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WINTER WARMERS NEW WAYS TO HEAT YOUR HOME

ESCAPE THE EVERYDAY Get cosy for the season ahead

GONE WILD

JUNE $8.90 INC.GST NZ $9.90 INC.GST

A native flower farm on the NSW Central Coast

WORKING TOGETHER

TWO GENERATIONS ON A HAZELNUT ORCHARD IN ORANGE

TAKE YOUR TIME DELICIOUS SLOW-COOKED DINNERS

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EDITOR’S LETTER

my favourite things...

Nature’s own I’ll be setting my winter table with these Lumio Studio linen napkins from Hard to Find.

Cosy y hounds

PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT, FRANCESCA LAUDE DRESS COUNTRY ROAD

I don’t like being cold. I especially don’t like being cold at home. I’ll have the heater on all day, and I’ll be wearing the lambskin slippers I bought in Lucknow, NSW, plus a dressing-gown or jumper (or both, depending on the time of day). On particularly chilly mornings, I’ve even been known to turn the oven on and open the door for an extra heat source. To be honest, it doesn’t have to be that cold for me to do that.

There are certainly things I enjoy about winter. I love the dramatic beauty of a bare tree, bracing walks with warm hands and a cold nose, and the food that perfectly suits the cooler months – soups, curries, roasts, puddings. In my house the slow cooker gets a good workout, but I do admit to falling into a rut with what I actually cook in it. Pulled pork was once a hit with my family, but is now met with little to no enthusiasm. That is why, on page 98, you’ll find a range of delicious recipes for your slow cooker.

Settling into a comfy chair with a rug on my lap, a pot of tea by my side and our dog, Buddy, at my feet to read a good book is something I enjoy doing on a cold Sunday afternoon. Our June cover – which came about by chance, as they sometimes do – reminded me of this ritual. Of course, this pastime wouldn’t be possible without Annabel Lawson’s book reviews, which bring me almost as much joy as the books she recommends. Annabel has been writing for Country Style for 32 years now, and I’m often sent letters expressing how much you appreciate her Book Club column. Keep your letters coming, I love receiving them and getting your feedback on the magazine.

Enjoy this issue and the season ahead.

My dogs, Honey and Buddy, need comfy new beds like this from Hard to Find.

Warm as toast Mia Fratino’s Molly polo dress will be on high rotation for me until at least September.

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Kylie Imeson

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JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 5

“We’re grateful for what we have.

It’s a very special place to us.”

Jessica Eggleston, page 54

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

64

38 COVER STORIES

64 TOWN AND COUNTRY

orchard in Orange Gone wild: A native flower farm on the NSW Central Coast Winter warmers: New ways to heat your home Take your time: Delicious slow-cooked dinners

74

38 Working together: Two generations on a hazelnut 84

PHOTOGRAPHY MARNIE HAWSON, MONIQUE LOVICK STYLING BELLE HEMMING

94 98

SHOPPING LIST

25 HOUSE TO HOME

Browse the latest furnishings, appliances and gifts.

83 COUNTRY STYLE WEDDINGS

Tell us all about your country nuptials for a chance to feature in our new wedding magazine.

COUNTRY STYLE EXHIBITION

26 WALL FLOWERS

Highlights from our Art of the Garden exhibition.

MEET THE PRODUCERS LUNCH

28 THE LAST LUNCH

Locally grown delights were showcased at Country Style’s Meet the Producers Lunch in Orange, NSW.

PEOPLE

38 LATE BLOOMERS

A humble hazelnut tree planted in 1990 in Orange, NSW, led Fourjay Farms to commercial success.

HOMES

54 PICTURE IMPERFECT

A timber and stone cottage in Binalong Bay lured the Eggleston family from the mainland to Tasmania.

From quiet Nowhere Creek to bustling Ballarat – Kirby and Jack Kaye found a quaint 1930s bungalow to shape into their ideal family home.

FULL OF HEART Every room in Stuart McKenzie and Simon Carver’s 19th-century miner’s cottage in Daylesford, Vic, holds priceless pieces of their shared history.

GARDEN

84 NATIVE BY DESIGN 92

Marvel at the array of wildflowers grown by fourthgeneration farmer Craig Scott on NSW’s Central Coast.

DOWN THE GARDEN PATH Fiona Weir Walmsley praises industrious earthworms.

DECORATING

94 WARM WELCOME

Review the latest heating options for every home.

FOOD

98 TAKE IT EASY 105

As the temperature drops, turn up the slow cooker and make easy-to-prepare, nourishing dinners and desserts.

FLAVOURS What to eat, drink and sample this month. >

124

134 BOOK CLUB This month, Country Style’s Annabel Lawson promotes women: battlers, advisers, mothers. Plus, delve into a murder-mystery and visit the afterlife.

98

REGULAR READING

10 Contributors 14 Your Page: Readers’ emails and letters 19 A Month in the Country: This June, enjoy winter 31 32 34

74

137 154

solstice rituals, retro tunes and novelty boat races.

A Day in the Country: Maggie MacKellar reflects on the process of planning, planting and fruition.

Homegrown: Upholsterer Britta de Laat salvages unwanted furniture and creates family heirlooms.

Life on a Station: Emma Moss recounts a scary incident between a jillaroo and a clean-skin bull.

Collectables Country Squire: To do or not to do… Rob Ingram re-imagines the bucket list.

SERVICES

106 ORDER WISELY 108

Steve Cumper serves up pork scotch and sage spuds.

PRESERVED MEMORIES Reader Joan McDonald shares a cherished recipe.

TRAVEL

110 MY TOWN: ROCKHAMPTON 118

Not far from the Capricorn Coast, Rockhampton is a thriving city with superb food and unique scenery.

DELIGHTS IN STORE Rewind time at The Storekeeper’s House in Victoria.

FASHION

124 THE STYLE DIARY For Amanda Cochran, founder of Grampians Goods Co, nature inspires both her work and her wardrobe.

REGIONAL SHOPPING

130 HOME ON THE RANGE

Find classic European wares at eCasa in Daylesford.

139 140 150

$30 FOR SIX MONTHS VIA AUTO-RENEWAL. Field Guide Country Emporium Country and Coastal Retreats

OUR COVER

Vintage artwork, an eclectic collection of treasures and a gorgeous 11-year-old golden retriever named Oscar are captured at The Storekeeper’s House in Tatura, Victoria.

PHOTOGRAPHY Abbie Mellé STYLING Leesa O’Reilly

ON THE COVER In the small town of Tatura in Victoria’s lush Goulburn Valley you’ll find The Storekeeper’s House, a heritage home built in 1905 by Thomas Flanagan, and now owned by Carrie Donaldson and her husband, Luis Casanova.

The couple carefully restored the building over a three-year period, transforming it into a beautiful place to stay. For more on the history of The Storekeeper’s House, turn to page 118.

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, present and emerging.

PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of Country Style magazine is published by Are Media Pty Limited (Are Media). Are Media may use and disclose your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, including to provide you with your requested products or services and to keep you informed of other Are Media publications, products, services and events. Our Privacy Policy is located at aremedia. com.au/privacy. It also sets out on how you can access or correct your personal information and lodge a complaint. Are Media may disclose your personal information offshore to its owners, joint venture partners, service providers and agents located throughout the world, including in New Zealand, USA, the Philippines and the European Union. In addition, this issue may contain Reader Offers, being offers, competitions or surveys. Reader Offers may require you to provide personal information to enter or to take part. Personal information collected for Reader Offers may be disclosed by us to service providers assisting Are Media in the conduct of the Reader Offer and to other organisations providing special prizes or offers that are part of the Reader Offer. An opt-out choice is provided with a Reader Offer. Unless you exercise that opt-out choice, personal information collected for Reader Offers may also be disclosed by us to other organisations for use by them to inform you about other products, services or events or to give to other organisations that may use this information for this purpose. If you require further information, please contact Are Media’s Privacy Officer either by email at privacyofficer@aremedia.com.au or mail at Privacy Officer Are Media Pty Limited, 54 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

PHOTOGRAPHY LEAN TIMMS, ABBIE MELLE, ALICIA TAYLOR STYLING LYNDA GARDENER, KATE BROWN PHOTOCHEFS REBECCA LYALL, CLARE MAGUIRE

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CONTRIBUTORS

in this i s s u e . . .

K A T E

L I N C O L N

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A N N I K A B A K E R

After growing up reading Country Style with her mum and nana, journalist Annika’s first story for us is Homegrown, on page 32.

“To me, the country means home,” says Annika, who grew up on a farm outside Forbes, NSW, before moving to Mudgee aged 13.

“It means Saturday farmers’ markets, feeding the horses and spending time with loved ones.”

Now based in Sydney, Annika often returns home to Mudgee.

“Growing up in the country gave me an appreciation for stillness,” the 22-year-old says. “I meditate quite a bit living in the city, but when I’m in nature, it happens without having to roll out a yoga mat. The soil beneath your feet becomes your mat and the sound of kookaburras becomes your meditation playlist.”

WORDS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HORNER, NICHOLAS WILSON, JACKSON KING

Hailing from England, Kate always went to stay with her nan in Gloucestershire during the school holidays and enjoyed exploring the ancient Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley.

The 34-year-old’s love of the countryside continued when she moved to Sydney. “I like to get out into nature and go for long hikes.

The Australian country is so vast and varied, and there are so many places to visit,” she explains. As a stylist, Kate says, “I love creating beautiful spaces and imagery that inspires, and working with the best Australian designers and craftspeople. And I love that I get to be creative on a daily basis.”

EXCLUSIVE CULINARY TOURING

Editor KYLIE IMESON Creative director SARAH FARAGO Deputy editor HANNAH JAMES Queensland contributing editor CLAIRE MACTAGGART Art director BERNHARD SCHMITZ Stylist K ATE LINCOLN Copy editors GRETA DUMBLETON, GINA FLA XMAN, K ATE BARBER, DARREN CHRISTISON

Junior designer SAFFRON SYLVESTER Editorial Coordinator ANNA CAMPBELL (02) 9282 8456

A DV ERT ISI NG A N D PRODUCT ION

Commercial brand manager MICHELLE O’HANLON (02) 9282 8260 Brand executive AMELIA PATERSON (02) 9282 8038 Advertising production manager KATE ORSBORN (02) 9282 8364 NSW, VIC and SA director of sales KAREN HOLMES (02) 9282 8733 Victoria head of direct sales DEMI MARTELLO (03) 9823 6368 Queensland head of sales JUDY TAYLOR (07) 3101 6636 New Zealand inquiries +61 2 9282 8505 Head of Directories REBECCA WHITE (02) 9282 8273 Data and distribution manager JOSHUA BLANSHARD Production controller KARA STEAD Advertising production controller DOMINIC ROY (02) 9282 8691 Creative director CLARE CATT (02) 8116 9341 Senior event manager CATE GAZAL (02) 8226 9342

M A R K ETING A ND CIRCU LATION

From bite size breaks to epic epicurean escapades, Gourmet Traveller & Southern Crossings Australia have curated a collection of culinary journeys that go behindthe-scenes and beyond the scenery to provide an authentic taste of our unique destinations.

UPCOMING TOURS

Wines to Wilderness 9 - 15 September 2022

From wines to wilderness (and other delicious diversions); travel by helicopter to enjoy sundowners served with spectacular views and enjoy personalised introductions, behind-the-scenes experiences and privileged access to otherwise inaccessible vineyards whilst touring the Hunter Valley, Orange, Mudgee and Blue Mountains in style.

Marketing director LOUISE CANKETT Marketing manager KATHRINE HOLLAND Marketing coordinator JOYCE LIN Circulation and insights manager NICOLE PEARSON Subscriptions campaign manager JESVIN VINCENT

A R E MEDI A COR POR ATE

Chief executive officer JANE HUXLEY Finance director MARENA PAUL Customer director SALLY EAGLE Group publisher, Homes SHANE SUTTON Business manager GEORGINA BROMFIELD Syndications SYNDICATION@AREMEDIA.COM.AU

GENER AL EDITORIAL INQUIRIES

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Southern Flavours 4 - 14 October 2022

Savour sensational southern flavours from Melbourne to Mount Langi Ghiarn, The Grampians to Daylesford, King Island, Tasmania’s Tamar, the Freycinet Peninsula and Hobart. Travelling by road, helicopter and private charter flights, enjoy award-winning dining, behind-the-scenes access and privileged hands-on experiences reserved only for a special few, all in the company of one of Australia’s most authored foodie authorities.

Southern Flavours or Wines to Wilderness at www.southern-crossings.com/gourmet-traveller

Published by Are Media Pty Limited (ABN 18 053 273 546), 54 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000.

The trademark Country Style is the property of Are Media Pty Limited © 2022. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1033-6060. Printed by Ovato, 8 Priddle Street, Warwick Farm, NSW 2170. Pre-press by SBM, Silverwater. National distribution by Are Direct, 31-35 Heathcote Road, Moorebank, NSW, 2170. Phone (02) 9972 8800. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without written consent from the copyright holders. Are Media Pty Ltd does not accept responsibility for damage to or loss of freelance material submitted for publication. Allow several weeks for acceptance or return. For inquiries regarding subscriptions, call 136 116, Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm AEST, email magshop@magshop.com. au or mail letters to: Country Style Reply Paid 3508, Sydney, NSW, 2001, or subscribe online at magshop. com.au. Standard subscription rate*: Australia $79.99 (one year, 13 issues); NZ A$120.00 (one year, 13 issues); other countries A$180.00 (one year, 13 issues). All overseas subscriptions sent air speed. *Recommended price, trademark Country Style. All prices quoted are inclusive of GST, approximate only and stated in AUD unless otherwise stated.

YOUR PAGE

INSPIRED BY OUR APRIL AND MAY ISSUES, SEVERAL READERS SHARE THEIR OWN MEMORIES OF GROWING UP IN THE COUNTRY – BOTH THE JOYS AND THE HARDSHIPS.

I was born in Wellington, NSW, after my family moved from Lue, a tiny village in NSW. There was Mum and Dad and three siblings. Decades ago, I heard repeated stories from my parents about the joys of country living – the farmhouses and the lifestyle they loved. But I also heard about the struggles that were endured. Some families were torn apart due to difficult times and lack of money.

Most families re-used and recycled items and parts or fabrics to make sure that objects were not wasted.

Food was always put on the table – eating out just wasn’t available back then. Many creative country recipes were shared by other families that lived up the road. My mother recalled, in years gone by, how she rode the tractor on the main country road to deliver some jam she had made for the neighbour. The connectedness to local country communities and families was often thought about and missed.

City life called for potential employment and for our family to live a different lifestyle. Sadly, the family soon split up after moving to the city.

Sisters were separated, and so were our parents.

Today, many years since I was a child, I am reliving the country dream in the hinterland of the Central Coast, where I’m surrounded by like-minded people who want a calmer life so they can grow vegetables and flowers, have some farm animals, and enjoy sharing a meal or afternoon tea with each other. I am fortunate to be able to support some amazing neighbours.

Country Style always provides me with inspiration for the memories

14 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

of years gone by, as well as for gatherings, food ideas, floral settings, country surrounds and appreciating the stories of others – both good and the challenges that life brought to some of us then and again now.

In a true segue, I’ve just had a friend call by with a bunch of flowers and a pot of rhubarb from a local roadside stall. We both stood next to her hay-filled ute, talking about our piles of Country Style magazines that we have both collected over the years, and how she delivers some of her old magazines to the local country doctor’s surgery.

Thank you to Country Style and my friend for your thoughtfulness.

Sue-Ellen Harris, Kulnura, NSW

A CHERISHED GIFT

To all the staff who work together to produce my very favourite magazine, Country Style, I am so very thankful for all your hard work and dedication.

I used to purchase Country Style each month from wherever I was shopping until my beautiful autistic son, Mark, surprised me last year by purchasing a yearly subscription.

Wow... I was rapt... so he gifted me this again for 2022.

I was both surprised and thrilled, and asked him why he chose Country

Instagram feedback…

“I just picked up my May issue of Country Style from McCanns newsagent in Camperdown, Victoria. I have every single edition, from the first in 1988.

It’s my calm and downtime pleasure.” @patrickcaruana1

Style. His words were: “Oh Mum, your face is always so relaxed and you are very happy when you’re reading this magazine. You also tell everyone that you get your home decorating, cooking, gardening, clothing ideas etc from the mag, too.”

When Mark collects the post at the end of each month and the Country Style magazine has been delivered, he has a huge smile on his face as he hands it to me.

Apparently I hug it, too!

That is why I’m thanking you –because I want you to know what joy your magazine brings into my world.

Dianne Stephens, Warradale, SA

POIGNANT REMINDERS

Like Annabel Crabb, I too grew up on a farm. I absolutely loved My Country Childhood in the April issue.

Farming is completely full-time.

There are no days off. The struggles of droughts and floods impact daily life, and these natural disasters drive so many people to financial ruin.

My parents were very determined people and felt the pressure of keeping the family tradition of farming going. Both parents had great-grandparents who were farmers. In her story, Annabel emphasised the quality of humility and, indeed, humour.

I have always admired people who can seek out humour in adverse circumstances. My parents certainly knew how to have a chuckle. I recall one time, they had just planted a new crop of vegetables. Rows and rows of plants were all methodically positioned across the fields. The next morning, it rained so hard that all the seedlings were washed away.

PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE, CLANCY PAINE

BUILDING THE DREAM

SEARCH FOR A HERO

LEGEND S o f t h e LAND

Thank you for all your terrific entries in our inaugural Legends of the Land Awards. The lucky winners in the four categories – Local Hero; Producer; Regional Hospitality; Fashion & Shopping – will receive a fabulous personalised prize from Robert Gordon Australia worth $1150.

We will announce the winners in our August issue (on sale July 21, 2022), so keep an eye out!

Yet, somehow Mum and Dad were able to hug and laugh about it.

My brother and I both decided that we would head to the city. Farm life was not for us. We both felt a sense of guilt – proud generations of farming had ended with our pursuit of an urban existence.

Interestingly, decades on, both of us now hanker for the country.

Our thoughts centre on running a little bed and breakfast.

In the country, people understand that sense of community. No matter how tough times get, there’s support.

It’s a very appealing sensibility.

Country Style, you brought back so many poignant memories. Thank you.

Susan Wareham, Lane Cove, NSW

WINNER

SPECIAL MEMORIES OF A BYGONE ERA Flicking through the pages of Country Style magazine brings back memories of a country childhood… Staying with Nan and Pop, devouring the homemade custard tart with the too-thick crust, and cooking toast on top of the Early Kooka.

Our days were filled with fishing or lazing on a tractor inner tube on the Gwydir River in Moree, NSW. We weren’t rich, but Mum and Dad managed to find money for the local

artesian baths every day, along with a delicious cream bun for 10 cents.

