Bernard Dining Table with Edgard & Mona Chairs

SYDNEY BRISBANE MITTAGONG

02 9906 3686 07 3252 8488 02 4872 2585

sales@cotswoldfurniture.com.au - www.cotswoldfurniture.com.au
 A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Every so often one of those stories comes along. The ones

that you always remember because of a funny anecdote or
because something turned out okay in the end, against the
odds. The story of Tim and Jo O’Brien is one of those stories.
The couple first met over 30 years ago, married when they were just 21 but sadly broke
up after only two years. “I used to think about Tim often, about what could have been
and what should have been,” Jo told our writer Barbara Sweeney when she visited them
on their farm, Boggy Creek, in the NSW Snowy Mountains. Luckily, there is a happy
ending to this story: the pair met again at a horse event and, in 2014, Jo and Tim walked
up the aisle for a second time on what would have been their 25th wedding anniversary.
As Tim puts it, “some things are meant to be”. Turn to page 92 for their story.
Our A Day in the Country columnist this month is Chris Ferguson. I always enjoy her
insights about life on the land as she never fails to give me something to think about,
as she did in this piece about the happiness she is finding in her 50s. “This contentment
has come as a pleasant surprise amid the flurry and worry of a rip-roaring drought and,
consequently, a business on the edge. And while this situation is stressful, I’m reminded
of the saying: ‘This ain’t my first rodeo’,” she writes. I wouldn’t be surprised if there
are a few Country Style readers who might adopt that saying for themselves!
Artist Leisa Wharington was only 10 when she fell in love with glass blowing. Today,
the 59 year old is as passionate as ever about her art as you will read on page 18. “I’m
inspired by nature, and the sand and sea have always been part of my life,” says Leisa,
who lives on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. “I walk on the beach every day, and
I think that connection with sand and glass is amazing. It starts from a grain of sand
and it’s how you can get this clarity from something as simple as a grain of sand that
amazes me.” So whether you find your clarity early or later in life, perhaps the message
this month is to just keep looking!
Enjoy the issue,

Victoria Carey
PHOTOGRAPHY DAMIAN BENNETT STYLING LIZ KAVANAGH

FOLLOW US
Facebook @countrystylemagazine Pinterest @countrystylemag Instagram @countrystylemag Country Style Australia channel
JANUARY 2020 COUNTRY ST Y LE 5
 CONTRIBUTORS

in this i s s u e . . .
RECEIVE OUR
NEW
N I K O L E
R A M S A Y
This photographer — who shot Harriet

BOOK
Birrell’s home on page 42, On the Move
on page 100 and The Style Diary on page
118 — starts her day by paddleboarding.

WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE

Become a subscriber for just
$79.99 and you’ll receive
a copy of Country Homes.
Nikole discovered her passion early
in life, studying photography as soon
as she left school thanks to the
encouragement of an inspirational
teacher. “I’m drawn to light… the way
it creates a mood and the cycle of
change it brings to each day,” she says.
In fact, she’s often up at sunrise,
paddleboarding on the river near her
home on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula
where she lives with her husband and
two kids. In June, Nikole will venture
further offshore when she co-hosts a
food and photography tour of northern
Italy with another local, Annie
Orchard, of Annie’s Provedore
& Produce Store. “I have photographed
in the Veneto region before and was
so inspired... It feels untouched in
comparison to other parts of Italy.”

P E T E R
M A R K O

WORDS TRACEY PLATT PHOTOGRAPHY LUCAS ALLEN, PETER MARKO, NIKOLE RAMSAY
Still adapting to the Australian heat, this
Czech-born photographer tested his
temperature limits when shooting his images
of glassblower Leisa Wharington on page 18.

“I’m hopeless when it comes to dressing

appropriately for the environment,”
Val Peter says. “I forgot to consider the

$59ued at
heat factor of Leisa’s studio, plus an

.99
Visit magshop.com.au/CSH201 or
call 136 116 and quote M201ACH
unexpectedly hot, sunny day outside,
and then I thought it was a great idea
to say yes to a hot peppermint tea…”
Currently living in Melbourne, Peter’s
long-term plan is to find a country base.
“The first time I saw rural Australia was
the Mornington Peninsula,” he says.
“I was on an assignment for a developer
and my first thought was: ‘This is where
I want to settle down one day’. Coming
from a small town in Eastern Europe,
then living in some of the biggest cities
in the world such as LA and London,
I’m finally realising that I love the
countryside the most.”
 EVASSUNDAY
AUSTRALIAN DESIGNED LINEN CLOTHING

H AW T H O R N FITZROY BEECHWORTH MYRTLEFORD ALBURY

+ 6 1 3 9 8 1 8 3 5 1 0 | S u b s c r i b e F o r 2 0 % O f f Yo u r F i r s t O r d e r ( c o n d i t i o n s a p p l y ) | e v a s s u n d a y. c o m . a u
 Enjoy the best of summer and spend
a day in a beach hut on the
Mornington Peninsula coast.

73
 J a n u a r y 2 02 0 | c o n t e n t s

50

42
COVER STORIES DECORATING
50 Building a barn: A decorator’s new Daylesford home 57 HOUSE NOTES: HOME COMFORTS
73 Holiday shack: Creating beautiful interiors Create the look of the barn in Victoria’s Daylesford,
for summertime that we feature on page 50.
100 Surf’s up: Visit the seaside town of Barwon Heads 73 DOWN THE COAST
106 Buy from the bush: Our regional shopping guide Embrace summer by choosing beautiful products
that belong by the beach.
PEOPLE
18 THE GLASS MENAGERIE GARDEN
Artist Leisa Wharington on her love of glass. 58 LEADING BY EXAMPLE
PHOTOGRAPHY LISA COHEN, MARNIE HAWSON, NIKOLE RAMSAY

92 OUR LIFE IN THE COUNTRY: FULL CIRCLE Garden designer Kathleen Murphy showcases
After more than 20 years apart, this couple remarried waterwise plantings in her garden in Central Victoria.
and returned to the farm he never left.
FOOD
MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD 80 DRINK: THE RISE OF GIN
30 Author Jessica White shares how her rural upbringing
STYLING LEE BLAYLOCK, LYNDA GARDENER

Craft distilleries are popping up all around the country,

taught her resilience in the face of adversity. creating uniquely Australian gins.
86 GAME, SET, MATCH
HOMES Country Cook Steve Cumper gets nostalgic with
34 ALL IN GOOD TIME a delicious raspberry jelly recipe.
When a builder and homewares store owner renovate 88 HEIRLOOM: TASTE OF HOME
their own property it’s bound to succeed. A Hungarian beer snack, called kifli, reminds
42 NATURE’S WAY this family of their grandparents.
Cookbook author Harriet Birrell shows us her home. 90 FLAVOURS
50 BUILD: SMALL WONDER Our food writer Barbara Sweeney has a look at some
A sneak peek into the compact country house that small and mighty businesses, and showcases a few
decorator Lynda Gardener just built. of her favourite treats, from pickles to salt.
 110

SCHOOLS
OUT AND ABOUT
126 An outdoor education program in rural Queensland
offered by a Brisbane co-ed school is teaching
Year Nine students the ways of the land.

REGULAR READING
100 6 Contributors
12 Your Page: Readers’ emails and letters.
14 A Day in the Country: Chris Ferguson reveals
that, on balance, she is enjoying her 50s.
24 A Month in the Country
106 Regional Shopping Guide
131 Collectables
132 Books
154 Country Squire

SERVICES
29 Next Month
134 SUBSCRIBE TO COUNTRY STYLE TO RECEIVE

100 136
137
A COPY OF OUR NEW BOOK, COUNTRY HOMES
Stockists
Field Guide
138 Country Emporium
TRAVEL 146 Country and Coastal Retreats
100 ON THE MOVE: BARWON HEADS
This Victorian holiday destination is drawing
residents due to its proximity to nearby Geelong OUR COVER
and its laid-back coastal lifestyle. This month, we head to a beach hut at Blairgowrie in Victoria
110 THE HOLIDAY HUNTER: DESTINATION PUGLIA and set up for a relaxing day (page 73).
Tips for an idyllic road trip in the south of Italy
PHOTOGRAPHY Lisa Cohen
through the eyes of an Australian photographer
STYLING Lee Blaylock
taking in the best places to eat and stay. LOCATION Blairgowrie, Victoria

ON THE COVER Alfie, a six-month-old

FASHION AND BEAUTY border collie poodle cross, loves going
118 THE STYLE DIARY to the beach. Stool, bag on door and
PHOTOGRAPHY NIKOLE RAMSAY, NICOLA SEVITT

The sustainable fashion choices of Harriet Birrell, seagrass cushion all from Inartisan.
Hat from Folk Store. Chair from Angelucci
plus what she’s reading, watching and listening to. 20th Century. Picnic set and checked
THE BROW EVOLUTION cushion cover both from Le Weekend.
124 Find out the techniques and products to achieve the Small basket on the deck from Aura Home.
Kartio pitcher from Iittala. Shot on location
latest looks so you can put your best brows forward. at Blairgowrie on Victoria’s Mornington
Peninsula. For stockist details, see page 136.

PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of Country Style magazine is published by Bauer Media Pty Ltd (Bauer). Bauer 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 Bauer publications, products, services and events. Our Privacy Policy is located at bauer-media.com.au/
privacy. It also sets out on how you can access or correct your personal information and lodge a complaint. Bauer 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 Bauer 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 Bauer’s
Privacy Officer either by email at privacyofficer@bauer-media.com.au or mail at Privacy Officer Bauer Media Pty Ltd, 54 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000.
 OU R N E W BOOK
LET US INTRODUCE YOU TO INSPIRING RURAL PEOPLE
AND TAKE YOU INSIDE THEIR BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN
OUR NEW BOOK, COUNTRY HOMES IN AUSTRALIA:
30 YEARS OF LIFE ON THE LAND.

OUT N
only $ OW
59.99

On sale now at bauerbooks.com.au or subscribe on page 136 to receive your copy.

YOUR PAGE
This delicious Cherry Bombe
Alaska, part of chef Annie
Smithers’s festive menu,
was loved by our followers on
Instagram. “On our Christmas
Day menu,” commented
@thelambofamo
Recipe @kittensmithers
Photography @lisacohenphoto
Styling @lee_blaylock
YOUR PAGE
KATE BREW’S STORY ON HER BUSHFIRE EXPERIENCE HAS STRUCK A CHORD WITH MANY WHILE
ONE READER TELLS OF HOW COUNTRY STYLE KEEP HER FAMILY CONNECTED TO RURAL LIFE.
SWEET MEMORIES
I love how Country Style takes me back
to when I was staying with my wonderful
grandparents in the Queensland country
town of Nagoorin. Memories of driving
down the track and Grandma timing
it just right with the morning tea —
strawberry slice and little cakes with
smooth icing on the table as soon as we
walked through the door. I love all the
recipes that are sent in from times gone
by. Page by page, I love it all.
Noela Stockbridge, Gladstone,
Queensland
Editor’s note: We love the sound of that
slice — please send in the recipe ASAP!
STRONG TIES
I had tears in my eyes as I read Kate Brew’s
story in the Christmas 2019 issue about
bushfires, having experienced the same
worry. We moved our young family three
years ago to a 25-hectare property
surrounded by state forest. We often cast
our eyes over the horizon on hot days
looking for a sign of a fire or check the
Fires Near Me app. It has just become
a way of life. Our income comes from jobs
off the land, but we have spent thousands
of hours rebuilding sheds, creating vegie
gardens and making the property ours.
And we know a fire could wipe this out in
minutes as that’s the risk you run living
in rural Australia. However, the pull and
love of a country life cannot be explained
and here we stay, as the life we have
created means we wouldn’t change a thing.
Rebecca Pope, Lake Macquarie, NSW
12 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
CHRISTMAS TREAT
As the new magazine arrives I scan
through it first before settling down
to enjoy it from the first page through to
the last. The stories are always great as
are the photographs that go with them.
Being a lover of photography myself,
I got to page 83 and it just about blew me
away! What a magnificent image of
Nic Poelaert icing his beautiful eclairs.
I take my hat off to Brigid Arnott and
to the writer Barbara Sweeney as well.
I have messaged a friend who lives at
Newcastle to go buy herself a treat for
Christmas. I hope she gets to try them.
Beverley Pohlner, Nhill, Victoria
NEW TRADITIONS
I am sitting on the verandah reading
your Christmas issue putting aside,
for an hour, the daily troubles we are all
facing from the drought and the fires.
The article, When I Was a Kid, has got
me looking forward and excited not just
for Christmas, but for starting new
traditions with my children so they can
look back and think about what a
wonderful time it is. It’s not only about
the presents, but about spending time
with friends and family.
Rebecca Johnston, Kelvin, NSW
KEEPING CALM
It could be as long as 10 years or more
that I’ve been reading your magazine.
To say that I love it is an understatement!
I tell my husband every month that we
will be in that mag one day and I hope
Our Christmas issue cover stars
Misty the West Highland terrier,
Moss the labrador and Tommy the
Cairn terrier proved to be very
popular with everyone this year!
Their owner chef Annie Smithers
put together a delicious festive
menu inside and the issue also
included a story on Michael and
Kevin ‘Puddings’ of Pudding Lane
in Newcastle, NSW, who make, yes
you guessed it, some of the most
delicious puddings around.
Photography @lisacohenphoto
Styling @lee_blaylock
Location @the_estate_trentham
they use me in The Style Diaries (one of
my favourite parts). I read all the stories
and it’s true, it is good to live in the
country, the peace, the outdoors, the
wildlife — we love everything about
country living. The joy your magazine
brings to me is so calming. I’ve just read
the story, Give Me Shelter, and I found
myself feeling the fear that Kate felt as
we are prone to fires here in North East
Victoria. I can’t imagine the fear of
losing our castle, our small bubble of
happiness that we call home.
Sue Dugmore, Tolmie, Victoria
GROWING UP WITH
COUNTRY STYLE
My mum has lived in some fairly remote
regional areas across NSW, forming
strong friendships along the way.
In 1985, my father passed away leaving
mum to raise two small children.
As my dad managed a property, mum
had to move us to the city to gain
employment herself and to educate
my brother and I. But Mum missed her
country life, so 30 years ago we decided
to subscribe to Country Style. In all
honesty, we love the pictures, the homes,
the people, the artistic talents, shopping
ideas and feel-good recipes. Mum and
I share a subscription, reading each
edition twice — we love it! Mum swears
the best time to read CS is first thing in
the morning, when the air is crisp and
the birds are chirping. Past magazines
are piled high, never to be thrown out
— against my brother’s wishes! Thank
 We launched our book Country
Homes in Australia: 30 Years of
Life on the Land at a reader lunch
held at Headricks Lane in
Rockhampton, Queensland.

you CS for keeping the country

connection for us all these years, it keeps
our memories strong. We have a little
house in the country, who knows we may
be inspired to live there one day, but for
now we’re working and educating our
own children in the big smoke. You just
never know what path lies ahead.
Fleur Hannan, Wareemba, NSW

BEAUTY AT HOME
Through the pages of Country Style
I have found a place of solidarity. Thank
you to the people who graciously share
their homes — through them I have
learnt to see the beauty of my ramshackle
cottage. Thank you to the businesses who
share their vision. Because of their hard
work I seek out regional online stores for
something truly unique. And thank you
to the people who tell it like it is, the
beauty and the struggle, as that is the
reality my family is also living. Solidarity
is everything, and through the pages of
Country Style you prove to me there’s
nowhere else I’d want to be.
Cassie Harrex, West Launceston,
Tasmania

WINNER
THINK OF THE BUSH
Christmas should be a time of joy
and family celebrations, not a time for
running yourself ragged with stress
and expenditure. With many Australians
affected by drought and bushfires in
2019, it has been really refreshing to
see Country Style run features focusing
on the importance of togetherness, and
reflecting on those going through
unimaginable trials on the land. It’s
helped me to give my children a fresh Congratulations
perspective for this festive season — to to Jade Blee who has won a Sunbeam
refresh that we are thankful for what we High Performance Blender worth
have and to look at what we can do to $499. For more information about
help. We will be reigning in this year’s this stylisth and versatile kitchen
Christmas purchases and making appliance, telephone 1300 881 861
donations to drought and bushfire relief or visit sunbeam.com.au
instead. Sending love and best wishes for Share your thoughts and experiences with us by
writing to Country Style, PO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW,
rain, a better growing season, and a safer 1028, or emailing austcountrystyle@bauer-media.
fire season for 2020. Merry country com.au. Please include your address and daytime
telephone number. Letters may be edited for
Christmas to you all! reasons of space and clarity.
Jade Blee, Beerwah, Queensland

