and my grandmother, next down the line from Yiayia, is a fit, 95 year old Greek woman, born in Egypt When she arrived in Australia in 1948, she and Yiayia made do in their new country with only the skills they brought with them The matriarchs would cut up endless boxes of the region’s plentiful stone fruit until late into the night, preserving it for months to come Food is the love language of Mediterraneans and gifts in those days did not come tied in a bow Customary offerings from friends, peasant to peasant, were heaving boxes of vegetables and fruit, generous cuts of meat, and homemade salami Life skills were a prized currency in our household There was a dedicated gun room in that tiny house with all kinds of rifles on the walls My
father, uncle and grandfather would hunt rabbits, ducks and fish, to be made into meals for our table A visit to my grandmother meant my favourite chicken soup called avgolemono a hearty peasant dish featuring rice, lemon and chicken On other occasions, fasolada, another simple dish of haricot beans and tomatoes, was a staple in the house Now, as COVID 19 sweeps the globe, I’m finding myself retracing the steps of my foremothers and fathers, to see if the wisdom from those times can be applied amid the turmoil I rang my grandmother recently and asked, “How do you make the fasolada, Grandma?” Over the phone, I’m given a recipe that has been verbally passed down for generations One for me to hold close to my heart and share with my own daughters I look around for similarities in this family of DNA blessed forefathers and mothers and wonder if I live in any way like they did I, too, now live in the country after a lifetime of city abodes We have a vegie patch and a greenhouse, which holds a large number of seedlings, bursting out of their pots We’re not panicked, yet there is a sense of helplessness as this virus takes hold I wonder if the best thing I can do for my family’s immune systems is the very thing that may have helped my grandmother live so well and for so long: an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, and hearty peasant food, cooked from scratch A connection to the land, as well as to friends And time in the sun As I switch off the news, the words of an emeritus doctor ring in my ears: “We all just need to make a commitment to get through 2020 and this virus Everything else can be worked out ” I turn away from the TV to my kitchen bench and ferment some of our vegies I stew some plums and roast capsicum and tomatoes in the oven My neighbour brings me vinegar so I can pickle some radishes I bought from the farm down the road I give some brussels sprout seedlings to a friend and I teach my daughters to make their own bread And I then soak the haricot beans to make fasolada
SEPTEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 31
Nicole Azzopardi’s story about her grandmother in the September issue, and life coming full circle, struck a chord with our reader, Vickie Mavros.
YOUR PAGE
Country Style I was struck by the freedom she had to visit her family on the NSW North Coast and the Tweed Valley Whey Farmhouse Cheeses. This time last year, my husband and I were wending our way up the Newell Highway for our semi-annual pilgrimage from Melbourne to Brisbane to visit family and friends. We’ve toiled along these routes for many of our 33 years of marriage, stopping for lunch in charming country towns and resting our tired heads in motels, striving to find the one as far from the highway, with its overnight rumblings from the heavy lorries that continue through the night, as we possibly can. We’ve loved everything about our journey and the brief connection we feel to this land of ours and its quirky and characterful waitresses, pub owners and motel hosts, inhabiting the country towns we rest in, brief as that is. But with Melbourne in stage 4 lockdown, there will be no travel for us beyond a fivekilometre radius. This is painful, albeit necessary, but with your magazine, I can reimagine those long straight stretches of highway and stare longingly at rolling green pastures and gorgeous country homes, and listen to the stories of those who inhabit these tiny towns and grander locations. You’re providing a great service to us, the rejected, dejected Victorians. I already want this month to pass into the next one. Gail White, Surrey Hills, Victoria
A NEW-FOUND LOVE
Tammy Fankhanel has enjoyed a trip down memory lane with past September issues of Country Style, including 2002 (left), and this year’s issue.
previous issues. You can feel the joy, inspiration, creativity, tranquillity and love in every edition. I look forward to subscribing to Country Style and starting my own collection. Clementine MacPherson, Meredith, Victoria
can preserve our country for generations to come. Next time you head out for a walk, please join me in carrying a bag, collecting rubbish. Jessica Incoll, Greendale, Victoria
WINNER
IN IT TOGETHER SOUND ADVICE Walking my dogs down a back road of my quiet country town, I couldn’t help but notice the rubbish scattered along the length of the roadside. I was left wondering how it got here and how many others had turned a blind eye. I returned with a shopping bag and filled it within 10 minutes. It is a shame to see our countryside littered with rubbish, we all could do more to keep our towns – and in particular our country towns – beautiful. I feel blessed to live in such a picturesque part of Victoria’s Moorabool Shire, surrounded by rolling hills, wildlife and state parks. This rings particularly true nowadays as we spend more time at home. We need to do our bit for our environment. It’s hard to know where to start, however with small acts we
Thank you for being my saving grace during a period where life has suddenly adjusted. I’ve been navigating my way from being ‘busy’ to now slowing down, smelling the roses, with time to enable reflection, reading and relaxation. Along with my daily yoga, meditation, nature walks, vitamin D and herbal teas, Country Style has been as therapeutic for me. I just love sitting down to read all of my mother’s
I wait in anticipation every month for the latest Country Style to hit the magazine stand. It’s been tough here in Victoria with the COVID-19 lockdown. Simple pleasures are treasured, and I was ecstatic when the latest magazine caught my eye. Maggie MacKellar’s story, Hope Springs, about lambing season resonated with me as it seemed we were both living the same life. Lambs born in the rain, running around at 11pm trying to get firsttime mums into the shearing shed before the lambs froze to death. Bottle feeding the ones whose mums have walked away, refilling hot water bottles at 2am, only to find your latest little one hasn’t made it. It’s heartbreaking, but the country spirit makes us persevere and keep going. Nicole Baldwin-Potton, Sunday Creek, Victoria
Congratulations Nicole Baldwin-Potton has won two pairs of Blundstone Original #500 boots, worth $209 each - the boot for everywhere life takes you. Visit blundstone.com.au 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
THIS OLD HOUSE HOSTING A WEDDING MAKES MAGGIE MACKELLAR REALISE IT’S NOT HOW YOUR HOME LOOKS, IT’S THE PEOPLE INSIDE IT THAT MATTER. THIS TIME LAST YEAR, in the middle of a drought, we hosted
PHOTOGRAPHY MAGGIE MACKELLAR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY JO ADAMS
a family wedding. As many of you will know, a country wedding is a festival. For some, such planning is a pleasure. Not me. I dithered between feeling intimidated and lamenting what the garden would be if I had limitless water and an equally limitless bank account. In the months leading up to the big week, I hand-watered pots and The Farmer carted dam water for the avenue of trees the bride would walk down. At the 11th hour we had a storm, enough to water the lawns and roses, to flush the toilets and allow people very short showers. We dug and mulched and planted in a burst of activity that left the garden presentable. But inside was another story. We live in a generous house. It’s a glorious hodge-podge of sandstone held together with possum hair, wool and Oyster Bay pine. It was built in 1828 when the east coast of Tasmania was the frontier, and so this house was also a fort and a prison. Today these histories still sit uncomfortably next to each other. In 1880 it had a renovation, and one hundred years later a facelift with 1980s heritage colours. Please don’t be imagining one of those grand Georgian houses. This is a farmhouse. It’s the sort of house you can spend all day cleaning, only to have a breeze spring up and awaken the resident ghost, who
will sprinkle a pattern of ancient oats on the entrance table, drop dust over wiped surfaces and drape cobwebs from high ceilings. Getting it ready for the wedding was giving me nightmares, and to make the situation just that bit more challenging, I became overly ambitious on the tennis court and tore much-needed ligaments in my knee. I was not unflustered. But what I want to tell you is that none of this mattered. The people arrived, laden with gifts and grog, food and flowers. Beds were made to sleep the multitude. We had food in the fridges, and the house shone with love rather than furniture polish. As I limped from job to job the burden of details lifted, and what has stayed with me is not the labour, but the feeling a house can give when it expands and welcomes everyone who comes through the banging screen door. Once the house was full of people, I stopped caring about cobwebs or that the roses would be spectacular a week too late. It all went off beautifully, and the next day the house wrapped its arms around all the tired people. The kettle was refilled again and again. Hungover fathers read stories to toddlers while breastfeeding mothers rolled their eyes. I hobbled around the kitchen with a smile and cooked six dozen eggs and four kilos of bacon, and as I did I rubbed against the stone walls and forgave them their dust.
Forty years after its last makeover, the 1980s ‘salmon mousse’ colour scheme on Maggie’s home may have dated, but the sandstone remains as solid as ever. NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 21
HOMEGROWN
WHERE RURAL INSPIRATION MEETS CONTEMPORARY STYLE SITS CHARLES WILSON, AN AWARD-WINNING INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY PA BLO V EIGA
FOR GENERATIONS, Charles
Wilson’s family has farmed land near Forbes, in central-western NSW. He grew up in an 1870s farmhouse, which he has now inherited and visits every month. Yet Charles, 52, is uncomfortable being depicted as “a country bloke”. “I actually wanted to escape all that,” he says. “Growing up in an isolated place in the country, design to me was designing a future – a parallel universe. There was something wonderful and exotic about Italian modernism; it’s a fantasy of living in a different place and time. And that fantasy and escape is still a big part of my work.” So Charles headed for the bright lights as soon as he finished school, and studied industrial design at Sydney College of the Arts. After graduating in 1991, he was crowned Best Young Designer of the Year by the Design Institute of Australia. He’s barely stopped since, with commissions ranging from a modern reinterpretation of a colonial-era tallboy for design studio Broached Commissions to ultra-contemporary lights for King Living. He’s won an Australian Design Award and Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award, and officially earned his place in Australian design history when the Powerhouse Museum acquired both his SW1 Swivel Chair and his Candelabra, created for Danish design firm Menu. Asked which of his pieces he’s proudest of, Charles names that candelabra, along with the Zaza sofa for King Living, which is a staple in his own farmhouse. “It sells well, too,” he says, with a practical eye for the bottom line. “I also have the Solifiore floor lights I designed for King Living. I actually have a lot of my own furniture in the farmhouse,” he says. “Growing up in a big, simple country
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homestead, it’s a house I really love. So I want to design furniture that is comfortable in a house like that.” That timeless quality is proven by another commission he’s proud of: the Carafe table for Herman Miller. “The brief for that was to cater for a home kitchen/office, which was a term that hadn’t even been invented in 2014 when I received the brief. But in 2020, that has become very much an issue.” Good design, of course, doesn’t date. Charles resists labelling his style, but, when pressed, says he creates “complex organic structures” that, yes, sometimes have a certain agricultural influence. “My Serif stool is a good example. It was designed as a sort of industrial discard, with an aesthetic of reuse.” The bright orange metal stool is reminiscent of both a tractor and – in the version with the foot rest – of a tree. His tallboy, too, while sophisticated cabinetry handcrafted from French-polished blackwood, is braced by struts inspired by the windmills and water tanks he saw daily as a child. So however much he may once have wished to, it’s perhaps true to say Charles can’t escape his rural roots. During lockdown, he left his apartment in Sydney’s Potts Point and retreated to the farmhouse with his son Jem, three, and Jem’s mother. There he designed and made a swing for Jem out of – what else? – an old tractor seat he found in the property’s old blacksmith’s shed. It isn’t, he warns, a sign of things to come. “I’m not about to start a career in sculptures welded from scrap metal!” he says. It’s true: his aesthetic is far from rustic. But it does betray his roots, and the fact that his creative eye and practical skills were nurtured right here, in this old farmhouse. See Charles’ King Living designs at kingliving.com.au
PEOPLE GLENLYON V ICTOR I A Some chairs have seen better days, but that’s before Andrew works his magic. OPPOSITE Andrew learned his trade at Chelsea Artisans Soft Furnishings near London.
FA B R I C O F L I F E IN A HAMLET NEAR DAYLESFORD LIVES ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST SKILLED UPHOLSTERERS, WHOSE CLIENTS INCLUDE ROYALTY. BUT HE NEARLY BECAME A FIREFIGHTER INSTEAD… WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON
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HOME GLENLYON V ICTOR I A
IT’S RARELY OBVIOUS when you’re standing at one of
life’s crossroads. Andrew Hemming was considering becoming a firefighter, but decided to answer a job advert for a curtain track fitter instead – and it was soon clear that he’d found his calling. “It was with a business that’s arguably one of the best specialist upholstery companies in the world,” says Andrew of that first position at Chelsea Artisans Soft Furnishings just outside London. “I just took to it like a duck to water – I got to understand how fabric works quite quickly.” So quickly, in fact, that he was soon working on the refurbishment of Windsor Castle after the catastrophic fire of 1992, manufacturing fabric wall panels, bedheads, curtains and pelmets for the many luxurious state rooms.
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“We were flanked by security, but we got to see a lot the public don’t get to see,” remembers the 49-year-old. News of the company’s excellent work passed along the royal grapevine and led to jobs at the Sultan of Brunei’s various palaces, among other illustrious clients. But wanderlust took hold of Andrew, and after five or six years at Chelsea Artisans, he bought a round-the-world plane ticket, travelling through the US, the South Pacific and New Zealand, and ended up bunking with his cousin in Bondi Beach – “like every other English person,” laughs Andrew. That was 20 years ago, and soon he not only had his pick of upholstery work in his new Sydney home, but met the love of his life, stylist Belle Hemming Bright, now 45, on a job. “We both share a passion for fabrics and >
CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE All the stages of custom soft furnishings work and restoration, with Andrew cutting to measure, finding hardware and consulting his thread library to match with fabrics. CENTRE Sometimes the work involves the entire piece of furniture.
PEOPLE GLENLYON V ICTOR I A
“I just took to it like a duck to water – I got to understand how fabric works quite quickly.”
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A custom bar banquette seating in a Belgium velvet. OPPOSITE Andrew’s bedhead design for the boutique accommodation Ship Inn Stanley in Tasmania.