We would walk home and stop to sift our way through the old secondhand bookshop for Enid Blyton tales, Nancy Drew stories, and worn Archie and Casper comic books.

Every page in your magazine awakens these senses and transports me back to a happy time of life when people listened. Thank you, Country Style – I will never lose these memories while I have you.

Kelly Papworth, North Willoughby, NSW

Congratulations to Kelly Papworth, who has won a Grampians Goods Co Picnic Perfect Gift Box, which includes an All-Weather Adventure Blanket and two Paddock Pillow covers, valued at $567. To see the range of blanket designs, visit grampiansgoodsco.com.au

ESSENTIAL CONNECTION As I write this, my family and I are at home in isolation with COVID – it finally caught up with us.

When asked by friends what items they could drop off at the door, my first response was: “Country Style magazines!” Thank you for providing a glimpse of the outside world while we hibernate at home.

Aimee Cowan, Westlake, Qld

Share your thoughts and experiences with us by writing to Country Style, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW, 2001, 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 MONTH IN THE COUNTRY Get up close to cute goats at Fourjay Farms in Orange, NSW. For more, turn to page 38.

Novelty boats make waves in Darwin this month, while cute kelpies turn tricks in Victoria, and Tassie celebrates the winter solstice.

PHOTOGRAPHY MONIQUE LOVICK

WORDS GR ETA DUMBLETON

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 19

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

QUEENSLAND

Ag-grow Emerald Field Day, June 23-25 The town of Emerald, in the Central Highlands of Qld, is hosting the 33rd annual Ag-grow festival, with exhibitors from surrounding communities gathering for three days of industry networking, bull and horse sales, working cattle dog trials and colt starting clinics. It’s a fun family event, with a free KidZone and Entertainment Square offering live music, jumping castles, camel rides and food stalls. aggrow.com.au Cooly Rocks On, June 8-12 The southern end of the Gold Coast is set to shake, rattle and roll as the Cooly Rocks On vintage extravaganza kicks off. It’s a retro-lover’s dream, with classic car displays, vintage costumes and clothing markets, plus rockabilly, jazz, blues and swing dance routines.

There’s also an appearance from The King himself in the Elvis precinct, with diehard fans competing in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. coolyrockson.com

TASMANIA

Dark Mofo, June 8-22 Exploring the link between ancient and modern mythology, Dark Mofo is Tassie’s most contentious arts and music festival.

This year, more than 100 performers from 30 countries will explore the theme of ‘Resurrection’, including US video artist Doug Aitken, and Japanese sculptural artist Hiromi Tango. Closer to home, Kamilaroi

singer The Kid Laroi leads the music line-up. For those who dare, the Nude Solstice Swim occurs at dawn following the longest night of the year, while the popular communal Winter Feast will be held on Hobart’s waterfront. darkmofo.net.au Bay of Fires Winter Arts Festival, June 10-13 Creativity in myriad forms is celebrated during this winter festival, held in St Helen’s in northeast Tasmania. Locals are invited to enter the Art Prize contest – this year’s theme is ‘Larrertenner and Wurrawina; Light and Shadow’ – with $20,000 up for grabs. Budding artists can also submit works in the Youth Art Prize, which explores themes of sustainability. Visitors can join interactive workshops and enjoy puppetry shows, exhibitions, visit art studios, and follow the Art Trail from Binalong Bay to St Mary’s. For a bit of fun, join the lively Dawn Dash & Splash in chilly Binalong Bay. bayoffireswinterartsfestival.com.au

NEW SOUTH WALES

Frost and Fire, June 18 Pack a scarf and gloves and head to Forbes for a magical evening beneath starlit skies. As bonfires blaze on the banks of Lake Forbes, the Frost and Fire festival will honour the winter solstice with Wiradjuri cultural performances, and live music led by Thirsty Merc. Josh Maynard will also take to the stage, along with Bathurst duo Smith & Jones, and Forbes locals

Emily Pavey, Clynton Breen and Jo Stephenson. Expect sizzling routines by the Sydney Fire Dancers throughout the night, plus tasty food and brews. Purchase tickets online. amazingforbesnsw.com Henry Lawson Festival, June 9-13 This long-running literary festival in Grenfell celebrates 65 years in 2022.

Across five days, attendees can pay tribute to Henry Lawson, Australia’s renowned bush poet who was born in the town. The festival champions Lawson’s classic works and proudly showcases Grenfell’s thriving cultural scene and heritage. Locals can also enter competitions in verse, short story, painting and photography. henrylawsonfestival.com.au

W E E K E N D AWA Y SA Tomfoolery Winemaker’s Cottage Wake to birdsong and vineyard

views at this gorgeous cottage set on eight hectares at Tomfoolery Wines in the Barossa Valley. Located an hour’s drive north of Adelaide, it’s ideal for a romantic weekend away, with a plush king-size bed, spa with soft bathrobes and slippers, and a spacious living area. Book a two-night stay and enjoy a basket of local goodies, including gourmet muesli, bacon and eggs, fresh juice, beer, wine and cheese. With exclusive use of the property, guests are welcome to explore the vineyard and orchard. Now for the wow-factor: the cottage features an indoor pool, and there’s even a helipad for those extra-special arrivals! tomfoolerywines.com.au

20 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY ANSON SMART, TOURISM TASMANIA, PETER WHYTE, ANDREW WILSON, ADAM GIBSON, MEAGHAN COLES

CLOCKWISE, FROM FAR LEFT Dining at The Agrarian Kitchen in Tasmania; serene views from the Agrarian farm; marmalade babka and bagels with gin-cured salmon at Four Pillars Gin Distillery; happy ducks roam at The Agrarian garden. FACING PAGE Enjoy fine wine and a spa at Tomfoolery Winemaker’s Cottage in SA.

Orange Winter Jazz Fest, June 10-12 The town of Orange, just under four hours’ drive from Sydney, will be alive with the sound of music this June long weekend as the Winter Jazz Festival kicks off with more than 50 concerts.

The program features internationally renowned and local artists, including headline acts Vince Jones, Mahalia Barnes, Emma Pask, and The Catholics. Book online. owjf.com.au Festival of Small Halls Resilience Tour, until June 12 Presented by Woodfordia Inc, the 26th edition of this unique regional music tour aims to uplift towns in northern NSW affected by the horror bushfires of 2019/2020 with a program celebrating the strength and courage of small communities.

Be enchanted by performances from celebrated songwriters Ash Bell and Sara Tindley, along with renowned troubadour Melanie Horsnell. Book online. festivalofsmallhalls.com

VICTORIA

National Celtic Folk Festival, June 10-13 Pipers, highland cattle and plenty of Celtic spirit will be on display in Portarlington, on the Bellarine Peninsula, during the National Celtic Folk Festival. This year’s program will run across >

book a table VIC Four Pillars Gin Distillery After a 12-month renovation, Four

Pillars’ brand-new, world-class distillery and gin garden is open for business. Located adjacent to their original home in the Yarra Valley, ‘Healesville 2.0’ includes an airy gin garden, stylish function spaces, a stunning crafted copper bar, and a dedicated gin store – all enclosed by a revolutionary copper ‘veil’ which serves as a heat exchange to reduce energy consumption. Alongside tasting paddles, classic gins and creative cocktails, Beth’s Bar serves snacks concocted by Made From Gin creative director Matt Wilkinson and local chef Caroline Gray. Menu fare includes: duck liver pâté with bloody shiraz gin jelly; bagels with olive leaf gin-cured salmon; and gin-laced potato, zucchini and dill croquettes. Later this year, Healesville 2.0 will launch the Four Pillars Tuck Shop, with guest appearances and food specials from industry friends, plus an expanded range of tastings and masterclasses. fourpillarsgin.com

TAS The Agrarian Kitchen Since 2008, Rodney Dunn and his wife,

Séverine Demanet, have been sharing their passion for fresh produce at The Agrarian Kitchen Cooking School and Farm in New Norfolk, in Tasmania’s picturesque Derwent Valley. Then, in 2017, the duo opened The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery in the historic Bronte building in New Norfolk’s Willow Court – the town’s former mental asylum. Enchanted by its dramatic ceiling and light, airy setting, Rodney and Séverine set about creating a dining experience where “the ingredients speak for themselves with little adornment”. Supporting local growers, farmers and fishermen, the meals are a true expression of ‘paddock to plate’. The seasonal menu includes delicacies such as: chicken fat brioche and liver pâté; Danish white asparagus and lemon flower; smoked pork loin, guanciale and green garlic; and Derwent ale ice cream and roasted spelt. Reservations are essential for the restaurant, while the onsite kiosk operates on weekends and is perfect for family picnics or casual meals. In October, the revamped Agrarian Cooking School and Garden will launch alongside the restaurant. theagrariankitchen.com

a range of venues, with the foreshore transformed into a winter party serving up mulled wine, gourmet hot chocolate, and exotic cuisines.

Browse market stalls and sample local produce while enjoying performances from Australia’s best Folk and Celtic artists. nationalcelticfestival.com Botanica, June 5-27 Victoria’s South Gippsland region boasts a thriving community arts scene. Throughout June, head to Meeniyan Art Gallery to view Botanica, an exhibition showcasing the works of local artists Ken Roberts and Luke Dearlove as they explore the diverse botanical world. The painters offer a unique interpretation of the intricate flora that surrounds us, with their acrylic and watercolour pieces exuding a cheerful, positive energy. Ken presents gum leaves in an abstract form, using non-traditional colours, while Luke has created screen-printed waratah images, along with abstract floral still-life pieces and mobiles depicting plant life. Within Botanica Ken has a second exhibition, Family Secrets, comprising assemblage works and paintings. He explores the concept that every family has its hidden stories and myriad layers. The combined narrative offers a visual feast of colour, nature and movement. meeniyanartgallery.com.au

22 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

Botanica artist Luke Dearlove’s piece from his Waratah series, screen-printed and handpainted using watercolours.

Australian Kelpie Muster, June 11-12 Dog lovers will be in canine heaven at the 26th annual Kelpie Muster in Casterton. The Kelpie Festival welcomes families to a day of fun with market stalls, food vendors, an animal nursery, jumping castle and much more. Agile kelpies can compete in a range of events, including the 50-metre Dash and Hill Climb, the prized High Jump, and the challenging Kelpie Triathlon. The Stockmen’s Challenge sees riders from across the nation team up with their horse and kelpie to compete in skill-based obstacles, such as penning the sheep. Meanwhile, onlookers will enjoy the Kelpie Pinball game, where Indian Runner ducks dodge and weave among the dogs. castertonkelpieassociation.com.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Mullewa Muster and Rodeo, June 4 Since 2012, the Mullewa Muster and Rodeo has attracted thousands of fans and become a landmark event for the City of Greater Geraldton. Held at the Mullewa Recreation Grounds, it’s a good old-fashioned celebration of cowboys and crooners, with the Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association Rodeo, Beaut Ute Competition and more.

Elsewhere, country music singer Tania Kernaghan will entertain the crowd, along with The Wolfe Brothers, Perth favourites Renegade, and local Mullewa musicians. Performers from ZAP Circus will delight kids with hands-on workshops, while market stalls will provide essential western gear, souvenirs, gifts and snacks.

Camping onsite is free, so make a weekend of it. mullewamuster.com.au

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

500 Plus Miles of Music, June 17-27 “Twice the miles, twice the locations and twice the concerts” – 500 Miles of Music will be bigger and better this year, with an unforgettable musical road trip stopping everywhere from Wombat Flat to Coober Pedy, and Oodnadatta to William Creek. Hosted

by Ian “Dicko” Dickson, the festival

will see industry favourites including Gina Jeffreys, Adam Harvey, Travis Collins, The Wolfe Brothers, Joe Ahern and Taylor Moss performing in barns, parks, roadhouses and hotels across outback South Australia. revivetheregionswithmusic.com/ 500-miles-of-music

ACT

SoundOut Festival, June 17-19 Discover music in a multisensory format at the 13th annual SoundOut Festival, held at Drill Hall Gallery in Acton, Canberra. Presenting collaborations of sound, film and visual art, with a focus on experimental and improvisational artforms, it’s an uplifting, inspiring experience. This year’s performers include: Vanessa Tomlinson on vibraphone with Erik Griswold on piano; Sally Ann McIntyre on electronics/radio objects with Campbell Walker’s experimental film; plus many more instrumental pairings. For those eager to participate, an interactive Sound Drawing Workshop will be run by double bassist Mark Cauvin and visual artist Jody Graham on June 17.

Purchase tickets at eventbrite.com.au

NORTHERN TERRITORY Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta, June 26 The challenge is simple: create a boat from beer cans, soft drink cans or plastic bottles, then join the race! From 1974 to today, the much-loved Lions Beer Can Regatta, staged at beautiful Mindil Beach in Darwin, has drawn a crowd of thousands, all keen to watch the hilarious spectacle of everyday Aussies racing (or sinking and swimming) in handmade vessels in individual or team boat races.

A true family-friendly event, the Regatta includes thong-throwing competitions; sandcastle-building challenges (plus a special kids’ creativity task); Ironman and Ironwoman events; a tug-of-war challenge; children’s races and a Best Novelty Boat competition. beercanregatta.org.au

PHOTOGRAPHY LUKE DEARLOVE

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

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SHOPPING LIST

PAPER PERFECT The art of decoupage has a long history, drawing on ancient Chinese, Polish and Siberian traditions, then becoming popular in France in the 17th century. Now paint expert Annie Sloan has collaborated with the UK’s renowned Royal Horticultural Society to launch these beautiful decoupage papers – just cut them out, arrange them on your object, and stick them down with Annie Sloan Image Medium.

Visit anniesloan.com

COOK UP A STORM Baking, basting and braising are all a breeze in a beautiful blue Belling. The brand’s Richmond Deluxe Dual Fuel Range Cooker has four ovens with a total capacity of 224 litres, meaning you can cook up absolutely anything that takes your fancy, and all at the same time. Perfect for feeding a crowd. Visit harveynorman.com.au

house to home FROM BIG-TICKET ITEMS TO PRETTY FURNISHINGS, THESE ARE OUR TOP BUYS THIS MONTH. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

Fire it up

PHOTOGRAPHY LAUREN GRAY

Moving to a 100-year-old cottage in South Gippsland introduced Jeanine Gagnon to the glories of the wood stove – and the frustration of not being able to see the lovely flames thanks to the blackened glass. And so she and her husband invented Ruco Wood Heater and Fireplace Glass Cleaner, a fast-acting formula which easily removes soot and creosote. Not only does it work, it’s 100 per cent made in South Gippsland. Visit ruco.com.au KEEPING COSY, DOING GOOD Social enterprise Two Good Co has teamed up with furniture brand Jardan and heritage textile merchants St Albans to create these gorgeously warm, limited-edition alpaca throws. For every throw sold, one is donated to women’s shelters and refuges.

Visit twogood.com.au/ good-things

Mapping magic The mystical world of Middle Earth inspired Northern Territory artist Alexander Broers to create these beautifully hand-drawn maps. Buy one of your home state, and Alexander will personalise it by adding in your property name – or you can even commission a map of somewhere special to you. Visit wildwoodmaps.com

RUN TO YOU This hard-wearing, easy-care jute and cotton rug in a subtle diamond pattern makes a perfect hallway runner or kitchen rug. Ground Control Rugs Ricochet Runner, hardtofind.com.au JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 25

EVENT MUR RURUNDI NSW

wall f lowe rs

WITH THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ARTISTS INVOLVED IN ANY COUNTRY STYLE EXHIBITION TO DATE, THE ART OF THE GARDEN SHOW IN MURRURUNDI, NSW, WAS A BEAUTIFUL SUCCESS. WORDS KY LIE IMESON PHOTOGRAPHY JODIE BA R K ER

COUNTRY STYLE’S RECENT EXHIBITION, Art of the Garden,

held in collaboration with Michael Reid Murrurundi, was our biggest yet. So big, in fact, that several temporary walls had to be installed in the purpose-built gallery space.

The botanical theme inspired the 20 painters, six ceramicists and one art centre to reach new heights of creativity and output. Archibald finalist Robert Malherbe created two striking paintings to display at the show, and we welcomed stunning pieces by The Artists of Ampilatwatja from remote Central Australia, reinforcing the diverse group that was invited to interpret the theme and prove that gardens can take many forms and have relevance to us all.

Case in point: artist Lauren Jones’s paintings highlight the beauty of garden weeds, while Berlin-based Aussie artist Lucy Dyson used clippings from old Country Style issues to create her intriguing collages.

26 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

The ceramicists, including Alison Fraser and Chrystie Longworth, all created amazing vessels to hold flowers and greenery. Floral designer Lauren Croghan-Johnson then got to work to show them at their very best advantage and in context. “Each piece from all six artists spoke to me strongly through colour and form, conveying a different impression of the garden for each collection,” says Lauren.

The day after the official opening, the Hon. Ben Franklin MLC, NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the Arts and Regional Youth, visited the gallery along with Mr David Robert Layzell MP, Member for the Upper Hunter, and by all accounts they were suitably impressed.

Special thanks must go to Michael Reid OAM, Daniel Soma, James Stokes, and the entire Michael Reid team.

And rest assured, plans for next year’s Country Style exhibition are already in the works.

Visit michaelreid.com.au

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Ceramic pieces by Kristin Burgham; artist Denise Faulkner in front of one of her pieces; the exhibition drew a mix of locals and out-of-towners; artist Lauren Jones and her husband, Ryan, and two-year-old daughter, Maple, travelled to the exhibition from Qld’s Sunshine Coast; Alison Fraser’s striking white and gold vases; ceramicist Catherine Field with her work; Country Style’s ‘The Art Issue’ cover took pride of place at the exhibition’s opening; Country Style Editor Kylie Imeson, wearing a gorgeous Eva’s Sunday linen dress, with chairman and director Michael Reid OAM. FACING PAGE The artists interpreted the theme of ‘Art of the Garden’ in their unique and contrasting styles.

EVENT OR A NGE NSW

The last lunch THE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE MEET THE PRODUCERS LUNCH WAS OUR BEST YET – BUT IT WAS ALSO THE GRAND FINALE. PHOTOGRAPHY MONIQUE LOV ICK

IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE enthusiasm and excitement for

the Country Style Meet the Producers Lunch when all the guests turn up in torrential rain. Just as everyone was due to arrive at the Australian National Field Days site at Borenore just outside Orange, NSW, the heavens opened.

A mini river formed along the side of the Style Pavilion where tables were set for 209 attendees, but people remained jolly with umbrellas up, gumboots on and a glass of bubbles in hand. The market stalls showcasing the producers’ wares – everything from honey and jam to wine and flavoured salts – were set up in the pavilion so guests could browse and buy, and stay dry. Then it was time for lunch to begin and the rain suddenly stopped – nothing like a dramatic start to an event to make it memorable.

