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JULY 2021 I AUSTRALIA COAST TO COAST

ESCAPE THE EVERYDAY

MOVING TO THE COUNTRY SPECIAL WARM & COSY

Beautiful bedlinen and blankets A JILLAROO’S LIFE ON A STATION

TOWN HOUSE A historic bakery transformed in Crookwell

WINTER WOOLLIES The women making merino fashionable

For almost a century, AGA has been bringing life to the kitchen. We understand the importance of home, family, friends and good food and we know that our homes have to work harder than ever before. It’s why we’ve now created an AGA cooker for every stage of life. From first homes to forever homes, there’s an AGA for every cook and every kitchen.

“Scribble”

EDITOR’S LETTER

Living in the city, it is hard to relate to some aspects of country life. I can read all the news articles and watch all the current affairs programs reporting on the mouse plague, but I don’t know what it is really like to live through it.

I empathise, of course, but I don’t wake up in the morning to full traps, my nostrils aren’t filled with their pungent smell, and I’m not faced with the destruction of my property and crops – the loss of my livelihood with no end in sight. My heart goes out to everyone battling these vermin.

Moving to the country is something many of us dream of, imagining wide open spaces, fresh air, a few cattle, green paddocks, a beautiful farmhouse and a welcoming, close-knit community. All of this is possible but there are hardships too, so we decided to devote this issue to moving to the country – the good, the not so good and the funny. Turn to page 30 for real-life accounts of leaving the city behind.

Our new columnist, photographer Emma Moss, shares her story of working on a cattle station in the Kimberley during her gap year on page 98. Did you know more young women than men now apply for these positions? It’s an interesting trend and Emma reflects on how the move changed her life.

While on page 154 our Country Squire, Rob Ingram, laments about a problem all too familiar for those who live in regional areas: mobile reception, or more accurately lack thereof, and “Waiting For Telstra”.

You’ll notice below there is a new way to subscribe to Country Style, using a QR prefer to do it the good-old fashioned way, turn to page 14.

PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT DRESS COUNTRY ROAD

Kylie Imeson

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JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 5

Rolling hills, fresh air, wide open spaces – do you dream of moving of the country?

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52

64 30 64 82 98 128

COVER STORIES

The good life: moving to the country special Town house: a historic bakery transformed in Crookwell Warm & cosy: beautiful bedlinen and blankets A jillaroo’s life on a station Winter woollies: the women making merino fashionable

PEOPLE

18 MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD

PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT, MARNIE HAWSON

44

64 NURSED BACK TO LIFE 74

A crumbling bakery in Crookwell, NSW, has been transformed into a family’s home away from home.

AN EXCELLENT VINTAGE The interiors in a Daylesford cottage have been perfected over decades, with reclaimed finds and a knack for blending old and new.

DECORATING

Winter Olympian Torah Bright shares stories from her childhood in the NSW Snowy Mountains.

UP ON HIGH A pair of university academics have turned their hands to regenerative farming – and with great success.

82 INTO THE NIGHT

MOVING TO THE COUNTRY

90 NATURE STUDIES

30 BRIGHTER DAYS

Share the tears and triumphs of couples, singles and families who have traded in their city lives for the dream of living in regional Australia.

37 A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

From the Northern Territory’s vibrant Garma Festival to the Huon Valley’s Mid-Winter Festival in Tasmania, there’s plenty to keep us entertained throughout July.

HOMES

52 STAYING TRUE

Meet the intrepid Melbourne couple who made the move to rural Victoria and restored a 1950s farmhouse.

Prepare for a blissful night’s sleep this winter as you sink into plump pillows and snuggle under beautifully cosy bed linens and blankets.

GARDEN

Author and designer Jenny Rose-Innes gives us a tour of her glorious garden in the NSW Southern Highlands.

LIFE ON A STATION

98 HEART STRINGS

Photographer and Country Style’s new columnist, Emma Moss, talks about falling in love with the Kimberley, and how her move there led to a whole new life direction.

OUR LIFE IN THE COUNTRY

104 PASSING ON KNOWLEDGE

There’s never a dull moment for the Tommerup family, between running a dairy farm, managing their farmstay accommodation, and venturing into agritourism.

FASHION AND BEAUTY

128 WINTER WOOLLIES 132

90

The women making merino fashionable.

STROKE OF GENIUS A beauitful lip colour can transform your look.

BOOK CLUB

116

134 Men have a hard time this month, but life goes on, says Country Style’s Annabel Lawson.

EDUCATION

136 ALL IN THE FAMILY

Choosing a boarding school is a big decision.

REGULAR READING

10 Contributors 13 Your Page: Readers’ emails and letters 16 A Day in the Country: tennis night is a crazy rush for 154

82

SERVICES

14 SUBSCRIBE TO COUNTRY STYLE AND

110 SLOW AND STEADY

116

Stay warm this winter with simple dishes that can be prepared ahead in your slow cooker.

FLAVOURS What to eat, drink and cook with this month.

EAT YOUR VEG Our Country Chef Steve Cumper reveals how his appreciation for roasted pumpkin has blossomed and shares a favourite recipe.

TRAVEL

118 MY TOWN: MURWILLUMBAH

124

Antiques and vintage garb, eco cabins, and cuisines ranging from modern Australian to traditional Venetian are all on offer here.

TOUR THE TOP END Waterfalls, wetlands, Indigenous rock art and a crocodile-shaped hotel, we have your Northern Territory road trip all planned out.

139 140 151

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OUR COVER

In Narromine, NSW, the setting sun strikes shafts of golden light into an old shearing shed, while lambs gambol around as smoko is served on a wool bale.

PHOTOGRAPHY Clancy Paine STYLING Clancy Paine, Jemima Aldridge

ON THE COVER Our stars this month are a couple of poddy merino lambs who are waiting for their next bottle near the shearing shed on Clancy Paine’s Narromine property. The character-filled shed also features in our fashion story, where we meet some of the women championing the Australian wool industry. Turn to page 128 to see more. All props stylist’s and photographer’s own.

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.

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PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE, MARNIE HAWSON, CLARE MAGUIRE STYLING BELLE HEMMING, OLIVIA BLACKMORE

FOOD

115

Maggie Mackellar, but the rewards are manifold.

Country Squire: Rob Ingram bemoans that common rural problem – a lack of mobile reception.

A WARM

R E C E P T I O N,

WITH PHONE

IFFY COVERAGE

— The drive was long. The map got a little confused. And your playlist is limited to a couple of offline albums.

But the heater’s cranking, and there’s more blankets than you can throw a throw cushion at.

Suddenly, no bars sounds a lot like freedom.

No news. No notifications. The only feed is whatever’s bubbling away in the oven.

If that sounds like your idea of a good time, come down to Tasmania this Off Season, and leave the world on silent. → Visit discovertasmania.com.au/off-season

CONTRIBUTORS

in this i s s u e . . .

E M M A

New columnist Emma lives on a cattle station in the Kimberley, between Derby and Fitzroy Crossing. Her photography features on her Instagram @life_on_a_station, and in her story on page 98.

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Growing up on 40 hectares outside Toowoomba, Emma fell in love with station life as soon as she encountered it on her post-highschool gap year in 2016. “I love the isolation and the community that it brings together,” she says.

“It’s also gorgeous scenery and so peaceful. Boab trees are my favourite plant on earth and I’m surrounded by them.” Not coincidentally, that was when Emma, 22, first picked up a camera, and her Instagram account has flourished ever since.

Now she nannies for the station manager’s two children – and looks after her two sausage dogs, Moose and Mabel.

Writer and stylist Jessica relishes her quiet surrounds when she sits at her keyboard. In this issue, she wrote about Jenny Rose-Innes’ garden (page 90).

BUSH BUYS

Regional shops to visit and support

THE OPEN ROAD

Driving holidays in every state and territory

A COUNTRY WELCOME Charming towns to visit around Australia

ON SALE NOW Available to purchase at selected newsagents and supermarkets

Living in the peaceful surrounds of the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, is second nature to Jessica, 39. During her childhood in Wollongong, she says, “Sunday drives through the Southern Highlands and beyond were the norm for our family. The trips gave me a love of nature’s scents, dusty antique stores, and the way the light flickers behind closed eyes as the car travels along winding, tree-lined roads.” Now living in Maianbar, with husband Beau and rescue dog Charles Barkley, she can indulge her love of the country’s “sharp, clean air, ever-changing light, and quiet”.

WORDS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY EMMA MOSS, JESSICA BELLEF, ABBIE MELLE

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YOUR PAGE

We assembled a Noah’s Ark of animals for our May cover, which showed the farm gate stall at @hollyburtonfarm in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges.

Here farmer Colita Scott’s daughter, Madelaine, sells her organic, free-range eggs, as well as fresh vegetables.

The roses are from Acre of Roses @acreofroses, in nearby Trentham, while the sisal rug is from Zebra Home @zebra.home Photography @marniehawson Styling @bellebrightproject

We’re holidaying at home this year, and The Country Guide is an essential guide. It’s packed with road trip itineraries, beautiful holiday homes to stay in and charming towns to visit. With regional shopping guides, destination restaurants and more, you can order it online at magshop.com.au or find it in newsagents now.

YOUR PAGE

A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN IS LIKE THERAPY FOR ONE READER, WHILE ANOTHER CHAMPIONS A ‘POPPING-IN MOVEMENT’, AND WE CELEBRATE THE STRENGTH OF COUNTRY WOMEN.

GARDEN GLORIES

Whenever I pick up my monthly copy of Country Style, I always feel a sense of anticipation and excitement as I turn the first pages, and long to squirrel myself away so that I can indulge uninterrupted. Every issue is like therapy for the soul. And the May issue was therapy in abundance, especially the magnificent gardens of Jenny and John Shaw in Woodend.

I found myself returning to the photos over and over again, trying to imagine how this canvas of nature’s glory would transform during the region’s distinct seasons. It must be bliss.

Many thanks to Jenny and John for giving us a glimpse of their paradise.

Judith Caine, Donvale, Vic

A POP-IN MOVEMENT

I felt compelled to write regarding your article Popping In [May issue].

As a child I remember just popping in to relatives, friends and neighbours, and also being on the receiving end.

I so wish this would still happen today, but I think everyone is so busy they don’t have time. It brings such joy to us when people pop in. I feel we need to start a ‘popping in’ movement.

Julene Cutting, Victoria Plains, Qld

one of the main reasons I buy your magazine! So many have become family favourites – including the Ginger Fluff sponge I made for a Mother’s Day afternoon tea, the healthy coconut biscuits, which are regulars in my biscuit barrel, and our new Christmas tradition, the Danish honey cakes. This month I made Grannie Jess’ Lemon Pudding for a parish potluck dinner last weekend and it was a tremendous success!

Not only was it devoured within minutes, but I had many requests for the recipe – so I told them to buy Country Style! I will be reaching for this recipe for years to come.

Karen Hutchings, Lindfield, NSW

WINNER

COUNTRY STRONG

I am writing this as I sit in a hospital room with my gravely ill mother-in-law.

As she has been given only a few days – if not hours – to live, I am reflecting on her 89 years as a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

This morning I read the May editor’s letter whose words could be describing her life as a farming woman. As the matriarch, she was a “strong, capable, hardworking country woman who can’t do enough for other people”. Her life revolves around her family, her home and her community.

As Maggie MacKellar’s article in the same issue said, “some people always seem to have fresh-baked biscuits and a hot cup of tea for surprise visitors”.

This is my mother-in-law.

At this deeply sad time, thank you Country Style for reminding me, a city dweller, of the wonderful gift women of the country give to us all.

Rita Hampson, Bunya, Qld

Congratulations

Rita Hampson, you’ve won a pair of Millwoods women’s leopard loafers and a pair of children’s loafers.

Total prize is worth $300. Visit millwoods.com.au, @millwoods 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

GAME, SET, MATCH IT’S WEDNESDAY, which means it’s tennis night. And

though I’ve now been playing in the local pennant for the last eight years I’m nothing if not predictable and without fail, curse my commitment. I scrub the dirt from under my nails, find a cleaner jumper, tennis shoes and $4 in coins for ball money and then drive into our local town to belt a yellow ball with great inconsistency over the net.

I never manage to eat tea before I leave and frequently arrive breathless and wishing I’d never signed up.

I hadn’t played in a “competition” since school. But in an effort to meet my new community I dutifully went along. Tennis was one of those skills my parents had insisted we learn, along with a musical instrument (a waste of money) and a strong swimming stroke (definitely not a waste of money).

After school I didn’t play at all, and it wasn’t until I moved out of Sydney back to the family farm as a broken-hearted single mother that I picked up my racquet again. Tuesday tennis was an institution in the district and my grandmother had been part of the original circle of women who played once a week. They took turns hosting. Everyone brought a cut lunch and we played on the red dirt of packed-down ant beds. These women, my mother’s age mostly and older, saved me. I’d arrive, a sleep-deprived, grief-stricken mess with an out-of-control three-year-old. They would send me onto the court and wave away my protests about my son’s lack of manners. And I would work up a sweat.