PEOPLE GLENLYON V ICTOR I A
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Andrew sewing leather accents; beauty is in the details – individual nail studs on a bedhead; Nash the shop dog is on quality control duty. OPPOSITE Andrew and Nash take time out in the country air.
design, and the rest is history.” They also share a daughter, Vivian, 13, and run several interiors businesses together. Six years ago, realising most of their work was in Victoria, they moved to Glenlyon, a hamlet just outside Daylesford. Once there, Andrew set up The Upholstery House, specialising in custom bedheads, fabric walls and acoustic soundproofing for media rooms, along with traditional re-upholstery of chairs, sofas and ottomans that need an experienced craftsman’s touch. “When I quote on a couch, it will be the same price as going to buy a new one,” says Andrew. “But if it’s a piece that’s pre-1970, it’s going to be made solidly and built to last. They’re still here for a reason.” Yet he’s just as happy to take on small jobs. “I can do 20 bedheads for the Lake House hotel [in Daylesford], then do a $150 chair, and they’re equally important to me because they’re equally important to those people. I’ve got a lady’s grandmother’s chair here at the moment. She hardly has any budget, but she’s given me artistic licence on it and asked me to reinvent it to make sure
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it can last another 40 years. I love those jobs – the ones that have a story attached.” He runs The Upholstery House from a 120 square-metre workshop in a shed on their property. (“It’s not big enough, but every time I extend it, I just seem to fill it up with more work.”) For company, he has Nash the shop dog, who is 18 months old, along with another co-worker, a seamster who comes in a couple of times a week to help sew. For her part, Belle works from an office in the house, along with cats Socks and Toffee. When they’re not working, Belle and Andrew are busy in their 0.8 hectare garden, from which the poly tunnel, orchard and thriving vegie patch provide a large percentage of their food. And when Andrew looks back at that crossroads where he might have become a firefighter, he’s full of gratitude for the path he chose. “I’m 30 years into it, and I still get up every day and love what I do. I feel very fortunate The Upholstery House, 0412 924 621, theupholsteryhouse.com.au
“I’m 30 years into it, and I still get up every day and love what I do. I feel very fortunate.”
A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
There’s a wealth of things to see and experience during this month’s Artstate Wagga Wagga festival, which finds the arts in good health in rural Australia.
PHOTOGRAPHY LEAN TIMMS
The road to Wagga Wagga will lead you to a fabulous festival of arts and culture this month.
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DROUGHT, FIRE, FLOOD, A PANDEMIC… The arts in rural
communities are alive and well despite – or perhaps because of – all the crises they’ve faced this year. And to prove it, Artstate, a project by Regional Arts NSW, is putting on its biggest and best ever festival, Artstate Wagga Wagga. Its theme is Yindyamarra, a word in the local Wiradjuri language, the complex meaning of which includes the idea of walking, listening and living respectfully on the land. And the four-day festival explores that theme in a dizzying number of ways, from guided light and sound walks around the Wollundry Lagoon to visual art exhibitions. Not only are these artworks impressive in their own right, but they also show off the cultural richness of the Riverina. The OLD:NEW exhibition, for example, displays artists’ responses to the wide variety of quirky, evocative or just plain bizarre objects in the collections of local museums. And evenings hold plenty of entertainment, too. Each night, the CSU Riverina Playhouse sets its stage for poetry, music, cabaret and burlesque performances.
If you prefer a lively debate to an exhibition, you can check out the speaking program, the first day of which is themed “Walking Together”, and includes conversations around the diverse people and cultures living in the Riverina. The second day, “Shaping Tomorrow”, discusses how to create a better future for everyone. There’s also a fringe festival and a variety of events elsewhere in the region, so there are plenty of opportunities to take part. The whole program wraps up with a community concert headlined by a yet-to-be announced big name, followed by a closing ceremony on the lagoon that includes a light show called Reflecting Hope. As the name suggests, the spectacular provides a moment to reflect on everything you’ve seen and learned – and, perhaps, raise a glass to the bright future of regional arts. Artstate Wagga Wagga takes place 5–8 November. For information, visit artstate.com.au
The Artstate festival moves from regional city to city, this year pitching its tent in Wagga Wagga. Last year’s was in Tamworth (top middle and top right), and in 2018 the event went to Bathurst, with that year’s opening ceremony and signage pictured (top left and bottom left). Lismore (bottom right), which played host in 2017, featured a typically strong Indigenous focus.
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PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID LA ROCHE
A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
2021 Diary & calendar
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MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD
RADIO AND TV PRESENTER CRAIG ZONCA REFLECTS ON HIS EARLY DAYS GROWING UP IN ROCKHAMPTON AND A LIFE-LONG LOVE OF LEARNING. WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA RT
Craig married Jess Hinchliffe, ABC breakfast radio in Brisbane an ABC cross-media reporter, in and his enthusiasm for the role September last year at her family remains as strong as ever, despite cattle property just outside the 3:15am alarm each day. Rockhampton. Both hail from “There’s no greater feeling than the central Queensland town, and having the mic on and the sun after meeting during their 20s coming up, with orange and pink through work, they have been a shades over the horizon and couple for the past 11 years. buildings of the CBD,” the 36-yearCraig says his regional upbringing old says of his Southbank office opened his eyes to many different vantage point. “I really love the opportunities for work and play. opportunity to talk to the people “Because you’re five minutes from of Brisbane.” everywhere, there’s the ability to As well as the Breakfast program be part of so many things – you can – which he co-hosts with Loretta play one sport in the morning and Ryan – Craig also presents the another in the afternoon. I was right TV weather on Sunday nights for into music as well and played in ABC News. The award-winning bands at school and outside. To fill ABOVE Craig enjoyed a carefree childhood journalist says he’s loved a chat your life with adventure in many in Rockhampton, where he was free to roam, ever since he was a child, growing ways was important,” he explains. explore and enjoy the great outdoors. up in Rockhampton with parents Craig has recently become a Tony and Jane Zonca. That curiosity propelled him to marriage celebrant himself and hopes to get back leave his engineering studies at Central Queensland into music, when time permits. In the meantime, University and switch to journalism at Queensland he continues to deliver the latest news and current University of Technology, before Ross Quinn, the former affairs to his avid audience of Brisbane locals. ABC Capricornia manager, gave Craig a start in radio. “I still feel like a regional kid at heart and love Now, he’s been with the ABC for the past 17 years. jumping in a car for a long road trip. I feel really “I love to ask questions and fill in the knowledge gaps grounded by the experience of growing up in I have, and it’s the ultimate privilege of doing it with Rockhampton, and having lived and worked across a microphone. I still pinch myself; I’ve been lucky to travel the state with a desire for adventure gives me a greater the state and beyond with ABC, and it’s the best education appreciation to ask the questions other people want I’ve had – getting out, meeting people, talking to them the answers to,” he says. and trying to understand their life, whether it’s up in the For further information, visit abc.net.au/radio/brisbane/ gulf country or far western Queensland,” Craig says. programs/breakfast/
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HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED BY CRAIG ZONCA
IT’S CRAIG ZONCA’S fourth year of
MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD
FROM LEFT A young Craig delivering his first football speech; music was an early passion, thanks to a toy guitar; Craig cherished his many outdoor adventures, including horseriding at Ferns Hideaway. OUR FAMILY has strong connections to Rockhampton
– Giovanni, my great-great-grandfather, was the first Zonca to arrive in the 1850s. I was born in Bundaberg and then my parents moved back to Rockhampton when I was 18 months old. Dad grew up in Rocky, and Mum grew up at Tanby on the Capricorn Coast – her father had shares in a pineapple farm with his brothers. My grandfather had leathery hands and feet because he didn’t wear shoes much and his hands were so tough from picking pineapples. “What I remember most about Rockhampton is having freedom as a kid. We had a great neighbourhood – a lot of the kids were the same age and we spent so much time outside. We’d get home from school, have afternoon tea and then ride our BMX bikes, and play cricket and football. I was constantly in trouble with Mum for kicking a ball into her hibiscus or breaking plants as I’d chase a cricket ball to take a catch. “I wasn’t the most gifted sportsperson, but I loved my sport. Dad still remembers the two tackles I made in five years of playing rugby league. I took on the biggest guy on the field and still recall hearing Dad’s cheer from the sideline! I was lucky to have supportive parents – both Mum and Dad (or at least one of them) made it to every sports day. I was the smallest kid on the field and captain of the primary school side, but I bossed everyone else around. “I was lucky to have a few overseas trips with Mum and Dad when I was young, and travel has always played a big part in my life. Our annual pilgrimage was to the Capricorn Coast, and when I was in my teens we went to Lammermoor Beach. The week between Christmas and New Year was the time to head to the beach, morning and afternoon, with friends dropping in for a night. It was that feeling of relaxation and doing whatever you wanted.
“Family has always been so important. Dad’s father passed away when I was five and his mother died before I was born. My mum’s parents sold up at Tanby and moved to Rocky when I was four. They lived well into their 90s and I spent plenty of time with them as a kid. I remember going to Gran’s place and she’d always have a fresh plate of pikelets for morning tea or make a condensed-milk tart with passionfruit. I still love that! “Gran was a ferocious crocheter and I have an enduring image of her in a recliner in the lounge room, crocheting and watching Days of Our Lives. “We used to live near Frenchville School and there was a little corner shop where you could get bread or milk or rent a movie back in the VHS days. The shopkeeper knew everyone by name and if you bought too many lollies, they’d tell your parents! I will always remember one day, riding down the steep hill along Frenchville Road when the two-litre bottle of milk I was carrying busted through the bag and went under the front wheel and I went flying over the handlebars! I made my way home with tears in my eyes. “Mum and Dad have always been proud people and very hard-working. They instilled in me that work ethic and to take on every day as a new challenge; to look at everything as an opportunity to say yes. They have an enduring love for each other and support for me. They are my biggest fans – well, Mum is probably my harshest critic. If she has watched me on TV, she’ll say, ‘I didn’t like that haircut’ or ‘Where did you get that tie from?’ “Mum and Dad are big on giving back to the community, whether it’s the P&C or parents’ groups, bowls club or touch football. Success is judged in so many ways, and for me, it’s about what you can leave behind for others to make it a better place.
“I was the smallest kid on the field, but I bossed everyone else around.”
ROCKHAMPTON Located on the Fitzroy River about 600km north of Brisbane, Rockhampton was first inhabited by the Darumbal people. The traditional custodians knew the river as “Toonooba”. The European history of the area began in 1853, when brothers Charles and William Archer visited the region, looking for grazing lands. Settlement began in 1855, with Rockhampton officially proclaimed a town in 1858. Wool became the town’s main export in the 1860s and 1870s. Today, Rockhampton – known as the Beef Capital of Australia – is blessed with more than 300 days of sunshine each year. Tourist highlights include visiting the Riverbank Parklands, Mount Archer National Park and Great Keppel Island, a neighbouring island off the stunning Capricorn Coast.
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HOME GUNDA ROO NSW Nestled on the banks of the Yass River, Nguurruu is a working farm of 89 hectares on a former sheep station that had been held by one family for over a century. FACING PAGE Michelle and Murray Prior, with their daughters, Tilly and Maddy, searched for a decade for their farm.
THE CUSTODIANS
ON A FORMER SHEEP PROPERTY IN THE SOUTHERN TABLELANDS, MICHELLE AND MURRAY PRIOR COMBINE ANCIENT WISDOM WITH THE LATEST FARMING PRINCIPLES TO HEAL AND NURTURE THEIR HOME, NGUURRUU FARM. WORDS BRON W Y N PHILLIPS PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT ST YLING JODIE GIBBONS
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Murray with Tilly. The family moved to their property in 2018. CLOCKWISE, FROM RIGHT The guest house entrance features Suzie Anderson Home cushions and Provincial Home Living baskets; Belted Galloway cattle; the main house comprises two connected barns. FACING PAGE Maddy and Tilly with their poodle, Charlie.
“It’s effectively two pavilions connected by a glass air bridge. We live in one and go to bed in the other.”
GUNDA ROO NSW HOME
IN THEIR CORPORATE LIVES, Murray and Michelle Prior
travelled the globe, working in cities around the world. Based in Mosman, on Sydney’s leafy lower North Shore, where they lived with their two daughters, Maddy, 10, and Tilly, eight, it would seem these legal-profession high flyers had an enviable lifestyle – successful, purposeful. However, Michelle and Murray longed for a simpler, more authentic life as farmers. For 10 years the Priors searched, looking for the ideal property to fulfil their rural dreams. But, as the decade rolled by, the couple started to lose heart. “We’d been frustrated, looking at properties that weren’t quite right,” explains Murray. “I said, we do this now, or else the kids will be too old,” Michelle says, taking up the story. “I’d had enough.” Putting their trust in fate, the couple drew a circle on a map of southern NSW and focused their search there. “Nguurruu was the first one that came up,” says Murray, of the 89-hectare block near Gundaroo in the Southern Tablelands of NSW, on the banks of the Yass River. The block was originally part of an old sheep station that had been in the one family for over a century.
“The sheep station was broken up in the early 2000s, and the previous owners of our block had put in some infrastructure, such as buildings, and done quite extensive tree planting,” says Murray. “We fell in love with what we saw online.” They sent an email enquiring about the property. “We travelled down there the following Saturday and bought it,” says 46-year-old Michelle. In April 2018, the Prior family finally said goodbye to the city and moved to their farm. While a decade of searching seemed an eternity for Michelle and Murray, 48, it’s the blink of an eye in the 20,000 year history of the Ngunnawal people who once moved through the Yass River landscape, following the seasons, hunting, fishing and harvesting what they needed. “Nguurruu”, the Ngunnawal word for “camp”, was chosen for the Priors by Ngambri Walgalu elder Paul House, with whom the Priors have become friends. The name honours the bush camps that have existed on the banks of the Yass River for millennia. “We felt we needed a guiding hand from the original owners,” says Murray. “We wanted to have a connection with the Indigenous >
ABOUT THE HOUSE:
• Michelle and Murray enjoy collecting and their
favourite haunts include Quintessential Duck Egg Blue, Suzie Anderson Home and Curators Collective. The main house designed by Sarah Foley Architect, 0404 355 207. The guest house was designed by AMC Architecture, 02 6257 3222, amcarchitecture.com.au Mudroom and fireplace joinery was by Capital Detail Joinery Pty Ltd, 0402 080 086. The Priors’ Belted Galloways are descended from one of the oldest and most famous herds in the world, from Mochrum Estate in Scotland.
• • •
GUNDA ROO NSW HOME In the main house, the antique French country kitchen table and 1940s congregation chairs from a church in Northern England are from Quintessential Duck Egg Blue; artwork is by Rowena Dean. FACING PAGE The chairs, ottoman, mirror and corner table in the main house lounge room are from Concepts Interior Design. The French 1950s butcher’s block is from Quintessential Duck Egg Blue.