FOLLOW US
On Facebook... On Instagram… On Pinterest… On YouTube… At Homes To Love…
facebook.com/ @countrystylemag pinterest.com/ Country Style homestolove.com.au/
CountryStyleMagazine countrystylemag Australia channel country-style
A DAY IN THE COUNTRY
AGE OF REASON
LOOKING BACK OVER HER LIFE, CHRIS FERGUSON
IS FINDING HER FIFTIES TO BE A PLEASANT SURPRISE.
ALTHOUGH THERE IS an obvious danger in generalisations,
I want to say to those finding life tough throughout their
20s, 30s or even 40s; hold fast, it gets better.
In her book Happy, Amanda Talbot describes lifetime
happiness trends as a smile. She says that in general people
are happiest in their youth, with joy dipping in middle age
and then lifting again around the 50s. There are, of course,
myriad of personal situations that affect our individual
happiness, but I’ve rolled into my 50s thinking that the
happiness curve may just be right.
This contentment has come as a pleasant surprise amid the
flurry and worry of a rip-roaring drought and consequently,
a business on the edge. And while this situation is stressful,
I’m reminded of the saying: ‘This ain’t my first rodeo.’
Today we speak of resilience when what we’re really
talking about is experience. In my 50-odd years there have
been many obstacles that I’ve clambered awkwardly over,
humiliations that I thought I could never recover from and
moments of devastation that left me questioning the point
of life. We go out into the world and experience sorrow, joy
and despair and not only do we survive, but we grow despite
or, perhaps, because of it all. With every storm that life
throws at us we are pared back a little further, the fluff
and nonsense is blown away, leaving room for us to grow
into our own individual truths.
My friends agree that getting older is better than
expected. We hold our tribe closer and find joy in the places
we once overlooked. We know what is important to us, and
make no apology for it. We are less likely to suffer the fools
that once would have caused us angst.
A beefwood tree on Chris’ property
Myrnong Station in Wanaaring,
north-west NSW, continues to stand
strong through the years.
14 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
When I look back on photos of young me, I remember how
hard I was on myself when what I needed was kindness.
It would have served me well to cut myself some slack and
understand that we are, all of us, just doing the best we can.
In my 20s it seemed that the path of my life stretched
endlessly over the horizon, that what I wanted to do, and who
I wanted to be, were impossible to achieve. It’s probable that
there are now more years behind me than ahead, and
thankfully reality and ambition have come to a harmonious
PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS FERGUSON PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY GREG ROBERTSON
compromise making the road a little easier to travel.
Although there is a sense of frustration that my body is
wearing out, there is also pride in the fact that I haven’t held
back. At the hands of a hard taskmaster it has suffered
numerous breaks, dislocations, concussions and infections.
It has been dehydrated, poisoned, exhausted and fully used.
Now the aches and pains remind me that I’ve lived at full
throttle — a knowledge that is strangely satisfying.
I imagine that if I arrived at the close of my life with a body
that didn’t show the signs of wear, I would be disappointed
in myself. I would suspect that I hadn’t lived like I meant it.
The voice of experience is more important than ever
throughout the regions of rural Australia that are
experiencing ongoing drought and subsequent hardship.
We are seeing honest and brave people showing up day after
day and doing the best they can with what they have. We
are all learning from each other that attitude is everything,
that our culture’s fear of ageing is outdated and that we don’t
necessarily need rain to grow stronger.
Chris Ferguson is a grazier and shares xperience
of life in the outback at @lifeinthemulga on Instagram.
 Editor-in-chief VICTORIA CAREY
Creative director JO QUARMBY
Deputy editor KYLIE IMESON
Melbourne editor VIRGINIA IMHOFF
Art director ANN DO
Senior copy editor K ATE BARBER
Art production/designer MATUS KUNDRAT
Junior designer SOPHIE WILSON
Stylists LISA BURDEN, NATALIE JOHNSON, ASHLEY PRATT
Homes group production editor TAMARAH PIENA AR
Homes group coordinator MATILDA RINGROSE (02) 9282 8456
Regular contributors CLAIRE MACTAGGART (Queensland contributing
editor) DIXIE ELLIOTT (Food) ROB INGRAM (Country Squire)
ANNABEL LAWSON (Books) JOHN McPHEE (Collectables) CHRISTINE REID
(Gardening) BARBARA SWEENEY (Flavours) JULIETTE WINTER
(Health and Beauty)

A DV ERT ISI NG A N D PRODUCT ION

Commercial brand manager RHYL HEAVENER (02) 8114 9420
Homes commercial manager RHONDA MAUNDER (02) 9282 8687
Advertising production manager KATE ORSBORN (02) 9282 8364
Victoria, SA and WA sales director JACLYN CLEMENTS (03) 9823 6341
Director of sales NSW KAREN HOLMES (02) 9282 8733
Victoria head of direct sales WILL JAMISON (03) 9823 6301
Queensland head of sales JUDY TAYLOR (07) 3101 6636
New Zealand inquiries +61 2 9282 8505
Sales manager, Directories NICK CARSON (02) 9282 8369
General manager, Production services IAN McHUTCHINSON
Title controller and production planner SALLY JEFFERYS
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

Marketing director LOUISE CANKETT
Senior marketing manager JILLIAN HOGAN
Brand manager SARAH WEBSTER
Circulation manager NICOLE PEARSON
Senior subscriptions campaign manager ELLIE XUEREB

BAU E R M E DI A C OR P OR AT E
Chief executive officer BRENDON HILL
Chief financial officer ANDREW STEDWELL
Commercial director PAUL GARDINER
Executive general manager, Publishing and digital operations
SARAH-BELLE MURPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT

Associate publisher SHANE SUTTON

Head retail sales and circulation ANDREW COHN
General manager, Subscriptions and e-commerce SEAN McLINTOCK
Business manager GEORGINA BROMFIELD
Syndications SYNDICATION@BAUER-MEDIA.COM.AU

GENER AL EDITORIAL INQUIRIES

Mail Country Style, PO Box 4088, Sydney NSW 1028 Telephone (02) 9282 8456
Email austcountrystyle@bauer-media.com.au Online homestolove.com.au/
country-style Facebook facebook.com/CountryStyleMagazine Instagram
instagram.com/countrystylemag Pinterest pinterest.com/countrystylemag

GENER AL MARK ETING INQUIRIES

Email homes@bauer-media.com.au

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES
Telephone 136 116 Web magshop.com.au Post Magshop, GPO Box 5252,
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.

FEBRUARY ISSUE
Published by Bauer Media Pty Limited (ABN 053 273 546), 54 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. The
trademark Country Style is the property of Bauer Media Pty Ltd © 2020. All rights reserved. Printed by
Ovato, 8 Priddle Street, Warwick Farm, NSW 2170. National distribution by Gordon and Gotch Australia Pty

ON SALE JANUARY 30
Ltd. 1300 650 666. ISSN 0004-931X. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without written
consent from the copyright holders. Bauer 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$99.95 (one
Enjoy our Dog Tale special about man’s best year, 13 issues); other countries A$189.95 (one year, 13 issues). All overseas subscriptions sent air speed.
*Recommended price, trademark Country Style.

friend, our pick of the best regional shopping

and we visit the NSW town of Walgett.
Vamp by Lisa McGuigan is the newest cultural destination in The Hunter Valley. Having opened the doors in December 2019, Vamp is located
within the Blaxland’s property on Broke Road Pokolbin.
This architect designed venue was purpose built for visitors to enjoy wines, design, art and oysters.
The Lisa McGuigan brand was established in 2010 and previously sold into 5 start hotels, premium restaurants and independent retailers in
NSW.
Vamp by Lisa McGuigan is a venue and wine room representing the evolution and next stage for Lisa McGuigan, where wine, art and fashion
are enjoyed together. Vamp is the new stage where Lisa presents a gothic vibe, metallic feel and new direction straight to her audience.

02 499 7854 2198 Broke Ro d Pokolbin

vamp@lisamcguiganwines.com Thursday – Monday 11am to 5pm

 H ASTINGS V ICTOR I A PEOPLE
Glass artist Leisa Wharington at The Studio & Co, a
working space in Hastings, Victoria, incorporating
several converted shipping containers that she
shares with five other artists and a coffee roaster.

GLASS ARTIST LEISA WHARINGTON’S BODY OF WORK IS AS DIVERSE

AS THE OCCUPANTS OF THE CREATIVE HUB SHE ESTABLISHED
ON VICTORIA’S MORNINGTON PENINSULA.
WORDS V IRGINI A IMHOFF PHOTOGRAPHY PETER M A R KO

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 19

PEOPLE H ASTINGS V ICTOR I A
Leisa creating her latest piece, which she
is shaping while it is still attached to the blowpipe.

FOR MUCH OF HER LIFE, Leisa Wharington has been under

the spell of glass. She was only 10 when she took classes
with a local potter on the Mornington Peninsula, and it was
there that she saw her first glassblowing demonstration.
“This glass business was so fluid and amazing, and the
atmosphere in the studio was dynamic!” says Leisa.
“The fluid material was boiling hot, and you had to use
tools to manipulate it. I was hooked on the drama of it.”
Now decades on, Leisa, 59, is a renowned glass artist who
works from her collective creative space, The Studio & Co.
It’s an old auto shop and complex of converted shipping
containers shared with five other artists — and a coffee
roaster — at Hastings on the Western Port Bay side of the
Mornington Peninsula. Here, in front of a furnace blasting
up to 1250°C, she spins, twists and rolls molten glass with
theatrical flair into unique shapes defined by gravity and her
tools. The glass is translucent, clear or opaque, sometimes
coloured like the sea, or even tortoiseshell. Among the
various pieces are glasses and decanters, food domes and
plates, and blown shapes for the outdoors — “I like to plonk
them around the garden” — as well as the delicate hanging
vases that have been in her repertoire since she first started.
For the past decade or so Leisa’s also been making bigger,
more sculptural pieces, such as chandeliers and “disco
balls”, incorporating welded metal and found objects with
wavy shaped glass discs. “Chandeliers are synonymous
with glass and all the glass discs are made individually
on the blowpipe,” she says. “Some have 100 pieces of glass
in them and are quite heavy. They are all oval and organic in
shape, thick and thin, and spin out differently. That’s what
I love about the manipulation of glass, just letting it roll
around on the blowpipe and allowing the centrifugal force to
take over and dropping the glass down so it spins unevenly
— they are slightly concave and look like little washed up
jellyfish shapes!” There’s also a variation that she calls her
“man lights”. “I use old cogs, old winches and propellers off
boats, and put a big glass ball on top with a light fitting in it.”
Leisa, who has daughters Charlotte, 28, and Sophie,
26, and son Max, 22, from her former marriage, was born
and bred on the peninsula, and now lives at Somers, in one
of the original beach cottages overlooking Western Port
with Tilly, her four-year-old rescue Yorkshire terrier. Her
love of the beach and this southern coastline is an integral
element of her glassblowing. “I’m inspired by nature, and
the sand and sea have always been part of my life,” she says.
“I walk on the beach every day, and I think that connection
with sand and glass is amazing. It starts from a grain >

20 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

“The fluid material was boiling hot, and you had to use tools
to manipulate it. I was hooked on the drama of it.”
 H ASTINGS V ICTOR I A PEOPLE
FROM TOP Vases, glasses and bowls on display;
finishing off a new work. FACING PAGE, FROM
TOP Leisa knew from a young age that she wanted
to be a glassblower; mouth-blown light fittings
and other pieces in a cabinet at The Studio & Co.

of sand and it’s how you can get this clarity from something
as simple as a grain of sand that amazes me. I think glass
is a very underrated material.”
The beach is both inspiration and a resource for her work.
“I love using found objects,” says Leisa. “I was inspired
to create a rope light a few years ago when a friend — a cray
fisherman — took me out and he was pulling these lobster
pots up with barnacles and mussel shells growing on the
rope. That started the whole ball rolling. I find rope washed
up on the beach that is discarded from ships — sometimes
it’s a bit hard to drag up and across the road — and then
I gurney it because it’s full of sand. I’m always looking for
the bluey-green rope that gets washed up, and then I make
blue-green glass light shades. I also buy a lot of rope and
chain from second-hand shops or steel merchants. Now
I love old ladder snow chains and I’ll make light fittings
that tumble down the chain.”
That first magical encounter with glassblowing as a
10-year-old led to Leisa studying ceramic design at Caulfield
Technical School (now Monash University). She then made
trips to study at Pilchuck Glass School outside of Seattle
in the United States. When she returned, she set up a glass
studio at her mother’s property, Tanglewood Estate, a
winery vineyard at Merricks North on the peninsula, and
worked out of it for nearly 30 years. When the property was
sold four years ago, Leisa relocated the studio to the former
auto shop in Hastings and created the thriving artists’ hub
environment that exists there today.
Meanwhile, back in 2008 she bought the Somers General
Store and ran it until she sold it in 2015. It left her with a love
of hospitality that now plays out in the series of unique
dinners she holds at the studio during the cooler months
of the year. “I have friends with a catering company and we
set a table for 40 people and put on a bit of theatre for them.
When guests arrive at the studio they’ll have a glass of
Champagne while we blow glass and do a demo in front
of them. I’ll make a flat glass shape and then we’ll sear tuna
on it, so it’s chargrilled and smoked, the chefs chop it up
and it’s eaten straight away in the studio. Then everyone
sits down for a three-course meal.” The whole idea, Leisa
adds, is to showcase the drama and beauty of her glass light
fittings while lit up at night.
Come morning you will find her back in her other favourite
place, a far cry from the heat and energy of the glassblowing
studio — the beach. “I live opposite the beach, I’m always
beachcombing and walking Tilly there, every day.”
For more information, telephone 0407 812 982 or visit
thestudioandco.com.au

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 23

 Celebrate everything from gourmet King Island
produce to The King of rock’n’roll at festivals
and events around the country this month.

24 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

 A MONTH IN THE COUN T RY
Tim O’Brien rides his horse Lyptus on his
cattle and sheep property, Boggy Creek,
on the edge of the Snowy Mountains in
NSW. To read more, see page 92.
PHOTOGRAPHY KARA ROSENLUND
A MONTH IN THE COUN T RY
Biota in Bowral, NSW, has a seasonal menu.
FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
LEFT Boydell’s Camp is set within the rolling
farmland; the luxury tent has a king-size
bed; gourmet food and wine is supplied;
take a soak in the copper bath.
NSW
Parkes Elvis Festival, January
8th–12th Slick back that quiff and
make your way to Parkes to celebrate
The King’s birthday. This year’s theme
is Elvis’s 1966 musical Frankie and
Johnny and there are more than
200 events in the jam-packed program
to enjoy. From barefoot bowls and bingo
to hound dog competitions, a mass
marriage-vow renewal ceremony and
boogie woogie lessons, there will be no
time to take off those blue suede shoes.
Various locations and events. (02) 6862
6000, parkeselvisfestival.com.au
The Great Eastern Fly-in, January
11th–12th The skies will be filled with
aircraft of all shapes and sizes as
aviation enthusiasts from around
the nation converge on the Northern
Rivers town of Evans Head for this
annual event. Visitors and locals alike
can enjoy re-enactments, joy flights and
aircraft displays. It also celebrates
the 80th anniversary of the largest
Empire Air Training Scheme Station
established in Australia during WWII
to boost the supply of trained aircrew.
Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome,
Memorial Airport Drive, Evans Head,
(02) 6621 5592, greateasternflyin.com
Tamworth Country Music Festival, Ginger Flower and Food Festival,
January 17th–26th The program for January 17th–19th Now in its 24th
this iconic music festival is now so big year, this festival celebrates every
you can download an app to access the aspect of this pretty plant — from the
2800 free and ticketed gigs! If you’ve top of its exotic flower down to its spicy
never been, Cold Chisel’s Blood Moon roots. There will be talks by gardening
Tour may be just the incentive you need. experts, such as Cath Manuel and Paul
You can also catch Paul Kelly, Kasey Plant, and cooking demonstrations by
Chambers, Troy Cassar-Daley and the likes of Matt Golinski. Free entry.
more. (02) 6767 5300, tcmf.com.au The Ginger Factory, 50 Pioneer Road,
Yandina, 1800 067 686, gingerfactory.
Carcoar Village Fair, January 26th com.au/ginger-flower-food-festival
Thousands visit this tiny Central West
village for its colonial-themed Australia VICTORIA
Day celebrations. Highlights include A Dog’s Life, January 2nd–20th
a re-enactment of the first ever armed Celebrating the connection between
bank robbery in Australia, bushranger humans and dogs, this exhibition
talks, market stalls, Cobb & Co rides includes canine-focused illustrations
and bush tucker demonstrations. by Michael Leunig, photographs by
Adults $5, children under 12 free. Jacqueline Mitelman, and stories
8.30am–4.30pm. carcoarvillage.com from author and broadcaster Phillip
Adams and actor John Wood. Free
QUEENSLAND entry. Monday to Friday 10am–5pm;
Bush Mechanics: The Exhibition, Saturday and Sunday 10am–2pm.
until February 2nd An intriguing Hamilton Gallery, 107 Brown
and, at times, hilarious tribute to the Street, Hamilton, (03) 5573 0460,
ingenuity of outback mechanics. Based hamiltongallery.org
on the ABC TV series, the exhibition
shows how resourcefulness and sheer Alpine Valleys Fringe Festival,
determination can get cars back on the January 9th–12th A weekend of laughs,
road with nothing more than a length great music and cabaret with the best
of spinifex. Adults $14.50. 9.30am–4pm. up-and-coming talent in the region.
The Workshops Rail Museum, North Held at Feathertop Winery, the festival
Street, North Ipswich, (07) 3432 5100, kicks off with local musicians, the
theworkshops.qm.qld.gov.au Alpine Bangers, plus canapés, bubbles
book a table
NSW Biota The hero ingredient on chef James Viles’s menu this month
will be blood plums. “I always get excited about summer stone fruit,” he says.
Bowral’s cool climate produces very good stone fruit and James keeps a sharp
eye on the fruit as it ripens on various trees on street verges and in gardens
around town in an effort to beat the birds to it. “I’ve learned that putting
an epic blood plum on the plate is enough,” he says. “But it has to be perfect.”
He’ll blacken the skin and serve it with homemade stracciatella cheese.
To accommodate his hyper-seasonal approach, James has introduced
a new EMD (entrée, main and dessert) menu to run alongside the existing
degustation tasting menu. “It means we can respond even more to the call
of the season,” says James. Other local ingredient heroes James champions
include the sheep’s milk cheese produced by Pecora Dairy at nearby Robertson
— “The summer pasture produces milk that’s off the charts,” he says — and
the aged dairy cow beef from Coppertree Farm in Budderoo. 18 Kangaloon
Road, Bowral, (02) 4862 2005, biotadining.com BA R BA R A SW EENEY
 W E E K E N D AWAY
NSW Boydell’s Camp Fill up the copper tub and pour yourself a glass
of wine made from grapes grown on the property and enjoy the peace
and quiet of Boydell’s Camp at East Gresford. Perched on a hill
overlooking fertile farmland is a 52-square-metre luxury African safari
tent — the ultimate escape for a couple who want to get away from it all.
Hosts Jane and Daniel Maroulis will give you a tour of their property
then leave you to enjoy the seclusion of the tent. But with floorboards,
a king-size bed made up with beautiful linen, a living room and a
kitchenette stocked with local produce for dinner and breakfast, this
is certainly no ordinary tent. 65 Allyn River Road, East Gresford,
(02) 4938 9661, 0400 509 477, boydells.com.au/glamping KYLIE IMESON

and craft beer on arrival. Weekend pass
$80. Various times. 6619 Great Alpine
Road, Porepunkah, (03) 5756 2356,
feathertopwinery.com.au
Lavender Harvest, January 12th Join
the celebration of all things lavender
at an 1860s historic property and farm.
Watch lavender being harvested with
sickles, distilling demonstrations,
a working blacksmith, and enjoy music,
dance and food. Adults $6, children $2.
PHOTOGRAPHY DOMINIQUE CHERRY, ADAM GIBSON
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Discovering the Portrait: Legacy,
Memory & Power, until February 9th
Portraiture, traditionally the domain
of the rich and powerful, is explored in
its broadest possible application. Works
range from painting to print, people to
landscape, and aim to show how one of
the oldest forms of art-making remains
a powerful way to capture a likeness of
the world. Monday to Friday 9am–5pm;
Saturday and Sunday 10am–2pm.
Crush Festival, January 24th–26th
The Adelaide Hills comes alive with the
sound of popping corks when its best
wineries show off their wares at lavish
degustation dinners, long lunches,
tasting sessions, croquet days and
fiestas. Various prices and locations.
1300 305 577, crushfestival.com.au
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Greenbush Art Group: Shake, Rattle
and Roll, until March 1st Discover