As guests took their seats, there was much appreciation for how lovely the tables and room itself looked. Gorgeous flowers and greenery by Botanica Flora lined the tables. The arrangements were later sold, vases and all, to raise money for Black Dog Institute. But before that, several generous producers who donated their products for the delicious lunch took to the stage to talk about their lives on the land.

Event organiser extraordinaire and caterer Cath Thompson of Me’n’us Cooking Catering Concepts thanked everyone for coming – especially her mum Helen and husband Craig, who have both helped make the lunch a success since it began 14 years ago. Cath also announced that this would be the last lunch in its current form; it is time to do something new to showcase the best produce that Orange has to offer. Watch this space.

The next day was the Farmgate Tour, led by tireless Cath, where guests visited Fourjay Farms (see our story on page 38), and Brangayne Wines to name but a few. Thanks to the 32 producers involved, the hospitality students and teachers from James Sheahan Catholic High School, and Mitch Crump from Vine Ventures

28 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

CLOCKWISE, FROM FAR LEFT Meet the Producers Lunch organiser Cath Thompson and Country Style Editor Kylie Imeson in Ella & Sunday; one of the long tables set for lunch; guests enjoyed a glass of Strawhouse sparkling on arrival; browsing the Franklin Road Preserves stall; Lesley Russell cooking on the barbecue as Craig Thompson looks on; guests received the April issue of Country Style; flowers by Botanica Flora; Annalise King and Nicci Bauer; the delicious Producers plate.

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A DAY IN THE COUNTRY

THE MEASURE OF TIME MAGGIE MACKELLAR OBSERVES THAT ALL THINGS BLOOM WHEN THEY’RE MEANT TO – BOTH ON THE FARM AND ON THE PAGE.

PHOTOGRAPHY SAMUEL SHELLEY

WE ARE SNEAKING UP on the shortest day of the year. It

always surprises me how early in winter this is. Here in Tasmania, it’s not properly cold yet, there’s just the threat of it. But even if the cold is mild, the light is falling swiftly from the days and the nights are noticeably longer. I love this time of year. I love the feeling of things being birthed in the dark, of things growing in secret, of the creative work being done in the quiet, far away from an audience.

Since late summer, I’ve had a space in the vegie patch left fallow. Here, I’ll plant garlic on the shortest days of the year. The bed was dug up by a friend who was isolating in the cottage as his family cycled through COVID. To stop himself going stir-crazy, he gave my vegie patch a goingover. He weeded, then dug bags of rich, crumbling sheep poo into the dark, chocolate soil. Then he covered the soil with a thick layer of mulch. For the last five months, the bed has lain quietly under its blanket of hay while the sun has shone, the rain has fallen and the mist has lingered.

In a dark corner of the kitchen hangs a long plait of garlic. I’ve been plucking cloves off it while cooking for months now. In late January, I minced it and swirled the pinpricks of flavour through olive oil and then tossed in tomatoes, basil and a pinch of sea salt and scattered it over a bed of salad leaves. In February, I sliced slivers and fried them in hot butter to flavour wafer-thin pieces of freshly caught abalone. In March, I tossed cloves in the cavity of a chook, ready for roasting. And in April, I pushed

it deep into slits made in a leg of lamb. In May, I roasted whole cloves in a slow oven with a sirloin of beef, a feast for a birthday. And in June, I’m going to take the last of those garlic cloves and plant them back in the chocolate soil.

I peel back the blanket of mulch and push a fork through the soil to wake it up. It’s full of worms. Summer’s warmth is only a memory. Each clove of garlic goes in toes-first. What is it in the soil that wakes a swirl of life in the centre of the clove, that calls roots from its hardened heart, a tendril of green to unfurl and push its way upward toward the light?

Is it the dark? Or is it the feeling of being held in place?

Pushing the cloves of garlic deep into the earth, I think about how I need to trust that there’s a time not to be busy, a time to let my imagination wander, to write things in my journal but not talk about them, to let ideas sit in the dark, not ask them to be books or articles – just let them swell and grow. It’ll be eight years since I’ve published a book by the time my next one hits the shelves in 2023. I’ve tried not to compare myself to other writers whose productivity is astounding. Perhaps that length of time is not a failure, but a fallow. The thought is a kind one.

When all the garlic is planted, I cover the bed with mulch again. It looks no different from when I started. But I know that in the darkness, the cloves are stirring and come the long days of summer, I will have a crop to harvest Follow Maggie on Instagram @maggiemackellar_ and subscribe to her newsletter, The Sit Spot.

Seasonal rhythms dictate farm routines, along with planning and preparation – and it’s a good lesson for everyday life.

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 31

HOMEGROWN

GIVING FURNITURE A SECOND CHANCE, BRITTA DE LAAT IS UPHOLSTERING HER WAY INTO THE HEARTS OF AUSTRALIANS. WORDS A NNIK A BA K ER PHOTOGRAPHY NICHOLAS W ILSON

LIVING IN RURAL AUSTRALIA equips

you with an appreciation of the age-old art of mending what you have rather than buying something new. Britta de Laat, founder of furniture restoration company Dumped & Ditched, has spent decades honing the skills required to transform unwanted furniture into treasured items for the home.

While studying fine art in London in the 1990s, Britta sourced inspiration from discarded objects she’d find around town. “It fascinated me what people would throw away,” says the 45-year-old.

“From sofas to warehouses filled with shoes, I could see the potential in these pieces – but, at the time, I didn’t have the knowledge to do much with them.”

But she does now. After completing her degree, Britta worked on film sets, where she learnt how to transform empty sets into spaces filled with character. What she loved most, though, was taking something old and making it new again, so she pivoted out of the film industry and completed a diploma in upholstery in Amsterdam.

While Britta was on maternity leave and pregnant with her second child, her husband Maarten, 47, was offered a professorship in Adelaide for six months. The duo quickly fell in love with Australia. “We just loved the lifestyle and we had a fantastic time, so we tried to get another job,” says Britta. Aware that moving abroad would take planning, the family returned to Amsterdam, where Britta founded Dumped & Ditched in 2014. “I had this romantic idea that I could do upholstery from home with the kids – but anyone who’s been exposed to freelance life knows that you need to work at 150 per cent,” she says.

A few years later, Britta and her family – plus a 40-foot shipping container filled with furniture – were ready for the voyage to Wollongong, where Dumped & Ditched has evolved into a thriving business. Though at first Britta worked from her garage and annexe, she’s since featured

32 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

in British Vogue and appears as a restoration expert on Foxtel series The Repair Shop Australia.

She also has a team of nine employees, all of whom are devoted to preservation and sustainability.

“It’s been a crazy journey,” she says.

“Managing staff and taking on new pieces can be hard, so I’m enjoying having more hands-on people to help with that side of things. It gives me more time to focus on the business and designing as well.”

While Britta’s time on film sets prepared her for the sometimes stressful atmosphere on The Repair Shop Australia, being in front of the camera was an entirely different beast. “That was a steep learning curve, having six cameras pointing at me at one time,” she says.

“Trying to smile while you talk and explain your craft is hard to make work on camera, and also be relaxed at the same time. It was a challenge, but I think you just need a bit of self-humour.”

Passion for her work is also key. In today’s world, where almost everything is replaceable and new trends emerge daily, companies are manufacturing items at record speed. “Environmentally, it’s crazy the amount of household furniture that gets thrown away,” says Britta. “Because things are made cheaply, they can be replaced quickly, but that’s just not sustainable.”

Instead, Dumped & Ditched produces reupholstered mid-century TV chairs and restored bar carts that become individualised expressions of her customers.

The business focuses on reviving what has been tossed away so it can be enjoyed as a custom-made heirloom.

“I get to bring together all of the skills I’ve gained in film, photography, the arts and studies,” Britta says.

“I just love the transformations. To take something completely run-down and make it shine again.”

For more, visit dumpedandditched.com, and watch Britta in action on Foxtel’s The Repair Shop Australia.

PROMOT ION

Full of SURPR ISES

For Wendy O’Halloran, retirement has given her the time to pursue her passions AFTER RUNNING a number of Perth fashion boutiques for 40 years, Wendy O’Halloran, 65, retired with many of her regular customers as great friends. She was also lucky enough to have family close by.

“My husband and I decided to stay living in the family home where we raised our three kids, Tom, Jack and Mikaela. It was an easy decision; I’m a bit of a homebody and was keen to stay in the place where I’ve made lifelong friends. My daughter lives in the same area, which will come in handy when she starts a family. I’m also just a few kilometres from my 97-year-old mum, who lives independently in her own home. I see her every day and we have lots of laughs together,” says Wendy.

“Fitness is a big part of my life with my husband, and we’ve always enjoyed running together.”

Retirement has not only given her more time with family but it’s also allowed her to explore her passion for sport and singing.

“Fitness is a big part of my life with my husband, and we’ve always enjoyed running together, particularly now I have more time. I joined the West Australian Marathon Club when I retired and have been volunteering on the committee as Public Relations Co-coordinator. I also started running competitively – I’ve surprised myself by winning the Club Champion in my age category five times. I also took up golf and singing in a small community choir. I recently started jamming with a band of three other girls, which has been a real blast – something I never thought I’d do.”

With some solid planning behind her, Wendy’s financial security has given her the peace of mind to enjoy her newfound passions.

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“We’ve lived life our way, but while we were working we always ensured we kept our superannuation contributions up, which has been a blessing.

“The other blessing has been my first grandchild, a little girl named Joy. She is the light of my life and I try to spend as much time with her as possible,” says Wendy.

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LIFE ON A STATION

run for your life!

MY PASSION FOR THE NORTH is surely obvious by now.

I hesitate to tell less-positive stories at the risk of scaring people off, but the truth is, the north is wild, large and relatively untouched, and with this comes inevitable dangers. There are snakes, goannas and other reptiles that can give you tetanus if they bite you… or worse. The distance between towns, paddocks and places where there is phone service is immense. Getting bogged with no gear can mean you’re up a creek without a paddle for a long time. Locals are used to that, so they put many measures in place to keep everyone safe. But one thing that is hard to avoid is wild, cranky, ‘clean-skin’ cattle.

Clean-skin cattle are cows that have not been branded or touched by humans. They don’t have owners, so deals are made between landowner groups and the government to determine who has the right to sell them. If you can catch them, they’re yours (that is a big simplification). Clean-skin cattle have an ancestor who was a station cow or bull, but they’ve since learnt how to hide from choppers and avoid being mustered into yards. They teach their offspring the same skills and this continues with each generation.

The wet season gives cattle the opportunity to follow creeks and travel kilometres each year. Then there are the areas that have been fenced poorly – or not at all – for years, giving clean-skins free rein to roam the 500,000two million-hectare stations. That’s a lot of room to roam.

When clean-skins come into a mob, they are often the easiest to train up for a good handler. They haven’t been taught bad manners from previous handling. This means they can be taught that the mob is the easiest place to stay – similar to breaking in weaners. This also applies in the yards. However, nowadays, with improved fencing,

34 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

clean-skins can be opportunistic and watch for a chance to escape from the mob and not be caught.

I’ll never forget the day when I was working in the yards with a 50/50 mix of clean-skin and branded cattle.

Clean-skins have stronger fight-or-flight instincts than cattle that have been broken in. So, when you’re in the yard with them, you need to be on your toes because if they interpret your instruction: “Go forward, please” as “You wanna fight, mate?”, they will chase you.

You’re better off getting chased by a bull because they put their heads down and run in a line. Cows are smarter and will chase, zip and weave. (Spoiler alert: they’re faster than the average human, too!) But the scariest thing is cattle with long, sharp, pointy horns. Because clean-skins haven’t come into the yards to be dehorned as a calf, tipped as a weaner or bred polled (genetically unable to grow horns), they’re used to using their horns to fight.

As we were mustering that mob in, one large bull with a massive rack (horns) caught everyone’s attention. He was 700-800kg and by the time he got into the yards, he was in fight mode. As people gain experience with cattle, they start to make a mental log of cows to watch out for – he was number one on my list. The cattle were mustered in by late afternoon and given hay, water and room to move around. This cools them down and means they won’t be cranky the second they’re moved around the yards.

As the sun came up the next morning, we ran into the yards to pen up – pushing the cattle forward, towards the race for being drafted and processed. There are a series of smaller yards and pens to hold them in, which helps to reduce the stress on the cattle. The big bull I’d noticed the day before was in the middle of the mob. >

PHOTOGRAPHY EMMA MOSS

GOOD TIMING AND QUICK REFLEXES ARE ESSENTIAL WHEN HANDLING WILD ‘CLEAN-SKIN’ CATTLE, SAYS KIMBERLEY-BASED JILLAROO EMMA MOSS.

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LIFE ON A STATION

“The bull ran after Jane and hit her with his head.

He started pressing her against the rail…”

In the yards, we’re all placed in positions to make the process more efficient. I was in the back yards and another person was filling the race (where cattle move in single file through an alley). Generally, it’s a fairly smooth operation as cattle learn about the opening of a gate, and that where a person stands means “go forward”. Some older cows can get impatient and rush up to the gate because they just want to be out in the paddock again. If you’re the gate person, they might chase you to get you to hurry up. (A bit like yelling at the person from Telstra who finally answered your call after being on hold for an hour or more.)

I had just done the last fill of the yard before the race and was waiting for people to help me fill the larger yards. The big bull was in that last fill of cattle. I purposely jumped out of the yard to give him space. While the cattle were being processed, I ran over to my water bottle for a drink. When I looked up, one of the other girls was jumping in the yard – let’s call her Jane. Jane was a go-getter from Melbourne who had little/no cattle experience before joining the camp.

She always had a crack, so seeing the race about to be empty, she jumped in. She wasn’t aware of the big bull…

I reacted fast, yelling, “Get up the rail!” and “Get out of the yard!” Jane thought I was telling her to shut the gate, so turned her back to the cattle. This next part took only about a minute or two, but it seemed to happen in slow motion. The bull ran after Jane and hit her with his head – thankfully not his horns. He started pressing her against the rail as she tried to climb out of the yard.

Another girl and I ran over to her. Jane managed to wrap her arms around the top rail, but then the bull’s horn got caught between her jeans and belt. The bull started pulling her towards the ground. By this stage, the other girl and I were up on the rail, trying to pull her up, also not wanting to get crushed. As we pulled her, the horn pressed into her back and Jane started screaming. The horn was hooked into her body! A couple of the boys had made it over and helped us pull Jane up and over the rail.

I’ve never seen a person go completely green before.

Jane somehow walked over to the shade and sat down.

I ripped her pants down to check for injuries. I have my first aid certificate, but I’m no medical professional. I’m sure I could have dealt with it better, but I did what my adrenaline-pumped body could think of in that moment.

Jane wanted to vomit from the pain and probably from shock. I could see the hole in her back, spurting out blood, as she leant over. I yelled for one of the boys to bring the ute as close as they could and another to bring a water bottle and first aid kit. Jane kept grabbing her hip/stomach area, where she felt the pain. I rinsed the hole and stuffed it with gauze pads. We got her in the ute and I started to drive to the hospital – one and a half hours away.

36 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

Jane was trying so hard to be brave but every bump in the road was torture. I sped up to shorten the ordeal. About 45 minutes was spent on a rough dirt road; the remaining time was on bitumen. There was only phone service about 40 minutes from town, so I tried to call the hospital to tell them we were coming. Their phone was engaged. I didn’t see the point of calling an ambulance as we would beat them back to the hospital. Poor Jane was half-delirious from the pain, and her back was bleeding badly. (I should mention that the hospital nearby was very small and COVID had only just hit, so people were unclear on rules.)

I drove to the entrance, got Jane out of the car and left her to lean against the ute. I ran inside to ask for help – there was only one security guard. To be fair, I was talking quickly, which may have sounded like I was cranky, but he told me to get out because I needed a face mask.

I tried to explain the urgency of the situation, but he just told me that I had to drive to the other side of the hospital.

Now that Jane was out of the car, I packed the hole in her back with more gauze and somehow in a ‘mother pushes car off child’ display of strength, got her back in the ute – now sitting on a very large blood patch, still green in the face and not ‘all there’. I ripped around to the other side of the hospital and got her inside. I will never forget the moment when the doctor had numbed the hole and put his finger in to see how deep it was. His finger went in as deep as he could reach.

This is when they knew it was serious – a deep hole in the lower part of her back near so many organs. An ultrasound showed a 10-centimetre hole that curved around, finishing just below the skin. This is why Jane was grabbing the front of her body, where the hole ended.

Somehow, the bull missed all her vital organs.

Jane was flown by the RFDS to a larger hospital. The healing process involved a bag with a pump that drained all the liquid out, regular wound dressings and ongoing physiotherapy. All the while, Jane’s mum couldn’t visit from Victoria because of COVID restrictions. Luckily, my own mum lived nearby, and she was suddenly blessed with another child – one with a hole in her back who needed regular hospital visits.

I’m glad to report that Jane is now happy and healthy and studying nursing back at home. She has a deadly scar on her back, which she proudly shows to her Melbourne friends and tells them the story about her time as a jillaroo. But it just goes to show: it isn’t all beer and skittles Follow Emma on Instagram @life_on_a_station

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) at Victoria Park Lake

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The Storekeeper’s House, Tatura

OR A NGE NSW PEOPLE “Two years ago was a very difficult year,” says Jean. “We ran out of water to irrigate and only harvested three tons from 5000 trees. But last year we had a very good year and harvested almost 20 tons.”

ESIRE TO LED JEAN AND B , , WHERE THEY HAVE A THRIVING HAZELNUT FARM. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY MONIQUE LOV ICK

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 39

PEOPLE OR A NGE NSW Native trees and shrubs are planted in the orchards. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP It takes the family about 10 days to harvest the hazelnut crop each year; Jean and Basil’s daughter, Carolyn, and son-in-law, Dave, co-own the farm.

THE HAZELNUT ORCHARD IS PEACEFUL on a cool, rainy

April day. There’s a thick carpet of leaves in the dim corridors between rows of lichened trees, and the only sound is border collie Tiggy joyfully crunching up stray nuts from the ground.

This is Fourjay Farms, just outside Orange in NSW, and it’s one of the few hazelnut farms in Australia. Those trees were planted in 1990 when Jean and Basil Baldwin first moved to Orange from South Australia. “We’d always wanted a farm, and we were empty-nesters so it was the right time for us,” explains Jean. “We liked the prospect of farming hazelnuts because the climate’s good for them here. And Basil likes living where hazelnuts grow – the climate’s good for him, too.”