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 55
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GUNDA ROO NSW HOME In the guest house main bedroom, the Tempest bedhead, duvet cover and pillowslips are from Hale Mercantile Co, armchair and cushions from Suzie Anderson Home. CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW, FROM RIGHT The guest house features an Invicta fireplace in the lounge room; Murray and his daughters. FACING PAGE Women Dancing art by Khatija Possum and Bison Home vase in the main house.
GUNDA ROO NSW HOME On their farm, the Priors are living the life they always dreamed of, healing and improving the landscape. Since buying Nguurruu, the biodiversity has improved. FACING PAGE Tilly in the trees.
community, who understand country and have sympathy for it.” At Nguurruu, Murray and Michelle are living the life they always dreamed of. They breed Belted Galloway beef cattle, produce rare-breed silver grey Dorking chickens and eggs, and grow fruits and vegetables. Daughters Maddy and Tilly attend the local primary school and, with their ponies Chilli Pepper, Daisy and Rosa, are active members of the pony club. The family’s farmhouse, which comprises four bedrooms plus a study, living room, family room, large kitchen and bathroom, was originally two barns that were built in 2004. “It’s effectively two pavilions connected by a glass air bridge,” says Murray. “We live in one and go to bed in the other.” The farmhouse is north facing, and was built from locally quarried, rammed earth. It boasts six-metre ceilings, a wide verandah, and a fire pit at the rear of the house. “It’s a solar-passive house, and with the thick walls, the thermal properties are great.” The Priors eventually hope to be able to live off the grid. The property also contains converted stables, which the Priors use for guest accommodation. “The stables were just a shell and we fitted it out,” says Murray. Also made from rammed earth quarried on the site, the stables are now a self-contained, two-bedroom barn, with vaulted ceilings and a beautiful bathroom. It’s a haven for visitors escaping from the city. “We shared a wall with our neighbours in Mosman,” explains Murray with a laugh. “Here, our nearest neighbour is six kilometres away.” Despite having no previous farming experience, the Priors were keen to operate their agriculture business according to biodynamic farming principles. “It happened very much by chance,” Murray says. The couple read The Call of the Reed Warbler, the bestselling book by
Dr Charles Massy on regenerative agriculture, and the connection between soil and health. The book had a profound impact on them. “It shook us to the core,” says Murray. “It made us think about what kind of planet we will leave for our kids. The climate is going to look very different for them. We had to do something.” A century of sheep farming had severely impacted the property. After being cleared, the land had suffered erosion and degraded soil quality. With help from Dr Massy, the couple developed a master plan for Nguurruu that involved healing the land by tree planting and improving the soil profile, encouraging biodiverse habitats and grazing the cattle on rotation, all using biodynamic farming principles and zero chemical input. The Priors are on a mission – to grow healthy food from healthy landscapes, and by doing so make a wider contribution to the healing of the planet. They hope to achieve that by incorporating the latest in progressive farming techniques, coupled with ancient wisdom. “Our Indigenous nations were doing regenerative agriculture for 60,000 years,” says Murray. “They hold a lot of the answers.” The Priors’ diligence and hard work has paid off, and the couple have increased the biodiversity on the farm, where a variety of plant, bird and insect life now thrives. “We’ve created a life cycle, which supports itself and us,” says Murray. “Holistically the farm is working with nature, as opposed to industrial farming, which uses chemicals, and creates barren landscapes. “Land ownership is an interesting concept,” he continues. “That sense of ownership is something we’ve been challenging ourselves about. We hold a deep responsibility to look after this land and to eventually leave it in much better condition than when we found it
“We shared a wall with our neighbours in Mosman. Here, our nearest neighbour is six kilometres away.”
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 59
HOME GUNNING NSW
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD AFTER FALLING IN LOVE WITH A CHARMING COTTAGE IN GUNNING, NSW, BELINDA NEAME AND TIM BEAN DISCOVERED AN UNEXPECTED CONNECTION. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT ST YLING JODIE GIBBONS
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The handmade bricks lend warmth and patina to the living room fireplace. FACING PAGE Photography by home owner Tim Bean adorns the wall, next to a Pony Rider recycled canvas hung on a branch foraged from the backyard. The coffee table is vintage.
HOME GUNNING NSW
HAVING BEEN ON THE HUNT for a country cottage for nearly
two years, Belinda Neame and Tim Bean were passionate about rural life – but on the point of giving up. “Tim’s got a love of history and I love old-world architecture and homes, so we’ve both been drawn to the country for quite a while,” says Belinda. “Our daughter Tilly plays basketball for ACT, so we’re constantly travelling with her and exploring those small towns. Our pull to the country just got stronger and stronger.” Nevertheless, with their lengthy search proving fruitless, they were winding it down when Belinda suddenly thought of looking in Gunning. The Canberra-based family – which consists of Tim, 43, a firefighter, events manager Belinda, 44, son Fletcher, 19, Tilly, 16, and “big baby” Gus, a 90kg English Mastiff aged six – knew Tim had a family connection to the town, which appealed to them. Then they saw Hold Cottage online. “It just jumped out. We went to see it the very next day, pulled up outside and said, ‘Yep, it’s ours,’” Belinda explains. “I think it was the red brick that did it. It just felt right.” Drawn as well to the house’s beautiful bones – the high ceilings and picture rails – and its relatively good condition, the pair got their hands on the keys on 28 June last year. It was just a month after they’d seen it for the first time. The ease of it all convinced them it was meant to be – and that wasn’t the only sign that it was destiny. “Tim did a bit of research into the history of the house in the National Library archives,” says Belinda, “and he pulled up a map of the town centre in the 19th century. Joseph Bean’s name was on it as the owner of several blocks of land. And there he was on our block, too.” It was an extraordinary discovery: generations ago, Tim’s ancestor had owned the very place Tim and Belinda had just bought. “We think the cottage was built in 1910, and the Beans had all passed on by then, so they would never have lived in it,” Belinda shares. “But their history goes way back – they migrated to Gunning in the 1840s and they’re all buried in the cemetery. It’s bizarre, but it means it feels right to be there.” That ease extended to the renovations, too. The house was structurally sound and merely needed some love, says Belinda: “You could just visualise it as soon as you walked in.” She used local tradespeople to strip the place back and paint it throughout. “I really wanted the bones of the cottage to speak the loudest. I wanted the ceiling details to be a feature and I wanted the floors to shine, plus the old doors and windows. So we went in with a minimal style.” The kitchen had just been renovated, and true to Belinda’s love of pared-back interiors, required only a coat of white paint. “The walls and tin splashback were mint green when we moved in, which was a bit busy for me,” she says. Removing the 1990s terracotta-tiled floors in the laundry, mud room and bathroom was as physical as the renovations became. The couple sanded back and resealed the cement floors underneath, then put in new tapware in the bathroom, as well as regrouting and painting the existing bathroom cabinet. >
FROM ABOVE Tim and Belinda sit on their front steps, painted in Dulux Domino; the 1200-squaremetre block has a tranquil backyard. FACING PAGE In the living room, the vintage ladder is from The Bower in Millthorpe, and Belinda found the handprinted silk artwork in Creators Nest, Yass. The sofa is from Early Settler.
HOME GUNNING NSW
In the rest of the house, the beautiful old Baltic pine floorboards were left well alone. “We love that worn look,” says Belinda. “We might look at getting them sanded and sealed at a later date, but we like that they show the house’s age. We didn’t want to cover that up.” A simple makeover saw the dining room become a much-needed second bedroom, and the fireplace in the remaining living space got its own refresh to remove the mantelpiece. “It was ugly and I knew it had to go,” says Belinda. However, the journey to that unusual partexposed brick, part-plaster chimneypiece was a rare element of this renovation that wasn’t straightforward. “The painters were prepping the walls in the living room, and on one wall up near the cornice, they’d chipped away some of the render where it needed to be filled, exposing those handmade red bricks,” recalls Belinda. “I loved the look, but didn’t say anything and went out for a coffee with Tim, thinking that when we got back, I’d tell them to leave it like that. But by then they’d already plastered over it, using stuff that soaks into the brick.” >
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Old apple crates, found in an antiques shop years ago, hang on the wall. On the Kaboodle Heritage kitchen in gloss white, inherited from the previous owner, sits a bread board from Dirty Janes in Canberra, a vintage pudding basin and Scout + Bird cake tins. FACING PAGE A Mrs Moxom flower arrangement brightens a corner, while the table and chairs were bought from antique shops.
“We might get the floorboards sanded and sealed at a later date, but we like that they show the house’s age. We didn’t want to cover that up.”
“We were living a really hectic life, and we needed to go back to basics. There’s no mind clutter here.”
CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Over the bed a gifted canvas hangs on a branch from the backyard; the chair is vintage and the lamp is IKEA, as is some of the bed linen; the carved swing is from Fibreshack in Benalla, Victoria; the family at the nearby rail tracks; the paper lantern is from Society Inc. FACING PAGE A portrait by Ness Lockyer hangs above a vintage chair.
GUNNING NSW HOME
It looked as if they’d lost their chance to have exposed brick inside the home. But later, when the couple took that ugly mantelpiece off, some of the render came off with it – and the chance had come around again. “We wanted it to be a feature, and I’m glad of the mix-up now because we love it. You could never reproduce that.” Settling into country life has been a joy, reports Belinda. “We were living a really hectic life, and we needed to go back to basics. There’s no mind clutter here. And I love the smell of the air – just when the sun starts to set and it gets a little bit cold.” Happily, their town feels just as enthusiastic about them. “We’ve been welcomed with open arms in Gunning,” says Belinda. “Our neighbours put our bins out for us and bring them in; they’ll leave a dozen eggs on the back doorstep. When I’m hanging out the washing, people drive past and toot and wave at you – there’s a beautiful sense of community.” The couple are giving back to that community, too, hosting popular crafting workshops in Hold Cottage that attract Canberrans whose local spending is very welcome. Back in 1870, Tim’s ancestor Joseph Bean built the Frankfield Hotel in Gunning, which still stands. And now his descendants are working hard to leave their own legacy in the town, too. For more information, visit holdcottage.com
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 67
HOME LYON V ILLE V ICTOR I A
STYLING PAIGE ANDERSON
Tim and Sasha von Ess are fascinated by their home’s history. Originally built in the 1880s, it burned to the ground in the early 20th century and was rebuilt six months later. After lying empty for 50 years, it was restored and renovated in early 2000.
GOING TO THE CHAPEL ONCE THE CENTRE OF LIFE IN A BUSTLING GOLD-RUSH TOWN, THE LITTLE CHURCH IN LYONVILLE, VICTORIA, IS NOW HOME TO A FAMILY OF FOUR WHO LOVE ITS PEACE AND TRANQUILLITY. WORDS BRON W Y N PHILLIPS PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 69
HOME LYON V ILLE V ICTOR I A
TIM AND SASHA VON ESS ARE USED TO BEING ASKED about
ghosts. “Is it haunted?” people ask when they hear that the couple’s 100-year-old-timber home in Lyonville, an hour’s drive from Melbourne, was once a church. “They always ask that,” laughs Tim. And while there are no ghosts, the house does possess an other-worldly peace and tranquillity. “We often think about the things that have happened in the building,” says Sasha. “The beginnings, like weddings and christenings, and of course, the ends.” Built halfway between Daylesford and Trentham high in the Great Dividing Range in the 1880s, the church served the local town, its congregation largely timber millers and gold miners. Then, in the 1920s, it burned to the ground but, thanks to the dedication of local parishioners, it was rebuilt just six months later. Once a town made prosperous through gold and timber, these days Lyonville boasts a pub, and not much more. “Four days a week there’s no one in town,” says Sasha, 43, a bookkeeper. Even though Melbourne is only 100 kilometres away, Lyonville feels a world away from the city.
The rustic ambience has drawn Tim, Sasha, and their children Audrey, nine, and Drew, 11, to Lyonville for many years. “It’s on the edge of the Wombat State Forest,” says Tim. “We know the area, the history of the gold mines, and the forest walks.” The family also has close friends living in Lyonville. “We’d camp on their property, and have bonfires,” says Sasha. “It was a real adventure for the kids, and so very different to our lives in Melbourne.” The family’s main residence is in Fitzroy North, on bustling Brunswick Street, and Sasha and Tim love the vibrancy of city life. But, once their children have finished school, their dream is to move to Lyonville permanently. “Lyonville is a counterbalance to our city life,” says Tim, “and the older we get, the more that appeals to us.” After being deconsecrated and abandoned for 50 years, the property was in desperate need of restoration. It was renovated in the early 2000s and converted into a threebedroom home. Tim and Sasha had often admired the simple timber building, nestled at the end of a tree-lined driveway on half an acre of charming, English-style garden, complete with deciduous trees, a grand oak, sweeping lawn and roses. >
CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE The house retained its original stained-glass windows, and Sasha and Tim found an early 20th-century pew in an antique store in Melbourne; Tim, Audrey, Sasha and Drew on the rear deck of their former church in the gold-rush town of Lyonville. FACING PAGE The original nave now contains an open-plan kitchen, dining room and lounge room, and the soaring ceilings are high enough to accommodate a loft bedroom.
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ABOUT THE HOUSE:
• The bentwood dining chairs are from Red Cart Vintage,
Kyneton; the dining table and bucket armchair were found on Gumtree; the leather sofa, standing lamp and side tables came from West Elm. Artwork was purchased from the Waverley Antique Bazaar, and Spacecraft Studio in Fitzroy. “We love the Mill Markets in Daylesford,” says Sasha. “In Melbourne, Nook Vintage is just down the road from us in Fitzroy, and has a great selection.”
• •
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LYON V ILLE V ICTOR I A HOME The living space is open and roomy, while the sofa and armchair create an intimate corner nook. The interior paint is Dulux Fair Bianca half for the walls and Dulux Vivid White for trims. “We wanted a colour scheme that complemented the original features, so we enlisted consultant Rachel Rimmer at Hello Colour to help us.� hellocolour.com.au
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The original timber confessional box is now the kitchen pantry; Sasha and Tim in the entry room; the exterior of the pantry features a blackboard perfect for lists and messages, and is opposite the entry to the main bedroom; Tim and Drew chopping wood for the firebox; a bouquet of freshly picked hellebores. FACING PAGE The window seat in the sitting room overlooking the garden is the ideal place for Drew to relax and play the guitar. The cushions are made from custom-printed fabric from Ink & Spindle homewares.