The tennis, the sudden focus on the now, gifted me a way out of the struggle of every day. Suddenly it didn’t matter that I’d left my job, that my small son never slept, that my university career seemed suddenly impossible – all that mattered was that I hit the ball back over the net

16 COUNTRY STYLE JULY 2021

with enough force to stymie the 70-year-old grandmother with the wicked forehand at the other end of the court.

We would have two serves each and no one worried too much about the score.

Here in Tassie it’s a little different. I play in a mixed doubles competition that runs throughout the year. It’s more competitive than ‘Tuesday tennis’, so much so we frequently have to remind each other we’re not playing for sheep stations (which are suddenly valuable again now it’s rained). Our comp is made up of a smattering of local farmers with bad backs and dodgy knees, the butcher, stock agent, a fitter and turner, an accountant and payroll officer, several fishermen, a fly-in-fly-out miner, tourism operators, a crane driver, the mechanic, a truck driver, school teachers, retired forestry workers and me.

We try and make the teams as even as possible, so there’s every chance the local football hero will be paired with a retired school teacher (who has a killer serve but whose turn-of-foot is not as electric as in decades past). The competition is fierce, but it’s bad manners to serve hard at anyone over 70 or with a new hip – and the banter is as entertaining as the tennis.

Every week I curse my inconsistency and when my serve is working, I send silent prayers of thanks to my parents for insisting on tennis lessons. Every week I am amazed by my fellow players, most of whom have a talent for ambidextrous play and have never had a tennis lesson in their life. And every week I sit in the clubroom listening to the local gossip and feel pleased to be included.

Then, as I drive home up the dark highway, slowing for the kangaroos, I thank goodness for tennis and can’t wait until next Wednesda

The sun sets on another Wednesday’s tennis night, giving way to the anticipation of next week’s game.

PHOTOGRAPHY MAGGIE MACKELLAR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY JO ADAMS

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MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD

AUSTRALIA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL WINTER OLYMPIAN, TORAH BRIGHT, SHARES MEMORIES FROM A UNIQUE CHILDHOOD IN THE NSW SNOWY MOUNTAINS. WORDS A LICE MOFFITT

CHAMPION SNOWBOARDER Torah Bright’s

and emotionally capable of delivering affinity with the mountains was shaped on the day”. However she admits by her childhood in the foothills of the that her greatest accomplishment as Kosciuszko National Park in southern a snowboarder has nothing to do NSW. Torah was born and grew up in with accolades.

Cooma with her parents Peter, a farmer “Whenever I’ve felt that career turned irrigation specialist, Marion, burnout, I’ve somehow been able to a nurse, and her four siblings. reignite my love for snowboarding “The whole Bright family loved being by finding something different to out in nature. We were so lucky that the love about it. I really do still love bush was a short walk from our house,” snowboarding and being a part of the she says. “Our mum also realised we were mountains. And now, being a mum is a Torah, aged five, on a family ski day much better behaved and were actually whole new excitement. There’s so much outside Thredbo Ski Club. friends when we were outside,” she laughs. more joy to come from spending time Torah recalls plenty of adventures with her brothers and there as a family,” she says with her signature wide smile. sisters, Robin, now 43, Rowena, now 41, Ben, now 36 and Torah married her husband Angus Thomson just outside Abish, now 32. “I was the second youngest of five so there Cooma in 2015, and in July 2020 they welcomed their son was always someone I wanted to chase around after.”

Flow. She says the connection between the couple was The 34-year-old says it was when she started influenced by a mutual appreciation for the mountains. snowboarding, aged 11, that she became closer with Ben and “Angus grew up in Sydney but the snow was also very much Abish. “We started snowboarding at a similar time so we a part of his childhood and his identity. His parents love were each other’s cheerleaders and became buds. Ben ended the mountains too and still spend a lot of time there. Angus up being my snowboard coach for many years,” she says. was a talented skier before I met him, but he picked up Torah carried the flag for Australia at the opening snowboarding very quickly,” she says. “He brings so much ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, where excitement and joy to our time in the mountains.” she won gold in the halfpipe. At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Torah explains that in recent years she’s been fortunate Torah became the first Olympic athlete (male or female) to to spend more time at Thredbo Ski Resort, where she is an qualify for all three snowboarding disciplines: slopestyle, ambassador. “I used to train in New Zealand during the boardercross and halfpipe – in which she won a silver medal. southern hemisphere winters. But Australian resorts have Torah is known for her effervescent personality, which she put a lot of resources into making their facilities world-class, attributes to her childhood. “My mum was always a glassso I’m lucky that I can train here now,” she says. half-full kind of person. We were taught that everything is Torah, Angus and Flow now live between two homes. a blessing, a lesson or both. That’s not to say there weren’t “We do the gypsy life between the northern beaches and the hardships, but she taught us that it’s the way you look at life Snowy Mountains. My parents still live in Cooma and a lot to try to find the joy,” she explains. of the rest of my family are in the area. I’m so blessed that Reflecting on her career achievements, Torah says her we get to spend so much time there,” she says.

Olympic medals are obvious highlights, “because of what it Torah stars in Out Of Bounds, an IMAX film due for release takes for everything to line up and be physically, mentally in Australia this year. See mountainadventurefilm.com >

18 COUNTRY STYLE JULY 2021

PHOTOGRAPHY MATTY OWER. CHILDHOOD PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY TORAH BRIGHT

Torah in Alaska, on location for the Out Of Bounds IMAX movie due for release in Australia later this year.

MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Torah Torah, age seven, at a swimming carnival; at 13 starting her snowboarding career; in a school ski race, aged seven; at a snowboard event in Thredbo at 13; at a cross-country competition, aged seven.

“I’VE GOT NOTHING BUT GREAT AND GRAND memories of

growing up in Cooma. It was the best of both worlds.

We really did get the extremes of the seasons and I loved that. It was about the same distance to the ocean as to the mountains. In winter we were able to get up to the mountains on the weekends. But I also remember such hot, humid nights in summer when we’d travel down the coast to Tathra and spent a lot of time at the beach.

My whole family were keen skiers and I was two when I first started. But I very clearly remember the day I first tried snowboarding. My brother, Ben, wanted to learn to snowboard, so of course I wanted to learn too. I remember that very same morning, I told Mum not to bother buying me a mountain season pass for that year, because I had been enjoying cross-country skiing so much and it didn’t require an expensive pass. But that all changed very quickly after we had a snowboarding lesson – we loved it so much! By that afternoon we’d started begging our parents to buy us snowboards. Within about three days we’d bought old ex-rental snowboards from a shop in Jindabyne and never looked back. It’s ironic though because snowboarding back in the mid-90s was considered a bit of a degenerate choice on the mountain and I used to say some not very nice things about snowboarders.

I went to Cooma North Primary School. I had a great bunch of friends from different backgrounds. The Snowy Mountains Scheme brought a lot of other cultures to the mountains, which was quite unique for a country town.

In the winter we had school ski day once a week where we were able to go skiing! It was phenomenal.

I started high school at Snowy Mountains Grammar in Jindabyne, but in Year 8, when I was 14, my snowboarding commitments took over. I was away for half the year, so I completed the rest of school by distance education.

When I was going away, I had to pack strategically so I would have enough space for my clothes and also these massive packs of school work that were sent to me, which took up half my suitcase.

When I was actually at home during those years I would spend all my spare time stuck in my room catching up on the school work I didn’t do while I was away. I loved school and loved learning and missed being there physically.

Ordinarily we weren’t allowed to watch much television growing up, but the Olympics were an exception to that rule. I remember the television in our house was on 24 hours a day for the whole two weeks during every summer and winter Olympics. I remember idolising all our Aussie athletes like Susie O’Neill, Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Zali Steggall and my mum lived for it all.

My mother is a force. Us Brights were always busy, and she continually had us in the car going to every possible sporting event and everything else we were doing. Now, being a mum and knowing how hectic it is with one baby, I cannot believe that she did as much as she did with us. She really was Wonder Woman – as all mums are. Something she taught me as a young girl, that I’ve come back to time and time again in my life, is the power of visualisation. She taught me how to see and feel the emotion of the future I wanted. Throughout my whole life what I’ve created has been built on that principle.”

COOMA The traditional home of the Ngarigo people, Cooma is the largest town in the Snowy Mountains region, with a population of around 6500. Surrounded by the treeless, open Monaro plains, Cooma was settled in the mid-1800s. By the turn of the century it was a prosperous centre with sprawling merino and beef properties, a nearby goldmine, newly constructed railway to Canberra and Sydney and winter snow sports in the nearby Kosciuszko National Park. From 1949 the Snowy Mountains Scheme saw the arrival of workers from around 30 postwar European countries and brought a cultural change to the town. Cooma is one hour south of Canberra and one hour to the ski resorts in Kosciuszko National Park. The Snowy Hydro 2.0 project has recently brought new jobs to the region and reinvigorated Cooma once again.

20 COUNTRY STYLE JULY 2021

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Shelley and Tyrone Kennedy, with Clover and Mavi (and pup Banjo) sit on the deck of the house they built on their WA cattle farm.

30 COUNTRY STYLE JULY 2021

MOVING TO THE COUNTRY

BRIGHTER DAYS ROO ATTACKS, MUD SHOWERS AND POWER OUTAGES: MOVING TO THE COUNTRY ISN’T ALL ROSES. RECENT CITY ESCAPEES SHARE THEIR TEARS AND TRIUMPHS. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

BUILDING A NEW LIFE

PHOTOGRAPHY RACHEL CLAIRE

Shelley and Tyrone Kennedy moved from Perth to a cattle farm near Denmark in January 2020.

“We relocated from Perth to Upland Farm in January 2020 – but we’d been planning the move since buying it in 2018. Lots of our friends are farmers or grew up in the country and we admired their lifestyle. Country living became more appealing after having our girls, Clover, five, and Mavi, three (we also have Banjo, a border collie).

“We run 50 cattle on our 43-hectare farm. We spent seven months

building our home (we own a commercial construction company in Perth, Alcove Engineering and Construction, and Tyrone is an engineer and commercial builder), and then built a guest house for income and a place for family and friends to stay. What we didn’t intend was facing a global pandemic three weeks after opening. We used that time to take a breath after a busy year, and to get to know the community.

“I think the pandemic allowed people to see what’s important, including the need for meaningful,

slow and sustainable ways to see out each day and spend their holidays.

“We treasure being so reliant on nature and the seasons. Watching the paddocks and vineyards turn tones, seeing the weather set in and watching our girls embrace a slower pace of life has been so special.

“Country living comes with its sacrifices, like being away from our support network of family and friends and the conveniences of the city, but the joy outweighs the challenges.

“I’ve learnt to stock up and freeze extra milk and bread, as ducking >

“Life on a farm is turning the kids into wellrounded, resilient people. We have zero regrets.”

MOVING TO THE COUNTRY CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT The Kennedys love their new life on a cattle farm; Amy and Ruby can relax in the Mornington Peninsula; the Davy family are learning how to be farmers, thanks to friendly locals – and YouTube.

to the shops is less appealing. We always have extra fuel for the back-up generator and a never-ending supply of firewood. Our farming friends have had a good giggle watching us stumble through farm life and have helped us with practical tips. But we’ve become more resourceful and resilient – and so appreciative of the weather.

“The city is always there. So if you have that itch to move to the country, give it a go. If it seems daunting, perhaps choose a country town that’s still close to amenities. For us, a good education system, a hospital and a bigger town nearby were important.

Embrace the lifestyle, go explore and enjoy the process of slowing down.”

KNITTING A NEW LIFE

PHOTOGRAPHY RACHEL CLAIRE, CHESS DID THIS, BRAD CLARK

Amy Jones left her fast-paced world in Melbourne for the Mornington Peninsula in 2015.

“I moved from Melbourne out to the Mornington Peninsula six years ago.

I’d returned from living in London and was single and in my early 30s. I threw myself back into living in share houses in St Kilda and Richmond, attempting to fit back into Melbourne life. But I soon realised this life didn’t fit me anymore, or I didn’t fit it.

“I knew I wanted to be in the Mornington Peninsula longer term, but I was intimidated by it as a single person. In my eyes, a life on the Peninsula was where married people lived with dogs and kids… neither of which I had. It had no nightlife or urban action, or the things singles are meant to be doing. I was probably scared of being isolated and lonely.

“But I got up the courage and did it anyway. I figured I was better to be somewhere alone (and out of my comfort zone) where I wanted to be, than in a place that didn’t resonate for me. I leased a house in Mornington for two years to test the area before purchasing my own house in Dromana. And I never felt lonely once.

“I was freelancing and had just incubated the concept of our now full-time business, Mia Fratino, a luxury knitwear brand, with my business partner Tim Fitzpatrick.

“We established the business remotely between our Melbourne and Sydney offices (mine was a desk in my house with a view over the bay). It was challenging, building a new brand from home with no one to bounce ideas off. But this environment and space (and daily beach walks with Ruby, my rescue dog) let me clear my head and be focused. I thought the distance to Melbourne would be a hindrance, but I was surprised how little I needed to go in. When I did, I loved coming home to the peace of the Peninsula. Accessing professional contacts was a challenge, but others have also made the shift and now the area is a thriving hub of creatives.