10am–5pm. 350 Hepburn-Newstead Walkway Gallery, 43 Woolshed how transport transformed Central
Road, Shepherds Flat, (03) 5476 4393, Street, Bordertown, (08) 8752 1044, Australia in works created by the
lavandula.com.au walkwaygallery.com Greenbush Art Group at the Alice
WORDS VIRGINIA IMHOFF, TRACEY PLATT

Springs Correctional Centre. In the

Sunnymeade Open Garden, January
18th–19th This garden was created by
plantsman Peter Shaw and features
dry-stone walls, a sunken garden,
a fire pit and sculptures, plus amazing
sculptured grass mounds and shrub
plantings with a canopy of stringybark
gums. Adults $8, students $5, under 18
free. 10am–4.30pm. 48 Harvey Street,
Anglesea, opengardensvictoria.org.au
2020 Santos Tour Down Under,
January 16th–26th Whether you’re
keen to strap on your cleats or simply
spectate, this is one of Australia’s
greatest cycling events. As each stage
winds its way through South Australia,
fans have the opportunity to eat, drink
and enjoy the best of the Barossa Valley,
McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.
(08) 8463 4701, tourdownunder.com.au
tradition of bush toy making, the
artists have used salvaged materials
to depict how the progression from
horse and camel to steam and engines
led to cultural change in the interior.
Adults $8, children $6. Tuesday
to Saturday 10am–4pm; Sunday
10am–2pm. Araluen Arts Centre, 61
Larapinta Drive, Araluen, (08) 8951
1122, araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au >

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 27

A MONTH IN THE COUN T RY

LEFT Antipodean the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Wonderland Tableaux for his contribution to international
Illawarra by Anna
Glynn at Canberra’s children’s literature. Free entry.
Australian National 10am–5pm. Fremantle Arts Centre,
Botanic Gardens. Kathleen O’Connor Gallery,
1 Finnerty Street, Fremantle,
(08) 9432 9555, fac.org.au

Mount Barker Grapes and Gallops,

ACT
Promiscuous Provenance, January
17th–March 1st Catch this travelling
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Shaun Tan: Tales from the Inner
City, until January 27th An ethereal
January 19th Wine meets equine at
this popular annual race meeting
at the town known as the gateway
to the state’s stunning South Coast.
Try your luck picking winners on the
eight-event race card while sipping

exhibition from Shoalhaven Regional
Gallery at the Australian National
Botanic Gardens. Award-winning
contemporary artist Anna Glynn
reinterprets the images of Australia’s
early colonial painters, reimagining
them in a fantasy world that reflects
the fascination many early settlers
had for the environment and unusual
creatures they encountered in their
strange new home. 9.30am–4.30pm.
Visitor Centre Gallery, Clunies
Ross Street, Acton, (02) 6250 9588,
parksaustralia.gov.au/botanic-gardens
TASMANIA
Cygnet Folk Festival, January
10th–12th This pretty Huon Valley
town is the site for one of Tassie’s most
popular music events. Now in its 38th
year, the festival attracts an eclectic
array of musical talent from all over
Australia and overseas; from ukulele
orchestras to Argentinian tango music.
There will also be dance, poetry, films,
children’s entertainment, food, wine,
art and handicrafts. You can camp
or glamp and weekend adult tickets
start at $200. cygnetfolkfestival.org
ARTWORK BY ANNA GLYNN. EVENTS MAY CHANGE AND WE RECOMMEND CONTACTING ORGANISERS TO CONFIRM DETAILS AND ENSURE AVAILABILITY.
exhibition of images from Tan’s recent samples from some of the region’s
book, Tales from the Inner City, which award-winning wineries. There will
explores the relationships between also be gourmet food and children’s
humans and animals and the merging entertainment. Adult gate tickets $20.
of natural and urban environments. Frost Park Racecourse, McDonald
View the large-scale paintings created Avenue, Mount Barker, 0447 512 873,
by this artist and author who has won mtbarkerturfclub.com.au
f arme rs’ marke t s
It’s now 20 years since Australia’s first farmers’ market set up stalls in
the Yarra Valley, starting a movement that has played a vital role in local
food economies. Markets are important community touchstones and, as
impossible as it seems, sometimes the only source of fresh food in regional
areas. Congratulations to the farmers, food producers, market organisers
and shoppers who believe in a better food future. farmersmarkets.org.au
NSW Bermagui Growers’ Market, every Thursday A weekday farmers’
market is a rare thing, but invaluable to the cook who needs a few things
to get them through. The Sapphire Coast is known more for fishing than
agriculture, so the market organiser has worked hard to find as many
farmers, growers and producers as they can, with some travelling great
distances. Donald Smith comes with luscious blueberries from his farm
north-east of Cooma, while Imlay Nuts bring hazelnuts from further south
at Towamba. You’ll also find homegrown lettuce from Bargo, heritage hen
eggs from Coolagolite, organic veg from Cobargo and olives from Tathra.
3–5pm. Bermagui Country Club, Tuross Street, Bermagui, 0425 711 795.

Festival of King Island, January
31st–February 1st Head to King Island
for two days of music, seafood, wine
and dairy products. Picturesque Currie
Harbour is the place to enjoy folk,
blues, country and rock music artists.
Plus, check out the pie-eating and
tug-of-war competitions. Two-day
adult day tickets $60; students and
children free. foki.com.au
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Boyanup Farmers’ Market, fourth
Sunday This market has been going strong for 18 years. Join the queue at
Fre-Jac Bakery for French-style breads to go with Jardin Estate’s butter
— taste the Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar-flavoured cold-smoked butter if
it’s there. Collect blueberries from The Blueberry Barn, goat’s cheese from
Scapegoat Dairy and cherries from Cherry Valley Farm. Boreham Valley
Nursery’s fruit trees and Green Way Herbs cater for gardeners. 8am–12pm.
Boyanup Heritage Park, South West Highway, Boyanup, 0448 806 833,
boyanupfarmersmarket.com BA R BA R A SW EENEY

28 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE

FEBRUARY ISSUE ON SALE JANUARY 30

Decorating ideas from a beautiful Danish country home plus how to create a stylish home office.
SEE OUR GREAT SUBSCRIPTION OFFER ON PAGE 134 OF THIS ISSUE.
MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD

AUTHOR JESSICA WHITE LOST HER HEARING AS A CHILD, BUT HER RURAL
UPBRINGING TAUGHT HER RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY.
WORDS JESSICA W HITE

DR JESSICA WHITE is a lecturer and machinery shed. Mum tended a huge flower
researcher at the University of Queensland and vegie garden, as well as fruit trees, so
in Brisbane. The 41-year-old is a fiction we always played outside when she was
and non-fiction writer. Jessica grew up gardening. In summer, we spent long days
on a 2500-hectare mixed farming property in the pool and ate grapes from the vine.
near Boggabri in north-west NSW where Deafness made me shy because I could
she lived with father James, mother Anne, never get the knack of talking to people
older sister Rebecca and younger brother outside my extended family. At school,
Hadley. Her aunt, uncle and cousins, as well I used a piece of technology called an FM
as her grandparents, also lived on the farm. system, which is like a small walkie-talkie.
A teacher for the deaf visited me once
ONE AFTERNOON WHEN I was four, I became a week. My voice used to be flat, and my
very ill with something like the flu. Mum’s teacher taught me to put modulation into
sixth sense told her it was worse than this, it. As listening and communicating were
and she bundled me into the car. She drove ABOVE Jessica, riding pony Stumpy at age difficult, I retreated into books. Stories
from our property near Boggabri to our eight, grew up on the family farm at assuaged the loneliness and boredom
Boggabri, NSW, with her sister Rebecca,
family doctor in Gunnedah. He told Mum to brother Hadley and six cousins.
I often felt, and passed the long car trips
go to Tamworth Base Hospital immediately. between home and the audiologists, school
After a lumbar puncture, I was diagnosed with meningitis. and music lessons. From reading I turned to writing as a way
That night I had a respiratory arrest, but I pulled through and of expressing my frustration with being deaf in a hearing
recovered. A few weeks after I was discharged, though, my world. However, I wouldn’t have taken my love of writing any
parents realised something wasn’t right, as I didn’t catch further were it not for my father.
everything they said to me. They took me to a specialist in Dad farmed with his brothers during the day and painted
Sydney, who discovered I had lost all of the hearing in my left watercolours at night. He won the Currabubula Art Prize in
ear and half in my right. 1964, just as he left school, and more recently in 2019! When
On the farm, we were a long way from services, and this I was 15, he moved us to Armidale to take up a position as an
shaped the decisions my parents made about my education. art teacher at The Armidale School. My parents bought and
One option was to send me to boarding school for deaf began renovating a rambling building that had been built
children in Sydney, but this was a six-hour drive away and in 1874 and extended as the owner’s family grew. The last
I was too young to board. Dad also couldn’t uproot us from the extension was made around 1885. Over a century, the house
farm to move to the city. Instead, I attended the public school fell into disrepair, eventually being converted into four flats.
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY JOSH KELLY

in Boggabri, which had just 100 kids from kindergarten
to Year Six. As I was speaking by the time I lost my hearing,
I was able to learn to read and write without too much
difficulty. For most deaf people, it’s much easier to learn
to sign. I would have benefitted from sign language, but this
didn’t become apparent to me until I was an adult.
My brother, sister and I grew up on the farm with six
cousins. My brother and I roamed the creeks and paddocks,
rode our bikes on the roads, or visited our cousins to swim
in their pool or pat their horses. Sometimes we’d ride with
Dad in the header as he harvested, or muck around at the
Despite its dilapidated state, my parents fell in love with its
bay windows, high ceilings and French doors. I became a day
girl at the New England Girls School. I studied hard, excelling
at English, while my teachers and the librarian encouraged
my writing. In 1996, I began a degree in English literature
and creative writing at the University of Wollongong. It was
here, thinking about how Dad persisted with his art, that
I realised I could become a writer if I continued to work hard.
When I graduated from the University of Wollongong,
I enrolled in a Master of Arts in Writing at the University
of Technology, Sydney. From there I moved to London to do >

30 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

 Jessica White has written three
books and is a lecturer at The
University of Queensland.

“...I also recognised how deafness

and country living taught me
important lessons: resilience,
self-reliance, and a love for nature.”

my PhD. My first novel, A Curious Intimacy, was published
in 2007, and my second novel, Entitlement, in 2012. I have
recently published my third book, Hearing Maud, a hybrid
memoir which uncovers the life of Maud Praed, the deaf
daughter of 19th-century Queensland-born novelist Rosa
Praed. In researching Maud’s story, I realised how isolated
I had been as a young deaf person because we were so far
from urban areas where I might have met other deaf
children, or deaf role models. Yet I also recognised how
deafness and country living taught me important lessons:
resilience, self-reliance, and a love for nature.
Over the years, I have returned repeatedly to my parents’
house in Armidale to write. The quietness of the town and
of Mum’s garden has been a restorative when my busy life
as an academic, as well as the unrelenting demands of
deafness, wear me down. I often sit in the front room with
its library of books lining the shelves, writing, as Dad sits
down the back, painting in his studio. Our lives in Boggabri
have become the rootstock of our work. Dad’s subjects
include scenes from the saleyards, chooks and eggs in wire
baskets, the ochres of the outback, and images from the
beach, to which we escaped after the harvest was finished.
I write about rural communities and life in country towns,
focusing particularly upon the experiences of women.
From Dad I learnt to love the stillness of the bush in the
evening and the subdued colours of a sunset after a hot
summer’s day. I am now a committed environmentalist, and
my next books are about the preciousness of Australia’s
unique environment and how critical it is that we care for it.
As I describe in Hearing Maud, had I not become deaf,
I would never have become a writer. Additionally, had I not
experienced that amazing childhood in the country,
I would also not be writing the kinds of books that I am now.
Growing up so close to nature was a gift, one that we should
ensure is passed on to future generations.
For more information, visit jessicawhite.com.au
FROM LEFT Five-year-old
Jessica and her brother
Hadley, four, feeding lambs;
aged 12 after winning at an
eisteddfod; at her wedding
in October 2019; playing
the euphonium aged seven;
Jessica, four, ready for her
first day of preschool; dressed
as a fairy for a school concert.
The following is an extract from Jessica’s latest creative
non-fiction book, Hearing Maud, a hybrid memoir, which
intertwines her experience of growing up deaf with that
of deaf 19th-century novelist Rosa Praed.
ON A MORNING IN early summer, I lay on a pale-blue
trampoline beneath the apricot tree. Its branches, which
scraped against my bedroom window in storms, arched over
me. The tree was planted by workmen who had lived in our
weatherboard cottage before my parents moved in, but it
never bore fruit. My mother appeared at the side of the
trampoline. ‘How are you feeling?’ she asked.
I shook my head, unable to answer. I was nearly four years
old. My head, neck and shoulders were awash with an ache.
A light breeze scraped my skin like a blade, while the sunlight,
normally soft and dappled, speared through the leaves above.
My mother sensed there was something wrong, she would
tell me in later years, something worse than the flu. She
thought for a few minutes, then went inside and changed
her farm clothes for a skirt and blouse. She collected her
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY HEART AND COLOUR
handbag, found my shoes and scrawled a note for my father.
Back at the trampoline, she wriggled the shoes onto my
feet. ‘We’re going to town to see the doctor.’
‘Okay.’ It was hard to speak.
Mum collected my brother and sister, Oliver and Bella,
and dropped them at my grandmother’s house a few
kilometres away. We then drove over rough gravel roads
for 40 minutes until we reached Gunnedah. When the local
doctor saw me, his movements became quick and urgent:
I was to go to Tamworth Base Hospital immediately. Mum
drove for another hour. Sweat formed beneath her hands,
making the steering wheel sticky.
At the hospital she watched in horror as she held me down
while I screamed and the doctor drove a needle into my
 MY COUNTRY CHILDHOOD

FROM LEFT Jessica, seven,

learning to ride a bike with
the help of her six-year-old
brother Hadley; holding
a lamb; seven-year-old
Jessica (far left) raiding the
strawberry patch with her
brother and cousin; Jessica
(left, in white) aged six with
her cousins, Jessica’s father
James with a sow on their
property in Boggabri, NSW.

spine. Results confirmed it was meningitis and I was given
a massive dose of antibiotics to kill the infection on the lining
of my brain. After that there was nothing to do but wait.
A few hours later my father arrived. My godparents, who
lived on a property on the way to Tamworth, rushed in. They
sat by the bedside in the darkness while I had a respiratory
arrest and stopped breathing. A minister appeared, praying
silently with my godparents, who were devout Christians.
My atheist parents, having lost a child five years before,
held hands against the death of this one.
In the morning, my eyes opened. The adults held their
breath. I blinked: ever combative, I had won.
I was in hospital for a month. My bed was adjacent to a
sliding glass door that led to a small, fenced courtyard. If kids
wet their beds, nurses slung the sheets over the fence to dry.
Sometimes they were mine and the nurses chided me for it.
My father often sat beside me, reading a Strawberry
Shortcake book. I twisted the plastic identification bracelet
on my wrist, unable to follow what was happening because
his voice was a low burble. I liked the pictures, though.
Finally, I was allowed to go home. I tucked my stuffed toys,
Mr Tickle and Mr Chatterbox, into the car seat beside me.
Within a few weeks, my parents realised something wasn’t
right. ‘She keeps asking me what I’m saying,’ my mother
said. ‘This morning I yelled at her down the verandah
to clean her teeth and she just looked at me.’
I leaned against the doorway in the kitchen, watching them.
My father laid his hand on my head and stroked my hair.
Some weeks later, he and I rose in the coal-glow of
morning and set off for Sydney, a six-hour drive away.
We stopped for lunch by the banks of a river and took out the
sandwiches Mum had made. A weeping willow drooped into
the water. Beyond it was a rickety wooden bridge, over which
cars sometimes rattled. The sunlight was bright, the grassy
bank warm beneath our legs. When crumbs from the
sandwiches fell into the water, a swathe of eels appeared.
The bank looked precipitous and the eels writhing below
our feet were disturbing. I drew up my legs.
In Sydney we stayed with friends who lived in an
apartment, the first one I’d ever seen. Their kids, a boy
and girl, showed me how to slide down the carpeted flight
of stairs between each floor. In the evening, we put on
a finger puppet show for the adults. I couldn’t follow what
the kids were saying and quickly lost the thread of my lines.
I kneeled beside the cardboard stage, silent and ashamed.
This sense of soreness, of being around people and not
knowing how to deal with them, has throbbed all my life.
This is my first recollection of the feeling, and yet I have
no memory of the visit to the audiologist who found I had
lost all the hearing in my left ear and half in my right.
It transpired that the large dose of
antibiotics injected to cure the infection
on the lining of my brain had saved me, but
it had also damaged the nerves of my
cochlea. My life came to be defined by what
the ancient Greeks termed a pharmakon,
that which is a poison and a cure.
Hearing Maud: A Journey for
a Voice by Jessica White, UWA
Publishing, $27.99.