LYON V ILLE V ICTOR I A HOME
“We know the area, the history of the gold mines and the forest walks. It was a real adventure for the kids.”
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Then, three years ago, one of their friends rang. “His neighbour owned the church,” Tim explains. “They were looking to sell.” Within a week, Tim and Sasha had met the owners and seen the property. When the owners sent them a photo of the church in the garden after recent snow, they made an offer. “We just couldn’t say no,” adds Tim. Because it had been renovated and extended, the home didn’t require any major structural work. “The last owners had done all the heavy lifting,” says Tim. “They made it liveable.” Tim and Sasha painted the interior, refreshed the bathroom, replaced light fittings and door handles throughout and installed air conditioning. “We gave it a bit of style,” says Tim. “We wanted a gentle touch, and to let the building shine,” says Sasha. “We didn’t want to overpower it.” The home has retained many of its parish church origins, including the old confessional (now a walk-in pantry), the stained-glass windows and wood panelling. In keeping with the early 1900s, Sasha and Tim found an original wooden pew in an antique shop in Melbourne. “There wasn’t any church furniture here,” says Sasha. “We searched out the pew specifically to put in there.” Wanting to counter the large, airy nave, with its loft bedroom and soaring ceiling, the couple have kept the furnishings simple and uncluttered – small side tables, an armchair and a classic sofa. “It’s such a beautiful, big space,” says Tim. “We wanted to complement that with some smallish pieces of furniture.” >
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LYON V ILLE V ICTOR I A HOME
CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE The house borders the Wombat State Forest; the loft bedroom features artwork by Sasha’s sister-in-law, Jane McBeath. “This is a glorious room to wake up in,” says Sasha. “You can see treetops and hear birds.” Ecclesiastical details remain; Audrey and Drew in the woodshed; GlobeWest side tables and Cultiver bedding in the children’s bedroom. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT Sasha found the Weekly Times Annual covers in what’s now the children’s playroom (below); the laundry leads outside.
HOME LYON V ILLE V ICTOR I A
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The quieter pace of life in Lyonville suits the family; “It’s our favourite place to read,” says Sasha of the GlobeWest bench seat and rattan footrest in the sitting room; the couple added fittings and handles in the bathroom. “We gave it a bit of style,” says Tim.
“We often spend time just staring out the window, looking at the kookaburras and kangaroos.” Sasha and Tim then turned their attention to the garden, as precious to them as the house. “It’s so lush and beautiful. On the edge of the forest, you really notice the changing seasons,” says Sasha. “There’s a gentle rise, and the church sits in the centre of the trees and the lawn.” For Tim, the garden is an integral part of the history of the house, and many of the trees and plants are decades old. “They were there the whole time that the church was lying unused,” says Tim. The family love to spend time outdoors, tending plants, chopping wood, entertaining friends and family, or simply dreaming. “We often spend time just staring out the window, looking at the kookaburras and kangaroos,” says Tim. When friends visit, trestle tables are set up under the oak tree for long leisurely lunches on the lawn, featuring produce from the local farmers’ markets and wineries. Adjacent to the oak tree, the little bungalow, converted into a play room for the children, contains lawn games such as Finska, bocce and badminton. “We have Pimm’s and lemonade, and play badminton on the lawn,” says Tim of their idyllic summer afternoons. “One of the reasons we bought it is because it’s the perfect place to gather,” says Sasha, adding: “A church is built with bringing people together in mind.”
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H A R V E Y
BEST
N O R M A N
IN
P R E S E N T S
CLASS
T HE BE S T IN CL A S S ENERGY S AV ING P R ODUC T S F ROM T HE HUGE R A NGE OF L E A DING BR A ND S AVA IL A BL E AT H A RV E Y NOR M A N.
ENERGY RATING T H E M O R E S TA R S , T H E M O R E S AV I N G S WHEN COMPARING SIMILAR-SIZED PRODUCTS L OOK FOR MORE S TARS AND SAVE MONE Y
HN.COM.AU/ENERGYEFFICIENCY
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160kWh
THE LOWER THE ENERGY CONSUMPTION FIGURE, THE LESS ELECTRICITY THE APPLIANCE USES, AND THE CHEAPER IT WILL BE TO RUN
337kWh
BE S T IN R A NGE
TOP MOUNT FRIDGE
WTB4600W
$10 9 9
T H E F E AT U R E S With a streamlined flat door design, this fridge will look at home in any kitchen. Internally, it offers a full-width humidity controlled crisper bin and a FamilySafe lockable compartment plus SpillSafe glass shelves.
THE BENEFITS The efficiency of the FreshSeal crispers helps to reduce wastage by keeping your food fresher for longer while the FlexStor adjustable door bins gives you complete flexibility for jar and bottle storage.
E N E R GY R AT I N G The WTB4600W is designed to deliver energy benefits through reduced energy usage. It also uses a more eco-friendly refrigerant which helps reduce your household impact on the environment.
EVERY EXTRA S T A R S A V E S 23%
OF RUNNING COSTS ON FRIDGES
390kWh
BE S T IN R A NGE
FRENCH DOOR FRIDGE
M R - L X 6 3 0 E M - G S L- A 2 $ 319 9 T H E F E AT U R E S With a dedicated vegetable drawer, LED control panel and wide chilled case, this Mitsubishi French Door fridge offers a generous 630L of chilled and freezer space. The freezer also features an automatic ice maker which doesn't require plumbing. Comes in black, white or silver finish wth glass front panels.
THE BENEFITS The dedicated vegetable drawer (117L) is perfect for health conscious meal preparation – store ingredients for longer, keeping them as fresh as when they were picked. Wide shelves offer plenty of space for large platters and family-sized meals.
E N E R GY R AT I N G If saving money on household bills is important, this family size fridge will certainly help.
EVERY EXTRA S T A R S A V E S 23%
OF RUNNING COSTS ON FRIDGES
E N E R G Y B E S T I N
E F F I C I E N C Y C L A S S
AU S T R A L I A' S M O S T E N E RG Y- E F F I C I E N T FRIDGE EVER
216kWh
BE S T IN CL A S S
BOT TOM MOUNT FRIDGE H R 6 B M F F 519 B
$16 9 9
T H E F E AT U R E S With its sleek black finish, this sophisticated refrigerator delivers good looks and outstanding features all round. Enjoy a multifunction control panel, electronic temperature control, easy-slide drawer and a twist icemaker for your convenience.
THE BENEFITS The Inverter Compressor Motor offers advanced chilling functions while the reversible doors allow for complete flexibility in your kitchen space.
E N E R GY R AT I N G With Australia's highest energy rating ever for a fridge (six stars*) this model is engineered for efficiency and bill-savings.
EVERY EXTRA S T A R S A V E S 23%
OF RUNNING COSTS ON FRIDGES
* At time of printing.
535kWh
BE S T IN R A NGE
SIDEBY- SIDE FRIDGE HR6SBSFF624SW
$12 9 9
T H E F E AT U R E S Bring the perfect balance of form and function into your kitchen with the Hisense side-by-side fridge - perfect for large families. The flexible water tank offers indoor chilled water and ice while the electronic temperature control and Holiday Powersave function allows you to minimise power usage in low-use periods.
THE BENEFITS The 624L capacity offers plenty of space all year round, including large fruit and vegetable drawers and a modular wine caddy.
E N E R GY R AT I N G The three star energy rating allows you to reduce your power consumption while still enjoying generous storage capacity.
EVERY EXTRA S T A R S A V E S 23%
OF RUNNING COSTS ON FRIDGES
E N E R G Y B E S T I N
E F F I C I E N C Y C L A S S
189kWh
BE S T IN R A NGE
D ISHWASH ER G 7 314 S C U C L S T
$2499
T H E F E AT U R E S Dishwashing is a seamless experience with the superior technology and design behind the new Miele G7314SCUCLST dishwasher. A world-first in dishwashers, it uses an automatic ‘AutoDos’ dispensing system with integrated PowerDisk so you can schedule your wash cycle with a touch of your phone via the Miele@mobile app.
THE BENEFITS The PowerDisk offers exceptional cleaning outcomes, particularly for glassware and silver. It also ensures complete efficiency of detergent usage thanks to a unique Miele granular detergent which guarantees outstanding washing and drying results.
E N E R GY R AT I N G The Miele G7000 dishwasher range offers a 4.5 star energy rating and a 6-star WELS rating for water efficiency.
EVERY EXTRA S T A R S A V E S 30%
OF RUNNING COSTS ON DISHWASHERS
275kWh
BE S T IN R A NGE
TOP LOAD WASHING MACHINE
WTG9020V
$999
T H E F E AT U R E S Saving water and energy on every wash can add up, especially for large families and frequent loads. Featuring a TurboDrum to improve the washing action, this LG top load washing machine has a nine kilo capacity. The Inverter Motor (with ten year warranty on parts) ensures constant reliability.
THE BENEFITS The machine has no agitator which allows for more room in the drum while the Smart Diagnosis can troubleshoot via a compatible smartphone and the LG ThinQÂŽ app, saving time and money on unnecessary technician call-out.
E N E R GY R AT I N G Save money on every wash thanks to the 4-star energy rating.
EVERY EXTRA S T A R S A V E S 27%
OF RUNNING COSTS ON WASHING MACHINES
E N E R G Y B E S T I N
E F F I C I E N C Y C L A S S
186kWh
BE S T IN R A NGE
FRONT LOAD WASHER L F 8 E 8 411A
$18 9 9
T H E F E AT U R E S Take your washing to a new level with the AEG front load washer featuring a steam refresh program, Woolmark Green accreditation and an anti-allergy program.
THE BENEFITS AEG's innovative blend of energy-efficient technology and science allows you to transform the washing task; wash with complete confidence knowing that fibres, colours and textures will remain pristine and that even your most delicate garments with be truly protected and last longer.
E N E R GY R AT I N G Wash with confidence that both your clothes and the environment are being looked after thanks to a five star energy rating.
EVERY EXTRA S T A R S A V E S 27%
OF RUNNING COSTS ON WASHING MACHINES
94kWh
BE S T IN R A NGE
DRYER TWF720WP
$2499
T H E F E AT U R E S The Miele Heat Pump Tumble Dryer is an incredibly efficient laundry partner with precise drying outcomes and a generous eight kilo capacity. Households can enjoy 12 drying programmes, an automated 'FragranceDos' fragrance setting and a honeycomb textured drum to deliver gentle garment care.
THE BENEFITS Thanks to heat pump technology the dryer offers a eco-friendly drying solution which reduces the condensation output and effect on furniture and rooms.
E N E R GY R AT I N G With an incredible 10-star energy rating, the Miele TWF72OWP is truly best in class.
EVERY EXTRA S T A R S A V E S 15%
OF RUNNING COSTS ON DRYERS
E N E R G Y B E S T I N
E F F I C I E N C Y C L A S S
SHOP ONLINE WITH YOUR LOCAL STORE HN.COM.AU/ENERGYEFFICIENCY OR CALL 1300 464 278 Harvey NormanÂŽ stores are operated by independent franchisees. Ends 25/12/20.
INFUSE EVERY ROOM IN THE HOUSE WITH A FRESH TAKE ON THE MODERN FARMHOUSE LOOK. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES
PHOTOGRAPHY SHERI MCMAHON, MAREE HOMER
GU I DI NG L IGH T
DECOR ATING
Compare and contrast
The essential ingredients for both these rooms are the same – white walls, wooden floors and natural textures – but the end results are quite different. The hall in this Spring Ridge home in NSW (facing page) is calm and pretty, with soft sage, oatmeal and cream tones. Millie Alison from The Design Paddock ensured it was practical, too, with a bench and storage for shoes, hats and coats. The living room (this page) starts with the same elements, but here they contrast with a sleek, contemporary glass coffee table. Its black base is picked up by the hall runner and picture frames. Visit thedesignpaddock.com.au >
The hall is calm and pretty, with soft sage, oatmeal and cream tones. NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 89
DECOR ATING
PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE
Colour play
For a rustic look, you can’t go wrong with mismatched storage. In the dining room of this home in Tasmania’s Huon Valley, the cupboard and open shelves – laden with vintage crockery and glassware – suggest layers of history. Old weighing scales and an antique portrait add to the heritage feel. But far from being ‘weighed’ down by that history, the home owners’ bold choice of a china-blue shade for the cupboard brings in a bright, playful note that lifts the room. >
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 91
Perfect peace
Shades of milk-white and soft grey ensure a good night’s sleep and sweet dreams. Yet the bedroom in this old Queenslander in Bundaberg still has plenty of interesting details to catch the eye. VJ or tongue and groove boards, typical of Queenslanders, are a wonderful way to add texture to neutral colours, while the ornate bedhead is a vintage find, revamped by home owner Sandy Palmer with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Paris Grey. Crisp white sheets contrast with striped linens, and an old wooden stool paired with a wreath made from foraged twigs adds a final touch of texture.
DECOR ATING
Past glories
PHOTOGRAPHY KARA ROSENLUND, JENNIFER STOCKS STYLING BELINDA SATTERTHWAITE
Hargans Cottage dates back to the 1920s, when it was built on the footings of a demolished section of an old flour mill in Carcoar, NSW. But owner Belinda Satterthwaite, who runs homewares store Tomolly, harked back a little further in time when it came to decorating. The metal bed frame (it’s the Ralph single bed from Incy Interiors) is reminiscent of Victorian nursery furniture, and the rich, earthy tones of the bedlinen are another link to the warm, cosy, layered interiors that were a favourite in the 19th century. This stripped-back heritage feel, with its ochre and tobacco shades, is a perennial classic. Visit tomolly.com.au >
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 93
DECOR ATING
Even the laundry can be a place you want to spend time in, like this one in Spring Ridge, NSW, created by The Design Paddock.