“I’d advise other tree-changers to get connected. Join a gym. Join a swim or running group. Find your people. If you’re working from home, there are fabulous co-working spaces in most regional areas.

“My life filled up with everything good from the second I made the shift. I grew up on the Peninsula, and coming back, I have come full circle. It felt right to be back.”

HOPPING TO THE HILLS From Perth to the Preston Valley: Alexis Davy, husband Aaron, Frankie, 10, and Leo, seven, made their move in 2016.

“On a Monday in May 2016 I was driving back to Perth after work in the country. I got such a heavy feeling that I sent my husband a text asking if we could move to the country. Twelve weeks later we had sold our home, had a European adventure and settled on a 40-hectare farm in the green rolling hills of Donnybrook, WA. “We’d talked about being producers more than consumers, growing our food and raising kids with practical skills and a connection to the land.

Because I’d been working for a mining company in contaminated land management, I wanted to leave a patch of land better than I found it.

But we hadn’t ever seriously talked about moving. He replied: ‘Let’s do it!’

“Aaron went from commercial brewing to being a stay-at-home dad

and running our business, Preston Valley Hops, as well as setting up our accommodation @littlehophouse.

I now work for my company remotely.

“We were pleasantly surprised how welcoming people are. It warms my heart when I see locals chipping in to put out fires and rallying around the sporting clubs. I often sidle up to an old bloke at the cattle sales and ask stupid questions. They say you’re either winning or you’re learning – we’ve done some good learning!

“We bought two piglets and put them in electric fencing, just like we’d seen on YouTube... We spent a lot of time putting them back in their pen.

Then we bought four piglets. They all escaped instantly and headed for the scrub along the river. My cousin Karl and his partner Sarah (a real farmer) came over and lured them to the riverbank with apples, then leapt on them, one squealing piglet in each hand. Most impressive thing I’ve seen in our five years of farm life.

“The farmer who had the place before us said he’d only ever drunk the well water, but it took us time to adjust to it while we installed a filtered rainwater tank. I remember crying one freezing morning when I jumped in the shower, only to have mud spurt out of the shower head.

“You can really experience the seasons here: they look, smell, taste different. Late summer smells like hops around here! And the stars are incredible. Best of all is the new life – I love sitting in the dark with my daughter as we watch the steam come off a brand-new calf. And oddly, the lack of choice is great: it reduces your mental load. You can get pretty much everything you need in one street.

But if you need one-inch pipe fittings on a Sunday, you’re in trouble.

“We have goats, dogs, chickens, ducks, a rabbit, a sheep, cows and pigs sometimes. We lost our first sheep to a snakebite – my son cried for months.

But learning to grieve has been an important life lesson for the kids.

Life on a farm is turning them into well-rounded, resilient people and we have zero regrets about moving.” >

JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 33

MOVING TO THE COUNTRY CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Amy and James Tracy-Inglis, with Isla, Harry and baby Fleur, on their NSW olive farm; Chris Mohen and Ally Wylde with Kit; Lynne and Andrew Grierson, with their Jack Russell/Staffie cross Audrey, in Nayook, Vic.

SMOKE, OLIVES – AND LOVE

PHOTOGRAPHY MARIANNA PHOTOGRAPHY, SUPPLIED, CHRIS MOHEN

Amy and James Tracy-Inglis had a dramatic journey from Sydney’s Northern Beaches to their olive farm in Riverlea, outside Mudgee.

“We moved in December 2019. The fires roaring through the Blue Mountains closed the highway behind our removalist trucks; and we arrived at Riverlea during a severe drought, and in a huge dust storm and 40-degree heat. James’ first words were: ‘What are we doing?’

“The drama didn’t stop when we arrived. We had about 30 kangaroos living on our lawn (during the drought, the only green grass was in our irrigated garden), so we got used to their growling when we walked to the clothesline and the vegie patch.

One late summer evening, when James was working in Sydney, I had put the kids (Isla, seven, and Harry, four) to bed, then went down to the pool to clean the filter. For some reason, I walked through the roos instead of around them, and got between a huge male and his females.

He bailed me up and ripped the back of my dress. I ran like a crazy woman – I was pregnant with Fleur – back to the house, terrified he was chasing me. I have a scar on my neck to tell the tale. And then Fleur, now one, was born in the first week of lockdown.

“Any move is going to have its challenges. In our case, it was packing up our beautiful house and moving away from the convenience of city living and being so close to the beaches. Initially, the kids were too scared to venture outside on their own, which frustrated me as I’d dreamed about them doing nudey rudeys under sprinklers, climbing trees and coming inside to show me new treasures they’d found in the garden. We also took on chooks, kittens and a border collie puppy – once again, the kids weren’t used to all these animals and took time to come around. Then COVID hit, and so instead of enjoying long winery lunches with new-found friends, we couldn’t make any friends at all!

“I suppose when you live in the country a lot of things don’t matter anymore. If you run out of food, you just live off what’s in the pantry or freezer until you go to town. If you’re staying at home, you don’t mind that you and the kids look dishevelled and dirty half the time. I grew up on a farm outside Coolah, where my whole family live, so I knew I wanted our kids to be close to family and have a similar upbringing to me. I did love the Northern Beaches, but you can’t take the country out of the girl!

“James now juggles his advertising job with farm work – we have 450 olive trees on 14 hectares, and we look forward to selling our first harvest of Anatinus Farm olive oil. We can’t believe our luck that we’ve moved to such a beautiful area where we have so much space to all be together.”

VALLEY VISTAS

Ally Wylde and Chris Mohen moved from a unit in Sydney’s Vaucluse to the Byron Bay hinterland after losing work – and having a baby – during COVID.

“We had always planned on moving to Byron – and last year the opportunity was there, if a little earlier than we had wanted, so we took it. COVID was, and still is, a really hard time for anyone working in creative industries (Chris is a fashion and beauty photographer and I worked in fashion PR before having Kit in July 2020).

But it did give us the chance to start somewhere new and throw ourselves into starting our own brand, Mason Wylde, making handcrafted travertine furniture. Watching its success has been so exciting!

“The hinterland is truly the best of both worlds; far enough away from the bustle of town but still close enough that the beach is only a quick drive away. We used to live in a small apartment in Sydney, and now we have a three-bedroom house on a hill overlooking a lush valley.

“Nothing (literally nothing) being open on a Sunday has taken a bit of getting used to. Sundays are a day of rest, regardless if that’s how you want

to play it. The Thai restaurant closing at 7pm and not being able to wander down the road to grab a coffee was a surprisingly rough transition.

“But with the minor inconveniences came the most lovely gesture from our neighbour, who dropped off a basket of fresh eggs and rosemary from her garden. The shock on our faces showed we were out-of-towners!

“Moving away from our families with a newborn was hard. We went from being within 30 minutes of family and friends to being eight hours away, but we threw caution to the wind and hoped for the best – the best being plenty of work post-COVID and plenty of beach time while trying to navigate a tiny human.

“Having heaps of options to park is a true joy: we can park anywhere on the property! But early this year we had 100mm of rain in half an hour – our driveway washed down the hill, with one of our cars stuck at the bottom. That was something we didn’t have an issue with in Vaucluse, but now I can add ‘driveway repairer’ to my resume.

“Also part of the family are Indi, a King Charles Cavalier, and Gigi, a teacup Maltese Shi-tzu who very much misses the eastern suburbs. But we’re so thankful. Looking west off our balcony into the valley as the sun sets is so magical, and we try to spend as much time here as possible.”

NEIGHBOURLY NAYOOK

Lynne Grierson’s husband Andrew was an airline pilot until COVID hit, when they left the Mornington Peninsula for West Gippsland.

“We bought Belmore in September 2019 as a holiday home, planning to retire there. It’s our dream home, from the heritage house to the orchard and the 30 hectares of land, half cleared and half temperate forest with huge mountain ash and fern gullies.

“Like many in the airline industry, Andrew lost his job last year. We sold our home and moved to Belmore in July 2020. It was stressful: job loss, lockdowns, worrying about our >

JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 35

MOVING TO THE COUNTRY Jennifer Cheslock and Andy Grady relish the newfound space in the garden of their Tasmanian home, after leaving behind inner Sydney.

parents in Melbourne. We were also cut off from our children and grandchildren: Laura, 33, in Perth with her husband and children; David, 28, in Melbourne; and India, who’s 26 and lives in Darwin with her partner and our newest grandson.

“We were so lucky to be drawn into a supportive community. They’ve been so generous with garden advice, fresh eggs, plants, flowers and their time to help with projects or clean-ups from storm damage. I think it’s their gentle support of Andrew that’s been the most wonderful gift of all. The care of our land (there’s always a to-do list to take your mind off other things) and the care extended to us by our new community has given us a positive focus in a challenging time.

“One of the surprising practical difficulties of moving to the country was the frequent power outages. I never imagined I’d be excited to buy a generator. And I wasn’t prepared for the blowflies – and the wombat poo!

“I’d tell others to talk to people: explain you’re new to the area and ask for advice – country people are

36 COUNTRY STYLE JULY 2021

generous with their knowledge and time. Looking back, I realise I’ve asked ridiculous questions and been answered patiently. Learning from people who have lived here for generations about livestock, planting (don’t put your tomatoes in until after Melbourne Cup Day!) and the history of the area has been wonderful.

“The most important lesson our move taught me is that we don’t need much to be happy and fulfilled. We want to leave Belmore a better place.

I hope it will be restoring souls for many years to come.”

REAL ESTATE RICHES

Leaving Sydney’s Inner West for a small town in Tasmania was the right move for Jennifer Cheslock and Andy Grady.

“Moving to the country was always a long-term goal. I grew up in the country in Canada, and Andy lived in a semi-rural town in the UK, so we dreamed of becoming first-time homeowners and owning a backyard big enough for vegies, a worm farm, flowerbeds, trees and space for dogs

and chooks. But it was brought forward because of the pandemic – suddenly everyone was working from home. We kept the same jobs, but now we both work remotely for creative agencies, me in the event industry and Andy as a graphic designer.

“After a six-month search, we moved into our home in March. We purchased a four-bed, two-bath home on an 1109sqm block for the price of a studio in Sydney. Now we’re homeowners, we can’t wait to have a dog and hope to find one soon. Chooks are also part of the master plan.

“Tasmania attracted us because of the affordability of homes compared to Sydney, the clean air and the gateway to adventure – camping and hiking. Longford is classified as a historic town, and it’s a beautiful spot with lovely convict-built buildings and grand estates. It’s only a 15-minute drive to the Launceston airport and a 20-minute drive to Launceston. The cake and coffee at Ernest and Ernesto probably got us over the line, too!

“Things got real two weeks ago when I was walking down our street and saw a neighbour using sheep to mow the lawn! We can’t get over how nice people are. You’d be hard-pressed to find a mean Tasmanian.

“As happy as we are to live in this beautiful home, it’s sad not to be able to share it with our families overseas.

Moving interstate and leaving our old life and friends in Sydney, where we lived for over a decade, also took some adjustment. You can’t get Uber Eats here and takeaway food options are limited, but on the flip side, Woolies delivers to our home, and we have everything we need at Hill Street Grocer Longford. It forces you to slow down and better plan out your meals.

“My advice – BYO uggs is a good rule for country homes! Change is hard, so give yourself time to adjust to it. And join community Facebook groups; they’ve been super-helpful.

“I still can’t believe we made a tree change after talking about it for so long. It’s truly been one of the silver linings of the pandemic

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

From bookworm heaven in NSW, a plunge into Indigenous culture in NT and vintage treasures in SA to midwinter traditions in Tasmania and rural ballet in Queensland, this month’s calendar has it all.

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED, CLANCY PAINE STYLING CLANCY PAINE, JEMIMA ALDRIDGE

WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

Winter sunshine streams into this Narromine, NSW, shearing shed.

To see more, turn to page 128.

JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 37

Ceremonial dancing at the NT’s Garma Festival. BELOW Join in the fun at Willie Smith’s Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival.

in Orange. Expect to see a thoughtfully curated collection of beautiful Australian artworks and handmade ceramics, jewellery, sculpture and accessories. Call Stephanie on 0429 301 631, @paperpear

QLD

BOOK A TICK ET NT Garma Festival, July 30-August 2

The Yolngu clans of Arnhem Land meet across four days to celebrate and showcase their rich cultural heritage. Guests experience traditional miny’tji (art), ancient story-telling, manikay (song) and bunggul (dance).

An outdoor art gallery, daily ceremonial dances, language workshops, healing activities, an Indigenous film program and live musical performances make this an unforgettable event. yyf.com.au

TAS

Willie Smith’s Huon Valley MidWinter Festival, July 16-17 Back on a smaller scale than before, the Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival is still about wassailing the apple trees. That’s the tradition of frightening off evil spirits to ensure a good crop. There’s a Burning Man, Tasmanian produce, hot spiced cider, live bands, a costume competition and, of course, the wassail. huonvalleymidwinterfest.com.au

SA

Coonawarra Cellar Dwellers, July 1-31 Delve into the cellars of the Coonawarra in July, when wineries offer rare treasures not usually available for tasting. There are 50-plus events, including wine tastings, degustation dinners and cooking classes. coonawarra.org/ cellar-dwellers-july-2021

NSW

Kiama Readers Festival, July 23-25 Enjoy a winter weekend in sunny Kiama for an inspiring line-up of author talks, masterclasses and workshops. Authors include Mary

38 COUNTRY STYLE JULY 2021

Moody, Michael Brissenden, Jonica Newby, Hugh Mackay and many more, covering fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, poetry and publishing sessions. library.kiama.nsw.gov.au Orange Fire Festival, Aug 6-8 Warm up this winter with an authentic country festival inspired by bonfires.