BOGGABRI This small town, with a population of just 856 people according to the 2016 census, is located between Gunnedah and
Narrabri in north-west NSW, 512 kilometres north of Sydney on the Kamilaroi Highway. The name Boggabri comes from the indigenous
Gamilaraay word bagaaybaraay, which means having many creeks and is most likely a reference to the Namoi River which passes
through the town. First settled in the 1830s, the town was first sited 20 kilometres south of where it is today; flood waters washed the
original town away and it was relocated in the 1850s. Cotton is the most common type of farming in the surrounding area.

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 33

HOME BER R ILEE NSW
Views of Berowra Valley can be seen from Vicki
and Andrew Saran’s home. On the verandah,
the bench is an auction find and the cushions
are from Orient House. The throw and the
white urn are from Deer Willow. For stockist
details, see page 136.

ALL IN GOOD TIME

A BUILDER AND HOMEWARES STORE OWNER
HAVE COMBINED THEIR CREATIVE SKILLS TO FINALLY
RENOVATE THEIR FAMILY HOME.
WORDS CLA IR E M ACTAGGA RT PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE ST YLING NATA LIE JOHNSON

34 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

STYLING ASSISTANT NONCI NYONI
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Andrew and Vicki
Saran with Mr Bojangles, their 10-year-old briard,
an ancient breed of herding dog that originated in
France; urns and plinths from Vixen & Velvet; firewood
for winter; beside the Xinjiang cabinet from Stone
Pony in the living room sits a basket from French
Country Collections. The rug is from Papaya and the
framed shell necklace on the wall was bought in Ubud,
Bali. FACING PAGE Dense bush surrounds the
property. For stockist details, see page 136.

WHEN ANDREW AND VICKI SARAN discovered a house on
a couple of hectares near Berrilee in the Hills District on
the outskirts of Sydney, their vision was to renovate it into
a modern country farmhouse. With their combined skills
and experience — Andrew, 64, is a builder while 59-year-old
Vicki owns home and lifestyle store Deer Willow in Kiama
— the project was guaranteed to be a success.
“I’m good at designing and Vicki is good at the finishing
touches and pulling things together,” Andrew says. “We love
being creative, recycling and bringing things back to life.”
The couple were living between Berowra Waters and
Bronte in Sydney 13 years ago when they decided to relocate
to acreage so they could raise their then six-year-old son
Oscar in a more rural location. Berrilee is known for its
scenery, hiking and riding trails and its proximity to the
river and National Parks.
“It seemed like a beautiful place to bring up a little boy
and we just fell in love with it,” Vicki recalls.
“Everyone has come to this area for the same thing — the
lifestyle and letting children roam as well as the sense of
community. It takes a village to raise a child and you know
everyone here. When Oscar was little, we had horses and
did a lot of boating and canoeing.”
The family initially inspected another property for sale
but were drawn to the two-storey house next door that wasn’t
listed. Luckily, it came on the market the following week.
Perched high on a ridge, the four-bedroom house was built
in 1983 with a design borrowed from a country home at
Leura in the Blue Mountains, 100 kilometres west of Sydney.
The 12-foot-high ceilings were a drawcard, along with the
stunning view to Berowra Valley.
BER R ILEE NSW HOME
“We wake up, look down the valley and the cloud looks
just like whipped cream. It’s mystical,” Andrew
says. “The house is light and bright, even in winter.”
One of Andrew’s first tasks was to replace many of the
windows and doors which he thought were too low and
didn’t suit the generous proportions of the house. The
couple decided to live in it and learn its nuances before
they embarked on major renovations.
“Being married to a builder you don’t get it all at once,
you do have to wait!” Vicki explains with a smile.
The bathrooms were renovated and new ceilings
installed, with hardwood cladding over the steel
beams to add to the farmhouse feel.
In the kitchen, marble Carrara benchtops add
a timeless element and complement Andrew’s joinery,
which he completed onsite in his workshop. An old
European carpenters’ bench is used as an island bench
and adds character to the all-white kitchen.
“I like to combine one-off pieces with modern ones for
warmth, and each room should have one spectacular piece
in it,” Vicki says of her mix of hero pieces with neutral
textures and crisp white walls. Where possible, she
also incorporates plants.
“I love putting all our favourite things together
— we’ve collected so many from our travels,” she adds.
Andrew and Vicki have replaced some of the original
windows with glass panels and box window seating to help
frame the views. “We have the most amazing sunsets and
beautiful views,” Andrew says.
Four years ago, Andrew built a self-contained barn for
Oscar, who is now 19 and studying contemporary music >
JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 37
“Everyone has come to this area for the same thing — the lifestyle
and letting children roam as well as the sense of community.”
 BER R ILEE NSW HOME
An antique chandelier hangs above an old European
carpenter’s bench that Vicki bought Andrew as
a gift. The rangehood is by Qasair and the tiles are
from Amber. Andrew made the cabinets. Plates on
the island bench are from The DEA Store.
Photographs on the wall are of the Sarans’ son
Oscar at age five with his miniature pony. On the
wall near the sink is a vintage Makenge basket from
Zambia. FACING PAGE A hammock from Deer
Willow has cushions on it from Orient House. The
chandelier hanging in the tree was bought at an
auction. For stockist details, see page 136.

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 39

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Seat and cushion are from
Deer Willow, and the throw is from Saardé; black and
white towels by Saardé and white towels by Bedouin
Societe, all from Deer Willow. The windows were made
by Andrew; rustic artwork; the gravel driveway winds
through lush garden; a stool from Deer Willow is used
as a bedside table and the Ledlux Blakely table lamp is
from Beacon Lighting. FACING PAGE Quilt, ikat throw
and bench from Deer Willow. Cushion from Evolution
Product. For stockist details, see page 136.
 BER R ILEE NSW HOME

at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. It is constructed

almost entirely from recycled materials collected over time, ABOUT THE HOUSE
sourced from auctions or on eBay. The doors were stripped • The linen sofa is Urban Couture. For similar, try
and restored by Andrew. “A lot of Oscar’s friends come over MCM House, (02) 9358 0800, mcmhouse.com
and do practise gigs for their band Coconut Cream,” Vicki • Vicki’s favourite stores include Island Luxe, Bangalow
says. “The barn is a perfect space for it,” @islandluxeofficial and LivedIn Coogee @livedincoogee
Most weeks, Vicki travels 2.5 hours south to Deer 0438 648 188, livedincoogee.com.au
Willow, her boutique store in Kiama, which is stocked • A similar bath tub is available from Candana,
with clothing, homewares and one-off pieces of furniture. (02) 9389 8631, candana.com.au
She then stays overnight in their onsite van at Easts Beach. • For textiles, Vicki shops at Walter G, walter-g.com.au;
She originally started Deer Willow in Dural but a ‘for lease’ Eadie Lifestyle, (02) 4927 6309, eadielifestyle.com.au;
sign on a shop in Kiama changed things. “Three years in Bedouin Societe, (03) 9391 3843; and Cultiver,
I sold Dural thinking one day we might move to Kiama (03) 9827 0781, cultiver.com.au
permanently,” she explains. • Both chandeliers in the house were auction finds
Upon her return to Berrilee, there’s a sense of anticipation and the Sarans restored and rewired the French one
as she approaches the gravel circular drive, flanked with in the lounge room.
plane trees and liquidambars, to be warmly greeted by
Mr Bo Jangles, their 10-year-old briard rescue dog. “This is a
place to escape to and the air is so clean. We have a vegetable
garden and our own chickens, with black cockatoos flying
overhead. I walk inside and go, ‘ahhhh!’” Vicki says.
With downstairs completed earlier this year, they now have
their sights set on the top storey renovation. “Andrew and I
complement each other and run things by one another all the
time,” she says. “Your own house is the hardest one to do but
this place has a beautiful feel and is great to entertain in.”
Deer Willow, 12 Manning Street, Kiama, NSW, (02) 429
1033. Follow @deerwillow @theridgesydney on Instagram.

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 41

HOME BELLA R INE PENINSULA V ICTOR I A
Harriet Birrell and her koolie border collie
cross Fred out the front of her corrugated
iron-clad home. FACING PAGE Gardening
essentials are stored at the entrance.
Harriet uses a basket bought years ago from
Rigby’s Homewares to collect vegetables.
For stockist details, see page 136.

N AT U R E ’ S WAY
HARRIET BIRRELL’S LIFE IS CENTRED AROUND
ALL THINGS NATURAL INCLUDING
HER SIMPLE, BEAUTIFUL HOME.
W0RDS V IRGINI A IMHOFF PHOTOGRAPHY NIKOLE R A MSAY

42 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

HOME BELLA R INE PENINSULA V ICTOR I A
The dining table and chairs were hard
rubbish, which have been given a new
lease on life in Harriet and Fraser’s
kitchen. Harriet tests all her recipes here.
FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP
The exterior of the compact home; the
flourishing vegetable garden; Harriet and
Fred; the functional kitchen with a Lofra
cooker. For stockist details, see page 136.

44 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

THERE IS A NATURAL theme that runs through all the threads
of Harriet Birrell’s life as well as the people and things she
loves to have around her. It plays out in her idyllic relaxed
country/coastal lifestyle in a tiny shack on the Bellarine
Peninsula on the south coast of Victoria that she shares with
her partner sustainable building designer Fraser West and
their constant companion and blue-eyed rescue dog Fred,
a four-year-old koolie border collie cross. Harriet lives by
a simple, down-to-earth philosophy that manifests in her
affinity with nature, the freedom of the beach where she
surfs the waves as often as she can, and in the ethical, healthy
choices she makes each day, including her love of beautiful
wholesome and natural food. “We are quite simple people
who don’t have anything all that luxurious, but we really
enjoy having things around us with a story and meaning,”
Harriet says, describing the “eclectic, beach boho feel”
of the environment she and Fraser have created in their
coastal hideaway. “I love good food, but I’m busy and I’m
a lazy cook who doesn’t want to be spending too much time
in the kitchen, so wholefood — using ingredients that are
in their most natural least processed form, based
on whole fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole
grains — makes the most sense to me.”
Harriet, 33, is the author of Whole, a celebration of
nourishing, unprocessed dishes and the second cookbook
that she has compiled, styled and designed. She self-published
it in 2018 and it is now published by Hardie Grant. Her first
self-published book, Natural Harry was released in 2015.
Harriet grew up close to nature and it’s hardly surprising
that she’s chosen to stay close to her early roots. She spent
her childhood with her parents and two younger sisters
on a farm in the coastal hinterland of western Victoria,
close enough to the beach for her to form a deep, life-long
connection, where there was always beautiful food on the
table. After finishing school in 2005 she went off on a gap
year to England. “I worked at a school in the Cotswolds,” she
says. However, it was in 2006, when she moved to Melbourne
to study fashion design, and later working in the fashion
industry, that she began to lose touch with those roots.
“I grew up on my grandparent’s farm between Winchelsea
and Inverleigh in a family that really valued good quality
wholefood and so I always had that as a foundation,” she
says. “But when I was studying design and working in the
fashion industry I think I lost the focus on nourishing
myself with good food — I was not feeling so good and I was
not looking after myself.”
Before long, she was drawn back to the coastal lifestyle
that she had always loved and met Fraser, 32, on the Bellarine
Peninsula in 2012. “I naturally gravitated back to the coast
as I love the space, swimming and surfing. I managed >
HOME BELLA R INE PENINSULA V ICTOR I A
The black rice salad is from Harriet’s new
cookbook, Whole. FACING PAGE Harriet
reads a book on the Dreamer couch
from Pop & Scott. The cushion was
made from a Turkish rug. Mandala
wall hanging from The Dharma Door.
For stockist details, see page 136.
HERBY BLACK RICE SALAD
WITH MINTED BEETROOT
YOGHURT
Serves 2
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
If you are after a simple, crowd-pleasing
salad recipe, this is it. You can double
the recipe and serve it as a share plate
or take it to work for lunch, packing
the yoghurt dressing separately. The
creamy, probiotic-rich minted beetroot
dressing is the perfect contrast to
the crunchy, herby salad. Black rice
provides the bonus of extra antioxidants
and vitamin E.
46 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
30g sunflower kernels
40g pine nuts
40g almonds
200g black rice, washed
½ red onion, finely diced
¼ cup dill, chopped
¼ cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons coconut amino sauce*
BEETROOT YOGHURT
250g coconut yoghurt**
45g beetroot, grated
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
Heat a non-stick frying pan over a low
heat. Add sunflower kernels, pine nuts
and almonds and gently toast until
golden. Set aside to cool. Add black rice
and 500ml of water to a saucepan.
Bring to the boil and simmer until all
the water is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, add coconut yoghurt,
beetroot and lemon juice to a food
processor and process until smooth.
Add mint and stir well. Spread
beetroot yoghurt mixture over two
serving plates. Combine all salad
ingredients and serve on top of the
beetroot yoghurt.
* Available from health food stores.
** Soy sauce can be used instead
of coconut amino sauce.
HOME BELLA R INE PENINSULA V ICTOR I A
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Harriet’s
surfboard rests near the outdoor shower;
the shower inside is lined in corrugated
iron, linking it to the outside; just-picked
vegetables from the garden; Harriet and
Fred walk down the dirt road towards
to house. FACING PAGE The bed-sized
bedroom features an artwork by Camilla
Walford. Bedlinen is from Good Studios.
For stockist details, see page 136.

a manchester store in Geelong, I nannied, and then

I had a men’s shorts label called Smuggling Budgies! Fraser
grew up in Geelong and apart from living in Melbourne
for two years after school, he had always lived in the area.”
Meanwhile, Harriet did a short online course in integrative
nutrition and was quickly overwhelmed by the number
of conflicting dietary theories and complicated recipes
out there. She started developing her own simple
recipes for a wholefood, plant-based diet and was keen
to share them with others. “So, in 2013 we built a vintage
wood caravan from scratch and opened it in Barwon
Heads serving smoothies and raw desserts,” she says.
“We operated that over summer for three years, and we
were very adamant that everything was completely organic
wholefood and plant based. And then because of the
popularity of that caravan, I wrote the first book with
the recipes and self-published it. And because of the
popularity of that book, I wrote the second book!”
In the same year the pair started operating the caravan,
they also moved into their secluded haven — a 40-square-
metre, rural vernacular-style structure of corrugated iron
and weatherboard, looking out to the farmland behind the
coastal dunes. Towering eucalypts frame the backdrop and
at the front, an ornamental grapevine shades a timber deck,
which serves as an outdoor living space. Harriet’s surfboard
leans up against the corrugated iron, left there after an early
morning surf. “I love surfing and I just love the water,” she
says. “I go to the beach daily to take Fred for a walk.”
Near the house there are raised vegetable beds brimming
with herbs and homegrown produce that go into the meals
and recipes that Harriet prepares in their simple kitchen
with its stainless steel benchtops and fabric curtains
underneath. “It’s quite a rudimentary kitchen,” she says,
with a laugh. “But I love gardening and find the vegie garden
very therapeutic when I get time. I enjoy growing as much
of our food as we can.”
The interior of this tiny building is warm and filled with
light, and simply lined in honey-toned plywood. Artworks
from friends are dotted around and drying paper daisies
strung in golden garlands hang across one wall. “I guess
we are not completely minimalist!” Harriet adds. “I do
like a bit of colour as well as the rural, natural tones.”
A third book is in the pipeline. “It will have recipes,
but not necessarily food,” is all she can reveal. Little doubt
though, it too will capture the celebratory sense of joy
and distinct wholesomeness that emanates fr arriet’s
home and life on the southern Victorian coast.
Whole by Harriet Birrell, published by Hardie rant, $50.
For further information, visit naturalharry.com.au. To read
Harriet’s fashion tips, see The Style Diary on page 118.
JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 49
50 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
 DAY LESFOR D V ICTOR I A BUILD
The exterior of the one-bedroom studio is
painted in a colour matched to Colorbond
Woodland Grey. FACING PAGE Owner
Lynda Gardener heads to the shops.
For stockist details, see page 136.