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SIMPLY STYLISH H BLACK AND WHITE MIXED WITH TIMBER IS TIMELESS. PRODUCED BY KYLIE IMESON
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1 Nisha cushions in Peony and Sage, $99.95, both from Provincial Home Living. 2 Sami outdoor chair, $179, from Harvey Norman. 3 Westinghouse 460-litre top-mount fridge in White, $1099, from Harvey Norman. 4 Electrolux 10kg front load washing machine, $1299, from Harvey Norman. 5 Ralph bed in Matte Black, from $699, from Incy Interiors. 6 Belmont dining chair in Birch Black, $179, from Oz Design Furniture. 7 Carpenter’s bench in Natural, $2699, from Provincial Home Living. 8 Atrium 200cm rug in Natural, $299, from Oz Design Furniture.
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PHOTOGRAPHY SHERI MCMAHON
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GAR DEN R AY BRODIE SOUTH AUSTR A LI A
The relaxed garden beds include Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii), sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Hylotelephium spectabile), pig’s ears (Cotyledon orbiculata), and lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina). 96 COUNTRY STYLE NOVEMBER 2020
A TALL TALE BRENTON ROBERTS HAS ADDED ANOTHER PAGE TO THE HISTORY BOOKS BY CREATING A WHIMSICAL GARDEN IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S ADELAIDE HILLS. WORDS CHR ISTINE MCCA BE PHOTOGRAPHY SIMON GR IFFITHS
GAR DEN R AY BRODIE SOUTH AUSTR A LI A
PERCHED GAMELY ON THE EDGE of the forest, above a
no-through gravel road, Ray Brodie Cottage has something of the fairytale about it. Koalas doze in the stringybarks, black cockatoos beat by in formation, sounding their sad cries, and in the gully below the house, old camellias pop budding branches above rampaging blackberry. The 1868 house and garden have only recently been wrested back from the bush by Brenton and Libby Roberts, who live here with their three children, Lachlan, Maya and little Billy, and rescue kelpie Thorby. In a short space of time the young couple have created a lovely country garden that sets relaxed planting in free-flowing ‘borders’ within a classical framework, and all on a tight budget. Ray Brodie occupies some pretty rarefied gardening real estate and is an ongoing project for Brenton, an aspiring garden designer, who takes inspiration from the history of the site. In the very early 20th century, the house was leased and later purchased by pioneering opal dealer and horticulturalist Tullie Cornthwaite Wollaston, who established a large garden next door, which he called Raywood. The dapper and cultured Wollaston travelled extensively in Australia, Europe and the US, hunting and selling opals, even venturing into western Queensland by camel. But gardening was his first love and he was an inveterate plant collector, visiting gardens around the country and mounting seed-collecting expeditions to the Pitcairn Islands. In 1925 he established a large nursery specialising in native trees and shrubs, but he is perhaps best known for ‘discovering’ the lovely claret ash (Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa ‘Raywood’) among a collection of seedlings in a nursery in nearby Aldgate. Raywood became internationally known, and Wollaston eminently connected in gardening circles. He was a great friend of Arthur William Hill, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London. They swapped seeds and cuttings, and in 1927, on a visit to Australia, Hill toured Raywood and was much struck by the beauty of the site, rising above the meadow flats of Cox’s Creek, where, in 1840, a little village once stood on the bullock track to Hahndorf. Hill likely gave the claret ash its original name, Fraxinus raywoodii, and following his visit specimens were sent to Kew, with the tree later established in the UK and North America. Raywood’s place in South Australian history was cemented when Sir Alexander Downer, father of former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer, purchased the property in the mid-1930s. He built a handsome Georgianstyle mansion with a deer park, employing an English garden designer (to whom Ray Brodie Cottage was likely home), and renamed the property Arbury Park. A life of bucolic bliss was rudely interrupted when the construction of the South Eastern Freeway sliced the garden in two. The Downers sold up in 1964 and decamped to London, where Alexander senior took up the post of >
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CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Espaliered Manchurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis) with a low fiddleleaf fig (Ficus lyrata) topiary; espaliered Manchurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis); artichokes (Cynara scolymus) tower behind clary sage (Salvia sclarea), woodland sage (Salvia nemorosa) and pig’s ears (Cotyledon orbiculata); plume poppy (Macleaya cordata) and Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii) seed heads; the vegetable garden; lilac (Buddleja davidii), sea lavender (Limonium perezii) and artichokes (Cynara scolymus).
Australian High Commissioner. The house has had a chequered history since; in 1999 it was the set for a teen slasher movie starring Kylie Minogue and in the early 2000s it was said to be home to a cult. All rather a long way from the cultured life of Sir Alexander and Lady Mary Downer, who were guests at the coronation of the Queen in 1953. For Brenton and Libby, this lively history provides their garden with a rich context as well as an attractive natural buffer – Ray Brodie’s two hectares abut the remnants of the former Downer property, today a bush school run by the Department for Education. When they stumbled across the cottage in 2012, the couple were living in Melbourne, Brenton studying garden design part-time at Melbourne University. Having grown up among a family of gardeners in the Adelaide Hills, Brenton was hankering for home, and even before leaving Victoria had drawn up plans for a new half-hectare garden at Ray Brodie, which was to include two large terraces below the cottage because the site was steep. And overgrown. “Ray Brodie had been unloved for some time,” says Brenton. “Trees crept to the very edge of the house and the garden was rapidly being reclaimed by the bush.” On the plus side, the cottage enjoyed long views of the forested hills, while four large oak trees held the promise of 19th-century garden treasures. As Brenton and Libby got stuck into clearing the site, they uncovered an old orchard of cherry, pear and apple trees, as well as numerous bulbs and overgrown roses and even a hidden well.
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There wasn’t a lot of money to play with, so Brenton asked local builders to drop off unwanted clean fill, eventually accumulating several hundred tonnes; enough to establish the first terrace, planted with lawn, just below the house. The steep 70-metre driveway has been paved with gravel (barrowed by Brenton on the weekends) and lined with sixty Manchurian pears (Pyrus ussuriensis) to create an elegant allée that feels rather French. “I got a cracking deal on the trees,” says Brenton, who took the leftovers and espaliered them against the front of the stone cottage. The trees are under planted with hundreds of sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Hylotelephium spectabile), struck from a handful of parent plants. To save money, Brenton established a makeshift plant nursery to the side of the cottage, growing almost everything from cuttings. Four handsome spiral topiaries of Mexican cypresses (Cupressus lusitanica ‘Private Green’), planted either side of the high-set verandah and steep stone steps, were trained from “knee high”. To the east of the house, gravel paths meander through relaxed garden beds where repeat planting sets a pleasing rhythm; key plants include pig’s ear (Cotyledon orbiculata), Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii), Jerusalem sage (Phlomis russeliana), blue chalksticks (Senecio serpens), lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina), globe thistles (Echinops ritro), sea lavender (Limonium perezii) and various salvias, purchased as a job lot, names unknown. Agaves and clipped balls of tree germander (Teucrium fruticans) add structure. >
Artichokes (Cynara scolymus) in bloom. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT Brenton alongside topiaried Mexican cypresses (Cupressus lusitanica ‘Private Green’); the gate to the vegetable patch.
GARDEN R AY BRODIE SOUTH AUSTR A LI A
GAR DEN R AY BRODIE SOUTH AUSTR A LI A
Height comes from artichokes (Cynara scolymus), various buddlejas and echiums, bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare ‘Rubrum’) and the statuesque giant honey flower (Melianthus major); movement from feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) and Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis). A striking wigandia, with large spade-like leaves and pretty purple flowers, helps obscure the rainwater tank. The storybook vegetable patch is one of the loveliest features of this beguiling garden, set against the romantic backdrop of a historic stone shed and protected by a rustic fence fashioned from branches and sticks foraged in the forest. In the six raised beds, vegetables are allowed to run to flower for added impact. Two pillars, built with the help of the children, resemble insect hotels but are actually artworks, says Brenton; sculptures that stand as a metaphor for the life of the forest, with timber at the base transitioning through twigs to leaves at the top. That insects are more than happy to check-in is an added bonus. A 2018 finalist in Gardening Australia’s Gardener of the Year, Brenton continues to expand Ray Brodie. The second terrace, planted with London plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia) and box, is the latest project. And those overgrown camellias are set to form a romantic walk into the meadow from the shed, itself slated for greater things as a studio for Brenton. Ray Brodie should prove the perfect calling card, continuing a tradition for gardening excellence set by the estimable Tullie Wollaston. Adelaide Hills Gardens by Christine McCabe. Photography by Simon Griffiths (Thames & Hudson), $80
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TOP The allée of Manchurian pears (Pyrus ussuriensis) underplanted with sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Hylotelephium spectabile). ABOVE Espaliered Manchurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis) with a low, horizontal fiddleleaf fig (Ficus lyrata) topiary.
IN THE GAR DEN
LOCAL FLOWER LOVE
Olivia flowerbombed the bakery with wattle, dried flowers and off-cuts.
Small towns are doing it tough, so acts of kindness are welcome. And florist Olivia Coutts’s gift to her village of Malmsbury, Victoria, was particularly heartwarming. “I flower-bombed the park bench and verandah post outside our local bakery,” she explains. “I figured our community could do with something to brighten their day. And wattle is like a big yellow smile in floral form.” Creating her ‘bomb’ from her garden, dried flowers from her barn, and offcuts from her friends at nearby Camp David Farm, Olivia – who runs Pemberley of Malmsbury florists – intended it to attract custom to the bakery, too. “It brought smiles to people and gave them something other than COVID to chat about, which made it worthwhile.” She hopes to inspire other flower lovers. “I thought this was a great way to spread kindness and would love other florists and flower gro ers to create something in a p lic space e to bring cheer, spread k dness and celebrate their local communities.”
in the garden
MAGICAL MOWING, CARE-FREE RE PLANTS AND A BEEKEEPING CLASS AR ON THIS MONTH’S GARDEN AGENDA. Words Hannah James
PHOTOGRAPHY TENYLLE MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES
Leafy lovelies
BETTER BEE-LIEVE IT
In the glorious gardens surrounding the historic homestead of Merribee, on the NSW South Coast, you can learn how to set up and maintain a beehive. Taking place on 15 and 29 November, the workshop is run by local beekeeper Dave West and costs $245 per person, including lunch as well as morning and afternoon tea. To book, go to merribee.com.au/workshops.
ALEXA, MOW THE LAWN
If you love your robot vacuum cleaner, good news: you can now enlist a robot to mow your lawn, too. Program it to mow however often you like, and it trundles out from its docking station to do all the hard work for you. Victa Robot Mower RM100, $1299, victa.co
For a garden space-filler that rarely needs watering, pick a sculptural succulent. These echeveria (above) are drought-tolerant, so positively reward neglect. And they’re easy to propagate: simply pull away a baby rosette from the mother and repot in cactus mix or compost. From $8, thesucculentstore.com.au
SHADY LADY Spend time in your garden this summer without the sunburn. Shelter under the two-metre canopy of this vintage-style fringed beach umbrella, $249. Sunday Supply Co has a range of beautiful umbrellas in a variety of styles, sizes and colours, as well as all things for the beach. Visit sundaysupply.c0 NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 103
THE JOY OF SH A R ING
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ENTERTAINING, COOKING FOR FRIENDS IS SIMPLE WITH SKYE McALPINE’S FUSS-FREE RECIPES.
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PHOTOGRAPHY SKYE McALPINE
FOOD
The summer berry cloud cake (recipe page 108) – “I have a sweet tooth,” admits the author. FACING PAGE Food writer Skye pens a column for The Sunday Times.
“Buffalo mozzarella is my favourite; it’s lighter and a little tangier than mozzarella made from cow’s milk.”
FOOD
MOZZARELLA WITH CELERY, OLIVES & PINE NUTS Serves 6–8 You can pair mozzarella successfully with most things, though I find that celery, with its distinctive mineral flavour, works particularly well with the salty black olives here, while the pine nuts add an unexpectedly creamy note. The success of this dish depends upon the cheese. Buffalo mozzarella, if you can get your hands on it, is my favourite; it’s lighter and a little tangier than mozzarella made from cow’s milk. One of the joys of this dish is that the mozzarella can be sliced a little in advance and left on its serving dish for a couple of hours, though of course the longer it sits, the less fresh it will taste. 12 black olives, pitted 6–8 anchovies 25g pine nuts 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1–2 celery sticks 6 mozzarella cheeses, ideally buffalo
Finely chop the olives, anchovies and pine nuts together. Spoon them into a bowl, pour over the olive oil, give everything a good stir and set aside. Thickly slice the celery. Slice the mozzarella thickly, roughly 1cm thick, and arrange on a serving dish. Sprinkle the chopped celery over the cheese, then spoon over the olive mixture with all of its flavoured oil. Set aside – ideally in the fridge, or if fridge space is at a premium, somewhere cool – for 20–30 minutes before serving, so the cheese becomes imbued with the flavour of the oil. Bring the cheese to room temperature before serving. >
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 107
FOOD
APHRODITE’S ROAST CHICKEN Serves 4
This recipe comes from my mother’s friend, Aphrodite, and is to my mind (smallest of puns intended) truly food of the gods. Its charm lies in its simplicity: the bird roasts on a bed of very finely sliced potatoes, which crisp to golden around the edges of the tin, while those directly under the chicken are soft and deliciously imbued with the rich cooking juices. The trick is to make sure that you get a little bit of both kinds of potato on your plate. You can happily prepare this a few hours before you’re ready to roast the chicken, cover and store in the fridge. Just don’t slice the potatoes more than four hours or so ahead, as they may brown or curl. 4 potatoes 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 small chicken, about 1.4kg, preferably organic 1 lemon a large bunch of rosemary 2 garlic cloves sea salt flakes freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oven to 200˚C/fan 180˚C/ Gas 6. Finely slice the potatoes into rounds 3–5mm thick, using a mandolin if you have one. Arrange in a single layer over the bottom of a large roasting dish, overlapping them. I do this in a round 32cm tarte Tatin dish, but whatever you have to hand will do. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season generously. Set the chicken in the dish, nestled over the potatoes. Prick the lemon all over with a fork and stuff it into the
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cavity along with half the rosemary. Drizzle the remaining oil over the chicken, then rub it into the skin with a very generous dash of salt. Lightly crush the garlic cloves (unpeeled) and scatter them over the potatoes, along with what is left of the rosemary. Now set the roasting dish in the oven and cook for 60–70 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the juices run clear when you stick a knife into the thickest part of the bird (between the leg and the body). Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving, then eat with the potatoes.