Local producers and venues have created unique events to showcase the region. orange360.com.au/Events/ Orange-Winter-Fire-Festival Paper Pear at The Corner Store Gallery, July 23-Aug 1 Beloved Wagga Wagga art gallery Paper Pear is staging a pop-up exhibition at The Corner Store Gallery

Tutus on Tour, July 24–August 25 The magic of the ballet comes to the regions with Queensland Ballet’s Tutus on Tour, which celebrates the company’s 60th anniversary. The show will include works from both classical and modern ballets. queenslandballet. com.au/2021/tutus-on-tour Queensland Garden Expo, July 9-11 Celebrate gardening at this three-day event at Nambour Showgrounds.

There are more than 100 talks, plenty of workshops and a plant clinic, as well as plants for sale, inspiring garden displays, a planted-up organic kitchen garden and displays from garden clubs. qldgardenexpo.com.au Jumpers & Jazz in July, July 15-25 With jumping jazz music and cracking crafts, the Jumpers & Jazz festival is the quirkiest, coolest event around. Where else but Warwick? jumpersandjazz.com.au

NT

Alice Springs Show, July 2-3 Celebrating local agriculture and the pastoral industry, the Alice Springs Show sees competitions from cattle to poultry and cooking, exhibits including chainsaw sculpting and more. alice-springs.com.au

FRI 6 AUG MILLTHORPE NIGHT MARKETS SAT 7 AUG BONFIRE EVENTS SUN 8 AUG COSY LUNCHES

6-8 AUG ORANGE NSW

ORANGE NSW Venture out to nestle in

ORANGE NSW Venture out to nestle in

ORANGE NSW

Venture out to nestle in PHOTOGRAPHY TOMASZ MACHNIK

“Food, wine, fashion and stunning landscapes...

Orange is the perfect winter escape.”

Orange, located in the Central West of NSW, is proving more and more to be an enticing destination to visit all year round. Orange is of course renowned for its highly regarded restaurant and cafe scene and cool-climate wines, but a 360-degree viewpoint shows every season brings a unique drawcard. With charming villages nestled in the open countryside, an abundance of natural beauty that is on full display no matter what time of year, outdoor adventures, luxurious accommodation, seasonal festivals and a burgeoning retail sector with high-end homewares and fashion, it’s no wonder the region is attracting so many visitors.

It may be a little crisp outside during the winter months, but that only adds to the nostalgic appeal when you imagine yourself cosying up by restaurant fre places, being romanced by the brilliant red sunsets and warming up with a delicate shiraz in hand at one of the many cellar doors. The clear night skies by bonfre provide a starry night spectacle that can only be seen in the country and the foggy frost-flled mornings will awaken the soul.

Orange is such a rare and wonderful place and winter is the perfect time to nestle in and embrace what makes winter so special.

Fashion Gone are the days of city trips for high-end boutique shopping. Orange and neighbouring villages offer a robust retail scene that is well and truly fourishing.

Adventure The Orange region hosts an array of rich landscapes and dramatic views to explore.

There’s nothing quite like venturing out to take in that much needed fresh and crisp country air.

Food and Wine Long known for excellent local produce, coolclimate wines and fne dining restaurants, the gastronomic scene is Orange has exploded into one of Australia’s most prominent and sophisticated food and wine destinations.

Accommodation Orange offers visitors an excellent variety of hotels, B&Bs, boutique luxury, camping and caravan parks and apartments, cottages and holiday houses; so many options to snuggle in and feel right at home.

Winter Fire Festival If you time your visit right, you might even catch the 2021 Winter Fire Festival 6 – 8 August with local producers and venues putting on unique events showcasing everything the region has to offer.

ORANGE NSW Venture out to nestle in

Plan your trip now orange360.com.au

PEOPLE MOUNT A DR A H NSW Highfield Farm & Woodland’s flock of Dorper sheep are run by Louise Freckelton and husband David Bray.

THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS ARE HOME TO A PAIR OF ACADEMICS TURNED REGENERATIVE FARMERS. WORDS A BBY PFA HL PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT

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X X X X X MOUNT PEOPLE XXX A DR A H NSW David and Louise are passionate about their Dorper sheep. FAR RIGHT The couple with their much-loved Maremmas, Sylvie and Orsa.

OVER THE YEARS, Louise Freckelton and her husband David

Bray have resided in Melbourne, Cambridge, Beijing, Shanghai and, more recently, the vibrant suburb of Marrickville in Sydney’s Inner West. You’d be forgiven for thinking the academic pair (and self-professed foodies) were hooked on city living and all it has to offer, especially considering both worked at the University of Sydney – David, 56, as a lecturer in sociology and Louise, 61, in international relations for the Faculty of Medicine. But as it happened, a passion for birdwatching and botany was calling them to the bush. “We had long dreamt of running away to regenerate bushland and live a simpler life,” recalls Louise. “Every possible holiday, we would go walking – mostly in Kosciuszko National Park but also in the Bogong High Plains in Victoria. We thought the area around Tumut and Adelong was very beautiful.”

Then in 2012, David spied Highfield for sale. He read that the 337-hectare property was located in the tiny township of Mount Adrah, about 50 kilometres from Tumut, and had an enduring conservation covenant over two-thirds of it, safeguarding Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands (threatened in parts of NSW and Victoria due to years of clearing and heavy grazing). The opportunity felt too good to be true. “When David found a property that had a conservation covenant on it protecting endangered habitat, with incredible bird diversity and near our beloved Snowy Mountains, it seemed like just the place for us,” Louise remembers. >

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PEOPLE MOUNT A DR A H NSW Louise and David were delighted to discover a conservation covenant over two-thirds of the property, protecting endangered habitat.

Fast forward to today, and Louise and David are living full-time at Highfield Farm & Woodland with their two Maremmas, Sylvie and Orsa. While the woodlands continue to regenerate (not without some maintenance and reintroduction of lost species), the couple spend most of their time operating the remaining third of the farm. With a view to increasing biodiversity and mimicking natural systems, they’ve implemented careful grazing techniques, and their pastures are thriving. “When we came here there were only four paddocks,” says Louise. “We have divided off into 13 paddocks in order to better control the grazing and leave maximum time for paddocks to rest.”

They run Dexter cattle, producing grass-fed beef, and a mixed flock of free-range pasture-raised chickens, for their eggs and meat. But it’s Dorper sheep that the pair are really passionate about. “We love our sheep,” enthuses Louise. “We love the cycle of their lives through the year; we love lambing. We call it slow lamb. We don’t hurry growth rates, they are ready when they are ready. The focus is on low-stress lives.” And it shows – in 2020 and 2021, Highfield Farm & Woodland Grass-Fed Dorper Lamb was named state winner in the Delicious Produce Awards, and received a gold medal at the national level in 2020.

It’s no small feat to transition into roles like ‘grazier’ and ‘food producer,’ especially doing so with such a mindful approach to the land. But these two had no prior experience in the field, which makes their success even

more commendable. “Neither of us is from a farming background,” says Louise. She reflects that perhaps this ‘blank canvas’ of sorts did have a silver lining, allowing them to build from a principled framework right away.

“What we knew was that business as usual was not enough. We knew how we didn’t want to farm, we knew how we didn’t want to treat our animals. We knew we wanted to farm in a way that nourished the land, that attempted to make things better not worse.”

Louise completed “loads” of courses in the first few years at Highfield, many covering holistic management, and describes her Diploma of Organic Farming via the National Environment Centre (or Thurgoona TAFE) as the capstone in her studies. However, she is quick to point out the importance of distilling her learnings to match their country. She credits a high tolerance for thoughtful observation as their secret to success. “We spent a lot of time observing Highfield and seeing how it worked, understanding the function of certain plants, identifying places that needed a different approach, observing bird behaviour and the biodiversity that surrounded us.” She urges anyone wanting to adopt regenerative practices on their farms to do the same. “Your piece of land is unique and has its own way of behaving. Don’t be tempted to follow recipes – listen to what your land tells you For more information about Highfield Farm & Woodland, visit highfieldfarmwoodland.com

“We knew we wanted to farm in a way that nourished the land, that attempted to make things better not worse.”

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“We love our sheep. We love the cycle of their lives through the year.”

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MOUNT A DR A H NSW PEOPLE The couple’s Maremmas are part of the team at Highfield, with the important job of protecting the chickens, as well as the sheep in the paddocks, especially during lambing. FACING PAGE Louise with her flock.

STAYING TRUE WHEN IT CAME TIME TO MAKE THEIR 1950S FARMHOUSE MORE LIVEABLE,THE MACDOUGALLS DECIDED NOT TO REBUILD, BUT TO RESTORE. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

MOLY ULLA H V IC HOME Homeowner Bec Macdougall with her daughter, Emme. The old cinema chairs were a lucky eBay find. FACING PAGE The desk Bec works from is a French antique that Angus’s parents gave the couple.

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IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, Bec and Angus Macdougall have

“I think it’s important to maintain the old and bring it back to life in a way that reflects us.”

moved from Melbourne to a farm in Molyullah, northeastern Victoria, renovated not one but two houses on the property, learned to be dairy and beef farmers, got married, had a baby and relaunched their coffee business.

It’s safe to say they’re not afraid of a challenge.

“It has been a bit of a blur!” says Bec of the years since December 2017, when the couple bought Dunmore Farm.

“But it’s been fulfilling on a much greater scale than I think we both anticipated.”

First, they focused on renovating the 1870s cottage on the farm, which they rent out as guest accommodation (and which was featured in Country Style’s November 2019 issue). Once that was finished, they turned their attention to the 1950s farmhouse. But it wasn’t without a few misgivings, says Bec: “After the cottage was complete, Angus said, ‘Wait, why aren’t we moving into that?’ And I said, ‘Give me a little time; I’ve got big ideas for this house.’”

That wasn’t his only question, though. “I also remember Angus saying to me, ‘Why don’t we just bowl it over and start again?’ But I was really eager to restore it, because what we’re doing at Dunmore is really about blending the old and the new. There is a lot of work involved, a lot of time, a lot of energy. But I think it’s important to maintain the old and bring it back to life in a way that reflects us, but is also true to the era that it was built.”

And despite unpromising beginnings, that’s just what the pair have done. Gone are the vinyl floors and the yellow and green kitchen, replaced with French oak floorboards and an open-plan living-dining-kitchen area (taking out >

MOLY ULLA H V IC HOME

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE A cosy corner in the living room; a Jotul wood stove keeps the living room cosy – “opening up the living and kitchen areas to create one room just made such a difference,” says Bec; the 1950s farmhouse has been painted Dulux Woodland Grey, with accents in Dulux Night Sky. FACING PAGE The established garden provides a bounty of foliage to use inside.

HOME MOLY ULLA H V IC Bec had her heart set on an ink-blue kitchen after her years living in London, where colourful kitchens are popular. “It’s a very traditional country-style kitchen with lots of big cupboards,” says Bec. “Angus and I are both tall, so we wanted to make sure the cabinets and benches were at a reasonable height.” The dining table is from Storie in Melbourne, the chairs were an eBay buy and the chandelier is from Found in Daylesford.

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HOME MOLY ULLA H V IC

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Bruce the Bernese mountain dog bounds around the lawn in front of the lavender hedge that Bec and Angus are nurturing; the garden has some lovely spots for alfresco lunches; Bec with her daughter, Emme; farm life keeps the family in plenty of fresh eggs and pumpkins; the couple raise just under 100 head of Angus cattle on their property; rescue kitten Billy gets cosy on one of two striped chairs in the living room that were given to the couple by Angus’s parents and reupholstered by Bec. FACING PAGE The details of the 1950s farmhouse have all been carefully retained.

the wall between the kitchen and living room was one of the only structural works the Macdougalls undertook).

But, given Bec’s desire to retain the old, those beautiful new floorboards didn’t come without heartache.

“We thought we’d hit the jackpot, because we were ripping up all the carpets and vinyl floors, and we discovered these lovely old floorboards underneath,” says Bec. “But then we realised we could see the ground through them. So we had to rethink that plan.”

Yet she was undeterred in her mission to keep the old, even going so far as to keep the house’s original footprint without adding an extension – which proved to be a challenge. “It sounds odd on a farm to worry about storage, but that was one of our problems,” she says. “We had to be sure we were making smart use of the kitchen.”

Another challenge was turning a dark house into a bright one. “We wanted to bring in light where we could, so we thought about our furnishings and paint with that in mind,” says Bec. Many of those furnishings were sourced from antiques shops, eBay or Facebook Marketplace, and a few precious pieces were gifted to the couple by Angus’s parents. “I work on a French antique desk they gave me, which is incredibly beautiful and special,” Bec explains.