small wonder
A SLIVER OF LAND PRESENTED AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR
A DECORATOR TO BUILD A MODERN COUNTRY GETAWAY.
WORDS PENN Y CA R ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON ST YLING LY NDA GA R DENER
BUILD DAY LESFOR D V ICTOR I A
DECORATOR LYNDA GARDENER is renowned for her expertise
in renovating and reviving old houses but — until recently
— she’d never built one from the slab up.
In fact, her new barn-style home in Daylesford, Victoria,
may not have existed at all if fate hadn’t intervened. The
one-bedroom studio sits on a narrow block, which had
originally served as a driveway into a large property. Lynda,
who owns a handful of boutique accommodations in
Victoria, was staying at her bed and breakfast The White
House next door to the driveway when she noticed her
neighbour removing trees along their shared fence line.
“I went out there in a mad panic and I said, ‘If you’re going
to pull down any more trees, I’m happy to buy the land!’”
she recalls. It was an extreme solution to a minor gardening
problem, but the neighbour took it seriously, and Lynda
was soon the owner of the 30 metre x 7 metre driveway.
Although small, the land inspired a grand vision: Lynda
originally mapped out a larger building complete with
a loft. However, budget restraints and an unexpected
upheaval in her personal life downscaled the project
to a modestly sized, one-level box with a bathroom ‘pod’
in the centre. “Everything you can trim off helps reduce the
cost, so I made it shorter, with no upstairs,” explains Lynda.
“I just knew if I had an open-plan space, I could make
it into something very special.”
After a drawn-out 18 months in planning stage, Lynda
enlisted local builder Rob Roy to work on the project.
52 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
The house, which took over a year to build, follows a classic
barn design, with a high-pitched ceiling, exposed beams
and split “Mr Ed-style” doors. Four large windows from
an old schoolhouse add authenticity to the new build
and flood the space with light.
For Lynda, who’s used to working within the limitations
of existing houses, starting from scratch turned out to be
an eye-opening, and at times frustrating, process. “You
have to think about every nook and cranny!” she says.
Building codes and council restrictions also edited her
vision — two rows of panes in each of the salvaged windows
needed to be replaced to meet standards, the barn had to
be set closer to the street than Lynda had initially planned,
and the council nixed her dream of a chic black exterior
(she went with a moody charcoal instead).
Managing the project on her own, Lynda’s response
to the challenge was to simplify everything — from the
layout to the finishes. “I didn’t do fancy in this place,”
she explains. “I like to have a simple canvas that can never
date. The details, for me, are in the furnishings and how
you pull it together.” It’s why she’s used the same handmade
tiles and concrete surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom
and a wash of Bleached White from her collaboration with
paint company Bauwerk Colour throughout. And while
some design features were expensive — such as the exposed
beams and lining boards — she was able to keep costs down
by mixing in savvy budget finds. The taps, for instance, >
Large windows, white walls and a high ceiling all create an expansive
feel. CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Lynda has filled the barn with her
personal treasures, such as artworks from Europe and a wardrobe
from a shop fit-out. On the bed is linen from Major-Minor and a flokati
rug. The light shade is from HK Living; the kitchen has a Glem Gas
oven and Euromaid rangehood. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT Lynda
wears a fabric flower brooch from Eva’s Sunday; the bench was
found at a sale at artist David Bromley’s studio and the peg hooks
were made by a friend. For stockist details, see page 136.
54 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
 DAY LESFOR D V ICTOR I A BUILD
A modular sofa anchors the living room. The
table is from HK Living and is topped with some
of Lynda’s favourite things. “It’s like a gallery
but at the same time it’s very relaxed,” she says.
The light shades were bought some time ago
but similar styles can be found at Beacon
Lighting. For stockist details, see page 136.

are from Bunnings, the tiles used in the bathroom and

kitchen were discounted end-of-line stock and light fittings
were bought on sale, well before the build was complete.
What the new build did offer was a chance to detour
from her signature vintage look. Although it has touches
of traditional style, the finished barn is unmistakably
contemporary, with black accents, masses of plants and
streamlined furniture and fittings. “This being a new
build, I wanted something fresh,” Lynda says. “I wanted
it to feel like you were in a conservatory … and I just didn’t
see a lot of old furniture in here.”
The key to creating a cohesive look within an open-plan
space is a considered colour scheme, Lynda adds. “I think
the palette is really important. Pick two colours that you
love and then a nice, basic wall colour,” she suggests. “My
palette is very natural, neutral, lots of wood and natural
baskets … from the moment you walk in the door right
through the bathroom to the bedroom, it all ties in.”
Layers of texture, from linen throws to woven light
shades and glossy green foliage, create a sense of relaxed
comfort in the sleek space, as does the modular sofa that
dominates the living area. “The couch is in the centre of
the room so you’re part of the whole space, not trapped
in a corner,” explains Lynda.
Filled to the brim with treasured finds, like sketches
fossicked from a flea market in Germany, the barn is now
a sweet retreat. “It’s my little country getaway from
the city,” Lynda says. “I’m a bit of a mover and it’s hard
for me to really relax, so I come here as often as I can.
I appreciate the stillness.”
Located on Daylesford’s main street, it’s a short stroll
to the historic village’s shops, where Lynda often heads
for breakfast at Pancho café and a peek at boutiques Harry
and Me and Manteau Noir. On weekends, you’ll find her
rummaging around the local market at the old train station
or walking around Lake Daylesford. That’s when she can
tear herself away from the barn, where she simply likes to
“hibernate a little bit”. “It’s just got a beautiful, ser eel
to it,” she says. “I always feel happy when I’m here
When she’s not in residence, Lynda offers the barn, dubbed
Room + Board, as accommodation for singles and couples.
For more information, visit roomandboard.com.au
BUILD DAY LESFOR D V ICTOR I A

5000
ABOUT THE HOUSE
• Rob Roy from Roy’s Building Works in nearby Trentham
completed the barn’s construction. 0419 528 458.
•
1800

DECK The exterior is painted in a colour to match Colorbond

Woodland Grey and the interior is Bauwerk Colour
Bleached White. 1800 022 999, colorbond.com;
(08) 9433 3860, bauwerk.com.au
• Lynda suggests scouring salvage yards for unique
LIVING/DINING fittings such as old windows and doors. “You can save
a lot of money by going to salvage yards and buying
second-hand,” she says, but adds it’s important to check
what you buy is compliant with modern building codes.
7870

• The bed linen is from Major-Minor and the bedhead

was custom made in organic hemp by Andrew Hemming
of The Upholstery House Victoria. majorminorwares.com;
KITCHEN 0412 924 621, theupholsteryhouse.com.au
• Hanging plants and mature trees create a conservatory
1400

feel in the light-filled space. Lynda sourced some of the

larger trees from Glasshaus. 44 Cremorne Street,
90

Cremorne, Victoria, (03) 9421 4300, glasshaus.com.au

• The bathroom and kitchen taps were a budget-friendly
1950

BATH/LDRY find from Bunnings. (03) 8831 9777, bunnings.com.au

• Lynda bought the woven light shades used in the living
90

area years ago, but you can find similar styles at Beacon
Lighting. (03) 8561 1599, beaconlighting.com.au
4000

BED
1800

DECK
 HOUSE NOTES
The sink was custom made
for the bathroom, the taps are
from Bunnings, the towel rail
is from Country Road and the
towels are by Loom Towels.
FACING PAGE In the kitchen,
bamboo bowls in Cocoa (right)
are from Eco Impact and the
light is from Beacon Lighting.
1 2 For stockist details,
see page 136.

HOME COMFORTS
CREATE A MODERN FARMHOUSE LOOK
BY COMBINING OLD AND NEW.
PRODUCED BY ANN DO

1 MRD Home Nendo pendant, $89, from Cranmore Home & Co. 2 Ledlux Lorne
pendant in Natural, $299, from Beacon Lighting. 3 Petite Friture x Daniel Emma
Cherry light, $1400, from Daniel Emma. 4 Woodrow drum stump, $390, from
Fenton & Fenton. 5 Ashford cabinet, $3699, from Provincial Home Living. 6 Stump
Tree Stool, $395, from Harpers Project. 7 Medina wool blend rug 1.6m x 2.3m in Blue,
$449, from Temple & Webster. 8 Felix leather sling chair, $899, from McMullin & Co.
9 Mecca linen cushion in Rust, $69, from Domayne. 10 Milani Assembly taps and
Elysian spout in Matte Black, $254 for set, from ABI. 11 Box concrete basin in Ivory,
$720, from Nood Co. 12 Lime Paint in Bleached White, $40 for 1 litre, from Bauwerk
7 Colour. 13 Laundry basket, $169, from Worn. 14 FAB 28RWH3AU
fridge, $2490, from Smeg. For stockist details, see page 136.

9
8 12

13

10

11
14

JANUARY 2020 COUNTRY ST Y LE 57

The dramatic bright yellow heads
of Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii.
FACING PAGE The Murphy children
exploring the garden. From left,
Conor, 13, Niamh, 11, and Niall, 12.
 GISBOR NE V ICTOR I A GARDEN

leading by example
GARDEN DESIGNER KATHLEEN MURPHY HAS
CREATED A WATER-SAVING OASIS AT HER HOME
WHERE CLIENTS CAN SEE HER WORK FIRSTHAND.
WORDS CHR ISTINE R EID PHOTOGRAPHY M A R NIE H AWSON

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 59

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT
The bold straps of Agave
americana variegata contrast
with blue chalk sticks at its
base; Smokey takes in the world
surrounded by upright Verbena
bonariensis; a stone and steel
sculpture made by Kathleen
Murphy; close up of the agave;
low-water use plants in the
garden include yellow-flowered
Sisyrinchium striatum. FACING
PAGE, FROM TOP Benji, the
family’s spoodle, enjoying
the garden; native billy buttons
(Craspedia globosa); a thriving
snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora)
with self-seeded euphorbias.
 GISBOR NE V ICTOR I A GARDEN

WHAT IS VISIBLE beyond the confines of a garden is often

a vital part of its atmosphere and extends the boundaries
into what is known as the borrowed landscape.
At Gisborne in Central Victoria, this is certainly the case
at Kathleen Murphy’s garden where the Macedon Ranges,
and the definitive peak of Mount Macedon rising from the
surrounding plain, are a feature of the garden’s landscape.
“We really bought the house for this view,” says Kathleen.
At the Murphys’ home, in the aptly-named Panorama
Drive, there’s a conventional front garden — a mix of
deciduous and evergreen trees, and lawn with flower
beds. But nothing gives a clue to the secrets behind.
However, once you step around the side of the house
you are hit between the eyes with the distant panorama
of hills, then at your feet, a contemporary take on the
latest in garden ideas and plantings.
“I started my working life in the human resources field
but I had always loved gardening. My parents are Irish
and I travelled I went to Dublin where I studied horticulture
at the National Botanic Gardens and even had a short stint
at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show one year. I think
this set me off on a new path,” Kathleen says.
After she returned to Australia, Kathleen studied
native plants at The University of Melbourne’s renowned
Burnley Campus. Kathleen and her husband Robert,
a civil engineer, had moved to Gisborne, thinking
it was only going to be temporary. A change of plan saw
them buy in Gisborne and, as a newly qualified garden
designer, Kathleen then had the proverbial blank canvas
at her back door. However, with three young children, her
garden ideas had to take a back seat for a few years.
Kathleen says she has been inspired by various Australian
designers — Fiona Brockhoff with her climate-appropriate
plantings; Phillip Johnson with his signature rock work and
billabongs; Paul Bangay for the scale and proportion in his
gardens and Bernard Trainor who works in California. “I love
the way his designs fit into a garden landscape,” she says.
Influential as these designers are, it is Kathleen’s
particular approach to gardening that is exciting and
thoughtful. She describes her garden as multi-purpose.
“Firstly, I love to be in the space as a home gardener
— planting, pruning and planning improvements —
and enjoying the changing seasons,” she says.
“Secondly, I really love my clients to visit so they can see
different plants — their form, foliage, flowers. They can get
a much better idea from living specimens than on the plan.” >

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 61

62 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
 GISBOR NE V ICTOR I A GARDEN
Benji waits for Niamh to cross the
billabong which is framed by mature
trees that border the garden.

“We have even seen a kangaroo hopping across the steps.

Birds, especially ducks, love it for swimming and preening.”
GARDEN GISBOR NE V ICTOR I A

Kathleen’s plant choices range from the towering vertical

Beschorneria yuccoides with bright-red flower spikes
springing from a nest of grey leaves and the yellow spires
of verbascum flowers atop silvery leaves. At ground
level, you’ll find many of the undemanding euphorbias,
verbenas and perennial grasses.
“And it’s also a family garden where the kids — Conor, 13,
Niall, 12, and Niamh, 11 — can kick a ball, jump on the
trampoline or practise their basketball,” she says.
In an important adjunct to her design work with plants,
Kathleen has also set up the garden’s water systems as
an example for her clients. It’s designed to demonstrate
water capture, retention and re-use. She and Robert have
set up impressive storages, collecting stormwater from
the house roof. They have also installed a water treatment
plant. “It helps being married to an engineer!” Kathleen
says. As a result, they have water to fill the billabong
without using precious town water.
At the further end of the garden, the billabong, inspired
by Japan trips and Phillip Johnson’s work, is landscaped with
rocks and large basalt blocks as steps across the water. “It’s
amazing how the water attracts the wildlife,” says Kathleen.
“We have even seen a kangaroo hopping across the steps.
Birds, especially ducks, love it for swimming and preening.”
Prospective clients who visit Kathleen’s garden are also
shown how to make the most of any rain that falls on their
garden. “I get them to understand the difference between
permeable surfaces such as gravel or toppings, which let
water drain into the subsoil rather than installing hard
surfaces. She also shows clients how to maximise every
square metre of garden space. In a clever example, she
created a small chook run under the trampoline.
A large herb garden near the house, all in neat boxed
beds, has recently been replicated for growing vegetables,
but is located further away from the house. “We removed
most of the trees in the old orchard and have installed
raised beds this time; we had to move the beehive and
that caused the bees a bit of dilemma. They took a while
to work out where their home had gone!” she says.
Kathleen’s design studio, installed three years ago,
sits to one side of the garden. It’s where clients’ ideas
are translated into beautiful plans on her computer
while her real-life garden continues to grow outside.
For information on Kathleen Murphy Landscape Design,
telephone 0405 250 890 or visit kmldesign.com.au

64 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE The
Murphys gather at the fire pit in
front of Kathleen’s studio. From
left, Niall, Niamh, Kathleen, Robert
and Conor; Agastache ‘Candy
Pink’; Kathleen likes to show her
clients around the garden so they
can see how plants work together
in situ. The dense and colourful
plantings around the lawn include
pink agastache and purple-
flowering verbena; the curving
deck outside Kathleen’s studio is a
great spot to relax and take stock
at the end of a day; agaves thrive in
the no-water regimen. FACING
PAGE, TOP LEFT Bronze fennel
almost obscures a garden pot.
 HOMEWARES OUT NOW
Shop the Country Style range at madraslinkonline.com.au,
or see page 136 for stockists.

66 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

A soft fabric headboard set within a
dark timber frame evokes serenity
and creates the tranquil bedroom
setting you’ve always dreamed of.
Curved edges and light, bespoke
upholstery define the Maxis extended
bed frame. Expertly crafted in
Australia using premium-quality
Warwick fabric, the Maxis can be
customised to suit you. Choose from
an array of stains and fabrics to
create a bedroom you’re sure to love.

MATTER OF BALANCE

Complement a gentle colour

palette with dark timber
furniture to bring a sense of
sophistication to the bedroom.
Pictured here is the Maxis
bedside table and Lotus
tallboy. There’s a variety of
bespoke furniture options
available at Snooze, and you
can customise a stain to suit
your bedroom décor.

NATURAL CHOICE

Style your bed with nurturing, organic tones

such as rose and mustard. Here, the Linen House
‘Haze’ quilt cover set in Maple is teamed with the
‘Cleopatra’ Euro pillowcase. Accessorise the space
with an assortment of throws and cushions to take
your bedroom’s comfort to the next level.

Visit Snooze in-store or online to find out more about the Maxis extended bed frame and accompanying furniture ranges.

REFINED
PRACTICALIT Y
Furniture in a deep-toned
timber stain is the perfect
choice for a retro-style
bedroom. The Maxis
tallboy is a great spot to
display your favourite
personal belongings.
Visit Snooze in-store or online at snooze.com.au to find out more about the Lotus bed frame and accompanying furniture ranges.
Expertly crafted in Australia, the
Lotus bed frame, exclusive to
Snooze, is the essence of modern
design with a retro twist. It features
a simple, rounded headboard and
base in Warwick ‘Chambray Storm’
fabric and a Chocolate timber stain.
The Lotus is customisable in a range
of fabric styles and timber stains, so
you can create a bed that speaks to
your personality and style.
CIRCULAR ACCENTS
Accent your bedroom
space with the circular form
of the Lotus bedside table,
which pairs beautifully with
the Lotus bed frame and the
Mayfield ‘Chet’ lamp.
 PROMOT ION

R ET RO F I T
Come home to a modern take on a
retro bedroom, where curved, expressive
bedroom furniture is teamed with
geometric patterns and playful ’70s hues.

PLAYFUL SHADES

Add a bold, refreshing jolt of

mustard and teal to freshen your
bedroom for summer. Featured
here is the Linen House ‘Nimes’
linen quilt cover set in Chai, ‘Pani’
cushion and ‘Belmore’ throw in
Teal. Complete the look with
striking geometric cushions.

“Indoor plants are firmly

back in vogue. Showcase your
plants in vintage vessels and
rattan pots to beautify your
bedroom and tie the modern-
retro look together.”
SAM AMORE, STYLIST FOR SNOOZE
 PROMOT ION

CH IL D’S PL AY
Create a bedroom that’s fresh and fun with
beautifully designed furniture, delicious colours
and accessories that are sure to get the tick of
approval from the littlest Snoozers in your family.

“Soft furnishings and

SWEET TREAT bedding in gorgeous colours
and patterns add fun to your
Make your child’s bed frame pop
with linen featuring delicious motifs child’s bedroom. They can
in gelato tones. Shown here is the
Logan & Mason Kids ‘Sprinkles Gelato’
also be very easily modified
reversible quilt-cover set. Keep as their tastes change.”
accessories sunny and fun with a
cheery yellow cushion. SAM AMORE, STYLIST FOR SNOOZE

TIMELESS TIMBER

A practical Bingo timber bedside table

coordinates beautifully with its matching bed and
ensures you’ve created a space that will be easy
to adapt as your little one grows. The Mayfield
‘Pia’ desk lamp provides the perfect accent here.
 KEEP IT TIDY

Bring order to your child’s

bedroom with a chest of
drawers to fill with clothes or
their favourite toys. Decorate it
with wooden trinkets, colourful
wall hangings or fun, decorative
pompoms to make it distinctly
theirs. Featured here is the
Bingo chest of drawers.