“And I like eating them,” adds Basil. The 82-year-old’s love of the nuts and their shared climate requirements weren’t the only things equipping the couple to set up their pioneering orchard. After meeting at an agricultural college in the UK, Basil and Jean became 10-pound Poms, flying out to Australia in 1964 in search of their agrarian dream. Basil had already lined up a job at the Soil Conservation Authority in Victoria and, after a few years in Melbourne, the couple upped sticks for Tasmania, where Basil worked in agricultural research for several years, before they set up a market garden in Burnie.

“We had four children under seven at the time, so that was quite busy,” says Jean, now 79, understatedly. Then it was off to South Australia, where Basil worked at Roseworthy Agricultural College until the children left

40 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

home and migrated east, towards Canberra and Sydney.

Basil then started working at Orange Agricultural College (now Charles Sturt University) – and the chance to create their long-awaited hazelnut farm had finally come.

Armed with decades of agricultural education, Basil was streets ahead of the average first-time farmer. But, he explains, “I have an inquiring mind,” and craved yet more information. While at the college, Basil applied for funding through the Rural Industry Research and Development Corporation, as it was then, wanting to determine which hazelnut varieties would be best.

“If you plant the wrong ones, you don’t find out until five years later, and then you’ve got to start all over again,” he explains. “So I put up a proposal to evaluate all the varieties I could get hold of over five sites in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. And the trials ran for about 10 years in total, so we amassed a huge amount of data.”

That data didn’t just help the Baldwins to establish their thriving farm, it also earned Basil a PhD and he graduated aged 75 at a ceremony that the whole family (sons David, now 56, Peter, 52, and Tim, 50, and daughter Carolyn, 55) attended. The fruits, quite literally, of the family’s labours are now plain to see: starting out in 1990 with 10 hectares and 500 trees, they’ve since bought neighbouring parcels of land to build up their holdings to 100 hectares and 5000 trees.

Fourjay’s customers include Journey Beyond, which operates the Indian Pacific and The Ghan trains, as well as Scoop Wholefoods, bakeries and chocolate-makers. >

“If you plant the wrong ones, you don’t find out until five years later, and then you’ve got to start all over again.”

CLOCKWISE, FROM BELOW Chooks provide fresh eggs; the farm also has sheep; harvesting the crop; Basil checks his tomatoes. FACING PAGE “I’m the main driver of the rake,” says Jean, pictured with Basil and border collie Tiggy. “It does a fantastic job, but it also throws everything up in the air and it lands on top of you, so you get absolutely filthy.”

OR A NGE NSW PEOPLE

“We don’t ever spend money on advertising, but once people find us, they seem to be customers forever,” says Jean.

Being a pioneer isn’t always easy. After undertaking research trips to Italy, Spain, France, the US and Turkey, Basil decided to import harvesting machines from Italy, and commission processing equipment specially made to his own designs. (The processing shed betrays a little Basilian post-manufacture tinkering: the dial to adjust the speed of one machine is a humble biscuit tin.) And the pair’s passion for conservation, which has seen them shun pesticides in the orchards and plant hundreds of native trees and shrubs as habitat for birds and insects, hasn’t always been as popular as it is now.

But the Baldwins have an appetite for hard things; an appetite that’s evident in their hobbies, too. They’re keen orienteers, the mainstays of their local club, and often

compete in the Australian team at the World Masters Orienteering Championships overseas (they’ve notched up trips to France, Estonia, Denmark, Latvia and Finland).

“It’s a lovely holiday and a chance to go and meet other people who do what we do,” Jean says.

They have no intention of retiring from farm work, and no need to: daughter Carolyn and son-in-law Dave, who are the other two ‘Js’ in Fourjay Farms (like Basil, the Js are in their middle names), live up the road with their three daughters, one of whom is studying environmental science at ANU in Canberra and loves the farm. But she may not get to take it over any time soon. “We’re still learning every day,” says Basil – and what could be better for a pair of very inquiring minds For more information and to book tours, visit fourjayfarms.com.au

“We liked the prospect of farming hazelnuts because the climate’s good for them here.”

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 43

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HOME BINA LONG BAY TAS Homeowner Jessica Eggleston was immediately intrigued when she first saw the charming timber and granite cabin. FACING PAGE Cut stone, rough piles of logs and plush bedding contrast in the bedroom.

picture imperfect BUYING A HOUSE BY THE BEACH WAS NEVER PART OF THE PLAN FOR THE EGGLESTON FAMILY – BUT THEN THEY SAW THE TURQUOISE WATERS OF TASMANIA’S BINALONG BAY. WORDS SUE R A MSEY PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON ST YLING BELLE HEMMING

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 55

HOME BINA LONG BAY TAS

NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS did Jessica Eggleston dream

that she would be selling her home in Melbourne and moving her young family to Tasmania, let alone buying a beach house, but in 2019 a chain of events began that set her on exactly this path.

“It’s a bit of a funny story,” says Jessica, a criminologist and psychologist. “We’d been living in Yarraville and loved it, so the decision to move to Tasmania came quite out of the blue. I was doing sleep school with our youngest, and my husband, Fred, walked in and said, ‘What do you think about a tree-change to Tassie?’ Obviously, I was sleep-deprived and I said, ‘Sounds amazing!’ And it has been amazing.”

Moving to the Apple Isle a few months later with their children – Hugh, who was two at the time, and Poppy, one – the couple struggled to find a home to buy, so they ended up renting a farmhouse on a 500-hectare property just outside Launceston.

“It was the most incredible lifestyle. We’d gone from inner-city Melbourne to all this space – we didn’t know what to do with ourselves,” the 40-year-old adds.

Just a few months later, Jessica and Fred’s families visited from the mainland for Christmas and they all hired a convoy of motorhomes for what turned out to be a life-changing road trip.

“I’d seen a photo of the beach at Binalong Bay and I was like, ‘Okay, we have to find this place,’” Jessica says. And when they pulled into the bay, the two were immediately smitten with its natural beauty and tranquillity. “It just blew our socks off.”

Jessica adds, laughing: “Fred and I are those people that go on holiday and can’t help but look at the real estate!”

So, as soon as they got home, the pair jumped online and one interesting property caught their eye, prompting an inspection the very next day. “It was dark, it was daggy and really drab, but there was so much potential,” says Jessica. “We couldn’t believe it had sat there for two years, but it was lucky for us because after a few months of negotiation, at the beginning of 2020, it was ours.

“We’d had no intention of buying a beach house – it was just one of those dreams you might aim for in retirement, but it just wasn’t in our realm of possibility. We ummed and ahhed and looked at our finances, and thought if we’re going to be able to afford it, the reality was we would have to rent it out some of the time. It was just a necessity.”

The day of settlement in April 2020 also coincided with Tasmania’s first snap lockdown, so it wasn’t until July that the renovation work began in earnest. “Upstairs there were two bedrooms, a walkway and a walk-in wardrobe – it was very compartmentalised, so we removed all of that to create a large, open mezzanine floor,” says Jessica. “Then downstairs we removed the kitchen, the laundry and the linen press and, again, we removed walls and opened up the space and then reinstated everything.”

For the interiors, Jessica had planned a very different direction to the one they eventually took. “Initially we were thinking West Indies/British colonial style,” she says.

“I had it all nutted out and every detail was decided. But sometimes things are just so serendipitous. Sarah Andrews, who runs the Hosting Masterclass, was nearby and came to have a look at the house, and she said, ‘It’s lovely, but have you ever thought of wabi sabi?’”

The Japanese philosophy that embraces imperfection was a curveball for Jessica. “I didn’t know the first thing about wabi sabi, so I started collecting inspiration and ideas and understanding the philosophy from an interiors perspective, and then spent the next couple of months planning a whole new project,” she says. “We didn’t really get back into it until January 2021, and that’s when we started staining all of the timber.”

Fred, also 40, who has an engineering and project management background, handled the construction side of things, while Jessica used her time to do the meticulous staining work. “I did it with a paintbrush, so I spent very close to 12 months staining every weekend – it just took forever,” she says.

Now, just over two years since the beach house they’ve named ‘Sabi’ became theirs, the family are enjoying the >

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Furniture and decor in a variety of timbers and natural fibres complements the rustic cabin feeling; Hugh, five, Poppy, four, Jessica, Fred and Herbie the golden retriever love their weekends at Sabi; simplicity is key in the kitchen, which features ceramics from Ecoco in Launceston and specialty Japanese knives by Kamikoto. The sink was designed and handmade

by Fred, while the tapware was designed by Jessica and custommade for Sabi. FACING PAGE Wild and pristine Binalong Bay, at the southern end of the Bay of Fires, is a tranquil haven for the family.

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 57

HOME BINA LONG BAY TAS

58 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Treetop views from the bedroom; the rainshower is bliss on chilly evenings; a custom-made king-size bed lures weary travellers; understated elegance in the bathroom comes via the wooden tub that functions as a basin and custom-made brass tapware, designed by Jessica. FACING PAGE The stone fireplace offers warmth all winter long, and the inviting couch, designed and made by Jessica and Fred, is ideal for gazing at the flickering flames.

HOME BINA LONG BAY TAS The master suite, in the loft, features a wabi sabi-inspired furo (a deep Japanese bathtub) tucked beneath a gable roof.

The reclaimed oak barrel, charred in the traditional shou sugi ban method, has a copper liner fabricated from a recycled water cylinder.

“I did the staining work with a paintbrush, so I spent very close to 12 months staining every weekend.”

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 61

HOME BINA LONG BAY TAS

fruits of their labours. “We drive up every weekend and the routine’s become a bit of a way of life for us,” says Jessica. “During the week, we live in a little town called Evandale, about 10 to 15 minutes out of Launceston, and on Friday nights we pack everything up, load the kids in and it’s about a two-hour drive. It’s been a big commitment, but one that we’ve cherished.

“Because of COVID, we hadn’t been able to go to the mainland to see our friends and family and vice versa, so we’re very blessed because we’ve had this project to occupy ourselves and these beautiful experiences and memories as a family. We’re grateful for what we have – it’s a very special place to us Jessica and Fred’s ‘home away from home’, Sabi, is available to rent through Airbnb. To find out more, visit sabistays.com or follow @sabi.stays on Instagram.

“I’d seen a photo of the beach at Binalong Bay and I was like, ‘Okay, we have to find this place.’ It just blew our socks off.”

For the Egglestons, weekends now revolve around beach visits, strolls in nature and endless views of the picturesque bay.

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 63

HOME BA LLA R AT V IC The solid dining table was a lucky Gumtree find and pairs perfectly with the organic woven pendants overhead.

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T OW N A N D COU N T RY

MOST PEOPLE DREAM OF A COUNTRY ESCAPE, BUT THIS FARMING FAMILY HAS FOUND A WELCOME CHANGE OF PACE IN THE REGIONAL CITY OF BALLARAT. WORDS PENN Y CA R ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON ST YLING BELLE HEMMING

HOME BA LLA R AT V IC The home’s decorative details are highlighted with a wash of white paint. Kirby chose Banks cotton lanterns from The Society Inc by Sibella Court to make a statement. “They create a nice soft light and the kids call them ‘the moons’,” she says.

FACING PAGE, FROM TOP From left: Teddy, Jack, Paddy, Kirby, Lucy and Jock relax by the fire pit with pet basset hound Mopsy; the cosy wood fire in the living room is a welcome addition during winter. Vintage artwork sits atop the mantelpiece.

“Within 15 minutes of seeing the house, I’d put an offer on it.”

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WHEN YOU LIVE IN NOWHERE CREEK, going out for a coffee

is an elaborate affair. So, finding a house close to cafes and shops was a non-negotiable for Kirby and Jack Kaye when they were looking for a family base in Ballarat, Victoria’s historic gold-rush town.

The Kayes’ regular home address is a 450-hectare sheep and cropping farm an hour north-west of Ballarat in Nowhere Creek (yes, it’s a real place). But, with four young children approaching high-school age, Kirby and Jack, both 35, have an eye on the future. “We’re close enough to be able to commute to Ballarat, but not every day, so we thought it’d be a good option to purchase a little house as a base in Ballarat for when the kids go to secondary school there,” explains Kirby. “We took a couple of years to find something perfect for us.”

Perfect for the Kayes meant a home with character in a convenient location, an easy stroll to good coffee, school and Ballarat’s beautiful Lake Wendouree. They were in drawn-out negotiations on a property around the corner when Kirby spotted this Californian bungalow online late one Friday night. “I was the first one in the door on the Monday morning and within 15 minutes of seeing the house, I’d put an offer on it,” she says. “I just knew it was the one – it was one of those serendipitous things.”

Over the next six months, the family made regular trips into Ballarat to freshen up the house and enjoy the city lifestyle. It’s been a world-expanding experience for >

BA LLA R AT V IC HOME Lovely leadlight windows usher in light in the living room, while the squishy sofas and earthy cushions create a lived-in vibe.

Bright vintage paintings add cheer to the white walls.

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CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE A servery connects the kitchen to the backyard; pink Porter’s Paints Victoriana gives the kitchen a cheery feel, while black curtains are a soft alternative to joinery. Kirby says visitors always want to touch the Meca tiles in Blush from Perini; Kirby and Jack added timber, a new basin and brass accents in the bathroom. For similar, visit Harvey Norman; adirondack chairs beckon at the front of the house.

FACING PAGE Plants add greenery in the living room.

BA LLA R AT V IC HOME

Kirby and Jack’s children – Jock, eight, Paddy, seven, Teddy, six, and four-year-old Lucy – who are accustomed to life in the bush. “When we first bought the house, the kids didn’t really know how to cross the road, they weren’t familiar with traffic lights, they didn’t know you could get food delivered to your house… Being out in the country, you forget they haven’t been exposed to those everyday, mundane things,” says Kirby. “It’s been fun watching them discover all those novelties.”

True to their roots, however, the clan has embraced all the wholesome activities Ballarat has to offer, from kayaking on the lake to nattering with neighbours over the garden fence. “The most exciting thing for the kids is that they can go to the lake and go fishing,” Kirby says, laughing. “They still love to find country things to do in town.”

Updating the bungalow has been just as fun for Kirby, who has a passion for interiors. “I like being in a space that feels nice to be in, and that was the aim of putting the house together,” she says. “We’ve kept in mind that this is our family home long-term, so we put a lot of love into it.”

Although it was originally a two-bedroom home, they’ve converted a second living room into another bedroom.

Other cosmetic changes, like polishing the floorboards and coating the walls in white paint, highlight the bungalow’s 1930s-era charm. “It still has ornate ceiling features, wall panelling, original floorboards and amazing

leadlight windows,” says Kirby. “It had beautiful bones, but definitely needed some love poured into it.”

The kitchen tacked on to the back of the house was their biggest challenge. Long and narrow, it was a dark and uninviting room until Kirby decided to revamp it with a sweet pink palette, timber benchtops and a servery-style window that connects the space to the garden. “I went on a hunt for the perfect pink tile and found one that I loved, and the rest of it came together around that,” she explains.

“It’s a really happy space to be in now.”

With an ever-growing list of restaurants and galleries to explore and friends to visit, the Kayes are often drawn to Ballarat. But even in town, they have a link to the land: Jack and Kirby have dubbed the house ‘Settler & Sons’ in a nod to their life at Nowhere Creek. Their children are the seventh generation of Kayes on the family farm, and until little Lucy came along, it was a long line of sons!

Now, they’re sharing this story and their cosy home away from home with others, offering the bungalow as boutique accommodation until the kids go to high school and it becomes the family’s weekday pad. Just don’t expect them to stay away in the meantime – the novelty of a city escape hasn’t worn off yet. “I’m so grateful that we’re able to have our beautiful farm but also this lovely little town house,” Kirby says, smiling. “It’s the best of both worlds To book your stay, visit settlerandsons.com.au

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HOME BA LLA R AT V IC A second living room was converted into a spacious bedroom, decorated with interesting finds from Kirby’s collection and her favourite vintage stores. FACING PAGE Shapely vases are highlighted by the stained-glass windows in the bedroom.

ABOUT THE HOUSE:

• The pink kitchen is painted in Porter’s Paints

Victoriana in half-strength, and the tiles are Perini Meca tiles in Blush. porterspaints.com; perini.com.au After giving the kitchen a pop of colour, Kirby kept the rest of the house neutral with walls in Dulux White on White and an earthy palette. dulux.com.au Kirby wanted the house to feel lived in and loved, so picked up second-hand furniture and decorative items from Gumtree, Vintage 216 in Ballarat (@vintage.216), and Kabinett in Kyneton (kabinett.com.au). Kirby combined these with pieces she had squirrelled away in a shed.

The bed linen is from In The Sac (inthesac.com. au), Cultiver (cultiver.com.au), and New Zealand brand Foxtrot Home (foxtrothome.co.nz).

• •

•

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“We’ve kept in mind that this is our family home long-term, so we put a lot of love into it.”

HOME DAY LESFOR D V IC A huge sofa covered in army canvas is a cosy nook for relaxing. “You can put your muddy boots on it, doesn’t matter,” homeowner Simon Carver says. Artwork

by Melbourne painter Gavin Brown. FACING PAGE Simon has created the garden over 20 years. “It’s grown and evolved through my understanding of how the four seasons work in Daylesford,” he says.

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Full of heart

A CREATIVE COUPLE HAS TRANSFORMED A HUMBLE MINER’S COTTAGE INTO A COSY HOME LAYERED WITH MEMORIES. WORDS PENN Y CA R ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY LEA N TIMMS ST YLING LY NDA GA R DENER

The Jotul fireplace in the living room was salvaged from a friend’s home and now warms the house in winter. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP The garden is inspired by Mediterranean design. “It’s a garden you’d see in the south of France or Italy,” Simon explains; Stuart (left) and Simon with their cute one-year-old English staffy, Pickles.

DAY LESFOR D V IC HOME

VISITING HARTS LANE HAUS IN DAYLESFORD is an invitation

to step inside Simon Carver and Stuart McKenzie’s life story.

The 19th-century miner’s cottage with a modern edge is layered with special pieces that unlock memories of the couple’s time together. “Our house is like our sketchbook or our photo album,” says Simon. “It all has a historical connection to a period we’ve been together.”

It’s a fitting sequel to the cottage’s own history, which was built in 1865 by two Welsh men seeking their fortune in Victoria’s Golden Triangle. The men claimed to be brothers, but as Simon reveals, it’s likely they were lovers keeping their forbidden relationship undercover. “We can’t say for sure... but it’s an interesting story. Daylesford has always had a queer, alternative vibe to it,” Simon says.

When Simon, 52, and Stuart, 54, found the cottage in 1997, it looked worse for wear, but they fell in love with its Victorianera charm. “We wanted an old doer-upperer, because we’re both pretty handy and have an arts and design background,” Simon explains. “We wanted to buy a house we could afford, firstly, and secondly, that we could do up ourselves.”