The renovation process is ongoing, with some light fittings still to arrive and tweaks to be made. But the couple did have a few hard deadlines. “We got married >

JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 59

on the property in October 2019, so that was a pressing deadline because we had guests staying for the weekend and we wanted it to look presentable. We did hit some of the goals!” The kitchen, for example, was finished in the nick of time the week before the wedding, with the fast-tracked arrival of their Lacanche range cooker.

There was another deadline, too. “Unbeknown to most of our guests, I was pregnant at our wedding,” says Bec. Emme was born in May 2020, and so the nursery was the next job. “We kept the original wallpaper in the nursery and painted above the picture rail,” Bec explains. Now 14 months old, Emme is enjoying a childhood spent playing with Bruce the Bernese mountain dog, Billy the rescue cat and the eight Hy-Line chickens, who live in a majestic coop Angus has nicknamed the Cluck Mahal.

It’s a busy life: raising a little girl as well as working on the farm, the accommodation and the coffee company, but Angus and Bec and wouldn’t have it any other way. “We’re in a wonderful place to be raising a family,” she says. “And we’re absolutely grateful for the lifestyle we’ve created To stay at Dunmore Farm, go to dunmorefarm.com.au The Branded Coffee Company, brandedcoffee.co CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE The main bedroom is painted Dulux Endless Dusk (mixed with Dulux Vivid White) and Dulux Antique White USA; the bathroom was one of the first rooms renovated, with its tired pink and green scheme replaced by grey and white; Emme is watched over by the family’s dog, Bruce. FACING PAGE Bec retained the original wallpaper in the nursery, and re-covered an antique chair from her parents-in-law.

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MOLY ULLA H V IC HOME

“We kept the orginal wallpaper in the nursery and painted above the picture rail.”

HOME MOLY ULLA H V IC The old shearing shed is currently being converted into a creative studio for artists in residence.

There are many other old dwellings on the property, including a workshop/shed, stables, dairy and hay shed.

“What we’re doing at Dunmore is really about blending the old and the new.”

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HISTORY LESSON

DISCOVER MODERN FINDS THAT RETAIN A HERITAGE FEEL.

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PRODUCED BY LINDA A LA M

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1 Artbox print, $119, from Harvey Norman. 2 Timothy Oulton crystal chandelier, $3395, from Coco Republic. 3 Salt & Pepper decanter, $69, from Domayne. 4 Eliza jug, $44, from Domayne. 5 Chablis table, $1399, from Brosa. 6 Salad plates, $17, from Williams Sonoma.

7 Marsa mirror, $55, from LivingStyles. 8 Hare + Klein warp weft rug, $12,024, from Designer Rugs. 9 Bondi armchair, $995, from One World. 10 Home Republic Benson side table, $349, from Adairs.

11 Moover doll’s pram, $129, from Temple & Webster. 12 Nescafe Dolce Gusto Infinissima coffee machine, $55, Harvey Norman.

13 Home Republic bath towels, $39.99 each, from Adairs. 14 Belling 1100mm Richmond Deluxe Dual Fuel range cooker, $9098, from Harvey Norman. 15 Sheepskin rug, $79, from Temple & Webster.

16 Royal Copenhagen teacup and saucer, $79.95, from David Jones.

17 Tricorn drawer pull, $26, from The Society Inc. 18 Wood and bone sugar spoon, $18, from Pan After.

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HOME CROOKW ELL NSW

N U R S E D B AC K T O L I F E

THIRD-GENERATION SHEEP AND CATTLE FARMERS HAVE LOVINGLY TRANSFORMED A RUNDOWN BAKERY INTO THEIR HOME AWAY FROM HOME.

PORTRAIT (ON BOOKSHELF) PENELOPE BOYD

WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

Elise and Craig Croker wanted to maintain the traditional aspects of the Crookwell building. The living room walls are in Taubmans Dark Green Velvet. “Even the name stuck with me,” says Elise. “Green velvet? Perfect.”

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HOME CROOKW ELL NSW

s day y ta 1 0

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i y l– o e a sa o

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ARTWORKS OWNER’S COLLECTION OF SECOND-HAND PAINTINGS

FEW OF US WOULD LOOK AT AN UNLOVED baker’s shop, with

dingy living quarters in a peeling 1980s palette, and think, “What a perfect family retreat.” But Elise Croker has a history of nurturing places – and people – back to life.

A nurse who works in the emergency department at the hospital in Crookwell in the NSW Southern Tablelands, Elise, 36, is also gifted with an eye for design. “I have a passion for anything that’s crying out for a bit of love,” she says. “I love creating spaces that feel good. It’s not too dissimilar to nursing – you’ve got a sick patient and you need to make that space a safe space and holistically nurse them back to health in a slow, loving way. It’s the same with buildings. If you spend enough time in there and nurture the spaces, they’ll give back.”

It’s a heartwarming philosophy, and one that’s resulted in a home that couldn’t be further from the dark and neglected old shop she and husband Craig, 39, bought in April last year, intending to make it an inviting place for visiting family to stay. Elise, Craig and their children Bridie, 12, William, 10, Sophie, eight, and six-year-old Mia live half an hour out of town on a 400-hectare sheep and cattle farm that’s been in Craig’s family for three generations. “We were looking for a base in town and I wanted something quirky, and also sustainable – I wanted to make use of a building >

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE LEFT The home’s original features, including this arch in the hallway, have been retained; green walls make a good backdrop for the vintage art Elise loves; a favourite is this portrait of jazz singer Carmen McRae, “The most fabulously happy portrait I found at a moving sale in Binda, NSW.” FACING PAGE The formal parlour.

HOME CROOKW ELL NSW

that was already there,” says Elise. “This building was very neglected and cold and really in disrepair. But it just felt good – I wanted to get my hands on it and give it a whole new lease on life. And I wanted to do it as sympathetically as possible, keeping all the traditional aspects of the building.”

Fortunately, there was a lot of history to work with: peeling up tired carpet tiles revealed original floorboards, and jemmying off the boards of the boxed-in staircase uncovered the balustrade and banisters. The cornicing and ceiling roses were all intact, as was the pretty Victorian archway in the hall, as well as the tessellated tiles in the main living room that mark out the shop entrance and main walkway. Elise was also overjoyed to uncover a lovely brick fireplace in the kitchen, and says, “This fireplace and those floorboards were the happiest surprise ever – they gave the building more of a soul.”

Another miraculous discovery was the shop’s original doors. “The back courtyard was overgrown with briar roses, and it had this scary little shed in it,” remembers Elise. “So I asked Craig to look at what was in there.”

Among the old Christmas decorations and broken mirrors, he found the very same wooden double doors that had greeted customers from the shop’s earliest days. “It was amazing,” says Elise, who got a furniture-restorer friend to strip back all the layers of paint and restore them. “The builder took off the bakery’s glass door, and found the original holes for the hinges were still there. So all he >

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The atmospheric parlour, with its wood heater and second-hand artworks from Trish’s Trash & Treasures. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP The living room downstairs is intended as a less formal space that’s perfect for the kids to play in; the family toasts marshmallows over the fire pit, which is from local Crookwell store Ensemble & Co.

HOME CROOKW ELL NSW

“This building was very neglected and cold and really in disrepair. But it just felt good…”

had to do was screw the doors in and they fit perfectly, of course. They just complete the building.”

All this history also informed the way Elise decorated the house. The date of the building was never in doubt – 1890 is emblazoned in large numerals across the front – but it took some digging in historical records to uncover the fact that one of its first owners was a tailor, William Munro. “I went to the historical society in Crookwell to do some research, and found that William Munro was there from 1896 until about 1936,” says Elise. “So I wanted a modern Victorian feel in the house that was slightly theatrical, as a bit of a nod to the tailor. In the time when he was in the building, he most likely would have been one of the best dressed men in town. So in the formal parlour I wanted a whisky and smoking feel – a modern-day take on what the place would have been like 130 years ago.”

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, of course. Elise thought she had solved the problem of a gloomy dressing room by removing a wall in the upstairs bathroom to make one large room, with a dressing room on one side and glass panels bringing in light from the bathroom on the other.

She had even incorporated into her design the flue that runs up from the wood stove in the parlour below. But then they discovered a beam that couldn’t be moved, meaning the flue had to shift from a discreet corner to the middle of the room.

“With any renovation you have to constantly adjust and be flexible in your ideas,” Elise says. “You have to just work around things.” So she decided she would divert the >

FROM ABOVE One of the home’s cosy bedrooms, with bedlinen from I Love Linen; an original staircase evokes an atmosphere of times gone by. FACING PAGE Pendant from Temple & Webster.

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eye from the imposing black flue with an ornate black and gold wallpaper and black accents – and now she loves the final result.

Similarly, the second kitchen and bathroom downstairs presented significant design challenges that Elise managed to overcome. “The ugliest and darkest rooms have actually come up the best,” she says. “Perhaps it’s because you have to dig deeper to come up with something really amazing.”

All the individual successes, though, are less important than the context of the renovation, Elise believes. “We do feel really proud that we’ve taken a neglected building in the main street of our home town and used all local tradesmen to give it a new lease on life When the family aren’t staying here you can rent this home by searching for Mister Munro Boutique Accommodation in Crookwell on Airbnb, or visit elisecroker.com.au ABOUT THE HOUSE:

• Elise had one thing in mind when working on the house:

“In the whole renovation, my main thought was, can I work with what I’ve got? I wanted to update it sensitively and sustainably rather than ripping everything out .”

Elise scours antique shops for things she loves, rather than searching for specific items. “When you collect things based on what you love, once you put it together, it all ties in.”

The couple used local Crookwell builder, B Hewitt Constructions, bhewittconstructions@hotmail.com

• •

CROOKW ELL NSW HOME

PORTRAIT FROM ENSEMBLE & CO.

Elise used ornate black and gold Cole & Son wallpaper to distract from the flue, which runs up from the parlour through the dressing room side of the bathroom.

FACING PAGE Replacing a wall with glass panels has created a light and luxurious space in the combined bathroom and dressing room; the bedroom leads out to a study.

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A former bedroom has been converted into an intimate library. FACING PAGE Walls layered with art are among the home’s covetable collections.

DAY LESFOR D V IC HOME

an excellent vintage LYNDA GARDENER HAS BEEN PERFECTING HER HOME IN DAYLESFORD, VIC, FOR DECADES, COLLECTING TREASURES AND SEAMLESSLY BLENDING OLD AND NEW. WORDS LY NDA GA R DENER & A LI HEATH PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

HOME DAY LESFOR D V IC

“THE JUXTAPOSITION OF OLD AND NEW enhances the

laidback aesthetic – spaces are filled with pieces that I have been gathering since childhood and my early days with Levi Strauss,” says decorator and stylist Lynda Gardener. There is an almost hypnotic appeal to the interiors at The Cottage, an intimate three-bedroom bolthole that is testament to Lynda’s ability to bring together colour, texture and all manner of collected curios. Rustic meets industrial, but curated with a distinctly contemporary edge.

White, as always, is the dominant colour of choice, yet throughout, the cottage is peppered with more dramatic touches: bedrooms decorated in coal-grey hues and chic monochrome toile; the library cocooned in a classic handmade wallpaper by Deborah Bowness; inky black wooden floors add depth to core living spaces; and blackboard-painted kitchen walls, displaying artfully written messages and recipes. The result is stylish and intriguing, yet immensely welcoming and thoughtful.

“The space was renovated 15 years ago and just keeps getting better with age,” says Lynda. “I am a city girl through and through, but was ready to create an escape. Just 90 minutes from Melbourne, located within the picturesque spa town of Daylesford, The Cottage was my first country property and is used now as one of my boutique rentals, next door to The Barn. I still love to stay here – it reflects who I am and is never about decorating sensibly for guests.” >

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The salvaged trestle dining table is framed by vintage chairs and oversized enamel pendant lights. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Decorator, stylist and owner, Lynda Gardener; the raw, industrial kitchen has stood the test of time; rooms at The Cottage have a welcoming feel.

HOME DAY LESFOR D V IC The master bedroom is a relaxed and inviting oasis. FACING PAGE Luxurious linens and cosy textiles are offset by statement wallpaper and industrial lighting.

“I still love to stay here – it reflects who I am and is never about decorating sensibly for guests.”

Despite the relaxed way in which Lynda has brought together each of the decorative elements in The Cottage, this is in no way an accidental success. Her enigmatic art of styling has been perfected: finds look as if they have always belonged – organic, quirky and never overly edited.

A former miner’s cottage, built in the 1850s, the property had been poorly renovated 20 years ago. Yet despite it being run-down and overgrown, Lynda recognised fabulous bones beneath the ugly façade. At the front of the house, the rooms are original in size and scale, with reclaimed windows, doors and floorboards breathing new life back into the interior. At the centre of the house is the kitchen, a relaxed space with an antique draper’s table turned island, concrete worktops and open shelves stacked high with beautiful white crockery.

“The kitchen leads into the open-plan sitting room and dining area, where three rooms were knocked into one to create a really large living space,” she says. Reclaimed finds abound: the boarded ceiling salvaged from a former factory; a set of five beautiful antique garden doors discovered at a local salvage yard; and fireplaces rebuilt with bricks rescued from the surrounding land.