Play away, then fall into bed at the end of the day: the Bingo bed
frame, exclusive to Snooze, is a bedroom piece your child will
adore. The storage compartments beneath the bed look
fantastic and means kids have no excuse not to tidy away their
toys! Featuring a light-toned timber bed frame and white finish,
this bed is versatile enough to last your child right through to
adulthood. Sustainably crafted in Australia, the Bingo bed
works beautifully with all styles of bed linen. It’s customisable
in an array of upholstery and painted finishes, and available
with a trundle base – so you’re prepared for the next sleepover.

Visit Snooze in-store or online at snooze.com.au to learn more about the Bingo bed frame and the new kids’ furniture range.
 PROMOT ION

T H E PER SONA L TOUCH

For bedroom furniture that reflects your own distinctive style,
look to the customisable Lotus collection at Snooze.

Lotus bedside table and bed

frame featuring Warwick
Lotus tallboy ‘Chambray Storm’ fabric.

Lotus chest of drawers

Design your perfect space with

the Lotus furniture collection
at Snooze. Crafted in Australia, STYLE NOTES
you can choose from various
bedside, tallboy and chest 1. Bring the outdoors
furniture options to keep your in with pot plants, foliage
bedroom neat and free from and natural materials.
clutter. Each of these pieces are They will bring an instant
available in array of stains, sizes sense of summer to
and shelving styles (for added your space.
storage). For added decorative 2. Colour your bed
detailing, opt for the Lotus chest with fresh, juicy hues.
in a Chocolate stain. The Lotus The cheerier and more
bed frame is the essence of tropical, the better.
contemporary style with a retro 3. Complete your
PRODUCED BY STORY

twist and can be customised in bedroom summer styling

various stains and fabrics that with artwork and decor
suit your personal style. with retro accents.

Visit Snooze in-store and online at snooze.com.au to browse the entire Lotus bedroom furniture collection.
 COASTA L DECOR ATING
Alfie, a six-month-old border collie poodle cross, likes nothing better than heading to
the beach. CLOCKWISE, FROM DOOR Adisa string shopper, $69, from Inartisan.
Città Alice Stripe towel, $39.90, from The Panton Store (in bag). Made in Mada hat,
$79, from Folk Store. Butterfly chair, $295, with cover, $150, from Angelucci 20th
Century. Picnic set, $449, from Le Weekend. ON BASKET, FROM LEFT HK Living tray,
$89, from House of Orange. The Oviedo tumbler, $69.95 for four, from Le Weekend.
Kartio pitcher, $165, from Iittala. Lally basket, $19.95, from Aura Home. Checked
cushion cover, $49.95, from Le Weekend. Emin seagrass cushion, $199, and Rafi Peg
stool, $199, both from Inartisan. For stockist details, see page 136.

IT’S THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS AND IT’S TIME

TO RELAX — AND WHAT BETTER PLACE TO
DO IT THAN IN A BEACH HUT.
PHOTOGRAPHY LISA COHEN STYLING LEE BLAYLOCK

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 73

DECOR ATING COASTA L
FROM LEFT Emin seagrass cushion, $199, from Inartisan. HK Living rattan lounge chair, $899, from House of Orange. Saardé Loom beach towel in Earth,
$59, from Inartisan. HK Living mangowood side plate, $13.95, from House of Orange. R+D Lab x Lee Mathews Acqua water glass, $139 for two, and canvas
tie-back slides, $399, both from Lee Mathews. HK Living tray in Speckled Peach, $89, from House of Orange. Rafi Peg stool/side table, $199, from Inartisan.
ON TABLE, FROM LEFT R+D Lab x Lee Mathews Acqua water glass, $139 for two, from Lee Mathews. HK Living breakfast plates, $19.95 each, from House of
Orange. Knife, stylist’s own. HK Living mangowood side plate, $13.95, from House of Orange. Fern Ripple high-ball glass, $109.95 for four, from Make Designed
Objects. R+D Lab x Lee Mathews carafe, $209, from Lee Mathews. Linen napkin in Pencil Stripe, $50 for four, from Cultiver. Marco travertine footed bowl,
$200, from Fenton & Fenton. The Traveller tablecloth in Clay, $79.95, from Le Weekend (top). Flat sheet in Peach (used as tablecloth), $299, House of Orange.
ON DOOR Black and White Wave towel, $189, from Loom Towels. Made in Mada hat, $79, from Folk Store. ON SHELF Ro hurricane vase, $139.95, and Fern Ripple
high-ball glasses, $109.95 for four, all Make Designed Objects. R+D Lab x Lee Mathews Calice wineglasses, $205 for two, from Lee Mathews. Iria rattan tray,
$129, from Inartisan. For stockist details, see page 136.
JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 75
DECOR ATING COASTA L
HK Living breakfast plates, $19.95 each,
from House of Orange. Fern Ripple
high-ball glasses, $109.95 for four, from
Make Designed Objects. Studio bowl,
$89, from The Panton Store. Small Lally
basket with long handle, $19.95, and
Lally tote, $69.95, both from Aura Home.
FACING PAGE Blairgowrie, on Victoria’s
Mornington Peninsula, has views to Port
Phillip to the north and Bass Strait to the
south. For stockist details, see page 136.

Summer holidays mean long, lazy

days on the beach, just enjoying
the simple things in life.
JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 77
DECOR ATING COASTA L
The beautiful beach at Blairgowrie
in Victoria. ABOVE Small Lally basket
with long handle, $19.95, from Aura Home.
ABOVE RIGHT Large Lally basket, $59.95,
from Aura Home. The Oviedo tumblers,
$69.95 for four, and The Traveller throw/
sarong in Sand, $79.95, both from Le
Weekend. RIGHT Vintage palm fan, stylist’s
own. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM
TOP LEFT The Oviedo tumblers, $69.95 for
four, four-person picnic basket set, $449,
and linen picnic rug, $179.95, all from
Le Weekend. Napkin included in picnic
basket set from Le Weekend. Magic hat,
$149, from Lee Mathews. Athena Ceramic
octagonal side plate, $24.95, from House
of Orange. Rubberwood plate included with
picnic basket set. Majorca rattan cheese
knife, $23.95, Provincial Home Living.
Paddle board, stylist's own. Blue cheese
and Apple Cider and Sultana Chutney,
both from Harper & Blohm Cheese Shop.
For stockist details, see page 136.

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 79

DRINK GIN DISTILLERS
Shene Estate & Distillery’s
Myfanwy Kernke walking past
a historic stone building on the
property, at Pontville in Tasmania.
FACING PAGE Head distiller and
heritage conserver at Shene
Estate, David Kernke.

80 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

 THE RISE OF GIN
FROM TASMANIA TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA, CRAFT GIN DISTILLERS
ARE POPPING UP ALL OVER REGIONAL AUSTRALIA.
WORDS KYLIE IMESON
PHOTOGRAPHY MARK ROPER, ALISON COSKER
DRINK GIN DISTILLERS
Hartshorn Distillery is located at
Grandewe Cheeses, a 32-hectare
sheep farm in Tasmania. The gin made
here uses sheep’s whey, which is usually
discarded in the cheesemaking process.
DAVID KERNKE MAY never have started making gin if
he hadn’t unearthed several old glass bottles as part of
an extensive restoration of historic Shene Estate in
Tasmania. Found buried in tonnes of soil on the verandah
of the 1820s homestead, the bottles were sent away to be
dated. A deep green one turned out to be a Dutch case gin
bottle made in the 1850s, while a turquoise torpedo bottle
with a London address on the base was also from the 1850s.
The address on the bottle corresponded with Pitts, makers
of the first patented aerated tonic water. “The original
owner, Gamaliel Butler, had it shipped to Shene and enjoyed
it on the verandah,” explains Myfanwy Kernke, David’s
daughter and marketing manager and ambassador of Shene
Estate & Distillery. “Gin was the first product we made.
Sentiment was behind that decision.”
David is head distiller and heritage conserver at Shene
and he made the first batch of gin in 2014 when craft gin
distilling was taking off around Australia — some called
it the ‘ginaissance’. It’s hard to put an exact figure on how
many distilleries are now producing gin in Australia,
as a new label seems to pop up almost every week, but
at the time of writing there were just over 150.
Australian gins are unique, often containing indigenous
ingredients as well as juniper — a white spirit can not
be called gin unless it contains juniper — and have taken
out many international awards. For example, Shene Estate
& Distillery’s Poltergeist Gin Unfiltered has been awarded
platinum status at the San Francisco World Spirits
Competition — the only Australian gin to achieve this.
Australian gins are unique, often containing
indigenous ingredients as well as juniper.
82 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
To earn this accolade Poltergeist Gin Unfiltered had
to win double gold medals for three consecutive years,
which it did in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Myfanwy, 31, describes the Unfiltered as their “hero
product. It is Shene in a bottle. It’s a bold, unique expression
with a viscous texture.” Its signature botanical is the
indigenous Tasmanian pepperberry, which earmarks
it as undeniably from the island state.
Every bottle of Shene gin—there are two types, the
Unfiltered and another called A True Spirit — carries its
address, just like the tonic bottle found buried in layers
of soil. “Maybe one of our bottles will one day be found
on a verandah somewhere in the world — that is why we
put our address on every bottle,” explains Myfanwy.
According to 67-year-old David, whose passion for Shene
matches his ardour for gin making, there is a direct link
between the history and restoration of the estate and the
distilling process. “The art of alchemy means that I can
distill the spirit of Shene. It’s captured in a bottle and
then can be shared anywhere in the world. The story of
Shene can live on,” he explains.
Another distillery making a unique gin from its home base
just outside of Byron Bay, in northern NSW, is Cape Byron
Distillery. After meeting master distiller Jim McEwan in
2014, Eddie Brook began utilising his family’s macadamia
farm and 39 hectares of regenerated rainforest in the
creation of Brookie’s Byron Gin. “Mum and Dad invested
and planted 35,000 native rainforest trees around 30 years
ago and now the farm is teeming with life once more,” says >
CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE Kylie
Sepos working on her Autumn Dry Gin
at The Farmer’s Wife Distillery on her
property in Allworth, NSW; distiller
Ryan Hartshorn hand paints every
bottle of his sheep’s whey gin; Eddie
Brook of Cape Byron Distillery explains
the gin-making process; one of the stills
at Four Pillars in Healesville, Victoria.
 30-year-old Eddie. “Gin should showcase the landscape
and the region from where it comes, and we wanted to
craft our gin showcasing the rainforest that is unique
to the Northern Rivers. We are lucky to be able to go into
the rainforest, forage and harvest many unique native
flavours to distill straight into our gin.”
The Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin contains native raspberry,
riberry, aniseed myrtle, cinnamon myrtle and white aspen
berry, to name just a few of the 25 botanicals used. Their
take on traditional English sloe gin made with blackthorn
fruit, which they have renamed Slow Gin, is distilled
with Davidson plums, a fruit native to the subtropical
region of Byron Bay.
One of the newer gins on the market is made by Kylie
Sepos on her 154-hectare Angus beef and free-range egg
farm in Allworth, 61 kilometres north of Newcastle in NSW.
After 20 years working in the corporate world and five years
of research, the first batch of The Farmer’s Wife Autumn
Gin was bottled in September 2018.
“I love gin but going from drinking it to making it is
a big leap,” explains Kylie. “I went to Tasmania and fell
in love with artisan distilling. We did a few distillery tours
and I decided to start the business.”
For her gin, the 43-year-old wanted to source everything
as locally as possible. The still came from Tasmania after
At Cape Byron Distillery, where Brookie’s
Gin is made, you can enjoy a gin and tonic
on the deck overlooking the macadamia
orchard and regenerated rainforest.
84 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
an 18-month wait for it to be made. She uses native sage
— “it smells like the Australian bush” — lemon myrtle, anise
myrtle and pepperberry, with some botanicals grown on
the Sepos’ farm. But it is the sugarbag honey collected from
native stingless bees that gives The Farmer’s Wife Autumn
Dry Gin its signature flavour. “People ask who helped me
with the flavour profile and I can honestly say my friends. I’ve
got them to taste a lot! There has been no outside influence.
It took three years to develop the recipe,” says Kylie.
Her husband Gavin, 43, a third-generation farmer, kindly
gave up his motorbike and machinery shed to house the
still. Currently, this is where Kylie holds tastings, but they
have plans to buy another 40 hectares on which they will
build a distillery, cellar door, café and permaculture garden.
Kylie started The Farmer’s Wife to supplement income
from the family farm. It was also important to her to help
others on the land and $1 from every bottle of The Farmer’s
Wife Autumn Gin sold is donated to Rural Aid. “We
to support our farming community,” explains Kylie.
Shene Estate & Distillery, 76 Shene Road, Pontville,
Tasmania, 0432 480 250, shene.com.au
Cape Byron Distillery, 80 St Helena Road, Mcleods Shoot,
NSW, (02) 6684 7961, capebyrondistillery.com
The Farmer’s Wife Distillery, 166 Allworth Road, Allworth,
NSW, 0473 001 033, farmerswifedistillery.com.au
PHOTOGRAPHY DEMETRE MINCHEV
 GIN DISTILLERS DRINK

OTHER GIN DISTILLERS

With gin distilleries setting up all Now collaborating with distilleries MARGARET RIVER myrtle, juniper myrtle, bush mint,

over regional Australia, we looked in Sweden and Japan, and offering DISTILL IN G CO sea parsley and thryptomene.

at 10 and some of the gins they seasonal releases, its range Surrounded by peppermint trees 10581C West Swan Road, Henley

produce (below, from left): includes 12 gins. 2a Lilydale Road, in the picturesque Margaret River, Brook, WA, (08) 9296 6656,
Healesville, Victoria, (03) 5962 this distiller is crafting unique gins oldyoungs.com.au

H UR D L E CR EE K STIL L 2791, fourpillarsgin.com.au under its Giniversity label. The

Visitors are welcome at The
Stillhouse, the rustic converted farm
shed near Milawa in Victoria’s King
Valley. Here four gins are produced,
including one made using only
locally grown juniper. 216 Whorouly-
Bobinawarrah Road, Bobinawarrah,
Victoria, 0411 156 773, 0427 331 145,
hurdlecreekstill.com.au
D I ST I L L E RY B O TA N I C A
Walk through the one-hectare
Fragrant Garden, where
botanicals for the gins are grown
by herbalist and distiller Philip
Moore, to reach the tasting area
of this distillery. 25 Portsmouth
Road, Erina, NSW, (02) 4365 3968,
distillerybotanica.com
F OU R P I L L A R S
Healesville-based Four Pillars
has been awarded the 2019
International Gin Producer of
the Year at the International Wine
& Spirits Competition in London.
A P P L E WO O D
Tucked away in the Adelaide Hills,
this distillery produces limited-
release, small-batch gins, some
with a hero indigenous botanical,
such as strawbery gum, Geraldton
wax and samphire. The core gin
contains desert limes, wattleseed
and peppermint gum. 24 Victoria
Street, Gumeracha, SA, (08) 8389
1250, applewooddistillery.com.au
HARTSHORN
This small distillery 40 minutes
south of Hobart in Tasmania
produces sheep whey gin — the
first distillery in the world to do so.
Distiller Ryan Hartshorn uses the
sheep whey leftover from the
cheese his mother, Diane Rae,
makes on their 32-hectare
property. The result is a
smooth, unique gin sold.
(03) 6267 4099, 0416 289 786,
grandewe.com.au
Botanical is infused with
sandalwood, boronia, lemon
myrtle and eucalypt. Maxwell
Street (off Carters Road),
Margaret River, WA, (08) 9757
9351, distillery.com.au/giniversity
L AWR EN N Y
On the banks on the pristine
Derwent River in Tasmania is
historic Lawrenny Estate, built
in 1818. It is now home to an
artisan gin distillery producing
three gins, including Van Dieman’s
Gin, which won a gold medal
at the San Francisco World Spirits
Competition. 6485 Lyell Highway,
Ouse, Tasmania, 0438 966 020,
lawrenny.com
OL D YOUN G’S
Bottling four gins at their distillery
in WA’s Swan Valley, the Six
Seasons Gin is a tribute to the local
indigenous Noongar people and
includes native desert lime, lemon
TWENTY THIRD STREET
DIST ILLE RY
The multi-award-winning
Signature Gin is one of three gins
produced at Renmark, South
Australia, in a modernised
distillery that was originally built
by Chateau Tanunda in 1914.
They offer a range of tours
and experiences. Corner
Renmark Avenue and Twenty
Third Street, Renmark,
SA, (08) 8586 8500,
23rdstreetdistillery.com.au
N EVE R NEVE R
DIST ILLIN G CO
Three mates produce four
juniper-forward gins at their
distillery in South Australia. Their
Southern Strength Gin recently
won Best Gin of Show at the
Australian Gin Awards in Sydney,
but our favourite is the Triple
Juniper Gin. 0424 446 737,
neverneverdistilling.com.au

“Gin should showcase the landscape and the region

from where it comes...”