SUMMER BERRY CLOUD CAKE Serves 8–10
An ode to the fruits of summer. If you are catering for friends with dairy intolerance, you can also make this with whipped chilled coconut cream, which is every bit as good. flavourless oil, for the trays 6 egg whites 300g caster sugar plus 2 tablespoons 2 teaspoons cornflour 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar 850ml double cream 150g blackberries 300g raspberries 300g blueberries 30g flaked almonds thyme sprigs, redcurrants and flowers, for decoration (optional)
Heat the oven to 150˚C/fan 130˚C/ Gas 2. Oil 3 baking trays and line with baking parchment. Draw a circle on each roughly 23cm in diameter (I trace around a cake tin). In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until they begin to peak,
then add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking all the while. When all the sugar has been added and the mixture is glossy, gently fold in the cornflour and the vinegar. Spoon the meringue on to the baking trays, spreading it out to make 3 discs. Bake for 1 hour, then switch the oven off and leave the meringues in there to harden for another hour. You want the meringue to be crisp so that it can support the weight of the cream. You can make the meringue up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container. To make the filling, whip the cream with an electric whisk until peaks form, but take care not to over-whip it, or it will lose that silky quality. Take the first meringue disc and spoon roughly one-third of the cream on top, then sprinkle with one-third of the berries, half the flaked almonds and 1 tablespoon caster sugar. Top with the second layer of meringue and repeat. Top with the third meringue, spoon on the last one-third of the cream and decorate with berries, thyme sprigs and flowers (just make sure they’re not noxious), if you like
A Table for Friends, $49.99, by Skye McAlpine is published by Bloomsbury
FOOD COUNTRY COOK
thrill of the grill
FORGET GAS, FORGET FILLETS – STEVE CUMPER SHARES THE JUICY DELIGHTS OF A WHOLE FISH COOKED OVER CHARCOAL. PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE ST YLING OLI V I A BLACK MOR E
THERE ARE TWO types of people in this world: those who barbecue (grill) with gas and those who use charcoal. Sure, the convenience of lighting a gas barbie and instantly cooking some snags can’t be overstated; however, when it comes to flavour, there’s no substitute to charcoal grilling. I say this with authority as, after years of grilling the gaseous way, I had an epiphany – and it arrived in the shape of a domed, el-cheapo barbecue from Bunnings. No sooner had I got the charcoals smouldering than they had transformed into white-hot heat baubles and I was ready to grill. The item awaiting the charcoal treatment was marinated chicken skewers. I’d pre-soaked the wooden skewers in water (so they wouldn’t burn and disintegrate over the heat). The first thing you notice is the smell of the barbecue. Gone is the whiff of mercaptan, the sulphur-like aroma added to natural gas and the oily chemical smell that occurs when flames suddenly burst out when splattered with fat dripping from the meat. In its place is the agreeably
smoky tang of browning protein imbued with wafts of scorched garlic and oil. These sensations alone are enough to get the stomach rumbling. Over the years, I’d enjoyed freshly barbecued meat over fire, and I recall returning to the beach after fishing with mates one time. Our catch – flathead, a stripy trumpeter and a bony wrasse – was scaled as the stubbies were opened and the collected beach wood caught alight. Nothing quite trumps eating fish that you’ve just caught on the beach; it makes going to even the best fishmonger quite the let-down. While some might shy away from a whole fish because of the perceived fuss of dealing with bones, skin and the like, I suggest giving it a go, as the rewards are numerous. Firstly, these days, when we’re all conscious of waste and impacts to our environment, using the whole fish is like using the secondary cuts of meat, meaning the fishmonger doesn’t have to sell or waste the rest of the fish. Secondly, meat tastes better on the bone and fish is no different. Thirdly, and most importantly, there’s no confusion or possible subterfuge in eating a whole fish – you’re getting exactly what you ordered. There’s no way of passing off one fillet of fish for another, slyly concealed in a batter or crumb. I’d add that serving a whole fish is a wonderful way to coax people toward the experience of the shared table, where one can eat as much or as little as one likes, without having to consume everything that’s put in front of them. The recipe I’ve included imbues our very Australian fish with a decidedly South American flavour. Buen provecho! (Enjoy your meal!)
COAL-GRILLED WHOLE FLATHEAD WITH CHIMICHURRI Serves 4
1 long red chilli, finely diced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 8 cloves garlic, crushed 200ml extra virgin olive oil 2 lemons, cut into cheeks, plus 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 red onion, finely diced 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped ½ cup coriander, chopped ½ cup chopped mint leaves ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper 100ml red wine vinegar 4 whole flathead, scaled, gutted and cleaned (about 700g each)
Get your charcoal barbecue going in the usual manner. Wait until the coals have died down but the heat is still present. In a small saucepan, gently heat the chilli, dried oregano, garlic and 60ml of the olive oil to release their fragrance; cool to room temperature. To make the chimichurri, in a medium bowl combine the finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, the red onion and salt and massage them together with your hands for a few minutes. The onion will become much brighter and the texture will soften considerably. Add the garlic mixture to the lemon mixture. Add the herbs, pepper,
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY DAMIAN BENNETT FOOD PREPARATION DIXIE ELLIOTT CERAMIC PLATE FROM ALIFMADEIT (0438 937 296)
remaining olive oil and the vinegar. Mix well and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Place the cleaned fish on a large tray or dish and drizzle over a third of the chimichurri, rubbing into every crevice, including the chest cavity and head. Marinate for up to one hour. Chargrill the lemon cheeks to a nice colour and reserve for later. Place fish on the hot grill, chest cavity side down; cook for 10 minutes or until the flesh starts to come away from the spine (see tip, below). Plate the fish and spoon remaining chimichurri over the top. Garnish with grilled lemon cheeks. TIP Cooking the fish chest cavity down reduces the risk of the skin sticking and helps the fish stay intact
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 111
for the love of chocolate
WHEN HER YOUNGEST DAUGHTER TOOK UP COOKING, COUNTRY STYLE’S KYLIE IMESON TAUGHT HER THEIR FAMILY’S MOST CHERISHED RECIPE. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE ST YLING OLI V I A BLACK MOR E
EVEN THE KEENEST of home cooks found making three
meals a day, every day during lockdown to be an exhausting chore. For Country Style’s Kylie Imeson, 44, it was the snack-making for her brood that wore her out. So she and her husband Mark Morrison, 46, asked their four children to step in and make a two-course dinner. But they discovered their youngest, Ally, 13, was stumped when it came to making dessert. Kylie suggested her childhood favourite, her mother’s self-saucing chocolate pudding – but to her surprise, Ally had never had it. “I couldn’t believe I’d never made it for her,” says Kylie. Dianne Imeson, 63 (known as Ma Ma to her grandchildren), has owned the cookbook the recipe came from for almost 50 years. “The recipe came from the Kyogle Primary School cookbook,” she says. “I bought it at the fete when my youngest brother Geoffrey was still at school.” Dianne has four brothers, and it was their appetite for sweets that prompted her to make the pudding for the first time. “When I got married in 1975 and moved in to our first flat in Kyogle, all my family came around for tea. I flicked through the book and decided to make it, and everyone loved it – so I just kept making it.”
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When her daughter Kylie moved to London in 1998 for the traditional overseas stint, she copied the recipe for the chocolate self-saucing pudding from the worn cookbook’s light-blue paper, on which the recipes are all typewritten and stapled together. It was the first thing she cooked in her share house, doubling the quantities to cater for all her new friends. Of course, “they loved it just as much as we all did growing up,” remembers Kylie. With the family tradition finally passed down to Ally, she decided to serve the pudding with raspberries and ice cream. “It was really yummy,” says Ally. “And it was a family recipe, which was nice in isolation when you can’t see people. It made me feel closer to Ma Ma.” And she’s not the youngest family member to keep the recipe alive: Ally’s cousin Elodie, five, also helped her dad make the pudding. He solemnly told her it was a “very secret recipe” – a fact 1970s-era Kyogle Primary School cooks might contest! Sadly, the original cookbook can’t be found at present, lost in the chaos of Dianne’s house move back to her home stretch of northern NSW. “I’m hoping it’s in one of my unpacked boxes,” she says. Regardless of the ori inal recipe’s whereabouts, the tradition continues.
HEIR LOOM FOOD FACING PAGE Dianne, aka Ma Ma, recently moved from Brisbane back home to northern NSW, and has hopes her fabled original recipe book might turn up in one of the unopened boxes.
MA MA’S CHOCOLATE SELF-SAUCING PUDDING Serves 8
2¼ cups (335g) self-raising flour ¼ cup cocoa plus ¼ cup extra ¾ cup (165g) caster sugar 1½ cups (375ml) milk 90g butter, melted 2 teaspoons vanilla essence 1½ cups (330g) brown sugar cream or ice-cream and fresh raspberries, for serving
PHOTO CHEF DIXIE ELLIOTT
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fanforced). Butter a medium ovenproof
dish (10-cup capacity). Place dish onto an oven tray. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl; stir in sugar. Gradually whisk in milk, melted butter and vanilla until smooth. Spread into the prepared dish. Combine brown sugar and extra cocoa in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the flour mixture in the dish. Gently pour over 2 cups (500ml) of boiling water. Bake for about 35–40 minutes or until pudding feels firm on the top. Serve with cream or ice cream and raspberries.
SHARE YOUR FAMILY FAVOURITES Do you have a recipe that has been passed down through generations of your family? Send it to us, the story behind it and a copy of a photograph of the relative who passed it on. Remember to include a telephone number. Email austcountrystyle@ aremedia.com.au or send a letter to Heirloom Recipe, Country Style, PO Box 4088, Sydney NSW, 1028.
A charming display at Curators Collective and The Sir George Home in Jugiong, NSW. FACING PAGE Stylist Carlie Oates of Curators Collective showcases her discerning taste at The Sir George.
R EGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE
GIFT WITH PURCHASE FROM THE WONDROUS TO THE WHIMSICAL, REGIONAL TOWNS OFFER MORE THAN A ONE-STOP SHOPPING EXPERIENCE. HERE’S OUR PICK OF MUST-SEE DESTINATIONS.
PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHANIE HUNTER
WORDS A BBY PFA HL
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 115
REGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE
VICTORIA Squishy Minnie Bookstore
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ABOVE Squishy Minnie Bookstore in Kyneton, Vic, is a true delight for young ones (and the young at heart). LEFT Make picnics a breeze with this stylish Business & Pleasure Co. Cooler Bag from Gin Gin Garden Club.
NEW SOUTH WALES Curators Collective and The Sir George Home Savvy travellers and readers of Country Style will be familiar with these two beautiful businesses,based in village-of-the-moment Jugiong. But in an exciting development, their respective owners, stylist Carlie Oates and designer Liz Prater, have combined their talents to offer visitors a new premium shopping experience within the historic stone walls of The Sir George. The restored country pub is a mecca for visitors between Sydney and Melbourne, drawn to its intimate bar, leafy beer garden, rustic restaurant and luxury accommodation. It’s a natural step for Carlie and Liz – the progressive pair have been bouncing ideas off one another since the renovation of The Sir George began, just a hop, skip and a jump away from Carlie’s original incarnation of retail gem Curators Collective. Shoppers can still expect the same on-trend selection of fashion and homewares, now with more to choose from. Buying is inspired by the surrounding landscape, with earthy colours, rich textures and quality designs reigning supreme. “A few of our favourite brands are Eight & Bob, Hale Mercantile Co, Hunter Lab and Cecilie Copenhagen,” Carlie tells us. On any given day, The Sir George is buzzing with guests, be they in cosy corners drinking coffee (with fresh
Italian doughnuts, no less) or sipping rosé out under the snow pears. The new shop is truly immersed in this venue, and there’s something highly relaxing about meandering the shelves while you wait for lunch, browsing linens you admired in your room the night before, or picking up a gorgeous gift at the same time as a loaf of sourdough. As Carlie says: “We believe there will always be a place for bricks and mortar retail. Offering a sensory experience is our priority.” 320 Riverside Drive, Jugiong; Curators Collective, 0413 362 020, curatorscollective.com.au; The Sir George Home, 0419 098 828, sirgeorge.com.au
SOUTH AUSTRALIA Fred Living The town of Aldgate is one of the charming localities of the Adelaide Hills, SA’s luscious, cool-climate wine region. Residents of the area know Fred Eatery to be the best spot for brunch, lunch and coffee, flocking for its vibrant atmosphere, stylish fit-out, dog-friendly attitude and impressive menu. Owners Aaron Bond and Todd Langley commenced the venture in 2015 after extensive careers in events, hotels and restaurants. Five years on, they’ve added a retail string to their bow via Fred Living. Situated adjacent to the cafe, the shop came about when customers kept asking about the Eatery’s decor. “They’d say, ‘Where >
PHOTOGRAPHY CLANCY JOB, LAKSHAL PERERA
In the village of Kyneton, in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges region, there’s a very special bookshop just for little people. “It looks like someone’s house with lots of books!” exclaimed one recent small visitor; a sentiment that owners Kristen Proud and Lakshal “Lucky” Perera tell us is “exactly the vibe we’re going for”. It’s impossible to resist a browse through this magical space. There are colourful books as far as the eye can see, plus a table for kids to sit at and read or play chess. Kristen and Lucky’s love for all things literary, plus their community spirit, shines through in their shop, and it’s not surprising the store’s ethos is centred around inclusivity. “The idea for Squishy Minnie was that a young person should be able to walk into our space and find themselves reflected back in our books, whether that be seeing their own family system, culture, skin colour, ability or, even more simply, their hobbies within the pages,” Kristen says. “On the flip side, this creates opportunity for other young people to have a window into the lives of their peers.” It’s this philosophy, as well as the weekly storytimes (often featuring guest authors), that ensures Squishy Minnie is a destination for travellers from Melbourne and coastal Victoria. But at the heart of the business are the children of the country. “Growing up in regional areas, I was aware that country kids often have less access to good-quality literature, especially if they don’t have a local library,” says Kristen. While lockdown has seen the business temporarily move online, a trip to the shop is well worth it when possible. Kristen agrees: “If someone leaves with the perfect book for them, that makes us happy… if they don’t leave with a book but have a heartwarming experience, we’re just as thrilled.” 6 High Street, Kyneton, (03) 5460 1420, squishyminnie.com.au
“It was clear that others would benefit from what I was learning. It’s a newage garden club!”