Lights play an important role throughout, affecting the mood as the day ebbs and flows. In the main bathroom a decadent French crystal chandelier hangs over an antique freestanding bathtub and adds a lingering sense of glamour

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to the rustic ambience. In the two main bedrooms and living areas industrial pendants and draped hanging bulbs add dynamic visual energy. Wooden shutters made from old doors filter a constant source of natural daylight. Practical, romantic and deliberate, they set the pared-back tone and act as a foil for the seasonally changing linens, textural furnishings and beautiful, timeworn furniture. “The space is all about comfort,” smiles Lynda.

Outside, a former garage was converted into a pitchedroof garden bedroom, with vintage doors opening onto a leafy view. “It has an inspiring sense of light and space: a private, one-room retreat, with its own claw-foot bathtub – the best spot to unwind in.”

Covetable collections hit you from every angle: it’s the sort of home you crave time to wander around in on your own. Think tables stacked with interesting old books; glass domes encasing antique busts; vases filled with garden greenery; dressers (hutches) home to sculptures, trophies and select taxidermy; walls layered with art; and even a vintage typewriter, on which visitors can type heartfelt messages for the guestbook.

This is a home about spontaneous style – rediscovering the potential that others failed to see. It’s the story of a derelict space brought back to life, with renewed vigour and a sincerity weaved through its timeless layers. >

HOME DAY LESFOR D V IC The garden room has a spacious light-filled ambience, with an effortless mix of old and new. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP The claw-foot iron bathtub is the perfect place to unwind; a vintage medicine cabinet adds character.

“It has an inspiring sense of light and space: a private, one-room retreat… the best spot to unwind in.”

Q&A WITH LYNDA GARDENER

The Cottage appeals because?

It was my first property in the country and the first brick miner’s cottage to be built in the area – usually they are all weatherboard.

Your style here is all about?

Moody spaces, dark floors and lots of favourite vintage pieces.

Best advice for designing a country cottage? Keep it cosy, comfortable and warm: fluffy feather cushions and natural linen sheets for the beds.

What quality time here means?

Total relaxation, with no plans.

Paint colour of choice? Dulux Antique White U.S.A., and in the bedroom and library, moody colours by Porter’s Paints.

What’s on your walls? Black-andwhite toile and Deborah Bowness’ ‘Genuine Fake Bookshelf’ wallpaper.

Old oil paintings, collected locally, sketches, photographs, framed paintings and large art walls; leaning antique mirrors and blackboard kitchen walls.

Favourite possession here?

The antique French chandelier in the bathroom.

Best seat in the house? My leather chairs in the library. Surrounded by books, this is the perfect place for a nightcap.

Tell me something no one knows about this home? The house had been left up for sale for more than a year – to the naked eye, it had no real redeeming features, but to me it had huge potential.

What noises can you hear? Birds, trees and occasional passing cars.

Favourite season at home?

Winter, with the fires lit.

This space makes you feel?

Instantly relaxed.

What are you dreaming up next?

Just enjoying it as it is. The look is timeless, and it seems to have found its permanent rhythm and style.

This is an edited extract from Curate: Inspiration for an Individual Home by Lynda Gardener and Ali Heath (Hachette Australia, $55); with photography

by Marnie Hawson.

JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 81

DECOR ATING BEDROOMS

into the night

PLUMP PILLOWS, SOFT BLANKETS AND BEAUTIFUL LINENS MAKE YOUR BEDROOM FEEL WARM AND COSY THIS WINTER. PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON ST YLING BELLE HEMMING

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Oversized gold velvet bedhead with flange border in velvet/Vintage Deux by Mokum in Antique (fabric from James Dunlop Textiles) made by The Upholstery House. Flocca duvet cover, $659 (king size) and pillowcase in Brun, $79 each, from Hale Mercantile. Linen sheet set in Cypress, $495 (king size), from In The Sac. European pillowslip in Flax, $140 (set of two), from Major Minor. Linen blanket in Olive, $349, from Montauk Style. Flocca blanket in Tempest, $409, from Hale Mercantile. Cyril cushion, $79.95, from Provincial Home Living. Stella cushion in Ash, $159, from Hale Mercantile. Gold velvet cushion, $140 from The Upholstery House. Cricket side table, $449, from Provincial Home Living. Terracotta pedestal vase, $65, from Bonnie and Neil. Valla decorative vessel (grey vase), $39.95, from Freedom. Nendo pendant lampshade in Natural, $199 (large), from MRD Home.

Vessels artwork by Lucy Hersey, $470. Other props and flowers, stylist’s and photographer’s own. On walls: Dulux Antique White USA paint.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Linen curtains in Natural, $215 (set of two), from I Love Linen. Light wall shelves in black, $149 each (40cm), RJ Living.

Vintage French chair, from Red Cart Vintage.

Moss blanket, $349, from Seljak Brand. Luxury cable blanket in cashmere, $899, from Mia Fratino. Check throw in Smoke, $179, from The Grampians Goods Co. Chambray linen throw in Charcoal, $289, from Montauk Style. On bed: Harriet coverlet in Black, $349, from Provincial Home Living. Coffin Bay print by Marnie Hawson in oak frame, $1900 (80cm x 120cm). >

JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 83

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BEDROOMS DECOR ATING

Balance rich-toned, warm fabrics with whites and naturals for a soothing bedroom sanctuary.

FROM TOP, THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE Linen curtains, $215 (set of two), from I Love Linen. Parterre wall fitting, $65, and Angkor pendant by Alix Reynis, $375, available from eCasa Daylesford. Musée wall shelf, $150, from The Society Inc. Bedhead upholstered in Westbury Textiles Baltic linen in Graphite, custom-made by The Upholstery House. Linen European pillowcases, $100 (set of two), from Cultiver. Striped cushion, $75 (60cm), from Metta Melbourne. Rectangular checked cushion in Baltic linen in Natural, $140, from The Upholstery House. Linen fitted sheet in Natural, $180 (queen size), from Cultiver. Linen flat sheet in Olive, $249, from Society of Wanderers. Linen duvet cover set in Slate, $395 (king size), from Cultiver.

Harriet coverlet in Black, $349, from Provincial Home Living. Round braided weave jute rug in Black, $399 (180cm), from Zebra Home. Bedside tables, photographer’s own. Other props and flowers, stylist’s and photographer’s own. On walls: Haymes paint in Lost Cavern. >

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE RIGHT Licorice gingham linen curtain, $299, from Society of Wanderers.

Harlow throw in Thunder, $295, from In the Sac. Flocca duvet cover in Nox Melange, $589 (queen size), from Hale Mercantile. Linen flat sheet, $195 (queen size) in Olive Stripe, from Carlotta + Gee. Linen cushion in Light Grey, $120, from The Upholstery House. Licorice gingham linen ruffled pillowcases, $109 (set of two), from Society of Wanderers. Linen Euro pillowslips in Olive Stripes , $90 (set of two), from Carlotta + Gee. Cylindrical planter, $650 (medium), from Unearthed Garden. On walls: Haymes paint in Black Olive. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Nomad linen coverlet in Cigar, $495, from In The Sac. Libeco wool throw, $525, from eCasa Daylesford. Irving striped wool throw, $280, from Pendleton. Nomad striped linen pillowcase, $169 (set of two), from In The Sac. Willow tassel cushion in Natural, $89, from McMullin & Co. Eco Wise wool blanket in Navy Stripe, $280, from Pendleton. Malawi rug, $1640 (1.7m x 2.4m), from Armadillo. Check cushion in Westbury Textiles Baltic linen in Natural, $120, available through The Upholstery House. Tartan Paddock Pillow cover in Classic, $159 (insert available separately), from The Grampians Goods Co. On walls: Dulux Antique White USA paint. All other furniture and props, photographer’s and stylist’s own. >

BEDROOMS DECOR ATING

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DECOR ATING BEDROOMS

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT Estela linen throw in Forest, $190, from Cultiver. Poppy floral throw, $475, from Bonnie and Neil. Balmain throw in Spruce Green, $159.95, from Provincial Home Living. Drift rug in Natural, from $880, from Armadillo. Silver Eye cushion, $140, from Spacecraft.

Aurelia scatter cushion, $69.95, from Freedom. Gum Exclusion 2 cushion, $125, from Indigo Love. Boda basket in Charcoal, $139, from Dharma Door. Bouclé cushion (in Westbury Textiles Marrakesh linen), $180, from The Upholstery House. Floral vintage fabric cushion, $99 from eCasa Daylesford. On walls: Dulux Antique White USA paint.

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BOW R A L NSW GAR DEN Clematis is a good match for this cool-climate cottage garden. FACING PAGE Jenny Rose-Innes with Penny the Shih tzu and Fergus the schnauzer.

N AT U RE S T U D I E S JENNY ROSE-INNES’ GARDEN IN BOWRAL, NSW, IS NOT ONLY A THING OF BEAUTY IN ALL SEASONS, BUT A CONSTANT SOURCE OF LEARNING FOR HER. WORDS JESSICA BELLEF PHOTOGRAPHY A BBIE MELLE

“GARDENING TEACHES YOU SO MUCH,” asserts Jenny

Rose-Innes, celebrated author and the creative eye behind this charming cottage garden in the Southern Highlands village of Bowral. “Firstly, you learn that nothing stays the same. No garden is ever the same from one year to the next; it’s the subtle changes that I find so fascinating. It also teaches you extraordinary patience as you wait for things to grow or develop.”

While the beauty of nature gently unfurls over time, Jenny has a knack for cultivating seemingly instant outdoor spaces that are ripe with blooms and foliage. “Every day of my life, I love to go out in the garden and pick a posy or a huge basket of flowers,” she says. “I love seeing things grow – I got that from my mother.” Her ability to establish gardens swiftly is illustrated by the Bowral property she and husband Michael bought in 2015 while living in the house next door. They intended to develop and sell it. “Then somebody offered us a good price for the house we were living in,” Jenny says. Their new home build was accelerated, and they moved during Easter 2018.

“When we bought the property, there was a small plane tree in the front garden, a few shrubs, and at the back, there were two maples, and that was all,” says Jenny. The soil was first on the to-do list. “I was worried about the clay,” Jenny says. “It was unyielding and unwelcoming for anything new we wanted to plant.” After removing tonnes of dense clay soil and digging agricultural drains, truckloads of fresh soil were added. “All of this had to be very carefully planned out before the pretty stuff could happen,” Jenny explains.

The “pretty stuff” has been Jenny’s domain for the past 40 years, in which time she has designed myriad gardens and homes in her signature traditional style, and authored two interior design books, Australian Designers at Home and British Designers at Home (an extract from the latter was featured in our June 2021 issue). Since moving to Australia from their native South Africa in 2005, Jenny and Michael have renovated a handful of properties, including a 40.5-hectare estate and quaint cottages in country towns.

Regardless of the block size, Jenny’s approach to designing gardens remain consistent. “My starting point >

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BOW R A L NSW GARDEN

The entryway exudes a feeling of relaxed formality; oakleaf hydrangea and young maple trees are contained by Buxus hedge; dahlia, one of Jenny’s many favourites; lilac-hued clematis. FACING PAGE The exterior is painted in Pozieres

by Dulux; a mirror from Dirty Jane’s in Bowral sits above a farmhouse basin.

“Every day of my life, I love to go out in the garden and pick a posy or a huge basket of flowers.”

BOW R A L NSW GAR DEN

Star jasmine climbs up the enclosed verandah that overlooks the backyard.

FACING PAGE The cedar shingle-clad summerhouse, flanked by Acer palmatum (Japanese maple).

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GAR DEN BOW R A L NSW

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT The fragrant Agastache ‘Blue Boa’; oakleaf hydrangea; Jenny’s custom greenhouse; the kitchen garden. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT A quaint cottage welcome with topiary Buxus sempervirens; the greenhouse was relocated from the couple’s former home next door.

“I love seeing things grow – I got that from my mother.” is usually about what I will see from the house. For me, it’s so important what you see, in that it doesn’t matter what’s in the garden if it doesn’t work as a view,” she says.

Jenny’s eye for a beautiful vignette has shaped their property in Bowral. Sitting on a block of 1560sqm, the north-facing new build is surrounded by herbaceous garden beds, meandering paths and many moments that invite pause. The view from the enclosed verandah at the back takes in a cedar-shingled summer house, used as a hideaway to quietly work or read, as well as a bountiful kitchen garden enclosed by a picket fence wrapped in climbing rose and clematis. The greenhouse, as functional as it is delightful, moved with the couple into their new home.

“When we lived next door, my builder constructed a dear little greenhouse and I absolutely adored pottering in there and growing from seeds,” Jenny explains. “It was excluded from the sale, as our builder assured us he could move it next door. They used a crane to lift the greenhouse from one side of the fence to the other side. It was exciting!”

Ablock Builders in Nowra brought Jenny’s sketched layouts to life, defining areas with reclaimed bricks, railway sleepers and the addition of twelve mature crabapple and

maple trees. The front yard, often shadowed by the towering oak on the nature strip, was completed after the couple moved in. “The design at the front was a challenge,” Jenny explains. ”I didn’t want a lawn – just gravel, pathways and plants – and I was striving for symmetry. I also had to work out what would grow in shade and sun.” The beds are now flush with hydrangeas, roses, dahlias and salvia, while a centrally positioned pond, Buxus hedge and two Japanese maples add a relaxed formality to the cottage’s frontage.