It was certainly in need of attention – the walls were made of paper and hessian, the floorboards were rotting and the roof had caved in. The real estate agent who sold it to them assumed they would tear it down, but Simon and Stuart had no intention of demolishing it. “We were young and keen to put our teeth into a new project together,” Simon recalls.

They started with the necessary repairs and a lick of paint to get it ready for the rental market, and five years later they decided to dive into the project properly. With the help of an >

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HOME DAY LESFOR D V IC

Antique and vintage pieces collected over 20 years echo the cottage’s history. The marble-topped credenza was carefully restored after it was found, ridden with white ants, at a friend’s farm in Gippsland. Meanwhile, the 10-seater dining table was once owned by Simon’s father’s family. Abstract landscape painting by Melbourne artist Kate Shaw.

“Our house is like our sketchbook or our photo album. It all has a historical connection to a period we’ve been together.”

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HOME DAY LESFOR D V IC

architect friend, they gutted the interior and reworked the floor plan to capture the sunlight, expand the two bedrooms, add an ensuite and a dining room and install a chef’s kitchen.

While they were careful to retain the cottage’s heritage features, they also added modern elements, such as cut-out windows, sharp black accents and concrete benchtops.

Simon, an artist and interior designer, and Stuart, who owns two cafes in Melbourne and works in interior design, always envisioned the cottage as a canvas for their eclectic, contemporary-meets-country aesthetic and collection of antiques, art and designer decor. “We’re bowerbirds,” Simon says. “There’s lots of interesting vintage stuff we’ve collected, but it’s juxtaposed with some very high-end pieces. And we’re art collectors as well, so it has a lot of contemporary art.”

Gathered over 20 years, everything in the home has a story.

The Jotul enamel fireplace that fills the living room with a cosy glow during Daylesford’s harsh winters was a lucky score from a friend who was pulling it out of their house.

A marble-topped credenza in the dining room looks like it was made for the cottage – in fact, it was salvaged from a farm in Gippsland and was “riddled with white ants” when Simon found it. Many of the artworks dotted around the house are by close friends. “We like stories. We like to look at objects and know the provenance of it and remember when we bought it,” Simon explains.

Simon drew on his background as a sculptor and colourist to design a moody palette for the house, which has evolved from black, mustard and pink accents to minty green, mauve and grey. “We update the property yearly; we change the furniture, lights, colours. And even though it’s very curated, it’s also very liveable. It’s a country home where you can kick your gumboots off as you come in from a muddy day.”

That sense of rural comfort and hospitality was important to the pair. Although the majority of their lives takes place in Melbourne’s Fitzroy, Simon says they feel deeply connected to the country. Simon grew up on a cattle property in Echuca, in a Victorian homestead; Stuart in the outer-Melbourne suburb of Eltham in a mud-brick house built by his father.

“We love to take walks around the lakes in the region, we love the local bush and being involved in nature,” says Simon.

The beautiful garden that surrounds the house is Simon’s other labour of love. He learned the horticultural ropes from his mother, who had a large garden in Echuca, and has spent 20 years refining a Mediterranean-inspired oasis around the cottage. “I just love having my hands in the earth, I love planting and feeling connected to the land,” he explains.

“Daylesford is built on an old volcano and it has a really special energy to it. I feel that energy when I’m there.”

Operating as boutique accommodation when Simon and Stuart aren’t in residence, Harts Lane Haus has plenty of admirers – the couple routinely field offers from hopeful buyers. But, with so much of their personal story woven into the cottage, they’re not going anywhere. “The house has great sentimental value to us,” Simon says. “It’s where Stuart and I began together… It’s everything To book a stay at Harts Lane Haus, visit hartslane.com

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A photograph by one of Simon’s former students hangs in the front bedroom, which is painted a deep olive green. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP A gilt-framed mirror above the bath adds a baroque touch; the main bathroom has a Zen feel with its view of a Japanese garden and simple white palette.

“The house has great sentimental value to us… It’s everything.”

HOME DAY LESFOR D V IC The cottage’s first renovation included adding a large deck where Simon and Stuart can relax with a cup of tea and admire the garden.

“We update the property yearly.…

And even though it’s very curated, it’s also very liveable.”

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COUNTRY STYLE WEDDINGS

Love is in the air and Cou e requests the pleasure of your company for our new wedding magazine.

PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE

IT’S THE ULTIMATE INSPIRATION, and a go-to guide for planning your destination nuptials. And we need you! Did you or someone you know have a beautiful country wedding in the past 12 months? If you would like to tell us your story (and if you can share professional, high-resolution photographs with us), get in touch. Email hannah.james@aremedia.com.au and your wedding may feature in the magazine.

Emily Burton of Peggy & Twig and George Quigley were married at Emily’s family property in O’Connell, NSW.

SAVE THE DATE! On sale September 26

GARDEN CENTR A L COAST NSW

Flower farmer Craig Scott, owner of East Coast Wildflowers, and his faithful kelpie Baz. FACING PAGE Pretty purple mulla mulla is in demand with consumers.

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AUSTRALIAN WILDFLOWERS ARE FLOURISHING AT THIS FARM ON THE NSW CENTRAL COAST. WORDS JESSICA BELLEF PHOTOGRAPHY BR IGID A R NOTT

GARDEN CENTR A L COAST NSW

AMONG NEW SOUTH WALES’S secateur-wielding florists and

botanical installation artists, any mention of Craig Scott and East Coast Wildflowers elicits a consistent response.

By all accounts, Craig is the loveliest man in flower farming, and his range of native wildflowers can’t be beat.

Aside from a short stint as a motor mechanic after high school, Craig’s life has been all about plants. Floriculture is in his blood. The business of flowers can be traced back through his family history, and it’s pushing forward into the next generation. “I’m a fourth-generation farmer, and now one of my daughters is a florist with a store in Paddington, so she is fifth-generation,” says Craig of Bess, his eldest daughter of four. Her floral emporium BESS, located on the boutique-lined William Street in inner Sydney, is known for producing daring native arrangements that unite the delicate and the bold. “I love to work with whatever Dad has in season,” Bess says.

The source of Craig’s incredible raw material is the flower farm that his dad, Colin Scott, established in 1968.

Faced with a 20-hectare parcel nestled into Mangrove Mountain on the Central Coast, Colin grew mostly traditional flowers like dahlias, asters and zinnias – as was the trend – while dipping his toe into native varieties.

“My father introduced cut natives to the flower market in the ’70s and early ’80s, and it took a while for the florists to get used to them,” Craig explains. When Craig and his wife, Angela, moved to the farm in 1987, they expanded the Australian offering. “I would grow things that weren’t being sold at the flower markets, like the Rottnest Island daisy,” says Craig. “We grew it as a row crop, and it sold well because it was something new in the market.”

Thirty-five years on, Colin still works within the business, but Craig runs the day-to-day with a handful of full-time staff who propagate, nurture and harvest more than 200 varieties of plants. “And 98 per cent of the varieties are Australian natives,” he adds.

The productive farm comprises 10 hectares of wild bushland and 10 hectares of open-air crop rows and polytunnels. “We also grow a lot in pots, which gives us more control over the root zone and drainage,” Craig explains. “We’re always looking for new varieties to grow, and there’s always something worthwhile pursuing.” >

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CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Row upon row of blooming kangaroo paw creates a spectacular wave of colour; vibrant orange flowering gum contrasts with dramatic banksia; a corridor of NSW Christmas bush; Craig collects a bouquet of dry everlasting daisies; delicate yellow kangaroo paw; Craig carries an armful of pink flowering gum.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Established pine trees serve as an effective windbreak for kangaroo paw varieties; radiant paper daisies bring cheer; Craig tends to hybrid kangaroo paw in the greenhouse; delightful pink and white Christmas bush; the ‘Summer Red’ flowering gum is intricately beautiful; an iconic Australian native flower, Sturt’s desert pea thrives in the warm coastal climate; banksia robur catches the sunlight.

CENTR A L COAST NSW GARDEN

Not all species respond positively to the Central Coast’s humidity, but Craig and his team are well-researched, methodical and determined when testing cultivars. “They might not all work, but the possibilities are out there and we just need to keep trying things,” he says.

The farm is an exuberance of colour, from the deep ruby of the spectacular waratah to the soft mauve hues of mulla mulla and the paper daisy’s sunshine glow.

The arresting array of texture and form also inspires.

“There’s such a variety of natives, ranging from the bold and beautifully structural, right down to the really delicate, fine and pretty,” Craig muses.

East Coast Wildflowers mostly sells at the Sydney Flower Markets in Homebush, where the working day kicks off at 11.30pm for Craig and five staff. Endless buckets of cut natives are unloaded, and wholesale orders are sorted before the market opens at 5am. The trade professionals know Craig’s offering is always unique and lively.

“Native flora are very seasonal, so you get new ranges coming into the market all the time,” he says. “Florists come to our stand first because they are looking for what’s in season and what’s new, and then once they’ve grabbed what they can from us, they will go and get the traditional flowers.”

There’s a distinct buzz around our nation’s blooms – the days of uninspired bouquets of stiff banksias in cellophane are behind us. Natives are presented as wild, fresh and spectacular, and they have never been more popular. “The demand for native cut flowers is high, but there is a real shortage in the industry. We are always encouraging new growers,” enthuses Craig, an unofficial spokesperson for Australian wildflowers and their exquisite, diverse beauty.

“We have iconic flora in Australia.”

Whether you chalk it up to nature or nurture, Craig’s inherited passion has coloured his daughter’s world. Bess is a champion of endemic species and their compelling displays. “My grandfather and dad are leaders in introducing Australian native wildflowers to the Sydney Flower Markets,” she says. “I think my clients like that there is such a huge variety of natives to choose from and they like being surprised by things they’ve never seen Visit eastcoastwildflowers.com and besspaddington.com

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GARDEN CENTR A L COAST NSW Eight-year-old kelpie Baz always follows the action. He’s ready to go in the ute alongside freshly cut NSW Christmas bush, flowering gum and decorative foliage. FACING PAGE Craig is passionate about native Australian wildflowers.

“There’s such a variety of natives, ranging from the bold and beautifully structural to the delicate, fine and pretty.”

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DOWN THE GARDEN PATH

Hardworking worms create a thriving environment for plant and vegetable growth.

t i ny but m ight y THERE’S NO ELEGANT WAY to start a conversation about

worms. Misunderstandings abound, and although my beloved husband has been dreaming of a “worms” licence plate on his ute for years (he often checks its availability), our children have unilaterally declared they will move out if he ever goes through with the purchase. I suggested “earthworms”, but it’s taken. It also doesn’t sufficiently send the teenagers into apoplexy.

Worms (by which I mean earthworms) are a gardener’s best friend. They turn food scraps into gorgeous soil, improve the nutrient availability of your garden, and boost the soil’s aeration and water retention. We’re big fans of worms at Buena Vista and have spent years providing places for them to multiply, working to increase their numbers in our gardens. We have stackable worm farms picked up from a year’s worth of scrounging council clean-ups, plus cast-iron bathtubs and worm ‘hotels’.

Worm-farming makes us feel very proud, although it’s not information we share from the get-go. But we are not alone. I have friends who diligently process their compostable scraps so the worms can digest them more easily. Friends whose idea of wealth is a farm of red wrigglers. Friends who will have a conversation with me while elbow-deep in a worm farm, checking the temperature.

Worms are pretty particular, it seems. They have an optimal temperature in which they thrive, and if it’s too hot or cold, or there’s not enough or too much moisture or available food, they’ll move out. I love worms most of all because they improve my vegie garden soil, but also because of this particularity. You will never really rule them – you could say they are farming us, rather than the other way round. Consider them co-workers and respect them accordingly.

A worm hotel is the easiest low-cost way to embrace your worm love. Just take a half-metre length of wide PVC pipe with a cap, drill a bunch of holes in it and half-bury it in the garden. Put worm-friendly food scraps in, pop the cap on and wait for the magic to happen. Worms will move in. If there’s food available and it’s not too hot or cold, and it’s relatively moist, you’ll have a five-star worm hotel in no time, turning scraps into soil that you can leave in place or use elsewhere. It’s SO COOL. There is some risk with worm-loving, though. We created such a tasty buffet one year that all the rats moved into one of our bathtubs and scared the life out of us one sunny morning when we lifted off the hessian covering.

We’ve also bred one small Walmsley who is so animalattuned that she supervises garden digging days, because even though most worms are bilaterally symmetrical, if a worm is cut in half, apparently both halves do not live on.

Depending where on its body it was cut, one half will survive, but the ‘back end’ will die. Who knew?!

There have been so many worm burials and funerals here, I can’t even tell you. The stress of digging up potatoes doubled overnight once she learnt this fact.

Worms are wonderful and help gardeners in so many ways. Healthy worm farms represent gorgeous biodiversity and healthy soil systems, and ‘worm juice’ will improve your vegies and flowers. Indoor plants will love it, too – some diluted worm juice is your best bet for robust, green growth and vitality. Aristotle described worms as “the intestines of the earth”. They are builders of soil, probably our evolutionary forebears, can digest half their own body weight in one day and deserve to be lauded on a licence plate, for sure. After the kids leave home Follow Fiona on Instagram @buenavistafarm

“We’re big fans of worms and have spent years providing places for them to multiply.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY FIONA WEIR WALMSLEY, BRIGID ARNOTT STYLING JODIE GIBBONS

No garden investment gives better returns than a worm, says Fiona Weir Walmsley.

JULY ISSUE ON SALE JUNE 23

Take styling inspiration from our winter decorating feature on rugs, throws, blankets and cushions, shot on location in the majestic Snowy Mountains of NSW.

SEE OUR GREAT SUBSCRIPTION OFFER ON PAGE 16 OF THIS ISSUE.

DECOR ATING HEATING

WARM WELCOME

TAKE THE CHILL OFF THIS WINTER WITH OUR ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST HEATING OPTIONS FOR THE HOME. WORDS STEPH A NIE HOPE

suffer sub-zero temperatures, we do require home heating during winter. “There is no universal solution when purchasing a heating system,” says Kyle Rafter, head of product at Fujitsu General. “The three main points to consider are budget, layout and location of your home, and the number and size of the rooms you’d like to heat.”

Installation and running expenses are major factors, as is fuel. “Having access to gas, electricity or free firewood can ultimately determine the type of heater you purchase,” says Colin Jones, category expert at Appliances Online.

Here are your options…

HEATERS

Fixed or portable, gas or electric – heaters come in many forms to suit myriad home layouts. There are fan-forced models that heat up fast, or safe bladeless heaters. The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Autoreact takes it a step further, acting as a heater, fan and air purifier. “Electric heaters are reliable, but they’re less efficient than gas heaters,” says Colin. “Gas is efficient if you’re looking to warm large spaces over extended periods of time – but check your state regulations regarding gas heaters before purchasing one.”

Room size also matters. “If your room is 20 square metres or smaller, choose a heater of around 1.5 kilowatts,” says Colin. “Small to medium spaces like living rooms are best heated with column, panel and lower-powered gas heaters, while rooms between 40-50 square metres suit powerful gas heaters and higher-powered panel heaters.”

Eco tip: Panel heaters are eco-friendly as they use less power. Choose from freestanding or sleek wall-mounted models. Some also have timers to help conserve energy.

AIR CONDITIONING

Reverse-cycle air conditioners are designed to cool in summer and heat in winter. “They distribute heated air evenly, and being wall-mounted or ducted, they’re safe for young children,” says Kyle. There are three main types: split-system, multi-split or ducted. “Split-system models include an outdoor compressor unit and an indoor unit connected by pipes,” says Costa Avgerinos, category marketing manager at LG Electronics. “When using the

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heating mode, the unit will draw air from outside and turn it into warm air inside the home.” Multi-split systems work in the same way, but with two or more indoor units connected to one outdoor unit. A ducted system consists of a central unit connected by ducts to outlets and sensors in each room, with a control panel to set target temperatures.

“This is the best option for a large home,” says Costa.

All have installation costs, but they’re a cost-effective, efficient option. “In winter, it can be tempting to raise the temperature to heat your home faster, but this can contribute to increased energy use,” says Kyle. Smart features such as WiFi connectivity also allow you to turn the system on or off remotely through an app.

Eco tip: All residential air conditioners up to 65 kilowatts must have a Zoned Energy Rating Label (ZERL), to help you choose the most efficient model for your climate. Both LG and Fujitsu Lifestyle have models that automatically adjust output to match the number of people in the room.

FIRES

Not just a source of heat, fireplaces help create ambience.

“Fireplaces provide a visual anchor within a space,” says Matt Cuffe, architectural advisor at Escea Fireplaces.

“The visual impact of flame is something we’re drawn to, with proven health benefits such as reducing stress.”

While open fireplaces can lose up to 90 per cent of heat up the chimney, a slow-combustion wood heater warms well. “Some carbon dioxide is produced during the light-up process, but the amount given off is equal to the amount consumed by replacement trees, making wood heaters an excellent carbon-neutral option,” says Ashley Stride, deputy chair of the Australian Home Heating Association.

Meanwhile, a gas fireplace can be customised. Matt says: “Escea’s flexible flue technology means flues can run in any direction, so you can put your fireplace in cabinetry, in ensuites, or as a divider in a room.” Or opt for a flue-less electric or bioethanol fire. “As they don’t require flues or chimneys, they can be installed in units and apartments,” says Jenny Price, spokesperson for EcoSmart Fires.

Eco tip: Bioethanol is a renewable energy source that gives off clean emissions. Or try a glass-fronted, room-sealed gas model, so heat goes into the room, not up the flue. >

PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE STYLING LEESA O’REILLY

AUSTRALIA IS A LAND OF EXTREMES, and while we may not

A crackling wood-fired stove delivers warmth at The Storekeeper’s House in Tatura, Vic.

“The visual impact of flame is something we’re drawn to… with benefits such as reducing stress.”

Escea gas fireplace, from $4999, from Stoke Fireplace Studio.

HEATING DECOR ATING CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Flex single-side ethanol fireplace insert, from $7995, from EcoSmart; Fujitsu lifestyle range reverse-cycle split system air conditioner, $1099, from Harvey Norman; Dimplex oil-free column heater with timer and turbo fan, $155, from Appliances Online; Omega Altise Brigadier radiant/convector heater, $928, from Appliances Online; Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde, $999, from Dyson; Escea double-sided gas fireplace, from $12,999, from Stoke Fireplace Studio; Martini 50 ethanol firepit table, from $2495, from EcoSmart.

HE AT SEEKER Nothing beats a cosy fireplace. And whatever the style of your home, there’s a fire surround to suit it.

TRADITIONAL From exposed brick with a timber mantel for the English cottage look, to grand marble STYLING FLEX68SS DESIGN BY LAWLESS & MEYERSON

columns, cast-iron with tiled inserts, or simple white-painted wood (left), a classic look fits most homes.