Gin Gin Garden Club’s Claire Austin found a way to indulge her own passion and connect with like-minded others.
REGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE
QUEENSLAND Milli & Robe The town of Dalby is in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, about an hour’s drive west of Toowoomba. On bustling Cunningham Street, you’ll find the beautiful and historic Quambi House, built in 1909 and lovingly restored to accommodate fashion and homewares store Milli & Robe, and Urban Paddock Cafe. Milli & Robe fills the front two rooms of the charming Queenslander, with one space dedicated to clothing and accessories, and the other to gifts and homewares. Gabrielle Turner took the reins of the business earlier this year and is bringing her eye for spring colours, modern homewares and fun gifts to the shop. “Getting local brands on board is something I love
118 COUNTRY STYLE NOVEMBER 2020
doing, along with finding small labels that are unique,” says Gabby. Popular brands include luxe yet affordable linen by LJC Designs, hand and body products by Australian line Huxter, ceramics by Carla Dinnage and bold, handpainted pots by Clare Whitney. Gabby cites art as a top-seller, too – namely large canvases by Sunshine Coast painter Amanda Brooks. The house is a hive of activity, with plenty of tables in the sunny garden – just the spot for coffee before browsing the Milli & Robe collection. 138 Cunningham Street, Dalby, 0400 974 566, milliandrobe.com
ONLINE Gin Gin Garden Club Turning to gardening in times of drought may seem counterintuitive. But, as those living on the land will attest, when dryness in the paddocks increases, so too does the yearning for a small refuge. In 2019, Claire Austin was clinging onto her patch of green in Gin Gin, near Trangie, during one of the worst droughts on record. Seeking tips on drought-hardy plantings from neighbours and swapping water-saving hacks at her local mothers’ group, Claire soon realised she wasn’t alone in her quest.
And so, Gin Gin Garden Club was born. “It was clear that others would benefit from what I was learning, so I began documenting my journey and profiling gardens through Instagram – it’s a new-age garden club!” says Claire. Each month, she shares her ‘to-do’ list, outlining jobs to attempt in her garden. Others add what they’ll be up to, creating a conversation. The Club has evolved to include a wonderful online store, in which Claire curates her favourite outdoor tools and accessories. She stocks good-quality garden gear, picnicware, log carriers and tool rolls – items she uses nearly every day. And as it turns out, people all over are looking to the garden in tough times. Claire notes that sales of seed packets increased by 200 per cent in April, something she attributes to lockdown. She adds: “Compost bins have also been popular… maybe because of all the scraps from the homegrown vegies!” Join @gingingardenclub on Instagram or Facebook, and shop via the website. Among tools fit for lovely potting sheds, keep an eye out for cooler bags by Business & Pleasure Co. Made from leftover beach umbrella canvas, they’re a must for a spring full of work (or play!). gingingardenclub.com
PHOTOGRAPHY ANGE STIRLING PHOTOGRAPHY, SEAN PARKER
can we get that?’” explains Aaron, referring to utensils, homewares or stylish pet accessories. “The store features popular items in the Eatery and inspired local and global gifts, plus statement pieces with flair.” So, next time you’re in the Hills region, post-brunch at Fred Eatery, pop next door to peruse this unique collection of local art (in particular, glassware by Thomas Yeend, Drew Spangenberg and makers via design hub Jam Factory), rugs by Tribe Home, Miffy lamps, Alessi tableware, Città homewares, plus a witty range of toys, books and presents for your pooch. 220 Mount Barker Road, Aldgate.
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Fred Living in Aldgate, SA, offers homewares, utensils and quirky gift ideas; Milli & Robe in Dalby, Qld, stocks both classic and contemporary fashion, plus eye-catching accessories, homewares and gifts; chair and lamp from Milli & Robe.
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FASHION
FOR FARMER MICHELLE PRIOR, COMFORT AND HAPPINESS GO HAND-IN-GLOVE FOR FASHION AND HOMEWARES. PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT ST YLING JODIE GIBBONS
Michelle Prior with Maddy (left) and Tilly. FACING PAGE Living in the country brings a sense of calm, and Michelle and the girls enjoy the peace and quiet.
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY STYLE 121
MICHELLE PRIOR FARMER AND MOTHER OF TWO, 46
Michelle, her husband Murray and their two daughters, Maddy, 10, and eight-year-old Tilly, live at Nguurruu, a biodynamic regenerative cattle farm near Gundaroo on the Southern Tablelands of NSW.
CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Michelle grew up on acreage near Canberra; Tilly and Maddy; the girls enjoy a childhood similar to their mum’s. FACING PAGE Michelle embraces an easygoing style.
What do you love about living in the country? The calm it gives you. The peace and quiet has an instant de-stressing effect – clears the mind and allows you to focus on the important things. I grew up on acreage outside Canberra before living in London, Hong Kong and then Sydney in my 20s and 30s. I feel like I’ve come full circle and enjoy watching Maddy and Tilly experience things my sister and I experienced when we grew up. How would you describe your style? Effortless, classic and loyal – once I find a brand I love, I’m loyal forever. I live in Bassike and Lee Mathews. I occasionally experiment with new brands, but always return to Aussie favourites. Are you interested in fashion? I have a huge appreciation for design generally, with a soft spot for home interiors and fashion. Who are your style influences? Women who know the art of less-is-more. The confidence to wear a simple white T-shirt with classic jeans or a beautiful black cashmere jumper topped with a perfect trench coat. I love Isabella Rossellini and, of course, Jackie Onassis. What’s the best style advice you’ve ever received? Choose what makes you feel confident and happy. It works for both fashion and interiors – it has to be authentic to who you are. There’s nothing worse than living with a painting that really isn’t your style or wearing something that doesn’t complement you. What are your wardrobe essentials? A cashmere jumper, jeans and my R. M. Williams boots. My daughters would say head-to-toe P. E Nation activewear. Where do you shop for clothing and accessories? Any local favourites? The South Store in Bowral and Amara Home in Berry are two of my favourites. What are your essential beauty products? I’m currently using Rationale products and loving them. Do you have a favourite fragrance? I’m into being low-tox, so currently Doterra rose or jasmine essential oil. Do you have any favourite accessories? Some of my favourite earrings are from Dinosaur Designs and I have a soft spot for Linda Farrow sunglasses. What things in your daily routine help you keep a balanced life? Sleep and fresh country air! What are you listening to? Charlie Arnott’s The Regenerative Journey podcast which interviews farmers, landscape managers and food health professionals. Where are your favourite local spots for homewares? Lucy Gemma ceramics and printing from Creators Nest in Yass. I’ve been a fan of Bison Home for years.
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MICHELLE LOVES AUTHENTIC FASHION, AND IS LOYAL TO HER FAVOURITE BRANDS.
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1 Organic cotton tank top, $50, from JAG. 2 Temperate shirt dress, $499, from Ginger & Smart. 3 Sunglasses, $69.95, from Zara. 4 Resin earrings, $220, from Dinosaur Designs. 5 Jacket, $150, from COS. 6 Beautiful Skin Superfluid SPF50 moisturiser, $92, from Rationale. 7 Suede and leather Adelaide boots, $595, from R.M. Williams. 8 Saint Belford 2021 Curation diary, $59.95. 9 Cashmere knit, $359, from Mia Fratino. 10. Recycled wool tartan blanket, $179, from The Grampians Goods Co. 11. Noni lip treatment, $32, from Kora Organics. 12 Carmen skirt, $200, from Bec & Bridge. 13 Margot cross body bottle holder, $149, from Oroton (bottle not included). 14 Kooringal Edie wide brim hat, $69.95 from Birdsnest.
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HEALTH AND BEAUTY
MADE TO MEASURE WITH PERSONALISED PRODUCTS DELIVERED RIGHT INTO OUR HANDS, JULIETTE WINTER LOOKS AT WHAT’S NEW IN CUSTOM BEAUTY.
PHOTOGRAPHY ALANA LANDSBERRY, WILL HORNER
WE’VE PRETTY MUCH known this
forever: every human is unique. Individuality is more than skin-deep – it filters down to our preferences and quirks – but the rising inclusivity movement has shone a bright light on embracing our visible differences. No two skins are the same, and few of us fit into the demographics imposed by off-the-shelf products. “Everyone’s cosmetic needs are different,” says Guive Balooch, Global Vice President and head of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator, and spokesperson for SkinCeuticals. “Personalisation is moving toward inclusivity and it’s a trend that will stay and sustain. Mass personalisation provides a way to reach new levels of performance for everyone.” Hyper-personalised formulas allow professionals to tweak ingredient dosages after taking into account not just your skin type, but your complexion’s predisposition to things like ageing, blemishes or sensitivities. Take SkinCeuticals Custom D.O.S.E, a diagnostic service available through dermatologists and aestheticians. It analyses 250 skin-trait combinations before pumping out a tailor-made formula while you wait. “In the hands of a medical practitioner, the percentages of specific ingredients can be made much higher in order
to treat specific conditions,” says Dr Joseph Hkeik, an aesthetic physician and founder of All Saints Skin Clinic. Melbourne-based skincare company Rationale has taken the make-it-mine approach to a whole new level by using DNA testing. A quick cheek swab is all it takes to analyse your skin’s genetic make up and susceptibilities, allowing Rationale to customise treatments. Bespoke beauty is becoming a global movement. In London, Harrods offers hair DNA testing to revive lacklustre locks. In Japan, Shiseido has launched a subscription iPhone app, Optune, which uses the phone’s camera to analyse everything from your sleep pattern and hormones to humidity in order to create a personalised formula. On the cosmetics front, Lancôme invented Le Teint Particulier, a beauty counter service that uses colourmatching technology to sort through
BESPOKE BRANDS Create a skincare routine that’s perfectly tailored to you. • When cosmetic chemist Ee Ting couldn’t find the right skincare, she created her own, and Hop & Cotton was born. Just fill out the online test and Ee will create skincare that’s exactly what your skin needs now. Try Hop & Cotton The Brilliant ($168 for 40ml), a moisturiser and serum in one. • Need a fun gift idea? Engrave directly onto fragrances and make-up at yslbeauty.com.au. Add a name, message or sweet symbol with this cute complimentary service. • A serum that is created in just 10 minutes, SkinCeuticals
22,000 skin tones in order to blend your custom foundation on the spot. “Given that 50 per cent of women say they can’t find the right shade of foundation, this technology truly met a deep consumer need,” says Guive. Customised solutions can even be delivered to your door via brands such as Hop & Cotton, an Aussie skincare company that creates a three-step regimen based on answers to an online quiz. Similarly, a quiz at Function of Beauty results in shampoo and conditioner tailored to your tresses. “Personalisation touches all beauty categories and we’re using technology to put it into the hands of consumers,” says Guive. “It’s a new lever to understanding the skin and hair better so that people can seek out products that satisfy their concerns.” Satisfy is an apt word because driving the tailor-made trend is the growing disquiet that we’ve outgrown a one-size-fits-all beauty solution. There are also hidden benefits to connecting directly with skin professionals. “It translates into correct diagnoses and management,” says Dr Hkeik. “Not only is it possible that clients are less likely to struggle because their skin condition has been treated appropriately, but certain conditions, such as melanoma, may be diagnosed earlier. Lives could be saved.”
Custom D.O.S.E (price on application) is formulated after your skin is matched with over 250 skin types and issues. • Get a bespoke routine via Universkin, where doctors decide what your skin needs. Product prices start at $160. • If you want custom skincare without leaving your couch, try Qr8 MediSkin. An in-depth questionnaire, along with photos of your skin, is reviewed by a doctor in a telehealth consultation. Product prices start at around $130. • Jocelyn Petroni’s Custom-Blend Manicure ($80) uses two Mavala nail polishes to create a hue just for you. Mavala Nail Colour Cream in Wichita and Reno ($8.50 each for 5ml).
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BOOKS
BOOK CLUB THIS MONTH, WE SPOTLIGHT TWO FAMOUS NOVELISTS – AND ONE WHO’S BEEN HIDING HIS LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL. TOGETHER, THEY OFFER A FEAST. REVIEWS ANNABEL LAWSON
THE BLIND LIGHT Stuart Evers, Picador, $39.99 Don’t be deceived by the straggling opening pages – Evers doesn’t believe in getting his trumps out first. The drama begins when the narrative backtracks to 1959. In the 1950s, British males did two years of National Service. Most went to overseas conflicts in Malaya, Cyprus and Korea. And, for the folks at home, there was no sense of security. The threat of the hydrogen bomb created a hiatus for young people. They didn’t study or choose a career, or save, or plan to marry, have children, or pay off a mortgage. They expected to be dead in a few years’ time and so… they partied. We meet Drummond, working class. At the National Service base, he spies a stranger about to be fleeced by card sharks. He steps in. The stranger, James Carter, happens to be the son of a VIP, who quietly ensures that neither of the two young men will be in harm’s way. Due to his behind-the-scenes intervention, they’re assigned to a hush-hush group in the English countryside. The task is to prepare for the aftermath of a nuclear attack. So scary that Carter builds his own luxury nuclear shelter. Drummond, disillusioned by political failures, quits his job at the Ford factory and becomes a dairy farmer. Their respective wives could hardly be more different, but the friendship
128 COUNTRY STYLE NOVEMBER 2020
lumbers on. Big drama at the end – I didn’t know whose side I was on. Through the two families, we see changes in Britain that bode ill for the future, but humour and irony break through the sadness and we float away from the story deeply satisfied.
MOONFLOWER MURDERS Anthony Horowitz, Century, $32.99 Horowitz’s father stashed away a fortune and no one could find it when he died. Why am I telling you this? Because it jolted him into making his own way in the world, and he did it by writing spy thrillers for teenage boys, which were (and still are) a huge success. Out of this experience came the opportunity to write Foyle’s War, a TV series which showed a less-than-heroic Britain in World War II and after. His next exploit was to write two Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Then, the trust in charge of Ian Fleming’s estate invited him to write two James Bond thrillers. Horowitz found his own voice with Magpie Murders, which featured amateur sleuth Susan Ryeland. Moonflower Murders is her second case. There’s a novel tucked within the main novel and, if you take my advice, you’ll read the inner novel first. It’s easier that way. Ryeland, an editor who has retired to Crete and owns a hotel there, comes to Suffolk to find a woman who’s vanished and,
fortuitously, solves an earlier murder guided by the manuscript of the inner novel. I sat up to the wee hours to finish this. Horowitz is a phenomenon not to be missed and it’s no wonder he was awarded an OBE.