The maple’s branches turn a deep scarlet in winter – yet another vivid reminder that a garden constantly evolves.

As time brings change, the seasonal cycle of this garden is in someone else’s hands. Jenny and Michael have sold the property and are constructing a new home on a larger block of land nearby. There’s a slightly bittersweet feeling about moving on, but Jenny, the prolific gardener, is excited about beginning again. “Gardening also teaches one optimism,” she says. “Planning for new seasons, looking forward each year to the annual changes and watching things develop and flower.” It’s fair to say, wherever Jenny goes, a beautiful view will follow Follow Jenny on Instagram @jennyroseinnes

JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 97

LIFE ON A STATION Kicking up the dust at Kimberley Picnic Races in Derby, WA.

HEART STRINGS OUR NEW COLUMNIST, PHOTOGRAPHER EMMA MOSS, DESCRIBES HOW A YEAR SPENT ON A CATTLE STATION IN THE KIMBERLEY, WA, LED TO A WHOLE NEW LIFE. WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY EMM A MOSS

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“Driving past the boab tree that day, I felt my eyes fill with tears and my heart feel full again.”

LIFE ON A STATION An outcamp in the West Kimberley. FACING PAGE Penning up Brahman weaners; greasing the crush; Emma hugging a Brahman poddy; the loading ramp is a station’s version of a playground; yarding up at dusk; saddles ready for a muster.

I GREW UP ON A SMALL FARM in Southbrook, Queensland,

and finished school in Toowoomba in 2015. Then I followed the ‘up north’ gap year trend like many older brothers and sisters of my friends had done. The 5000-kilometre journey to Nerrima Station in the West Kimberley was an apprehensive one, and at the time I certainly didn’t know how life-changing it would be.

I had no idea what the Kimberley would be like. I knew it was north, in WA, spacious and had wild Brahman cattle.

My dad was worried about the wild boys and my mum about the wild cows and horses.

The night before we got to Nerrima, we met with the crew in Derby who had their first night away from the station in a few months – it had been too wet to leave. I was only 17, so was sipping on lemonade looking around at my new life.

Big hats, cheeky smiles, Cinch jeans, red dirt and fun.

It took no more than two weeks for me to fall in love with the Kimberley. That was further strengthened when our cook was selling his camera and I bought it. The photos I took and posted on Facebook amazed my friends and family who had never been up here. In the second round of mustering, in September 2016, I started my Instagram account Life On A Station. I now have more than 21,000 followers, many of whom have never seen the Kimberley and are in awe of its beauty – or they have left it, and love reconnecting with it through photos.

When I came up here, many people warned me it would get under my skin. And that it did, under my skin and now running thick in my blood.

My second year on a station was also an incredible one, this time down at Pardoo Station in the Pilbara. It was amazing to see different country, but it certainly wasn’t the Kimberley. While big boabs were calling me back, so were my parents and university.

I was only allowed to defer my place at uni for two years, so in 2018, I started my Bachelor of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Queensland. I had a ball living in college, but there were also a lot of tears, as I was missing the north.

The end of April 2018 was a monumental time for me.

I was asked to return to Broome to speak at a conference sponsored by Monsanto. It happened to be the same weekend that the Kimberley Rural Women’s Lunch was on.

I hesitate to tell this story, because it’s a little soppy, but I will never forget this moment or feeling. I was driving with a couple of ladies to the luncheon when we passed a massive boab tree on the side of the road. It was the same tree I got pictures in front of with my family when I first started working up here, and the one I loved looking at because it signified a town trip. It’s more than 1000 years old. Driving past the tree that day, I felt my eyes fill with tears and my heart feel full again. It was then that I realised I had left >

“It took no more than two weeks for me to fall in love with the Kimberley.”

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LIFE ON A STATION

a part of my heart behind. I don’t think anyone else in the car noticed my sudden mood change, but for me, it was a feeling of fulfilment that I never wanted to lose.

How lucky am I, to have a region that feels like home?

I know how corny it sounds, but being up here is the same feeling as pulling into your driveway at home after a week away.

I cried on the plane back to Queensland for at least half an hour. I felt the same bit of my heart left behind. I guess it was just being kept safe for my return.

I went back to the north as many times as I could during uni breaks and holidays. I visited my sister working in the NT and friends working on a station out of Katherine. My mum moved to Broome in 2019 and when I was there for the Christmas holidays, having a cocktail with my sister and watching the sun set over Cable Beach, I decided that the next time I came back up, it would be for good.

So in February 2020, I moved back to the Kimberley, and I now live on a cattle station halfway between Derby and Fitzroy Crossing, looking after the kids there while I study.

I finished my Bachelor of Sustainable Agriculture last year and will complete my Bachelor of Agricultural Science (majoring in agronomy) this year.

I’m taking a year off from studying next year and investigating other pasturing methods, then I want to start an agronomy business for centre pivots and a grazing consulting business for stations. I also hope to start a regenerative beef business, selling carbon-neutral beef.

I don’t plan on leaving any time soon. The north is in my blood now Follow Emma on Instagram @life_on_a_station for more.

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FROM TOP Emma working in the yards; shutting up the truck at sunrise. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP A dad teaches his son how to use the crush slide; jillaroos returning after a long, dusty muster.

“When I came up here, many people warned me it would get under my skin. And that it did…”

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K ER RY QLD OUR LIFE IN THE COUNTRY Bringing up the cows for milking. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT Dairy farmers Harry, Kay, David and Georgia Tommerup, with four of their six Jack Russells: Willow and Alfie (top), Bella (foreground) and Kit (held by Harry).

PASSING ON KNOWLEDGE THIS SIXTH-GENERATION DAIRY FARMING FAMILY IN THE KERRY VALLEY WELCOMES VISITORS TO STAY AND LEARN ABOUT THEIR TRADITION. WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA R T PHOTOGRAPHY PIP W ILLI A MS

OUR LIFE IN THE COUNTRY K ER RY QLD Kay feeds the heritage chickens at their coop near the house.

OLD WOODEN GATES and soaring blue gums mark the

entrance to Tommerup’s Dairy Farm, 20 kilometres south of Beaudesert in Queensland’s south-east. Six Jack Russells are a lively welcoming committee at the farm house, and beyond in the paddock, heritage pigs, calves, lambs, hens as well as Jersey cows graze contentedly on the alluvial creek flats.

Fifth-generation farmer David Tommerup, 52, whose great great-grandfather Mathew Horan settled the property in 1874, continues the dairying tradition in the Kerry Valley. Along with his wife Kay, 44, and their 22-year-old son Harry and daughter Georgia, 18, the family sell their Jersey Girl branded milk and artisan dairy products direct to customers and restaurants.

Unlike previous generations, however, David and Kay have diversified into value-added products – farmstay accommodation with their 1888 era cottage and homestead, as well as other agritourism ventures, welcoming visitors and school groups to the property for open days and events throughout the year.

Sharing their farm and knowledge with guests has brought many benefits. “When people come here and establish a personal connection, they go home feeling differently about what we do, who we are and the skill set required to be a farmer,” Kay says.

While Harry is a graduate engineer working in Ormeau and Georgia is at Griffith University studying education, the family enjoys working as a team when they are together,

to tend animals and milk cows each day. In recent years they have established an on-farm creamery and produce cultured butter as well as cream under their Jersey Girl label. They also sell free-range pork, veal, lamb and pastured eggs, both locally and through their rustic farm larder by arrangement.

For Kay, investigating new ventures on the farm and working with the local community to showcase the greater Scenic Rim region is particularly rewarding.

“I get to do so many different things that I love; one minute I can be covered in calf slobber and feeding bottles, and half an hour later I’m in town in a tourism meeting representing other farmers and agritourism operators,” she says. “Then it’s back to the farm working on a marketing strategy. The job I do requires a wide variety of skills and I love that it challenges me. I also love that you can go outside, be with the animals and clear your head.”

Importantly, diversification means this farming family can continue what they love doing most.

“The dairy is something I have been brought up with and it’s a traditional thing. I enjoy producing milk for people to drink. We have about 20 schools a year visit and it’s great to show children how to milk. I am able to share experiences, our family history and stories about what my grandfather and father told me and how farming has changed over generations,” David says.

For more information visit tommerupsfarmstay.com.au or follow @tommerupdairyfarm

“We have about 20 schools a year visit and it’s great to show children how to milk.”

KAY “I grew up in the Redlands area of Brisbane, which was a small crop-farming area at that time. My parents had been dairy farmers long before I was born, and we kept a house cow and horses, chooks and dogs. My father worked on my uncle’s farm, where they grew tomatoes and potatoes, and we had a smaller block and grew capsicums.

“We were country kids growing up in suburbia. My parents used to come out to the Scenic Rim area every weekend for country dances and once I had my driver’s licence, I started coming back out to the dances to meet a country boy – hopefully someone who could dance like my dad!

“David and I met at a dance when I was 17 years old and he was 25. We married in 1996 and took over the farm in 2006 after deregulation, which forced our hand to make changes. Two years later we participated in Farm Day, which involved a city family matched with a farming family. It was then we realised that people were really interested in what farmers do. We started agritourism with farmstay accommodation.

“I enjoy helping people establish a connection with farmers and their realisation that our work is really valuable. I particularly love when we have little kids on school group visits; their eyes are full of surprise and excitement when they touch the side of the container and learn for the first time that milk comes out of the cow warm.

“I love everything about living here; the property has so much history and it’s a wonderful place to raise our kids. I can’t imagine being anywhere else and that’s what keeps us doing what we are doing. We hold so much respect for Dave’s ancestors that we want to make it better and somewhere our own kids want to be.

“Dave is a very kind and gentle person and also very hardworking. He’s had to learn to go with the flow with all these crazy ideas I’ve come up with to keep the farm viable. He keeps me in check – I come up with the idea and Dave is more practical about how it will work on our farm in a manageable plan. We balance each other out and make a really good team. We’ve worked together every day for the past 10 years, and that’s a pretty good measure!” >

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Kay and Georgia with Bella; Sofia, one of the Jersey cows; the Tommerups enjoy working together; The Hut Café, where ice-creams, coffee and homemade cakes are served during events.

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OUR LIFE IN THE COUNTRY K ER RY QLD

DAVID “It’s a big responsibility to keep something going that generations before me have done. I want to keep our farm ticking over so our kids can enjoy it and want to live here. The kids have lots of fun playing with the dogs and helping on the farm. They also have the freedom to ride on the bike or go down the river kayaking, when there’s time, and explore the farm, like I used to do with my sister when I was young. We are lucky to have so much open space to muck about.

“When I was young, I went to classes to learn to dance and it was later at a dance that I met Kay. I already knew her cousin and he had asked me to look after her, saying he wouldn’t trust anyone else.

“I was very impressed with Kay and she caught my attention. Since then, we have worked well as a team and try to work around any new ventures – there’s been quite a few of those in the last few years! If I get a bit stuck on something, she always comes up with a plan or idea! I try to look at the pros and cons to see if it will work.

“I’ve always found it hard to talk to people and wondered how I would go with agritourism but I have found I enjoy it. It’s been a learning curve to deal with guests and make sure they are okay. They really enjoy themselves when they visit the farm and that makes it all worthwhile. For many, it triggers their own memory of when they used to visit their uncle or another family member’s farm.

“People are always curious about whether the children will take on the farm – that’s our most asked question. I tell them they like living here but may not necessarily run it the way we do. There are always other opportunities to do something different.

“I like to be my own boss and be out in the paddock working. It’s a really picturesque area where we live and everyone in the valley tries to work together and help one another out.

“When there were bushfires, we all made sure everyone was safe. It’s a really good communit

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Georgia feeds the sheep; the Jack Russells in the yard of the original farmhouse; Georgia, Kay and Harry in the laneway; outside the creamery where they make Jersey Girl artisan dairy products; David at the dairy. FACING PAGE The Tommerups have embraced new agritourism ventures.

JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 109

PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE, BENITO MARTIN STYLING KATE BROWN PHOTOCHEFS REBECCA LYALL AND KERRIE WORNER

WINTER IS THE PERFECT TIME TO REDISCOVER THE ART OF SLOW COOKING, WITH SIMPLE, WARMING AND EASY-TO-PREPARE DISHES.

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FOOD French Onion Soup, served with cheesy toasts. FACING PAGE Chickpea, Spinach and Paneer Rogan Josh.

FOOD FACING PAGE Whole Chicken Tagine With Green Olives And Mint.

WHOLE CHICKEN TAGINE WITH GREEN OLIVES AND MINT Serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons ras el hanout 1.8kg whole chicken 1 large onion (200g), sliced thickly 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes ½ teaspoon ground turmeric 800g baby potatoes, halved ½ cup (125ml) gluten-free chicken stock 2 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon (see tip) 1 tablespoon honey 1 cup (120g) green olives 1 tablespoon lemon juice shredded fresh mint leaves and chopped pistachios, to serve

Heat half the oil in a 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker on sear (high) setting.