DOUBLE-SIDED One fireplace, two rooms: not only is this modern look (right) spectacular, it’s cost-effective.

SLEEK Streamlined modern fireplaces can be integrated into cabinetry (top left) to give you flames combined with functionality.

RUSTIC Crafted from raw natural materials – think reclaimed timbers and rough sandstone or bluestone slabs – this style is perfectly suited to a country home.

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 97

Milk-poached whole chicken (page 101).

SLOW COOK ING FOOD

take it easy

THERE IS SOMETHING IRRESISTIBLE ABOUT SLOWLY COOKED WINTER COMFORT FOOD, AND MINIMAL PREP TIME MAKES IT EVEN BETTER.

PHOTOCHEFS REBECCA LYALL, CLARE MAGUIRE

PHOTOGRAPHY A LICI A TAY LOR ST YLING K ATE BROW N

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 99

Smoky mushroom soup with garlic labne.

SLOW COOK ING FOOD

MILK-POACHED WHOLE CHICKEN Serves 4 1.5kg whole chicken 100g butter 1 medium leek (350g), trimmed, cut into 5cm lengths 8 cloves garlic 6 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked 2 fresh bay leaves 2 cups (500ml) whole milk 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind 1 tablespoon lemon juice 100ml thickened (heavy) cream 25g butter, extra ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves ¼ cup fresh sage leaves

Season chicken all over. Heat 30g of the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.

Add chicken, breast-side down; cook until lightly browned. Add another 30g of butter to pan, turn chicken over; cook until lightly browned. Transfer chicken, breast-side up, to a 5.5-litre (22-cup) slow cooker set to low.

Place remaining butter in same saucepan with the leek, garlic, thyme and bay leaves; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until leek begins to take on colour. Stir in the milk, lemon rind and juice; bring to a gentle simmer.

The milk will curdle. Carefully pour mixture over chicken in cooker.

Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours.

Transfer chicken and leek pieces to a serving platter; cover to keep warm.

Strain cooking liquid into a medium

saucepan over medium heat; whisk in cream. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Remove from heat. Season to taste.

Heat extra butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until foaming; add the tarragon and sage and cook, stirring, until crisp.

Serve chicken and leek with the cream sauce, topped with crisp herbs.

TIP To make this chicken stretch even further, you could try serving it with mashed potato or some crunchy salad greens.

SMOKY MUSHROOM SOUP WITH GARLIC LABNE Serves 6-8 ⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil 1 large onion (200g), chopped coarsely 1 trimmed celery stalk (100g), chopped coarsely 1 large carrot (180g), chopped coarsely 1 bird’s eye chilli, seeded, chopped finely 2 teaspoons thyme leaves, plus extra to serve 2 fresh bay leaves 1 tablespoon smoked paprika ¼ cup (60ml) sweet sherry 800g Swiss brown mushrooms 2 medium potatoes (600g), cut into 1cm pieces 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock Crusty bread, to serve

GARLIC LABNE 2 cups (560g) natural yoghurt 1 teaspoon salt 1 clove garlic, crushed

To make the labne, place a sieve over a small bowl and line with muslin.

Combine yoghurt, salt and garlic in a separate bowl. Spoon yoghurt mixture into muslin, gather into a ball, secure with string or an elastic band. Refrigerate for 5 hours or until thickened. Transfer labne to a small airtight container; refrigerate until needed.

Preheat a 5.5-litre (22-cup) slow cooker on high.

Heat ¼ cup (60ml) of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook onion, celery and carrot, stirring, for 5 minutes or until vegetables soften. Add chilli, thyme, bay leaves and paprika; cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add sherry and bring to the boil.

Carefully add mixture to cooker.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop 700g of the mushrooms; thickly slice remaining, keeping them separate.

Adjust cooker setting to low.

Add chopped mushrooms, potato and stock; stir to combine.

Cook, covered, on low for 5 hours, 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

When there is 5 minutes left on the cooker, heat remaining oil in same frying pan over medium-high heat; cook sliced mushrooms for 4 minutes or until golden both sides.

Using a stick blender, blend soup in cooker until smooth; season to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls; top with labne, fried mushrooms, extra thyme and black pepper. Serve with crusty bread.

TIP This soup is suitable to freeze after blending until smooth. >

“Fifteen minutes is all it takes to prepare this amazing mushroom soup, then put it in the slow cooker for five and a half hours, let your appetite peak and devour it!”

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 101

FOOD SLOW COOK ING

PORK, BARLEY & KALE STEW Serves 4 1 tablespoon olive oil 1kg American-style pork spare ribs 30g butter, chopped 1 medium onion (150g), sliced thinly 6 cloves garlic, bruised, skins removed 3 bay leaves 2 medium potatoes (400g), chopped coarsely ¾ cup (150g) pearl barley 1.25 litres (5 cups) chicken stock 300g kale, stalks removed, torn 2 teaspoons chopped dill, plus extra to serve Crusty bread, to serve

Heat oil in a large deep-frying pan over high heat. Season ribs well.

Cook ribs, in batches, turning, for 3 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a 5-litre (20-cup) slow cooker.

Melt butter in same frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic and bay leaves, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion softens.

Transfer to cooker, then add the potato, barley and stock; stir to combine. Season. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours, 30 minutes or until meat is falling off the bone.

Adjust cooker setting to high.

Add kale and dill; stir to combine.

Cook, covered, for a further 30 minutes; season.

Serve stew topped with extra dill sprigs and crusty bread.

SCANDI-STYLE WHOLE BAKED APPLES Serves 6 50g unsalted butter, melted ⅓ cup (75g) brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind ½ cup (45g) rye flakes (see tips) ¼ cup (35g) oat bran 2 tablespoons raisins ¼ cup (40g) natural almonds, roasted, chopped coarsely (see swaps) 6 large Bravo apples (1.25kg), unpeeled, cored (see tips) 1 cup (250ml) apple juice 10 cardamom pods, crushed

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¼ cup (60ml) whisky 20g unsalted butter, extra

WHIPPED SKYR 1 cup (250ml) thickened (heavy) cream ½ cup (140g) vanilla skyr (see swaps)

Combine butter, sugar, cinnamon, lemon rind, rye flakes, oat bran, raisins and almonds in a medium bowl.

Lightly run a small sharp knife around each apple to lightly score (do not cut under the skin). Spoon 1 tablespoon of the rye flake mixture into each apple, pressing down firmly to compact. Top evenly with another tablespoon of mixture.

Pour apple juice into a 5.5-litre (22-cup) slow cooker, then add the cardamom pods. Gently arrange the apples over the base. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours.

Remove apples from cooker. Strain cooking liquid into a small saucepan over medium heat; discard solids.

Stir in whisky; bring to the boil.

Cook for 3 minutes or until slightly reduced. Whisk in the extra butter.

Meanwhile, to make the whipped skyr, whisk cream until soft peaks form. Whisk in skyr.

Serve apples warm with whisky sauce and whipped skyr.

TIPS Rye flakes are available from health food stores and gourmet food stores; rolled oats work equally well.

If Bravo apples are not in season, you can use Envy apples.

SWAPS For something different, swap the almonds with hazelnuts.

Skyr is an Icelandic yoghurt, available from major supermarkets; you can use vanilla Greek yoghurt instead. >

Scandi-style whole baked apples. FACING PAGE Pork, barley & kale stew.

FOOD SLOW COOK ING

ESPRESSO CHOC DATE PUDDING Serves 8

1½ cups (225g) chopped pitted dried dates ¾ cup (165g) brown sugar 60g unsalted butter, chopped ¾ cup (180ml) boiling water 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee granules ⅓ cup (35g) cocoa powder 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 2 eggs 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour Icing (confectioners’) sugar and thick (double) cream, to serve

ESPRESSO TOFFEE SAUCE

¾ cup (180ml) pouring cream 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee granules ⅔ cup (150g) firmly packed brown sugar 100g unsalted butter, chopped

Place dates, sugar, butter and the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat; stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.

Add coffee granules and sifted cocoa powder; stir until dissolved.

Stand for 5 minutes to cool. Stir in bicarbonate of soda, then stir in the eggs and sifted flour until well combined.

Meanwhile, grease a 2-litre (8-cup), 18cm round pudding basin with a lid. Line the base with a round of baking paper.

Spoon pudding mixture into basin; cover tightly with foil and the lid.

Place basin in a 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker; pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours, 30 minutes or until crumbs cling to a skewer when inserted into the centre.

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Remove basin from cooker. Stand for 15 minutes before turning pudding out onto a serving plate.

Meanwhile, to make the espresso toffee sauce, stir cream and coffee granules in a medium saucepan over medium heat until coffee dissolves.

Add sugar and butter; stir, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until thickened slightly.

Dust pudding with icing sugar.

Serve cut into slices with thick cream and warm sauce

Recipes from The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Fast Prep, Slow Cook ($39.99). Available in bookshops and at awwcookbooks.com.au

FLAVOURS

TRUFFLING ABOUT

f lavours

FOOD, DRINKS AND PRODUCTS TO SAMPLE THIS MONTH.

WINTER MEANS CRISP DAYS, EVENINGS BY THE FIRE – AND TRUFFLES. TASMANIAN TRUFFLES IS THE FIRST BLACK TRUFFLE-PRODUCING FARM IN AUSTRALIA, FOUNDED IN 1994 BY TIM TERRY ON HIS PROPERTY IN DELORAINE. NOW RUN BY TIM’S CHILDREN, HENRY AND ANNA (PLUS CHIEF TRUFFLE DOG DOUG), THE FARM OFFERS HUNTS, TASTINGS AND LUNCHES. VISIT TASTRUFFLES.COM.AU

WORDS H A NNA H JA MES

PHOTOGRAPHY KELLY BARKER, KIRA PRICE PHOTOGRAPHY, LA DOUBLEJ IMAGE COURTESY OF NET-A-PORTER

Nuts about chestnuts

Fresh chestnuts are in season, and WA has its very own sustainable farm, Chestnut Brae. Not only can you buy the nuts and their products, such as flour and chutney, you can also buy chestnut-fed pork from the farm’s Wessex Saddlebacks. Plus, there’s even a farmstay. Visit chestnutbrae.com.au

TREES OF LIFE

With their connection to the land, winemakers have a special reason to ensure future generations can enjoy the earth and its fruits.

Family-owned WA winery Howard Park has been creating award-winning drops for more than 35 years, and has launched Arbor Novae, a collection exclusive to its Wine Club.

For each bottle sold, the winery donates $1.50 to environmental charity Carbon Positive Australia.

Visit howardparkwines. com.au/discover-wines/ arbor-novae

FOOD FOR YOUR EARS The founders of Straight to the Source, a producer directory and consultancy, have launched a new podcast showcasing the people who make the Australian food scene tick. On Food, Views and Big Ideas, Tawnya Bahr and Lucy Allon chat to chefs, farmers, growers and producers about their stories.

Visit straighttothesource.com.au

FANCY A CUPPA? When it’s teatime, Inspirational Tea Co has all you need, from delicious blends to pretty mugs and teapots, strainers and even biscuits. There’s a lovely line of gift boxes so you can send a ‘hug in a mug’ to loved ones.

Plus, the packaging features work from Australian poets and artists, while the company donates $1 from every 10-pack sold of Pyramid Teabags to Women’s Community Shelters.

Visit inspirationalteaco.com.au

Add a tropical touch to your table with pineapple-inspired porcelain plates with gold-plated trim from Italian brand La DoubleJ – perfect for brightening up wintry weather. Visit net-a-porter.com JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 105

FOOD COUNTRY COOK

order wisely

CHEF STEVE CUMPER LOVES THE TASTE OF PORK, BUT SAYS IT’S AN ACQUIRED SMELL. PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN PAUL UR IZA R ST YLING MICHELE CR A NSTON

I’VE NEVER been a great consumer of

pork. This may come as a surprise as I’ve featured it in my columns over the years. That said, you won’t find a more devoted devourer of the cured, salted, smoked, pickled varieties of pork. I confess to enjoying crackling from my grandmother’s Sunday roast, or the unctuous surrender of properly rendered pork belly. I’ve lost count of the chilli-caramel hocks that have passed my lips or been sliced into a zesty, crumbed cutlet.

The big reveal of an argyle of colour within a pâté en croûte, ruby-like jelly glistening, and the gentle bubble of an oregano-laced sauce for casarecce. The revelation of a cassoulet; the salty snap of chicharrón. They’re all part of my blueprint, stretching then cauterising my synapses on the right side of the porcine ledger. So, what changed?

Incidentally, it occurred when I first arrived in Tasmania. As the founding chef of an exciting but yet-to-open regional restaurant, I was invited to one of Hobart’s most lauded restaurants. It would test me twofold.

Firstly, it’s always tricky to adjudicate one’s peers should something go awry – say nothing, and you risk being duplicitous; complain, and you may as well paint a target on your back for future criticisms.

Secondly, the red cooked pork I had ordered was a measure of the skill set of the cooks. I knew that the latter would be unquestionable, but what I did not count on was the condition of the pork. I could smell it before it left

106 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

that kitchen, and when it arrived, the excruciating task of excusing myself from partaking in it began.

‘Pork taint’ is a condition whereby a person is hypersensitive to the smell of the meat. It seems to occur when male pigs are slaughtered after they become sexually mature, causing the flesh to acquire a distinct odour.

I understand that this column has taken a curious turn, but allow me to hoist the jib and steer back to shore.

I thought it crucial to mention what may await the ingenuous, however it’s usually much plainer sailing, so don’t fret. I know you won’t let my malady – imagined or otherwise – get in the way of you enjoying this month’s delicious recipe and my sage advice.

ROASTED PORK SCOTCH & SAGE POTATOES Serves 8-10

1 whole pork scotch Salt and pepper Olive oil 2kg pink eye, southern gold or other yellow potato variety Juice and zest of 1 lemon, separated 2 bunches sage, leaves picked ½ head garlic, crushed Knobs of butter 1 tablespoon plain flour 1 cup rosé or other wine 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 cups chicken stock (store bought is fine) 1 bunch curly parsley, chopped

Preheat fan-forced oven to 160oC (or 180oC for static oven).

Place the pork scotch on a board and season well with salt, pepper and some olive oil. Rub seasoning into the meat’s surface and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Keep the skin on the potatoes and scrub them in water with steel wool.

Place potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to the boil for a few minutes. Drain them well and allow to steam-dry in the colander.

Place the oiled, seasoned pork scotch into a snug-fitting roasting tray. Roast in the oven for 11⁄2 hours.

Halve the potatoes and toss them in a bowl with some olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest and sage leaves.

Now pour them into another roasting tray, and roast in the oven until they are golden on the outside. Add the crushed garlic and lemon juice; continue to cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the pork from the pan and let it rest under foil. Place the tray on the stovetop, add the knobs of butter and scrape the caramelised bits of roast from the base over a low heat.

Remove from heat and add the flour to form a paste. Add the wine, mustard and chicken stock little by little; stir constantly to make a smooth liquid. Strain liquid into a smaller pot.

Slice the cooked pork to your desired thickness and lay on a platter.

Heat the sauce and stir in a few more knobs of butter to make it velvety.

Pour it over the pork and scatter with parsley. Place the potatoes around the pork and serve.

FOOD HEIR LOOM Annie Agnes Daffey, pictured with her daughter, Marie, made memorable sweet and savoury dishes for her family and friends.

preserved memories

ZESTY GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY, MADE FRESH FROM THE GARDEN, CONNECTS JOAN MCDONALD TO HER BELOVED LATE GRANDMOTHER. COOKING FOR HER FAMILY was one of Annie Agnes Daffey’s

favourite pastimes. Her granddaughter Joan McDonald, 72, fondly recalls a matriarch who was resourceful in using the ingredients at hand, inventive in making the most of whatever she could find, and creative in her meal presentation.

Born in 1880, Annie McMahon grew up in Axedale, near Bendigo in Victoria. Sadly, she was widowed at age 24 and had to raise her young son, Stan. Annie later wed Marcus Maurice Daffey in 1906. The couple built a life together in Bendigo and welcomed five children – Marcus in 1908; Joan’s father, James, in 1910; John in 1913; Kevin in 1916; and Marie in 1920. Working on the railways, Marcus provided well for his family during tough economic times.

Annie happily took to family life. She was a dab hand at whipping up scones, fruit cake, sponges or fairy cakes – all turned out from her modest wood stove. “As a young girl, I loved visiting Grandma Daffey’s place,” says Joan. “My father often called in on his mother. Sadly, Pop passed away when I was about three. He was unwell for the last years of his life, and my grandmother waited on him hand and foot, cooking the food he enjoyed, so devoted to her life partner.”

Christmas was a particularly special time for the family.

“Every Christmas, our relatives visited from Melbourne,”

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says Joan. “It was a riotous time, with everyone preparing food – and Annie was in the thick of it all, enjoying having everyone home for Christmas Day.” After-school visits to Grandma Daffey’s home were always a treat for Joan. She would relish the scents wafting from the stove. “I loved Grandma’s old kitchen and still have her wooden rolling pins and meat mincer,” she says.

Annie also made preserves using the vegetables from her own garden. Rows of jars would be neatly stacked and labelled, storing the summer’s bounty for the winter months. “Her chutney and relishes were renowned!”

Annie passed away in 1958, aged 78. “I was just nine years old… I can still remember the night when the hospital rang to say Grandma had passed away following a heart attack,” Joan recalls.

Annie left behind a strong legacy – her love of family, her commitment to her faith, and her resilience during hardship. Joan is glad that her mother, Marjorie, recorded Annie’s recipes in her own cookbook. “I love to make tomato relish in summer as the tomatoes ripen, and green tomato chutney at the end of the season,” she says. Joan also makes Grandma Daffey’s recipes for school fetes.

“I’m thankful to her for passing on to me a lifelong love of cooking. I enjoy sharing it with family and friends.”

PHOTOCHEF DIXIE ELLIOTT

WORDS GR ETA DUMBLETON PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN PAUL UR IZA R ST YLING MICHELE CR A NSTON

“I loved Grandma’s old kitchen and still have her wooden rolling pins and meat mincer.”

GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY Makes 6 cups

2kg green tomatoes 500g onions 500g cooking apples 3 dried red chillies, chopped (optional – if you like it hot!)

1 teaspoon curry powder 1 teaspoon mustard powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 teaspoons salt 2½ cups brown sugar 250g sultanas 2½ cups malt vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Chop tomatoes and onions. Peel, core and chop apples into 2cm chunks.

Place in a large saucepan. If you like it hot, bruise the dried chillies with a rolling pin and tie up in a piece of muslin and add to saucepan.

Add all the remaining ingredients and bring mixture to the boil; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1¾–2 hours, until thick.