THE PULL OF THE STARS Emma Donoghue, Picador, $32.99 Donoghue wrote Room 10 years ago, and it was a sensation both as a novel and as a film. Her fiction since has been a lot less harrowing. Now, she returns to themes that stir up indignation. Dublin in the midst of the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918 had a public hospital with a special maternity ward reserved for patients with the virus. Here, Nurse Power works with almost no help and is badgered from time to time by an insufferable nun whose attitude is that babies of unmarried mothers are better off dead. One patient is having her 12th child; another must return to a husband who beats her; a third will lose her baby because of ignorance and almost no resources; a fourth is little more than a slave. Nurse Power takes a much-needed break and goes up on the roof. It’s an icy-cold winter night, but what happens there changes everything… Donoghue wrote this before our own pandemic erupted, yet it reverberates with the sorrows and strengths that we are seeing toda
PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HORNER STYLING SARAH FARAGO
“Nurse Power takes a break and goes up on the roof… what happens there changes everything.”
Artwork by Newcastle painter Jacqui Reynolds. Find more of her pieces at bluethumb.com.au; hat is stylist’s own, from Will & Bear.
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Located in the Mudgee Region 33 Louee Street Rylstone, NSW www.wevegotitmade.com.au Enter Code STYLE20 to get 20% OFF Weve_got_it_made
Pure Cotton Luxurious Nightwear
www.thea-australia.com.au | 0411 267 872
Online boutique stocking quality fashion accessories, jewellery and lifestyle products.
seasonsemporium.com
We can design, make and deliver your special piece of jewellery without you having to leave the comfort of your own home
www.coomberbros.com.au
A: 78 McDowall Street, Roma, QLD 4455 P: (07) 4622 1145 E: sales@coomberbros.com.au
TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
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Luxury Australian Merino knitwear
@willowandhidedesigns Hand painted canvas clutches. A unique and durable fashion statement handmade in Rural Queensland
Classic, comfortable kids sleepwear made in quality cotton. Sizes 2 to 16
ladykateknitwear
www.ladykate.com.au
willowandhide.com
fourinthebed.com.au | 0411 525 102
COUNTRY EMPORIUM
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PJ MILLER
HOME OF BOWRAL BOXERS
Elegant, timeless, comfortable and versatile… quality clothing designed and made in Australia.
PURE COTTON
French Country nighties 8-24 Men’s & women’s nightshirts XS-3XL
Our Collections are online Now!
Boxer shorts for Adults and children
shop@sandravidendesign.com
(07) 4093 9299
139 20A RJ
www.sandravidendesign.com
Classic cotton and cotton/ linen shirts 8-20
www.bowralboxers.com.au Phone (02) 4862 2520
Meron Somers Artist
Australia’s Best Online Furniture & Home Décor Store Premium Home Brands at Best Prices www.livingstyles.com.au
To view the complete range of paintings view:
w w w.meronsomersartist.com @meronsomersartist | 0411 424 225
Furniture
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Lighting
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Register now to receive your $50 coupons* to spend store wide! thelemontree.com.au 08 9759 1221 • Dunsborough WA WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
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
NOVEMBER 2020 COUNTRY ST Y LE 139
COUNTRY EMPORIUM
B E H AV E S L I K E A R E A L D I A MO N D
Custom made Bedheads Faux leather, 100% linens, linen looks, plain and pattern fabrics. All custom made to any dimensions.
funbedheads.com.au fun_bedheads
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fringedweller_byginaermer Fringe Dweller is a sustainable, slow fashion label and store based in Newcastle NSW. Only natural fabrics are used and all garments are made in Australia.
t r av e l j e w e l s . c o m . a u
www.fringe-dweller.com The Crewel Gobelin needleCrafT
pod& seed
LIVE | LOVE | WEAR 88 shades of linen and counting
rawhome.com.au
Specialty Needlework Store Supplies and Workshops 02 9498 6831
THECREWELGOBELIN.COM.AU
Vintage globe treasures Hand curated & bespoke homewares & gifts Online shopping
podandseed.com
Chez Provence
French tablecloths and accessories direct from Provence - since 2001 info@chezprovence.com.au
0408 574 538
chezprovence
www.chezprovence.com.au TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
TRIPOLINA AUSTRALIAN HANDMADE FOLDING CHAIRS 0423194240 muumuudesign1@gmail.com
www.muumuu.net.au
Swings for all ages Australian made since 1993
www.swingz.com.au
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
Breakaway Art Hand painted letterboxes by artist Samantha Wortelhock of BreakAway Art.
IRONING BOARD COVERS Great new range of colours and designs, new products all ready for Christmas
0488 010 203
wheelie bin stickers PROUDLY MADE IN WA
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sales@sunlander.com.au
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Order enquiries to 0431 258 547 samantha@breakawayart.com.au
Breakawayart.com.au
tee shirts
ife s better w th
Never Die ....
Custom Made Cedar Tubs Warm Up / Cool Down Proudly Crafted in South Australia Freighted Nationwide
COUNTRY EMPORIUM
FLEXIBLE STEEL GARDEN EDGING WHICH BENDS TO VIRTUALLY ANY SHAPE FOR LAWNS, DRIVES, PATHS, FLOWER AND VEGETABLE BEDS.
CHICKENS
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www.grovewesley.com
AUSTRALIA’S HOME OF FABULOUS YARN Featuring local and international yarns, notions and accessories for the contemporary knitter, crocheter and yarn enthusiast. Beginners are welcome!
Visit letsgonatureal.com.au SHOP ONLINE at skeinsisters.com.au | 02 9554 7444
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
or call 0430 125 387 for more information :letsgonatureal
:letsgonature.al
NOVEMBER 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 141
• Magnificent Views • Study/5th Bed • Multiple Living Areas • Large Living Spaces • Electronic Gates • 10 Metre Pool 4
1
villarealestate.com.au
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: Christine 0422 303 311
www.bishopscourtestate.com.au
TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
3
Contact: Linda Shore-Perez 0427 378 687 linda@villarealestate.com.au
33 VIEWLAND DRIVE DOONAN QLD ‘Villa Montecito’ on a hilltop with commanding ocean views to Noosa Heads, is a beautiful property on 6 acres, featuring 10 foot ceilings, large, open fireplace, Italian marble kitchen counters, timber floors and historic, exposed beams. In one word...‘stunning’. Inspect today!
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Prestige Properties | New South Wales
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
French Farmhouse On The Sunshine Coast
R OWL E EWI N ES .CO M. AU
@rowleewines
KINGFISHER PAVILION
MISSION BEACH HOLIDAYS
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.
Kingfisher Pavilion is a private suite at Bundarra Farm. Fronting Currambene Creek, which flows into Jervis Bay. Kangaroos and birdlife share the farm with cattle, horses, ducks and chickens. Featuring an outdoor spa, fire-pit and picnic table. The Kingfisher Pavilion is the ultimate luxury getaway.
Luxury to budget homes and apartments situated between Townsville and Cairns. Where to stay... what to do... in our paradise.
0400 417 711 6 Henry Lawson Drive Mudgee www.littlecookingschoolmudgee.com.au
0478 008 814 kingfisherpavilion@gmail.com www.kingfisherpavilion.com
MUDGEE, NSW
JERVIS BAY, NSW
MISSION BEACH, QLD
(07) 4088 6699 www.missionbeachholidays.com.au
New South Wales | Queensland
THE LITTLE COOKING SCHOOL
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
Escape to Orange’s premier cool climate, high altitude estate. Discover our wine collection, indulge in a range of wine experiences and events during the Orange Wine Festival 1 – 31 October 2020.
KONDALILLA ECO RESORT SUNSHINE COAST, QLD
Stay
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W W W. B Y N G S T R E E T H O T E L . C O M . A U
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
Only one and half hours drive north of Brisbane, nestled amongst 20 acres of abundant Sunshine Coast Hinterland rainforest, this authentic haven from city life allows you time to experience and reconnect with nature. +61 7 5445 7650 hello@kondalilla.com www.kondalilla.com
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COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
South Australia | Tasmania | Victoria
Learn to paint
The Blooms PARIS ROSE with Jacqueline Coates TOTAL NEWBIES WELCOME. Learn from home with the stunning Blooms PARIS ROSE class & compassionate art tutor Jacqueline Coates. Immerse yourself in colour. Step by step videos & live recorded group sessions you will love & loads of support. Discover a 5 star art teacher. Unlock your creativity and bust through your fears. Proven-to-transform painting results. Three paintings in the series! The pack includes; THE BLOOMS PARIS ROSE with Jacqueline Coates • Full suite of instant access videos & group recordings • Private Facebook page group & feedback • Paint handling, blending acrylics & colour mixing video support • Unlimited access inc mentoring, my free art magazine & more • NO NEED TO BE ABLE TO DRAW - I've got you covered! • Problem solving & the blooms professional finish • Start anytime! Go at your own pace!
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“ Glorious landscape, lovely people. Why would you go anywhere else? Four days are not enough”
Soft spring sun and vibrant flowers, our reward at the end of winter’s road. Restore your soul with beauty, luxury and serenity at Frenchman’s River.
@frenchmansrivercygnet
www.frenchmansriver.com.au • Kate/Posie 0466 790 142 • book@frenchmansriver.com.au
SANDRINGHAM DAYLESFORD, VIC
Treat yourself to a world of peace, rejuvenation, relaxation, pristine wilderness and soul reviving tranquility. Master craftsman built 2 bedroom luxury beachouse on 85 acres of farm land, located at Trousers Point on the “wonder of Bass Strait”, Flinders Island.
flindersislandbeachhaven.com.au
TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
beach.haven
Sandringham Daylesford, a lovingly restored 1930’s cottage with a relaxed yet sumptuous offering. Replenish in style. Three bedrooms and three bathrooms with luxury fittings and interiors.
Sandringham_Daylesford www.sandringhamdaylesford.com.au
FROM OUR VINEYARD TO YOUR DOORSTEP Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sparkling, Riesling, Botrytis. James Halliday 5 star Vineyard and Winery - Single Estate wines. Click or email us your order.
Worth waiting for. Lovely Sri Lanka.
ninaspathways
www.ninaspathways.com.au
with a Tasmanian gourmet indulgence
Experience Spring in Tasmania. Join us for one of our cooking classes or experience our rustic dining showcasing local produce and wines. Luxury guest house and unique cooking school just minutes from Launceston. www.redfeatherinn.com.au
COAST HOUSE TASMANIA
Tasmania | Escape and Explore
embrace spring
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
NINA’S PATHWAYS
Summertime dreaming in your own isolated corner of paradise... “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
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
NOVEMBER 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 145
COUN TRY SQUIRE
ALL HEROES WEAR MASKS THE COUNTRY SQUIRE, ROB INGRAM, IS BACK, BUT YOU MAY NOT RECOGNISE HIM – HE’S GOT A MASK ON. – if not infect – all of us. Me? I’m feeling uncharacteristically heroic. And it took a while to realise it was the mask. When I was about eight, I was sent off to a fancy dress party dressed as The Lone Ranger. The party boy’s father – a man of rare perception – said to me, “You must be The Lone Ranger.” “The daring and resourceful Masked Rider of the Plains will lead the fight for law and order in the West,” I replied. It occurred to me then that wearing a mask allows you to make the most pretentious and precocious statements with a straight (and/or hidden) face. I must admit I had forgotten all about this strategy until the pandemic came upon us and medical authorities recommended the use of a protective mask. Okay, we’re not fighting for law and order in the Wild West here, just the Central West. But when the Masked Shopper of the Plains hit town for his newspaper wearing his protective surgical mask, the superhero rhetoric was immediately there. At first, Adrian the newsagent didn’t recognise me behind my three layers of protective fabric. “I’m sure you’re right,” I said. “But if I remember rightly, “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that the masked Green Hornet told us it’s not dying you need defines me,” I announced. I think it was Batman who to be afraid of, but never having lived in the first place.” once said that. And I must admit, I felt a little more “If I may quote from the unmasked Man of Steel,” said supernatural for having said it. the doctor, “sometimes you have to take a leap of faith At the post office, Fiona asked what I was there for. first. The trust part comes later. Do you have faith?” “I’m here to fight for truth, justice and the Dunedoo “Faith is my sword. Truth is my shield. Knowledge way,” I heard myself saying. my armour,” I replied. “I can’t remember quite who said “Hmm,” said Fiona. “Well, here’s your new Seniors that first, but I’m sure he was masked.” Card, Superman.” “Sounds like Hillsong to We discussed how with great ME TO UR OCC “IT BEGAN TO me,” said the masked doctor. powers – and a Seniors Card – comes K Perhaps it’s only when you great responsibility. And I was THAT THE TRIPLE-LAYER MAS on my way. “Must fly,” I said. MIGHT BE MAKING ME THREE possess the powers that wearing a mask can give you that you It was beginning to occur to me TIMES MORE DELUSIONAL.” realise the absolute wisdom that the recommended triple-layer of those comic superheroes of our youth. mask might be making me three times more delusional. Strength is not in the fists of those who try to dominate I mean, when the raffle-ticket seller outside the butcher you, but in the hands of those who have sworn to fight for shop told me she represented the CWA, I told her that freedom. That sort of thing. Heroes are made by the paths I represented hope, opportunity and strength for all. they choose, not the powers they are gifted. These could So, what’s this link between the face mask and the be the new Commandments we live by today. superhero? And are health authorities merely clinging The Chosen One is less impressed by mask power. “Only a to the childish belief that wearing a mask will give us man could think masks are a good idea without considering a superhuman ability to deny the pandemic? I discussed lunch, a cup of coffee, a smoke and cleaning their teeth,” this with the doctor, who assured me that people can she said. There’s some truth in that, Wonder Woman. wear a mask and still die.
146 COUNTRY STYLE NOVEMBER 2020
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY SAM MCADAM-COOPER STYLING PHOEBE MCEVOY
WELL, THEY WARNED US THAT THE PANDEMIC would affect
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