Rub ras el hanout all over the chicken.

Tie legs together with kitchen string.

Place chicken in cooker; cook, turning, for 20 minutes or until well browned all over. Remove chicken from cooker and set aside.

Heat remaining oil in cooker on medium. Cook onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and turmeric, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens.

Add potatoes; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. Add stock and preserved lemon. Place chicken on top of potatoes; drizzle with honey. Cook, covered, on low for 6 hours.

Remove chicken from cooker and set aside; cover to keep warm.

Add olives and lemon juice to potato mixture in cooker; mix to combine Season to taste.

Cut chicken into pieces; serve with potatoes and sauce, topped with shredded mint and the chopped pistachios.

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TIP Preserved lemons are available from delis, specialty food stores and large supermarkets. Use the rind only and discard the flesh.

SERVE WITH Pistachio Mint Pesto or peppery salad greens such as watercress or chicory.

PISTACHIO MINT PESTO

Makes 2 cups Blend or process ½ cup (70g) pistachios, 1½ cups fresh mint leaves, 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, 1 chopped clove garlic, 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and ½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil until smooth. Season to taste. Spoon pesto into a jar and cover with a thin layer of oil; seal.

Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

CHICKPEA, SPINACH AND PANEER ROGAN JOSH Serves 4

½ cup (150g) rogan josh curry paste 2 large onions (400g), sliced thinly 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger 3 cloves garlic, crushed 400g can diced tomatoes 840g canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed 2 dried bay leaves 2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock 150g baby spinach leaves 200g paneer, crumbled (see tip) fresh micro herbs, to serve (optional)

Heat a 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker on sear (medium) setting. Cook curry paste, stirring, for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, chickpeas, bay leaves and stock; stir to combine. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours.

Stir in spinach to cooker; cook, covered, on high for 5 minutes or until wilted. Season to taste.

Serve curry topped with paneer and micro herbs, if using.

TIP Paneer is a fresh non-melting cheese that is very common in Indian cuisine. It has a mild milky flavour that pairs well with fragrant spices.

FRENCH ONION SOUP Serves 8

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3kg onions, sliced thinly ⅓ cup (80ml) verjuice 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour 2 litres (8 cups) beef stock 6 fresh bay leaves 8 sprigs fresh lemon thyme 12 stalks fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 small french seeded baguette (150g), cut into thick slices 150g hard goat’s cheese, sliced thickly extra fresh lemon thyme, to serve

Heat half the oil in a 6-litre (24-cup) slow cooker on sear (high) setting.

Cook onion, stirring, for 10 minutes or until softened.

Stir in verjuice. Cook, covered, on high for 1 hour or until onions are very soft.

Add garlic and flour to cooker; stir to combine well. Gradually add stock, stirring constantly, until combined. Tie bay leaves, thyme and parsley together with kitchen string; add to cooker. Season. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours. Remove herbs and discard.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place baguette slices on a large oven tray lined with baking paper; lightly brush with remaining oil. Top each baguette slice with a piece of cheese. Cook in oven for 8 minutes or until bread is crisp and cheese is melted and golden.

Divide soup among bowls and top with extra thyme. Serve with cheesy toasts.

SWAP Instead of goat’s cheese, you can use smoked cheddar, if you prefer. >

This is an edited extract from Simple Slow Cooker, $39.95, available where all good books are sold and at awwcookbooks.com.au

FOOD

SPICY PORK AND CHILLIPEPPER GOULASH Serves 6

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons tomato paste extra fresh oregano leaves, to serve

285g piquillo peppers, drained 4 fresh long red chillies, sliced in half lengthways 1 tablespoon paprika 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2kg boneless pork shoulder, rind removed 2 large onions (400g), sliced thinly 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly ½ cup loosely packed fresh oregano leaves 1 large green capsicum (350g), chopped coarsely 1 large red capsicum (350g), chopped coarsely 400g can cherry tomatoes 1 cup (250ml) beef stock

Process piquillo peppers, 1 chilli and paprika to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a 6-litre (24-cup) slow cooker on sear (high) setting. Season pork all over. Cook pork, fat-side down, for 10 minutes or until browned and caramelised; remove from cooker and set aside.

Add onion, cumin and garlic to cooker. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until onion is browned lightly and caramelised. Massage pepper paste all over the pork. Return pork to cooker with remaining chillies, oregano, capsicums, tomatoes, stock, vinegar and tomato paste; season.

Cook, covered, on low for 7 hours or until pork is tender.

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Remove pork from cooker. Shred meat coarsely using two forks. Return shredded pork to cooker; stir through sauce to coat. Serve goulash topped with extra oregano leaves.

KALE MASH Prep + cook time 30 minutes, serves 6 Place 1kg peeled, coarsely chopped potatoes in a medium saucepan with enough cold water to just cover. Boil for 15 minutes over medium heat or until potato is tender; drain. Wipe pan dry. Heat 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil in pan. Cook 125g shredded kale and 1 clove chopped garlic, stirring, over medium heat for 5 minutes until kale wilts; remove from pan. Return potatoes to pan with 30g butter and ¾ cup (180ml) hot milk; mash until smooth. Stir in kale. Season to taste.

FLAVOURS FOOD

BEAUTY OF BLENDING

KITCHENAID’S NEW K150 3-SPEED BLENDER, $299, IS PERFECT FOR WHIPPING UP ALL SORTS OF CREATIONS. HERE’S A GREAT ONE TO TRY:

MAPLE CASHEW CARDAMOM BUTTER

(pictured left) Makes 2½ cups/600g 1⁄3 cup (80ml) grapeseed oil, plus more as needed to blend (see note) ¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ½ teaspoon sea salt 3 cups (450g) roasted, unsalted cashews

f lavours WHAT TO EAT, DRINK AND COOK WITH THIS MONTH. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

PHOTOGRAPHY LEWIS POTTER, SUPPLIED

WHAT’S COOKING?

THE HATTED RESTAURANT SEED, IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S CLARE VALLEY, HAS OPENED ITS NEW VENUE, IN CLARE’S FORMER COMMONWEALTH BANK BUILDING (RIGHT).

THERE’S A DELI, BISTRO, ROOFTOP BAR AND WOODFIRED PIZZERIA ACROSS MULTIPLE FLOORS OF THE BUILDING. WITH MORE INNOVATIONS STILL TO COME (SMALLGOODS AND A BAKERY), IT’S VIBRANT, FUN AND – BEST OF ALL – DELICIOUS. SEE MORE AT SEEDCLAREVALLEY.COM

Add all ingredients to your KitchenAid blender. Secure the lid, remove the centre lid cap, and insert the tamper. Blend on high for 30 to 60 seconds, using the tamper to guide the ingredients through the blades until combined.

Add oil as needed to blend.

Note: add up to ½ cup (120ml) of grapeseed oil for the smoothest consistency.

Bulk brilliance

In a true marriage of old and new, you can now buy pantry essentials the old-fashioned way, supporting Aussie organic and biodynamic farmers, with all the convenience of online shopping. Simple Origins lets you buy from an online bulk-food co-op that’s kind to the environment – and to your wallet. See more at simpleorigins.com.au

IT’S IN THE BLOOD

Milawa Cheese Co, in Victoria’s High Country, is celebrating two new arrivals – and they’re both called Cooper. One is CEO Ceridwen Brown and her partner Matt’s new little bundle of joy, their son Cooper. The other is a cheese named after him (above), which fittingly combines Matt’s and Ceridwen’s favourite cheese styles in a semi-hard, creamy variety with veins of ash. Visit milawacheese.com.au

A FRESH TWIST Sunny Eddy’s new seltzer uses Australian gin, made with juniper and native lemon myrtle, blended with a choice of three mixers: Lime and Cucumber, Crisp Pink Apple or Blood Orange and Grapefruit. Sugar-free, refreshing and perfect for sipping in front of the fire. See sunnyeddy.com.au

JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 115

FOOD COUNTRY COOK

eat your veg

AS TEMPERATURES DROP AND ROASTS ARE THE ORDER OF THE DAY, STEVE CUMPER GETS FOCUSED ON VEGETABLES. PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN PAUL URIZAR STYLING OLIVIA BLACKMORE

A FEW YEARS AGO, in Melbourne,

I was fortunate to be a part of a new restaurant in which vegetables took centre stage. Its ethical piety, however, was sadly revealed as a marketing construct. I say sadly, as many of us who came on board later learned that its integrities were not as watertight as we’d believed, yet it did still adhere to vegetarianism as a founding pillar.

The menu was a very broad canvas on which to work. Like bowerbirds, we picked, gathered and adopted as many crowd-pleasing vegetarian dishes into our repertoire as we could. At any day, roasted onion and blue cheese focaccia would be offered next to a chana dahl, accompanied with almond cous cous or coconut rice. There was a long bainmarie, its base covered in polished river stones, in which several thousand dollars-worth of brightly enamelled Le Creuset crock pots would be filled with vegetarian casseroles, curries and tagines. A United Nations of backpackers, their various accents adding a veneer of authenticity, would dole out one’s choices into lacquered bento boxes to complete the breathtaking misappropriation of world cuisines. People loved it.

For my duration at the helm of this kitchen I was living the vegetarian diet.

I never found it all that difficult, because at home it was how we usually ate anyway, as my wife was mostly vegetarian. I found it curious how many people became exasperated at the mention of a diet without meat or, as the very least, a small amount of it.

“Oh, I could not LIVE without [insert any kind of flesh here],” people would tell me. My time there made me reflect on how meat has been so commodified that many of us take it for granted. For some people still, a meal without meat is incomplete.

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Life can take unexpected and unanticipated turns, as we all know.

I’d never imagined that a year later we’d be on our own small farm with a herd of Belted Galloway cows that we were conditioning for our own table, but that’s another story.

Which brings me to my latest recipe. Roasted pumpkin was my least favourite vegetable among the team of vegies served at my grandmother’s roast. All the adults loved it, particularly my dad, and I assumed that it was one of those tastes that oldies enjoyed, like crystallised ginger, liquorice and beer.

Since then, my appreciation for roasted pumpkin has blossomed. I love its velvety transformation, the caramel tinges its edges develop and the buttery aroma it emits when being cooked.

Serving the pumpkin with the slightly acidic and aioli-like toum adds a foil to the creaminess of the pumpkin, while the soused red onions give the dish a peppy zing. So, when the chill of winter begins to bite, I suggest you give this robust and flavoursome vegetarian dish a crack.

Who knows? It might open up a whole new can of vegetables for you!

ROASTED PUMPKIN, TOUM, MINT & SOUSED RED ONION Serves 8

1 litre milk 200g pot-set yoghurt 4 cloves garlic, crushed 5 cinnamon quills, smashed 20 cloves, smashed 2 tablespoons brown sugar salt and pepper 8 wedges of Queensland blue pumpkin, skin on and seeds removed (one 200g piece per serve) 2 red onions

2 tablespoons brown sugar, extra ½ cup red wine vinegar Splash of vegetable oil ½ cup picked parsley leaves ½ cup picked mint leaves ½ cup toasted hazelnuts

TOUM

½ cup peeled garlic cloves 1 teaspoon sea salt Juice of 1 lemon 2 cups vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl, mix the milk, yoghurt, crushed garlic, cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar and season with salt and pepper. In a small and deep roasting tray (5cm deep), place the pumpkin pieces then pour over the milk mix. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft but not overcooked. Let cool completely. Pat dry on absorbent paper.

For the toum: in a food processor add the garlic cloves, salt and lemon juice.

Blitz until smooth on a constant cycle.

Now add the vegetable oil into the mix in a slow and steady stream so the oil becomes emulsified into the garlic. The resulting mixture should resemble a thick mayonnaise consistency. Use more oil if it needs to be thicker.

Now finely slice the red onion into circles. Place them into a bowl with the extra brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Massage the onions until they become a vibrant red.

Heat a large heavy skillet pan. Add a splash of vegetable oil. When hot, add the pumpkin and cook for 10 minutes each side or until each side has a dark caramelised colour.

Arrange pumpkin on a serving platter for sharing. Drizzle with some of the toum, and scatter with some of the pickled onion, parsley, mint and hazelnuts. Accompany with remainin toum, herbs, hazelnuts and onions

PHOTOGRAPHY CHEF CLARE MAGUIRE STYLIST OLIVIA BLACKMORE CANISTER THE TWO THROWERS

Carmen Stewart MANAGER, IT TAKES A TOWN “I love the natural

environment here. It’s picturesque and beautiful."

MURW ILLUMBA H NSW MY TOWN Knox & Co. is a beautiful, welcoming shopping destination that stocks everything from books to beauty essentials. FACING PAGE Carmen Stewart, manager of the It Takes a Town initiative, is passionate about inspiring change to create living environments where everyone thrives.

MY TOWN

MURWILLUMBAH THIS VIBRANT COMMUNITY IN THE TWEED VALLEY CELEBRATES DIVERSITY, ART AND RELAXED LIVING. WORDS CLAIRE MACTAGGART PHOTOGRAPHY HANNAH PUECHMARIN

JULY 2021 COUNTRY STYLE 119