TO P T O NI CS T O M IX WI TH Y O U R GIN
The rise of craft gins being produced in Australia has led to the production of high-quality tonics to go with them. UK-based Fevertree was the first
to make ‘real’ tonics that contain quinine, not just quinine flavouring, in 2004. Strangelove started making tonic in 2012 in Byron Bay, NSW, before
moving their operation to Melbourne and expanding their range to include three different tonics as well as other mixers and sodas. Owned and
operated by the Folk family, Capi produce their range of mixers in Kyneton, Victoria. The Capi Native Tonic is infused with native Australian botanicals
to match many of the gins being made around the country. For more information, visit fever-tree.com, strangelove.com.au, capi.com.au
COUNTRY COOK STEV E CUMPER
game, set, match
A MUCH-LOVED CHILDHOOD
DESSERT MAKES STEVE CUMPER
GO WOBBLY AT THE KNEES.
PHOTOGRAPHY NIC GOSSAGE STYLING OLIVIA BLACKMORE
ONE OF THE first things I learned to
‘cook’ as a child was jelly. I’m not alone
here — like many Australian children
of a certain age I can still recite the
sunny Aeroplane jelly song. This jaunty
jingle still manages to prick up my ears,
the same way the lethargic mechanical
circus music favoured by Mr Whippy
sends me darting to the window for
a glimpse of the ice-cream van.
Drawn to its lurid colours, fascinated
by its wobbly constitution, one could
reasonably assume jelly was concocted
in a bubbling cauldron by a coven
of Hansel and Gretel witches to lure
children. But you’d be wrong.
Jelly has been around for a couple
of hundred years and was originally
designed for adult palates. It made
its way down to us from the high tables
of Europe, where impressive trembling
edifices were considered a symbol
of wealth due to the skill and time
they took to prepare.
In those days, jelly was also a savoury
dish. One could enjoy a scoop of jellied
grouse stock next to a spoon of
pineapple jelly at the all-you-can-eat
18th-century buffet. Think jelly and
animals should never share a plate?
It’s at this point I should advise that
gelatine — the main ingredient of
most jellies — is rendered collagen
from animal skin and bones. Too
much information? Fortunately,
non-meat-eaters can still make their
jelly — and eat it too — by using agar,
derived from seaweed.
When you start looking, jelly
is everywhere in the kitchen. For
instance, ever roasted a chook and
left the remains in the tray to cool
and notice the congealed juice at
its edges? Jelly. Or simmer some
quinces in sugar and lemon for a few
hours and find the syrup sets once cool.
Also jelly. That panna cotta you enjoyed
at a fancy restaurant? Yep, jelly.
Jelly has been layered in trifles
betwixt sponge and lurking in terrines
for quite a while now. It’s even become
quite sexy in England where Heston
Blumenthal once created an X-rated
vibrating jelly and Nigella Lawson
makes it with booze. However, this
is also the land that made jellied eels
a national dish, which are about as
sensual as a slap in the face with a cold
fish. Saying that, I recently browsed
a posh cookery shop and was amazed
at all the copper fish jelly moulds for
sale. Have I missed something? Is fish
jelly making a comeback? Cats of the
world will meow in delight!
Fish jelly aside, here I’ve created
a homage of sorts to that most famous
of desserts created in honour of Dame
Nellie Melba. I’ve paired one of
summer’s best stone fruits with
a raspberry jelly to show it’s not so
hard to make from scratch. I’ve also
used the vego-friendly agar so no-one
will chuck a wobbly about eating it!
Steve Cumper is a chef and
funnyman who lives in Tasmania and
dreams of one day owning a fleet of
holiday vans called Wicked Cumpers.
POACHED PEACHES
IN RASPBERRY JELLY
Serves 4
2 cups caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
4 peaches, halved, stone removed
1½ cups pure cream
⅓ cup icing sugar mixture
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
mint leaves and extra fresh raspberries,
to garnish
RASPBERRY JELLY
2 cups port
2 cups caster sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon agar*
4 x 125g punnets raspberries
Place 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water and
vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium
heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and
mixture comes to boil. Add peaches and
cook for 5 minutes. Remove pan from
heat and cool peaches in syrup. When
cool, use a slotted spoon to transfer
peaches to a bowl. Cover with plastic
wrap and place in refrigerator to chill.
To make jelly, place port, sugar,
lemon juice, vanilla essence and agar
in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir
until sugar dissolves and mixture comes
to boil. Add raspberries and simmer for
10 minutes or until softened. Whisk to
break up raspberries. Remove from
heat and cool.
Remove skins from peach halves and
cut into wedges. Place wedges into base
of 4 glass serving dishes. Strain cooled
jelly mixture into a large jug and gently
pour over peaches. Place in refrigerator
overnight to set.
Whip cream, icing sugar and vanilla
essence in a bowl until soft peaks form.
Serve jellies topped with cream, mint
and extra raspberries.
* Available at health food stores.
 PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY DAMIAN BENNETT STYLING LIZ KAVANAGH
FOOD PREPARATION DIXIE ELLIOTT

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 87

FROM LEFT Theo’s aunt Erzsebet,
grandfather Florian, grandmother
Maria, mother Pancsika
and father Tivadar Senior.
taste of home
A HUMBLE HUNGARIAN BEER SNACK EVOKES RICH
MEMORIES FOR A FAMILY OF NEWLY ADOPTED AUSSIES.
WORDS TRACEY PLATT PHOTOGRAPHY AND ST YLING CHINA SQUIRREL
AS A PATHOLOGIST, it was only natural that Tivadar ‘Theo’
Miko took a scientific approach to recreating one
of his Hungarian grandmother’s much-loved recipes.
He experimented with different flours, adjusted the yeast
and monitored temperatures until the texture was just right.
“In my view, a kitchen is a laboratory… it’s a mixture of
science and art,” Theo, 71, explains. “Temperature is
critical. Grandma used a traditional wood-fired oven, thus
her kitchen was warm, irrespective of the season… on cooler
days I turn up the reverse air conditioning.”
Kifli — small crescent-shaped pastries sprinkled with
caraway seeds or sometimes black cumin or poppy seeds —
are just one of many recipes from a handwritten book that
Theo, his wife, Rita, and his mother, Pancsika, brought
with them upon migrating to Australia 10 years ago.
For Theo, they are not only a delicious snack (best enjoyed
with his own home-brew), but a symbol of his hardworking
grandparents. His grandmother, Maria, was born in the
Hungarian town of Eger in 1898 and worked in a cigar
factory until marrying Florian Kocsis in 1918. Florian’s
left arm had been paralysed in WWI but this did not
affect his work ethic and he gradually built a successful
fruit and vegetable business.
88 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
Theo says Florian typically rose at 1am to start work,
except on Sundays when friends and family would often
drop by for a chat, advice or sometimes financial help.
“My grandmother always started making the kifli after
lunch when the guests arrived as they are best eaten straight
from the oven,” he says. Maria’s chicken paprika was
another family favourite, along with goulash and her
unusual stuffed chicken. “She would use a bicycle pump
to inflate the skin and put the stuffing underneath… the
skin was really crispy and delicious,” Theo says.
food preparation and recipe testing china squirrel
Florian and Maria had a son who died as an infant
and two daughters, who each had one son. “I was the
‘heir apparent’ but Lenin’s followers had different ideas,”
Theo says, alluding to a dark period when rising
communism meant the family had to relinquish their
business and share the family home with strangers.
When Florian died in 1958, Theo’s parents cared for
Maria until her own death almost 20 years later. It’s a
tradition he continues with his own mother, who, along with
Theo and Rita, became an Australian citizen two years ago
at the spritely age of 95. As a tribute to their heritage, kifli
are still the first thing served at any social athering, much
to the delight of their new Aussie friends.

CARAWAY & SALT KIFLI
Makes 24
150ml warm milk
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 x 7g sachet dry yeast
300g plain flour
1 tablespoon softened butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
extra 200g plain flour
extra 1 teaspoon caster sugar
extra 130ml warm milk
extra 1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
Combine milk and sugar in a small
bowl. Add yeast and stir until
dissolved. Set aside in a warm place
for 5–10 minutes or until yeast bubbles.
Place flour in a mixing bowl and make
a well in centre. Add butter, egg and
milk mixture and mix until dough
starts to come together. Turn dough
out onto a floured surface and knead
until smooth and elastic. Place dough
in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic
wrap, then a tea towel. Set aside
in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Using your fist, punch down centre
of dough. Add salt, extra flour, extra
sugar and extra milk. Using your hand,
mix to a soft dough. Turn dough out
onto a floured surface and knead
until smooth. Cut into 3 equal pieces.
Roll each into a smooth ball. Working
with 1 ball at a time, roll out into
a 30cm circle. Cut into 8 wedges
(triangles). Starting at widest end,
loosely roll up each triangle and
slightly bend into a crescent shape.
Carefully place onto oven trays lined
with baking paper, allowing room
for spreading. Brush kifli with extra
egg and sprinkle with combined
salt and caraway seeds. Set aside in
a warm place for 40 minutes or until
doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 180˚C. Bake kifli for
15–18 minutes, turning trays halfway
through cooking. Enjoy kifli straight
out of the oven as soon as they are cool
enough to handle. They are best eaten
on the same day they are made.
HEIR LOOM R ECIPE
SHARE YOUR FAMILY FAVOURITES
Do you have a recipe that has been
passed down through generations?
Send it to us, the story behind it and
a copy of a photograph of the relative
who passed it on. Remember to include
a telephone number. Email vcarey@
bauer-media.com.au or send a letter
to Heirloom Recipe, Country Style,
PO Box 4088, Sydney NSW, 1028.
HEIRLOOM COOKBOOK
BAKING SPECIAL
Celebration cakes
Perfect sponges
Danish honey cakes
Nanna’s biscuits
Date loaf
FAMILY RECIPES
FOR A NEW
GENERATION TO
TREASURE
For more delicious family recipes,
pick up a copy of the Country
Style Heirloom Cookbook, $12.99,
available at magshop.com.au
FLAVOURS

THREE OF A KIND
Top Australian

flavours
sommeliers’ knowledge
informed the design
of the elegant Plumm
Three Sommelier Series
BARBARA SWEENEY CASTS A LIGHT ON SMALL of ultra-fine European
BUSINESS SUCCESS AND GOURMET TREATS. crystal glasses, aimed
Follow Barbara on Instagram @foodandwords to showcase the qualities
of different wine
CHILL FACTOR If you are looking to relax in style, there’s no
cooler destination on the NSW Central Coast than Bar Botanica. varieties. Serve red in
The café, created by Dan and Julia Hughes, is an airy, plant-filled the Universal Glass and
oasis in the lush garden of craft gin distiller Distillery Botanica. fresh crisp whites and
It is this garden that serves as inspiration to chef Dan’s menu. sparkling in the White
The best way to cool off? A scoop of house-made Mr Goaty Gelato. Glass or pinot noir and
Imaginative summery flavours, such as strawberry and finger
lime, and honeycomb and lavender, will lure you back for more. chardonnay in a third
Bar Botanica, 25 Portsmouth Road, Erina, NSW. 0405 655 100, option. Twin packs,
barbotanica.com.au To learn more about the distillery, see page 80. $89.95. plumm.com

IN A PICKLE
MEET THE PRODUCERS Dillicious offers American-
style pickles made from
Steven Adey, Darling Mills Farm, Berrilee, NSW Queensland-grown Kirby
Twenty years ago, Steven Adey signed up to cucumbers and organic
Sydney’s first growers’ market in Pyrmont and Victorian apple cider.
not long after became a founding stallholder “Straight Up Garlic is the
at the Northside Produce Market in North Sydney. closest thing to the pickle
As a grower of salad leaves, he was one of the I grew up with,” says James
pioneering farmers from around Australia to join Barbour who runs the
the fledgling farmers’ market movement. In doing Mornington Peninsula
so, he’s helped forge a permanent and significant link in business with his wife Liza.
Australia’s food chain; one that provides fresh, seasonal and “Eat them straight or add
regional produce to shoppers who opt to buy direct from to a Reuben sandwich or
farmers and small food producers. “Farmers’ markets are a Bloody Mary.” $14 for 700g.
perfect for my situation,” says Steven, who grows more than dillicious.com.au
a hundred types of salad leaves, herbs, micro herbs and edible
flowers. “The farm is like a big vegetable garden, filled with
a little bit of everything, and it’s this diversity that creates a
more sustainable and ecologically sound farming landscape.”
It also has customer appeal. “The enthusiasm of our customers
PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES MORGAN, JACKIELYN POWELL

has been vital in helping us to adapt to changing tastes and

demands — plus, they’ve motivated us to try new and varied
crops,” he says. The latest is myoga, or Japanese ginger. “It’s
a fascinating plant,” Steven says. “You eat the flower bud, which WELL SEASONED
grows out from under the plant. It’s in season in a few weeks, Perk up tired tastebuds when you’re on the
from late summer into early autumn.” Using the fabulous road with Australian salts in Olsson’s Well
produce at his disposal, Steven’s son Max, a chef, makes sauces Seasoned Traveller pack. Traditional sea
(chimichurri is a favourite), dips and curry pastes, also sold at salt, mountain pepper blend and red gum
the market stall. You’ll need to arrive early though as they, like smoked salt are all included. $21.99 for
the salad greens, sell out early. darlingmillsfarm.com.au assorted set of six. olssons.com.au
MEXICAN WAVE A whirlwind tour of Mexico City courtesy of Mexico City native and travel writer
Cristina Alonso’s new book Art and Fiesta in Mexico City (Hardie Grant Travel, $29.99) is one way
to kick off new-year holiday planning. Alonso includes coverage of the best parks, churches and
spas to visit, but no doubt fellow foodies will flick straight to the taqueria and market sections.

90 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

 EAT,
DRINK,
ENJOY.
Give a great food experience with the Gourmet Traveller Gift Card.

gourmettravellergiftcard.com.au
 FULL CIRCLE
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER BROUGHT A COUPLE BACK
TO THEIR FARM WHERE THEY NOW DEMONSTRATE THEIR
HORSEMANSHIP IN AN AWARD-WINNING SHOW.
WORDS BA R BA R A SW EENEY PHOTOGRAPHY K A R A ROSENLUND

92 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

TUMBA RUMBA NSW OUR LIFE IN THE COUNTRY
Tim O’Brien riding Lyptus,
an Australian stockhorse cross
quarter horse on his farm, Boggy
Creek, on the western fringe of
the Snowy Mountains in NSW.
Jo’s daughter, Harriet, is now part of
the Boggy Creek show with Tim. RIGHT
Dogs Tommy, Ding and Butch in the
arena. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE,
FROM TOP LEFT Tools of the trade;
Jo saddling up; working cattle; Harriet
with her saddle; the entrance hall; the
couple walking through the arena.
TIM AND JO O’BRIEN live at Boggy Creek, a 200-hectare cattle
and sheep property west of Tumbarumba on the western
edge of the NSW Snowy Mountains. They first lived here
together in 1989 as 21-year-old newlyweds, but separated
after two years. “It was a lack of maturity and foolishness
that saw our marriage end,” says Jo. “It was something
that we both came to regret.”
Twenty years on they met again at a horse event. “I used
to think about Tim often, about what could have been and
what should have been,” Jo says. “To bump into him like
that and have a chance to say sorry for what had happened
was amazing.” In 2014, Jo and Tim walked up the aisle for
the second time on what would have been their 25th wedding
anniversary. “Some things are meant to be,” says Tim.
Today, like many farmers, they wear several hats. In
addition to the farm, the couple run an Angus stud, teach
horsemanship clinics and put on a horse show that taps
into Tim’s bush heritage and showcases his horsemanship.
The 53 year old has ridden all his life and worked for
many years as a stockman in the Snowy Mountains. He was
a regular on the stockman challenge circuit, reaching the
finals of the Man From Snowy River Challenge six times,
always on a different horse. “I reckon it’s the greatest
stockman competition in Australia in that you have to have
94 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
so many aspects of horsemanship, from being able to
work cattle with your horse to whip cracking,” he says.
He also spent four years as the choreographer of The
Man from Snowy River re-enactment and rode in
the Spirited: Australia’s Horse Story show in Canberra.
Joining him in the arena these days is Jo’s 15-year-old
daughter Harriet Shaw. “She’s very much a country kid,
loves animals, willing to try anything, independent
and loves helping out,” says Tim.
During the show season, which runs from September
to June every year, everyone is run ragged keeping the
property and the animals — 13 horses, six working dogs,
Ninnie and Knuckles the mules, Clayton the goat,
Apache the miniature horse, Errol the pig, and Harriet’s
dog Bindy — in peak condition. In winter, the focus shifts
towards maintaining the farm, feeding the stock and
doing training sessions for the next season of Boggy
Creek shows. “Only five of our horses perform,” says
Tim. “Our older horses live here in retirement and
we have some young ones coming up.”
Tim and Jo work together on most aspects of the
business. “We work well together and share the same
passion for life and living on the land,” says Tim.
For more information, visit boggycreekshows.com.au

JO I grew up on a cattle and sheep property
at Cudgewa in north-east Victoria. Horses
were always part of my life: we have a family
photo of Dad sitting on his horse with me
as a newborn on the front of the saddle.
I learned to ride at about four, rode for my
pony club until I was 17, and when I finished
school went to work on a thoroughbred stud.
I started nursing, but quit after a couple of
months to work as a jillaroo at a property
called Clear Springs in Holbrook in NSW.
Years later, I went back to finish my training
and worked as a nurse. My horse Misty, an
Arab quarter horse cross mare that my father
bred and broke in for me when I was 13, came
to Clear Springs with me and she was the
horse I was riding at the gymkhana in 1987
when I first met Tim. I thought his horse was
very cute, a buckskin mare named Minstrel.
He had a great smile and amazing blue eyes
— Tim, that is — and I was very impressed.
We married a couple of years later and lived
in the same house we live in today. The
convention at that time was that once you
TUMBA RUMBA NSW OUR LIFE IN THE COUNTRY
were married you had children and became
the homemaker. With my upbringing and
having worked alongside men as a jillaroo,
I felt lost, as though I didn’t belong, and I left.
After our separation I travelled around
Australia, working in shearing sheds as a
rouseabout. I remarried and had a daughter,
Harriet, who’s now 15. As fate would have
it, 20 years later, I crossed paths with Tim
again. With a lot of life experience behind
us and a second chance at love; here we are
today. Coming back to our house after all
those years away felt like coming full circle.
I really am the luckiest woman in the world
to get a second chance at love.
We work really well together. Tim is very
talented and has an amazing affinity with
horses, plus he’s a great teacher, the way
he imparts his knowledge and explains
things. He’s very well respected.
Thirty years ago as a young, newly married
couple we were struggling to make an identity.
Here we are now, running a farm and a tourism
business. It’s amazing what can happen. >
OUR LIFE IN THE COUNTRY TUMBA RUMBA NSW
Tim patting Lyptus in the stables.
FACING PAGE The essentials
for farm work are ready to go
outside the O’Brien’s home.