Remove muslin bag. Spoon chutney into warm, sterilised jars and seal, keeping airtight.

Store opened jars in the fridge – the chutney will last for months.

SHARE YOUR FAMILY FAVOURITES Do you have a recipe that has been passed down through generations of your family?

Send it to us, along with the story behind it and a photograph of the relative who passed it on. Remember to include a telephone number. Email hannah.james@aremedia.com. au or send a letter to Heirloom Recipe, Country Style, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW, 2001.

MY TOWN ROCK H A MPTON Dingles Cafe Bar co-owner Carol Dingle (left) with daughter Millie. FACING PAGE Grand Queenslanders are a common sight in Rockhampton.

Carol Dingle CO-OWNER, DINGLES CAFE BAR

“We wanted to create a community and that’s one of the things I’m most proud of.”

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MY TOWN

ROCKHAMPTON

STAY A WHILE IN THIS DYNAMIC CENTRAL QUEENSLAND CITY AND EXPLORE THE NATURAL BEAUTY, FRESH LOCAL CUISINE AND WELCOMING COMMUNITY. WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA RT PHOTOGRAPHY H A NNA H PUECHM A R IN

MY TOWN ROCK H A MPTON Boathouse restaurant offers stunning river views. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Balcony seating at Boathouse restaurant; local real-estate agent Riley Neaton; the ornate interior at Pacino’s Italian Restaurant; Gala Gallery; the chic lobby at Empire hotel.

HOME TO THE DARUMBAL PEOPLE, Rockhampton, in

Central Queensland, straddles the beautiful Fitzroy River (Tunuba) and is framed by Mount Archer (Nurim) to the north. With a progressive community of about 82,000 residents, ‘Rocky’ offers a relaxed and affordable lifestyle with close proximity to the vast Capricorn Coast. The ‘Beef Capital’ of Australia, Rockhampton is a leading centre for education, agriculture, art, business and services. The region’s rich pioneering past is proudly on show at Quay Street’s Riverside Precinct, where heritage-listed buildings meet integrated urban design.

Close to the CBD is Dingles Cafe Bar in William Street, which Carol Dingle co-founded with her sister, Sue Patterson, after moving to Rockhampton in 2016. “Sue and I were brought up on the land and always had a lot of people around the table; it’s part of who we are,” says the 62-year-old.

Carol and her three children – Millie, 25, and twins Ed and George, 28 – now operate the thriving eatery, which is known for its great coffee, delicious meals and chic interior. “We wanted to create a community and that’s one of the things I’m most proud of,” says Carol. “We have such a diverse group of people who come in here.”

Carol adds that it’s the people of Rockhampton that make it so special. “In all the places I’ve lived and worked, Rockhampton has been very good to me and my family,” she explains. “My favourite things to do are to have coffee with friends, go to our amazing town pool, do art, and enjoy a casual dinner with friends. It’s very social.”

Another resident who enjoys the city’s social scene is Riley Neaton, Principal at Ray White Rockhampton.

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A third-generation local whose family has a cattle property at Alton Downs, Riley and his partner, Emily, welcomed their first child, a son named Oliver, in March. Riley leads a team of 41 people and loves to help people buy, sell and invest in their homes around Central Queensland.

“Rockhampton has an amazing community,” Riley, 26, says. “The people are so friendly – everyone says hello when they pass you in the street, you can get everywhere within 10 minutes and the property prices are great.”

He adds: “Rockhampton isn’t the sleepy town it was once known as. It’s a progressive city and region with a diverse economy. The climate is great, there is access to beautiful natural places like the islands, national parks and mountains, all within 40 minutes’ drive.”

Every year, Riley coaches the Emmaus College team in the all-schools touch football national tournament and enjoys hitting the local mountain bike trails in his spare time. “Emily and I love walking our dog in Kershaw Gardens and grabbing a coffee from Dingles, or dining out at Pacino’s. Being in the beef capital, I love cooking a great steak on the barbecue with friends at home – paired with a cold beer in summer or a nice shiraz in winter.”

For more, visit explorerockhampton.com.au >

GETTING THERE Rockhampton is a seven-hour drive from Brisbane via the Bruce Highway/A1; and about a four-hour drive from Mackay.

FLYING IN? Rockhampton Airport has daily flights to Brisbane, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns. rockhamptonairport.com.au

Riley Neaton PRINCIPAL, RAY WHITE ROCKHAMPTON

“Rockhampton isn’t the sleepy town it was once known as. It’s a progressive city with a diverse economy.”

MEDIAN HOUSE PRICE $ 320,000 MEDIAN RENTAL PRICE $380 per week

BY THE NUMBERS “The Rockhampton market covers a wide range of properties and prices. Entry to the market is in the early $200,000s and works all the way through to a recent sale in Rockhampton’s most prestigious suburb ‘The Range’, which broke the $2,000,000 barrier,” says Noel Livingston, Principal of Professionals Livingston & Molloy Real Estate.

MARKET WATCH “By virtue of our price structure and proximity to the Capricorn Coast, there has been strong activity from southern buyers seeking a relaxed lifestyle without prohibitive prices. An extremely tight rental vacancy rate coupled with attractive rental returns has also put the region on the map for investors,” Noel adds.

REASONS TO VISIT

ROCKHAMPTON MUSEUM OF ART Queensland’s largest regional

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Rockhampton has extensive education facilities with over 55 childcare and early learning centres, 22 primary schools, four state high schools and three boarding schools. It’s also home to Central Queensland University, Australia’s largest regional uni.

The city is well resourced with a range of medical facilities, general practices, specialists, allied health and wellness practices.

Visit advancerockhampton.com. au/Live-Rockhampton

art gallery includes a representative collection of mid-20th century Australian art. After exploring the gallery in its new premises on Quay Street, head next door to Hummingbird Cafe for a delicious lunch or treat. rmoa.com.au; @hummingbirdcafe_ BEEF AUSTRALIA Every three years, more than 100,000 people gather for this week-long celebration of the Australian beef industry. Plan a visit to coincide with the next event, held from May 5-11, 2024. beefaustralia.com.au

THE ARCHER ROCKY AMATEURS

This year saw the debut of the running of The Archer, where 12 horses competed over 1300 metres for a share of $440,000 in prize money. rockyamateurs.org.au

ROCK H A MPTON MY TOWN CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The historic Headrick’s building; Dingles Cafe Bar is ideal for a chat over lunch; marvel at antiques at Rubies N Rust; alfresco dining at Pacino’s Italian Restaurant.

FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT An iconic Queenslander; Pacino’s Italian Restaurant; Quay Street’s classic architecture; bouquets at Shannon Hawkes Artisan Florals.

REASONS TO STAY

ROCKHAMPTON BOTANIC GARDENS One of Queensland’s oldest public gardens (planting started in 1873), this heritage-listed oasis will appeal to the whole family with beautiful gardens, a kiosk, playground and zoo. explorerockhampton.com.au/ rockhamptonbotanicgardens; explorerockhampton.com.au/ rockhamptonzoo RIVERSIDE PRECINCT Take the CBD Heritage Building Tour along Quay Street and explore one of Queensland’s longest National Trust heritage-listed streets. explorerockhampton.com.au/ rockhamptonriversideprecinct

MT ARCHER NATIONAL PARK Pack a picnic and explore the Nurim Circuit elevated boardwalk overlooking Rockhampton and the Fitzroy River.

Choose from a range of hiking trails throughout the national park. explorerockhampton.com.au/ mountarchernationalpark CAPRICORN COAST From Rockhampton, it’s just under an hour’s drive to the beautiful Capricorn Coast.

Plan a day trip to Yeppoon or ferry ride across to stunning Great Keppel Island. visitcapricorn.com.au FRESH PRODUCE Stock up on fresh local fruit, produce and meat at Doblo’s Farmers Market, and the Rocky Sunday Market underneath the Birch Carroll & Coyle cinemas. >

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 115

MY TOWN ROCK H A MPTON FROM TOP Customs House features Classical Revival period architecture; enjoy the natural surrounds at Boathouse restaurant. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP The lush Rockhampton Botanic Gardens; browse the fashion range at Something Different; lunch is served at Dingles Cafe Bar; visit the elegant Riverston Tea Rooms.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT This

boutique is a drawcard for the region with fashion, art, homewares and gifts.

32 Upper Dawson Road, (07) 4927 3730; @something_different_shop

SHANNON HAWKES ARTISAN FLORALS This florist is filled with

free-flowing organic designs and gorgeous products made by Australian artisans. 34 William Street, 0491 232 824; shannonhawkes.com.au

EAT

RIVERSTON TEA ROOMS Indulge

in sweets at this beautiful, historic setting in the CBD. 186 Quay Street, 0429 215 926; @riverstontearooms BOATHOUSE Head here for casual dining and drinks cantilevered over the Fitzroy River. Try the Barramundi Taco. 189 Quay Street, (07) 4927 1683; boathouserockhampton.co DINGLES CAFE BAR Open for breakfast and lunch, meet friends here for great coffee and regional flavours.

116 William Street, 0458 000 147.

PACINO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT Featuring a classic interior, this iconic restaurant is ideal for gourmet lunches and dinners. 5 East Street, (07) 4922 5833; @pacinositalianrestaurant KINSFOLK Tucked at the top of the range, this eatery serves up great coffee with a largely plant-based menu. 1 Meter Street, 0455 438 878; kinsfolk.net.au

SHOP

STAY

latest soft furnishings, blinds, shutters, homewares, and woven and timber furniture. 161 Denison Street, (07) 4921 1049; allabouthouse.com.au GALA GALLERY This commercial art gallery represents a varied range of established and emerging contemporary artists from around Australia. 35-37 Macaree Street, (07) 4921 0241; galagallery.com.au REID & ROSE A combined gift store and newsagency, Reid & Rose is your one-stop shop for boutique homewares, stylish fashions, books, newspapers and magazines. 131 East Street, (07) 4900 1707; reidandrose.com.au

Riverfront Precinct, Rockhampton’s largest apartment hotel has varied accommodation options with views of the Fitzroy River and Mt Archer. empirerockhampton.com.au

ALL ABOUT HOUSE Browse the

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EMPIRE Located on the CBD

THE EDGE APARTMENT HOTEL

Whether you want a chic studio room or a deluxe three-bedroom apartment, this hotel in the CBD covers all options. theedgeapartments.com.au LIBERTY COTTAGE Conveniently close to shops and supermarkets, this renovated colonial cottage in Allenstown sleeps up to five guests and features original Australian art. airbnb.com/h/libertyrockhampton

OPPORTUNITY CALLS

Rockhampton’s major industries include health, education, civil construction and agriculture.

The National Institute of Economic and Industry Research indicates that the Gross Regional Product for Rockhampton is the strongest it has ever been, up 4.7 per cent to $5.48 billion, at a rate that is over double that of Queensland’s state average of 2.3 per cent – the first time Rockhampton has exceeded $5.4 billion. (Source id. Economy) Visit advancerockhampton.com. au/Economic-Development/ Major-Projects

STAYS An eye-catching collection of vintage Australian landscape paintings dominates the open-plan living and dining area. FACING PAGE Warmth from the wood-fired stove radiates across the living room. In one corner stands a flour tin that owner Carrie Donaldson found at Daylesford Bazaar.

delights in store

SETTLE INTO A HISTORIC HAVEN IN THE GOULBURN VALLEY. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY A BBIE MELLÉ ST YLING LEESA O’R EILLY

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 119

STEPPING INSIDE A GENERAL STORE in Victoria’s Goulburn

Valley at the turn of the last century must have given more romantic shoppers a shiver of excitement. In the small town of Tatura, Flanagan’s Store was a place brimming with treasures. So, too, is The Storekeeper’s House, built in 1905 by Thomas Flanagan, the owner of that same store.

Fresh white boarded walls and stripped floorboards are the backdrop for carefully curated objects and furnishings that give a cosy, homey feel to your weekend break. Much-loved leather armchairs that are worn to just the right degree, aged brass lamps and collections of oil paintings all draw the eye, and delightful curiosities in every corner repay closer attention – there are antique oil lamps and weighing scales; jumbles of kitchen implements in earthenware pots; and you might even spot the old safe, hidden in a fireplace.

Owner Carrie Donaldson, whose ancestors first settled in Tatura 150 years ago, has layered her own family history into the place, with a piecrust mirror that once belonged to her grandmother, and stoneware bottles from her parents. “Dad’s a collector,” Carrie says, “and I’ve always loved to collect homewares and curios, too.” Many of her pieces were sourced locally, with Murtagh’s Market next door and the Dookie Emporium particular favourites.

Despite the house’s air of just-right simplicity, it didn’t come easily: Carrie and her husband, Luis Casanova, spent years restoring the home, living in it until they >

120 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

STAYS The coffee table is a trunk from Camden Market.

FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Carrie shares Longleat Wines bubbles and Goulburn Valley fruit; kitchen antiques are from Murtagh’s Market; linens from Carlotta + Gee and Cultiver dress the barley twist four-poster.

“We purchased a total renovator’s delight. The poor house was in need of a lot of TLC!” recently moved to a farm in Molka, outside town, with their son. “We purchased a total renovator’s delight,” says Carrie. “The poor house was in need of a lot of TLC!” Thankfully, that’s just what it got. “We bought the house in May 2018 and spent close to three years renovating it,” Carrie recalls. “We lived there during lockdowns, and it was comforting being part of a small community during those strange times.” Those welcoming locals make Tatura a lovely spot to escape to. “There are still old-fashioned pubs here where everyone smiles and says g’day,” she says.

After strolling the town’s historic streets, its museum and its 33-hectare wetlands, discover the Goulburn Valley’s wineries, cheese-makers, bakers, orchards and olive-growers. Art-lovers can explore the Shepparton Art Museum, walkers can wander the rail trails and national parks, and plant-lovers will be in heaven at the Australian Botanic Gardens Shepparton.

But if you end up exploring nothing more than the inside of The Storekeeper’s House, you’d be forgiven. A weekend wrapped in a tartan blanket on the comfortable sofa, sipping local wine and staring into the fire is a weekend well spent, after all For more, visit storekeepershouse.com.au

STAYS Vintage brass ducks fly over pigeonhole shelves from Daylesford Mill Markets and Carlotta + Gee bed linen. The painting is from Dookie Emporium. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP Carrie turned a dresser from Murtagh’s Market into a bathroom vanity; a cosy fire pit in the garden.

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 123

FASHION Amanda cites designer Laura Ashley as a style inspiration, along with French model Caroline de Maigret and JFK Jr’s late wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. FACING PAGE Amanda layers up with a Grampians Goods Co. Fair Isle jumper and a tartan blanket.

124 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

FOR GRAMPIANS GOODS CO. FOUNDER AMANDA COCHRAN, RUGGED SURROUNDINGS CALL FOR PRACTICAL STYLE. WORDS H A NNA H JA MES PHOTOGRAPHY A BBIE MELLE

FASHION

WHEN SHE LAUNCHED The Grampians Goods Co. in 2016,

Amanda Cochran was only selling a range of aromatherapy candles. But she always knew the brand would grow to reflect the essence of the wild and wonderful place she’s lucky enough to call home: the pristine Grampians region in western Victoria.

“I adore the space around me where I live,” she says. “It’s a quiet reminder of how expansive life can be. I love the quietness and sense of calm, as well as the inspiration and creativity that comes from the constant close contact with the natural world – the mountains, the incredible sunrises, sunsets and the clearest skies at night.”

Based on a 200-hectare sheep farm with her partner, Will, and their three children, Claudia, 12, Elodie, nine, and James, six (plus two pet ducks and many working sheep dogs), Amanda unsurprisingly turned to wool for her next range: blankets, Fair Isle jumpers and her signature tartan Paddock Pillows are all core products now, and inspire her own cosy, practical style. “I grew up in Newcastle, NSW, and I love the ocean and the energy of a city,” Amanda says.

“But I always want to retreat to my mountain home Visit grampiansgoodsco.com.au; @grampians_goods_co

“I love the inspiration and creativity that comes from close contact with the natural world.”

Amanda always carries GGCo. Hand Sanitiser. FACING PAGE Pretty gingham, practical denim and her vintage sapphire ring are Amanda’s style staples.

AMANDA COCHRAN BRAND FOUNDER, 39

For Grampians Goods Co. founder Amanda, home is a farm near Dunkeld, Vic, with her partner and three children.

How would you describe your style? Lazy! I’d describe it as practical and classic. I love neutral tones and natural fibres – and a hint of nostalgia. When I’m dressing up, I tend to dress for a mood rather than whatever is on trend.

Are you interested in fashion? Definitely! I find as I get older I have more confidence and sense of self, and I’m less afraid to take risks with fashion and try new things.

What’s the best style advice you’ve received? “Dress to your shape and you’ll always be comfortable.”

What are your wardrobe essentials? Jeans, luxe knits, linen skirt, floral dress, ballet flats, Ray-Bans, a great hat.

What are your favourite clothing labels? I like Dôen, Rouje, St Agni, Nackiyé.

Where do you buy clothing? Online I frequent Assembly Label, The Outnet, Dôen and The Curated, but I also love a trip to South Melbourne boutiques. Locally, milliner Bridget Hyland makes beautiful hats under her label Saint Bart – I adore the bespoke felt hat she made for me.

What are your essential beauty products? For face: all the vitamin serums (A, B3, C), SPF50 BB cream and a great eyebrow pencil. For hands and body, the GGCo. Lotion in Grapefruit & Geranium is unbeatable.

Do you have a favourite fragrance? I change all the time!

I just finished Diptyque Eau Duelle and I’m currently layering Jo Malone’s Lime Basil & Mandarin and Blackberry & Bay – it’s a heavenly combination. And a fragrance custom-made for me by Mimosa Botanicals, called Wildflowers, is always in my handbag.

What helps you keep a balanced life? Every weekday after I drop my kids at school, I go straight into the mountains and hike for 45 minutes. The track is short but steep, and it’s the absolute best way to start the day; friends, nature, amazing views, fresh air and exercise. Then coffee!

What are you reading or watching? I’m reading Jo Malone: My Story, and listening to Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. And Outlander is back!

Where are your favourite spots to eat? Most days I grab a coffee and a muesli cup from the Dunkeld General Store after my hike. At weekends, I treat myself to a pain au chocolat from the Dunkeld Old Bakery. For lunch, the best wraps are at The Hamilton Hamper. Parker Street Project at Royal Mail Hotel is my favourite for special occasions. >

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 127

FASHION

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nature’s embrace AMANDA IS MOST COMFORTABLE IN CLASSIC, COSY ENSEMBLES. PRODUCED BY SA FFRON SY LV ESTER

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1 Lillia gingham shirt, $145, from Phase Eight. 2 Betty Basics Mae scarf, $39.95, from Birdsnest. 3 High-waist crop flare jeans in Indigo, $329, from St. Agni. 4 Lime Basil & Mandarin cologne, $215 (100ml), from Jo Malone. 5 Lady Yearling suede boots in Cinnamon, $595, from R.M. Williams. 6 Simplicity at Home by Yumiko Sekine with Jenny Wapner book, $27.50, from Humble & Grand. 7 Bazaar shopper basket in Natural, $59.95, from Provincial Home Living. 8 Mini Picasso & Pearl silver drop earrings, $290, from HR Jewellery. 9 Ray-Ban State Street sunglasses, $219, from The Iconic. 10 Cotton throw, $100, from Assembly Label. 11 Andy Oak hat, $149, from Will & Bear. 12 Drawstring Seersucker midi skirt in Off White, $170, from Venroy. 13 La Ligne Fair Isle wool sweater, $649.30, from Net-a-Porter.

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128 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

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REGIONAL SHOPPING DAY LESFOR D V IC

HOME ON THE RANGE IN THE HEART OF DAYLESFORD YOU’LL FIND THIS TREASURE-TROVE OF EXOTIC AND LOCAL DESIGNER HOMEWARES AND GIFTS. WOR DS HANNAH JAMES PHOTOGR A PH Y MARNIE HAWSON STY LING BELLE HEMMING

Visit eCasa for top-quality linen and cushions from Bianca Lorenne and Hale Mercantile Co. FACING PAGE The store’s beautifully restored 19th-century facade.

REGIONAL SHOPPING DAY LESFOR D V IC

THE DELIGHTS OF DAYLESFORD need no introduction:

superb food, lovely places to stay and spectacular countryside. JoAnne Stephenson knows all these qualities intimately, having run a shop in the Victorian spa town since 1997. Back then it was Ex Libris Prints, but in 2012 she and her husband, architect Robin Larsen, bought the former haberdashery they had been renting for the shop premises, gave it a floor-to-ceiling renovation and reopened it in its current incarnation, as eCasa.

“Until the last couple of years, we would go to the Maison et Objet [interior design trade fair] in Paris every winter,” says Jo. “We’d go down to south-east France as well to see all our stockists. So when we moved into homewares, we renamed the shop eCasa, because most of our suppliers are European. And ‘casa’ means home, so it’s the European home.”

The strong relationships Jo had built with her stockists – who are mostly small, family enterprises – sustained the shop through Victoria’s extended pandemic lockdowns, and she also used the time to focus on her online store and Instagram account, with the help of Robin’s niece, April.

“I can’t tell you how lovely our customer base was in terms of support,” says Jo, who in a former life worked in Melbourne as a partner at financial services company KPMG, and now serves on several boards, including the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, as well as running eCasa. “eCasa has always been my creative outlet,” she says.

It’s not only satisfying for Jo, but also for her loyal customers, many of whom have been collecting her wares for years. “I’ve just got 45 of the pintades, ceramic guineafowl, from Les Céramiques de Lussan in Provence

– they’ll probably be gone within a few weeks because people have been collecting them forever,” explains Jo. “When we get Faïencerie de Gien tableware, it just flies out. And Sophie and Frédéric from Papier à Êtres make those beautiful papier-mâché lamps – every piece is handmade and they pack them so beautifully – and we sell so many of those.”

Other favourites include Susanna Davis’s waffle towels and Sophie Digard’s jewellery and scarves. “We have customers who’ve got a cupboard full of Sophie’s scarves and brooches, so it’s really exciting when we get her new collections,” says Jo. With the help of those supportive customers, eCasa didn’t just survive the pandemic, but flourished – so much so that a few months ago, Jo enlisted former visual merchandiser Michael McBean to become the shop’s full-time manager. “We’re so lucky to have him – he also runs his own floristry business, Wreaths Daylesford, and he has such a creative spirit,” Jo says.

Life in Daylesford has been good to Jo and Robin, who both grew up in Queensland and moved to Victoria in 1985, before relocating to the country town in the ’90s.

They now live on a four-hectare property just outside Daylesford, in a house designed by Robin. “We always wanted to get back onto the land – but even back then, you could get a really good coffee here,” says Jo with a laugh.

And as the beautifully designed and carefully curated homewares at eCasa prove, coffee isn’t the only big-city luxury you can find in this pretty country town Visit ecasadaylesford.com.au or follow the store on Instagram @ecasadaylesford

“I can’t tell you how lovely our customer base is in terms of support… eCasa has always been my creative outlet.”

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Avenida Home linen tablecloth; Libeco Home Belgian linen pouch – the perfect winter accessory; JoAnne sells beautiful giftware and essentials for the home; Rory Dobner fine china plates draw the eye on the wall, while Hale Mercantile Co linen, cushions and throw create a unified aesthetic on the bed; plump Hale Mercantile Co cushions and European throws; JoAnne arranges the store’s luxury bathing products, including soaps from France and Portugal, perfumes from France and Italy, linen towels and Portuguese bathmats; Sophie Digard’s exquisite handmade scarves. FACING PAGE The charming town of Daylesford, with Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens at the top of the hill.

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 133

BOOK CLUB UNUSUAL WOMEN FEATURE STRONGLY THIS MONTH – SOME REAL, SOME FICTIONAL AND, OF COURSE, THERE ARE THE WRITERS THEMSELVES. REVIEWS ANNABEL LAWSON

NOT JUST THE WIFE OF THE GENERAL MANAGER Sally Warriner, Hardie Grant, $32.99 On documents she’s WOGM – Wife of the General Manager. In action, as her memoir reveals, she’s much, much more. Sally Warriner fell in love with a Top End, big-hat party animal. He had stock just about everywhere and a small plane. Unsurprisingly, the GM wasn’t the best husband or father. Never home.

She did it all – not just managing, but bringing up their children and her stepsons, and caring for the community (half a nursing degree helped).

Okay, there were hitches. She reneged the night before the wedding

and months later changed her mind; GM didn’t blink. And there was an incident with a knife, not to mention her lover’s plan to go forth and ‘help Africa’ (55 countries, Sally!) He vamoosed before it was all sorted.

There’s a time-off chapter where she and the GM attend Kerry Packer’s daughter’s wedding in London. Sally frocks up. She chats one-on-one with the heir to the throne and goes to all the ‘in’ nightclubs and casinos.

Was it all worth it? She skives off in the end and it seems, on balance, that was the right move. (Nursing in Bhutan lay ahead.) She’s every bit as unstoppable as the fictional Dictator’s Wife (see right). Go Sally.

Forbes console table in Charcoal, $349, Dynasty floral urn in Dove, $124.95, and Cancun decorative urn in Tobacco, $29.95, all from Provincial Home Living.

THE DICTATOR’S WIFE Freya Berry, Headline, $32.99 A blockbuster from a new author: confident, bold, able to summon an atmosphere with three trenchant lines. Berry’s novel is set in a fictional country – think Romania after the CeauȘescus. Laura Lazarescu arrives, junior member of a US team hired to defend Marija, the mesmeric wife of the former dictator who was physically torn to shreds by an angry mob.

Who is this beguiling – shall we say unreliable – goddess-witch? Marija wants to escape execution; she also wants the loot, the bullion and the art treasures amassed during happier (for her) times. Lazarescu devises a way for her to keep them. The young lawyer has demons – her mother worked in one of Marija’s factories and there were grisly consequences.

With autocrats increasingly making big decisions in our world today, this is a timely glimpse at what goes on in the head of someone to whom no-one dares speak truth.

BRUNSWICK STREET BLUES Sally Bothroyd, HarperCollins, $29.99 For the purposes of the plot we are asked to believe that the Victorian Premier is a monster of depravity and the Yarra City Council led and staffed by bludgers, halfwits and outright scoundrels. Set that aside.

The narrator, Brick Brown, is the adopted niece of a Fitzroy publican.

After hours she’s working behind the bar, and nine to five she has a job with – yes – the Yarra City Council.

The dead body putrefying on the first page barely causes a ripple. He was a mayor and not well liked. On a quest to find the link between the murder and Melbourne developers,

BOOKS

Brick trawls the backstreets and basements, where Melbourne’s jazz scene flourished not that long ago.

Soon, every dusty pediment and recessed portal will be rubble. Rising up in their place will be units, aptly named, with lives within that will be no more than ciphers.

A famous journalist has picked up on Brick’s fossicking. He’s rude and dismissive. Yet she finds herself offering fresh sheets, towels and half a bottle of bourbon when he knocks on her door needing to disappear. Soon, her own life is in danger… which brings them together.

The comedy is exquisite, yet the message is loud and clear: save Melbourne before it’s too late.

MOTHERTONGUES

PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HORNER STYLING KATE LINCOLN

Ceridwen Dovey & Eliza Bell, Penguin, $34.99 Dovey and Bell, determined to express their core identities as artists, pelt the reader with random blasphemies about mothering young children – their own and countless others.

You can dip in anywhere or read the book back-to-front, the message is consistent: motherhood is theft.

It steals a woman’s energy, money and independence, and among the gains is the capacity to deceive everyone, including yourself.

However, it would be unfair to overlook the positives. Here is Dovey, or is it Bell, daydreaming about the future: After cleaning up dinner a mother works on her laptop. Her child, who is now eight, unpacks his schoolbag, empties his lunch scraps into the bin, washes his lunchbox and puts it on the drying rack. He gets his homework out. After a while he packs away his homework. He takes a shower puts on his pyjamas brushes his teeth. He gets into bed with a book. Eventually she goes to his room. They hug goodnight. She turns out the light and he turns on his side to sleep. Discuss.

THE GOLDEN COUPLE Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, Macmillan, $32.99 In their fourth novel, Hendricks and Pekkanen, as always, hit upon new truths and we are wiser for what they show us. Into the feverish swamp of Washington DC bursts Avery Chambers. She’s no longer permitted to practise as a therapist – Big Pharm had her deregistered. She’s switched to counselling, which suits her fine – no more guild rules.

Avery is deservedly popular and coining money. Her clients adore her because she tells dysfunctional couples precisely what to do. None of this “only when you’re ready” codswallop.

The city’s most A-list couple hires her. He’s expecting value for a lot of money. His wife wants a safe way of telling him… but don’t let me spoil it for you. The plight of the gaslighted woman tied to a celebrated man is wittily exposed; a child’s perception of a marriage break-up crisply confronted. But Big Pharm hasn’t finished with Avery. She’s sensibly afraid yet cunning.

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE Benjamin Stevenson, Penguin, $32.99 This one’s not so much a ‘whodunnit?’ as a ‘whodidn’tdunnit?’ The Cunningham family – we’ll meet 11 of them – have each killed someone or will do so before the story is over.

Moreover, Stevenson doesn’t stick to the boring, yet relatively humane, bullet in the head. The ancient form of punishment favoured by Persians, stifling with hot ash, happens… twice.

The set-up has been used before.

Twelve individuals cut off from the world by snow – this time it’s not the Orient Express, it’s a ski resort in New South Wales. The narrator has sent his brother to jail for three years and is in possession of a bag containing $267,000 in used notes.

Surely if it’s ransom money it would be a round sum, but stop right there.

You can hazard a guess at what’s in the locked truck, or who killed whom and why, or try to make the jigsaw pieces end up as a picture – but you’ll fail. The only safe prediction is what will happen between the narrator and the resort owner, which is about as plain a piece of plotting as Stevenson allows. It involves a ladder. A brilliant murder-mystery – let’s hope the first of many.

HERE GOES NOTHING Steve Toltz, Penguin, $32.99 Anyone can pick from the word go that Dr Owen Fogel, rated only one star by his patients in Redfern East, is a con artist. Mind you, the soon-to-be-widowed Gracie Mooney is one tough lady.

Angus Mooney, the designated victim, is about to discover an afterlife. Having been a staunch atheist since childhood, Angus is indignant to find himself reactivated after death and queuing at the Department of Employment.

Whatever happened to Eternal Rest?

His new universe is a democracy... at war. He doesn’t care. All he wants is to be reunited with Gracie. There are two alternatives: excruciatingly expensive sorties to their home as a ghost; or Gracie can die and join him.

A ferocious pandemic ravages Earth. Maybe Gracie will succumb.

And transition to what? Earth is depopulated, the afterlife is therefore flooded with the newly dead. Food is scarce (the dead still eat) and every facility is congested. Angus has had enough when he realises he “had lived without noticing it”.

Lots of laughs and sobering insights.

In an interview, Toltz said his book was about fear of others’ opinions, which is puzzling because the three main characters demonstrate zero interest or respect for the opinions of others, let alone fea

JUNE 2022 COUNTRY STYLE 135

COLLECTABLES

AT THE MUSEUM ITS SHIP SANK A CENTURY AGO, BUT THIS RARE FIGUREHEAD SURVIVES.

PHOTOGRAPHY IMAGE COURTESY OF MARITIME MUSEUM OF TASMANIA

MOST SHIPS SAILING BETWEEN Australia and Europe in

the 19th century were made in Britain, Scandinavia or America. There were very few Australian-made ships.

The three-masted barquentine Mary Wadley was built for Edward Wadley of Balmain at the Macleay River in New South Wales in 1874. The ship was used as a trader along the east coast of Australia. Sadly, it was wrecked off Tasmania in 1901, but the ship’s figurehead survives in the Maritime Museum of Tasmania.

Figureheads, or bow ornaments, have their origin in ancient history with painted, carved images decorating the prow of ships to protect the vessel and those onboard. By the 16th century, bigger ships and more sturdy construction allowed for large carved sculptural figureheads. In a mostly illiterate population, these helped to identify ships. Legendary figures were popular, as were animals, including mythical beasts such as mermaids and dragons. The carving of figureheads was a specialised craft that died out as steel replaced timber in modern shipbuilding.

Few surviving figureheads in Australian museum collections come from ships built locally, which makes that from the Mary Wadley a rare survivor. The South Australian Maritime Museum at Port Adelaide also holds figureheads from historic ships in its collection.

Maritime Museum of Tasmania, 16 Argyle St, Hobart, Tas, (03) 6234 1427; maritimetas.org

$50

COLLECTABLES

JOHN McPHEE ASSESSES A CHANCE FIND WITH A SOLEMN PURPOSE. THIS IS A SMALL JAR that my husband found while working at a transfer centre a few years ago. It stands about 20cm high. There’s a number ‘34h’ on the bottom of the jar. We are curious as to its origins, and what it was used for.

Dianne Smith, Tahmoor, NSW What a curious object this is. Probably made in England in the late 19th century, this jar has decoration derived from a variety of antique motifs jumbled together. The strangest of these are the angels sitting on stools with their brown wings spread out behind them. Other images appear to be river gods holding vases from which water flows, a man riding a horse about to spear a lion, palm fronds, and serpents. The slightly domed lid, which would have been glued to the jar, was roughly removed and is now missing. Unfortunately, the factory mark on the base is obscured by the glaze. The jar is almost certainly a funerary urn made to hold human ashes. Cremation became legal in England in 1884 and several potteries manufactured urns for this purpose. I wonder how it found its way to Australia?

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

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

View this painted wooden figurehead from the Mary Wadley, one of the few 19th-century ships made in Australia, at the Maritime Museum of Tasmania.

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COUNTRY SQUIRE

WHAT NOT TO DO ROB INGRAM HAS NO NEED FOR BUCKET LISTS AND THINKS A LIST OF THINGS TO “NEVER DO” WOULD BE MORE USEFUL. run its course? The other day, I browsed through the travel section of a metropolitan newspaper… and found no sign of one of those annoying, cheesy bucket-list pieces.

You know the sort of thing – “Before you kick the bucket, you should: 1. Trek the Cloud Forest Trail to Machu Picchu.

2. Play elephant polo at Nepal’s Bardia National Park.

3. Take a canoe safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta to see wildlife up close… and marine predators up even closer. 4. Board-ride down the side of Cerro Negro, an active volcano in Nicaragua. 5. Leap naked, except for a woollen hat, into the sub-zero water of a hole in a frozen lake in Finland’s Lahti region…”

Tour operators bill this type of activity as “extreme adventure tourism” and even “once-in-a-lifetime experiences”. I read “once-in-a-lifetime” as “never again”.

I’ve always found bucket lists poor entertainment.

The very idea that some hack sitting at a keyboard with nothing better to write about should advise readers on how to spend their final days bewilders me. Telling them to take their clothes off and jump into an ice hole near Ruuhijärvi is a tragic waste of ink and newsprint.

This is space that could be better used to warn readers about Pentecostal politics or the state of the roads in Cobbora village near Dunedoo. Let me tell you that if Never use trite banality like, “Thank you for reaching I should take my clothes off in minus-nine degrees and out…” when conversing with friends. plunge into a hole in the ice, Ruuhijärvi could immediately Never suggest to your wife that you both watch Friday scrap any likelihood of attracting tourists.

Night Football instead of Gardening Australia.

I’ve never had a bucket list. Heck, I don’t even have Never play darts with drunk mates at the pub. a bucket when I need one. Why would you need a bucket list Never wear an Italian suit for an appearance at the unless you are obsessed with kicking the bucket? I intend local courthouse. Wear your Honest Joe tweed jacket to live forever… and, just quietly, so far, so good. I may have and woollen tie. got this flippant attitude towards mortality from my mum.

Never believe the wine world’s permissiveness about I once asked her what she’d like mentioned in her eulogy. drinking anything you like… unless you really like “Eulogy,” she said. “That’s the last thing cabernet with pan-fried flathead.

I’ll need.” God bless her.

“I’VE NEVER HAD Never hold hands and skip with Much more useful to me than a brainA BUCKET LIST. HECK, your middle-aged partner. snap list of things to do in my remaining Never wear a bow tie. US novelist I DON’T EVEN HAVE days is a list of things never to do. Never, David Sedaris’s dad assured his son A BUCKET WHEN for instance, imagine that a ponytail will that, if he wore one, he would be an I NEED ONE.” provide a distraction from the fact that instant social success because his bow you are balding. All it will do is attract the comment tie would indicate he was fun-loving company. On his first that under every ponytail is a horse’s arse. outing in a bow tie, David attracted comments from two And the end of schooling should be the end of wearing people. One thought he looked like an academic. The other shorts. No-one has ever been taken seriously while said she thought he would be successful selling popcorn. sporting a pair of shorts.

And, above all, never buy so much life insurance that Never take a bottle of wine instead of a carton of beer you’re worth a whole lot more dead than alive. That’s to a bush barbecue. when a bucket list might have some relevance

154 COUNTRY STYLE JUNE 2022

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

DO YOU THINK PERHAPS THE BUCKET LIST obsession has

EASY TO GROW

T R E AT YO U R SE L F O R S O M E O N E S PE C I AL

H A R D T O F I N D . C O M . AU