“Tim is very talented and has an amazing affinity with horses,

plus he’s a great teacher, the way he imparts his knowledge
and explains things. He’s very well respected.”

96 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

 CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT The
perfect spot at the end of a busy
day; work boots at the ready;
the stables and show arena;
timing is important during the
show season; Clayton the goat;
horses in the yards; Tim out on
the farm. FACING PAGE Tim
riding Diesel, Harriet is on Dixie,
an American paint horse, and
Jo is on Roxy, a palomino.

98 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

 TUMBA RUMBA NSW OUR LIFE IN THE COUNTRY
TIM I’d always wanted to farm and bought
Boggy Creek, a section of my father’s
550-hectare property Pound Creek, from
him in 2003. Before that I worked with Dad
and as a stockman for 25 years, taking cattle
in and out of the high country for Ardenside
Station, one of the largest cattle stations
in the district that dates back to the 1800s.
It’s something I did as a kid. Dad had some
mountain lease country and we used to put
the cattle up there just before Christmas
to graze over summer.
When I finished school I tossed around the
idea of becoming a vet because I’d always
loved animals. Dogs and horses are a
necessity on farms so you learn how to train
them as part of the work. But I was sick of
school and got the job at Ardenside. With
mustering, you’d be away for eight weeks,
just you, your horse and your dogs. It was
the best job I’ve ever had.
“We work well together and share the same passion
for life and living on the land.”
I was working at home when I married Jo
and had just started shearing. After we broke
up, I was pretty shattered.
I started the Boggy Creek shows after
I was asked to do a demonstration with my
horses at a tourist attraction near here. I’d
competed in King of the Ranges and the Man
from Snowy River stockman challenges for
years. These competitions really test your
horsemanship. It’s where I learnt to do tricks
and show skills with my horses — go around
in circles, change direction, pick up and carry
things, lay down, rear up... I thought it was
something I could do at Boggy Creek. The
arena was there and we had a few hay bales
for people to sit on. I had an idea of what
to do, but it was very basic. At school I was
shy, but I’ve learned to perform. It’s worked
because I talk about what I know: farming in
the high country, working dogs and horses. If
I get a laugh from the crowd, I keep that joke.
 ON THE MOVE

BARWON HEADS
CLOSE TO THE BEACH AND A PROTECTED BIRD HABITAT, NO ONE
EVER WANTS TO LEAVE THIS VICTORIAN HOLIDAY TOWN.
WORDS VIRGINIA IMHOFF PHOTOGRAPHY NIKOLE RAMSAY ILLUSTRATION DANIELLA GERMAIN

THERE ARE A NUMBER of reasons why Barwon Heads
is one of Victoria’s favourite holiday destinations. It lies
on the southern coast of the Bellarine Peninsula, where
the gentle Barwon River estuary meets the wild Bass
Strait, just 22 kilometres south-east of Geelong. It brings
together all the elements of the classic Aussie beach escape:
a shallow and sandy shoreline, a rocky bluff lookout with
views across the ocean and back into town along with
coastal walking tracks, and a justifiably popular ocean
surf break at Thirteenth Beach with a long stretch of sand.
The town also has a swag of restaurants, cafés, bakeries,
surf shops and upmarket boutiques, and four top golf
courses. There’s fertile farmland to the west and north,
plus Lake Connewarre Wildlife Reserve, an expanse of
wetland and water bird habitat that buffers Barwon Heads
from the rapidly expanding growth corridors of Geelong.
All these things — and more — make Barwon Heads ideal
for a holiday and a great place to live. This is, after all, the
town that brought the term ‘sea change’ back into everyday
parlance after the ABC TV series SeaChange was filmed
there in the late 1990s. Today, this vibrant community of
just under 4000 people enjoys a friendly, relaxed coastal
and country environment, with easy access to all the
amenities of Geelong, Victoria’s second largest city.
For Annie Orchard, 48, owner of the food, catering and
tour business comprising Annie’s Provedore and Produce
Store, Annie’s Kitchen (catering) and Annie’s Italy (small
group tours to Italy), Barwon Heads has been home to her >
 BA RWON HEA DS V ICTOR I A ON THE MOVE
Jessie and Otto Coffetti’s children
two-year-old Leo and Charlie, four,
sampling their parents’ gelato.
FACING PAGE A fishing boat at the
river mouth in Barwon Heads.

HOUSE PRICES
$980,000 for a four-bedroom, two
bathroom, two living room home near
the river. In the heart of town, often
called ‘old’ Barwon Heads, the same
money would buy a block of land.
MEDIAN RENTAL PRICE
$500 per week
MARKET WATCH
Andy Ingham, agent and auctioneer for
RT Edgar Barwon Heads, says property
in Barwon Heads is highly sought after.
Top of the market are homes in ‘old’
Barwon Heads with direct river
frontage and in the golf club precinct.
“We recently sold a property there
for just under $3.5 million, and have
a couple of blocks of land for around
$2 million. Anything in ‘old’ Barwon
Heads [between Bridge Street and
Geelong Road] is always in demand.
whether an original beach shack that
can be renovated or has potential
for development site. The cost of
entry-level homes for families moving
out of town is anything between
$800,000 and $1 million for a decent
house with a good yard for the children.
You can still get some reasonable
value at that level for families.”

Coffetti family
COFFETTI GELATO
Otto and Jessie Coffetti and their
children, son Leo and daughter
Charlie, moved to Barwon Heads in
2017. They previously lived in nearby
Anglesea, having migrated there
from Bergamo, Italy, in 2015.

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 101

 CLOCKWISE, FROM FAR LEFT
Homewares store Because of Jonny;
Charlie Coffetti carefully carries an
ice-cream cake; view from the Bluff
towards the river; the light fading
at Thirteenth Beach; a weathered
shed in Barwon Heads; delicious
looking chocolate s’mores dessert
at Annie’s Provedore and Produce
Store. FACING PAGE At the Heads
is a popular restaurant on the river.

OPPORTUNITY
According to the Australian Bureau
of Statistics, Barwon Heads residents
are mainly professionals, managers,
technicians and tradespeople.
Of these, many commute to other
areas of the Bellarine Peninsula,
Geelong, or Melbourne for work.
A growing number of people living in
Barwon Heads work from home.
A traders’ group is in development.

FAMILY FOCUS
Barwon Heads offers a playgroup,
kindergarten and primary school;
the nearest secondary school is in
Ocean Grove, a short distance away
on the east side of the Barwon River.
The public and independent schools
in Geelong and surrounding suburbs
are also readily accessible.
The almost unanimous sentiment
about Barwon Heads is that it offers
a great lifestyle for young and old.
“It’s a fantastic lifestyle for young
families and retirees, and there’s
a great community feel,” says Andy
Ingham from RT Edgar Barwon
Heads. “The football, cricket,
netball and soccer clubs are
a big part of the community,
as is the surf club.”
 BA RWON HEA DS V ICTOR I A ON THE MOVE

and her two now-adult children Laine, 23, and India, 20,
for 15 years. “It’s a fabulous place to bring up children,”
says Annie. “You often see the kids riding their bikes with
their surfboards attached to the side. There is a real element
of freedom here. Barwon Heads has a very active lifestyle.
People are always out running, especially in summer.
You’ll see people out and about very early in the morning,
whether it’s a dad getting a coffee for Mum with a pram and
a child who hasn’t gone to sleep, to the local kids that you’ve
literally seen grow up from babies and to now teenagers
— kids riding their bikes to school, or going down to the
local ice-cream shop. It has a wonderful sense of community
and that’s what is so lovely about it.”
The Coffettis — Jessie, 31, Otto, 40, and their two
children, daughter Charlie, four, and two-year-old son
Leo — are just one of the many young families who have
made Barwon Heads a home in recent years. The couple,
who moved from further down the Surf Coast two years
ago, own Barwon Heads’ popular Coffetti Gelato, an
authentic Italian handmade ice-cream and gelato bar in
the heart of town. For them, Barwon Heads is an ideal place
to live as it allows them to balance family life with operating
their business. “It’s extremely easy for a family to live
here,” says Jessie. “Especially before dinnertime, when
you’ve got that hour to kill and you can walk down
to the river, and the kids can swim, there’s the park, or
we take a picnic down to the beach. You just live outdoors
all the time, so the kids are happy. There’s a really good
community, and there are a lot of new families here.
“Working in town is quite different to living in it, and
since we opened our coffee shop a lot of mums have met
there,” she says. “The kindergarten is so lovely and I’ve
met so many people through that, then after that the kids
will all go off to the primary school together.” >
For more information about Barwon Heads,
go to visitgeelongbellarine.com.au

GETTING THERE Barwon Heads is an 80-minute drive from Melbourne via the M1 freeway to Geelong connecting
to C121. For the scenic route, drive via the Mornington Peninsula and take the car ferry at Sorrento to Queenscliff. Barwon
Heads is 17 kilometres west of Queenscliff. A frequent train service runs between Melbourne and Geelong with a regular
service by McHarry’s Buslines operating between Barwon Heads and Geelong. Avalon Airport, with interstate flights
operated by Jetstar, is 45 minutes’ drive away via the M1. Melbourne Airport is 118 kilometres or a 90-minute drive away.

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 103

Surfers at Thirteenth Beach. FACING PAGE,
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Annie Orchard,
resident and business owner; local kids, from left,
Max, Ellie, Remy, Isaiah, Tully and Jack; a beach
house; Moti owners, twin sisters Marilyn, left, and
Christine; The Barwon Heads Golf Club; Moti’s
display front; a picnic packed for the beach.
REASONS TO VISIT
ADVENTURE FLIGHT CO
Enjoy a scenic flight over the coast in
a warbird aircraft, with or without
aerobatics, from Barwon Heads Airport.
Barwon Heads Road, Connewarre, 1300
341 006, adventureflightco.com.au
BEACHES Families with young children
love the safe shallow waters and sandy
banks of the river estuary; surfers head
for Thirteenth Beach, a long break with
Surf Life Saving Club just west of
Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary and
rock pools. Take the scenic route to
Thirteenth Beach along the walking
track from the river estuary via the Bluff.
GOLF The Barwon Heads Golf Club is a
private golf course with public access to
dunes overlooking the ocean. Golf Links
Road, (03) 5255 6255, barwonheads.golf
13th Beach Golf Links has two first-class
courses, a modern clubhouse and
restaurant. 1732 Barwon Heads Road,
(03) 5254 2922, 13thbeachgolf.com
JIRRAHLINGA KOALA AND
WILDLIFE SANCTUARY The
two-hectare sanctuary cares for
injured wildlife and is home to a wide
range of native animals including emus,
koalas, kangaroos and dingoes. Taits
Road, (03) 5254 2484, jirrahlinga.com.au
SHOPPING Make a beeline for the
shops in Hitchcock Avenue, where you’ll
find boutiques, food stores, eateries,
homewares, fashion and beach gear,
plus places to stock up on staples.
EAT
ANNIE’S PROVEDORE AND
PRODUCE STORE Café, deli and
food store serving breakfast, lunch
and dinner among shelves of pantry
staples including local oils, jams
and award-winning cheeses.
2/50 Hitchcock Avenue, (03) 5254
3233, anniesprovedore.com.au
AT THE HEADS This former boatshed
eatery overlooks the ocean and the Bluff.
The menu is modern Australian with
a focus on seafood. Open for breakfast,
lunch and dinner. 1A Ewing Blyth Drive,
(03) 5254 1277, attheheads.com.au
COFFETTI GELATO A gelataria and
café where Jessie and Otto Coffetti
make Italian gelato in a range of
flavours. 49A Hitchcock Avenue, 0434
274 781, facebook.com/coffettigelato
HANOI KITCHEN Vietnamese cuisine
reflecting the owner’s childhood around
the family market stall. Open for lunch
and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday;
lunch on Sunday. 37 Hitchcock Avenue,
(03) 4202 0525, hanoikitchen.com.au
SHOP
BECAUSE OF JONNY Beautiful
homewares curated by interior stylist
Kate Webber. 49 Hitchcock Avenue, 0412
659 097, facebook.com/becauseofjonny
MOSS GROTTO Lifestyle accessories,
fashion, homewares, textiles and art.
3/53 Hitchcock Avenue, (03) 5254 2277,
facebook.com/mossgrotto
MOTI Exclusive, limited-edition clothing
made from Indian textiles, much of it
hand-loomed and block-printed. You’ll
also find bedding and nightwear made
by selected Indian designers, artisans
and collectives. Shop 3/41 Hitchcock
Avenue, 0407 804 526, moti.com.au
RIGBY’S HOMEWARES Fair Trade
wares including rugs, baskets, light
shades and furniture. 39 Hitchcock
Avenue, (03) 5254 1890, rigbys.com.au
STAY
BARWON HEADS RESORT AT 13TH
BEACH Relaxed, modern apartments
for couples, families or groups, some
with views overlooking the golf links.
36 Fourteenth Road, (03) 5254 1777,
barwonheadsresort.com.au
CERES COASTAL Luxe two-bedroom,
self-contained apartment located in
the heart of town. Hitchcock Avenue,
0409 438 881, cerescoastal.com.au
RUBY ON BARWON Two-bedroom
modern apartment with a light, airy
interior, quality linen, free wi-fi and
balcony above the stores and cafés in
Hitchcock Avenue, while being close to
the river and beach. Hitchcock Avenue,
0409 438 881, homeaway.com.au
SEAHAVEN VILLAGE Self-contained
luxury villas with outdoor living areas,
opposite parkland in the centre of
Barwon Heads. Some dog-friendly
villas. 3 Geelong Road, (03) 5254 1066,
seahavenvillage.com.au
 BA RWON HEA DS V ICTOR I A ON THE MOVE

Annie Orchard
ANNIE’S PROVEDORE AND
PRODUCE STORE, ANNIE’S
KITCHEN AND ANNIE’S ITALY
Annie has lived in Barwon
Heads for 15 years and
brought up her children
in the coastal town.

COMMUNITY
Barwon Heads Community Park is
a tranquil village green with sports
ovals, tennis courts, adventure
playground, skate park, walking and
bike tracks, barbecue and pony club
facilities. Nearby, Barwon Heads
Community Arts Garden is
a community-based permaculture
garden, art cooperative and
environmental demonstration site,
with a covered meeting space, and
cooking and storage facilities.
Barwon Heads Senior Citizens Club
offers a wide range of activities.
Along the river, Frank Ellis Reserve
is a popular spot for relaxing with
picnic areas, a playground, walking
and bike tracks and pelican viewing.
The Barwon Estuary Project
engages the community in caring
for the waterway, part of which is
the Ramsar-designated wetlands of
Lake Connewarre. barwonestuary
project.wordpress.com
The local community is proactive in
protecting the town’s character from
inappropriate development. The
Barwon Heads Association provides
a forum for community discussion
about issues and events along with
a platform for community action.
barwonheadsassociation.com

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 105

REGIONAL SHOPPING GUIDE

HEAD TO THE BUSH

JANUARY IS A POPULAR MONTH FOR A ROAD TRIP.
AS YOU PASS THROUGH RURAL TOWNS OR STAYA
FEW DAYS, TAKE THE TIME TO VISIT THESE STORES.
WOR DS ABBY PFAHL
 SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Bella Yorke Boutique
Situated on the east coast of the
Yorke Peninsula, the small town
of Ardrossan is known for its long
fishing jetty, abundance of blue
swimmer crabs and relaxed seaside
pace. In 2015, local mother and
daughter-in-law team Liz and Amy
Abell decided to open a shop to bring
their love of fashion to life. Housed in
a quaint building next to Ardrossan’s
iconic bakery, complete with ocean
views from the doorstep, Bella Yorke
Boutique has a focus on keeping
stock affordable to accommodate
its regional customer base. Today, the
shop is the perfect place to pick up
a printed sundress, pair of bright
earrings or cute fringed sandals at
a great price. Amy’s eye for colour
and fun accessories (check out her
range of on-trend headbands) means
she has a loyal following in the area,
both young and old. Visit Bella
Yorke Boutique’s website to shop
online. 33 First Street, Ardrossan,
(08) 8897 0249, bellayorke.com.au
VICTORIA
The Marigold Merchant
Greeted by a sea of dusty pink,
mustard yellow and sage green,
you’ll find hip homewares, bedding,
rattan furniture and framed prints at
The Marigold Merchant in Warragul.
But it’s the delightful collection of
baby and children’s clothes, plus
sweet pieces for the nursery, that
brings in customers. Hayley Scott
opened the shop in late 2018, as the
sister store to her fashion offering,
Dear Blackbird Boutique, a few doors
down. Hayley has a clean, crisp and
functional website that gets a work-out
from customers all over the country
(tip: it’s great for newborn presents).
Popular brands include Sage x Clare,
Kip & Co and Wandering Folk, with
PHOTOGRAPHY ANNEKÉ HILL
Merricks General Wine Store
Nestled between the rolling hills
and sparkling coastline of Victoria’s
Mornington Peninsula, this rustic
farmhouse-inspired general store
is adored by Merricks locals and
visitors. The fine selection of wine, Joanne Mussalli affectionately named
art and produce on offer is mostly Three Donkeys Home in Wamberal, NSW,
after her three children. ABOVE A range
sourced from the surrounding area. of 10 Stones ceramics. FACING PAGE
The bustling space hosts a busy Three Donkeys Home stocks homewares,
summer of events (book launches, fashion and vintage furniture.
live music nights and guest speakers),
including The Traders — a pop-up
shop inside the on-site Merricks
House Art Gallery, where an eclectic
collection of fashion, homewares,
hampers and more is curated by
store owner Samantha Baillieu
and her daughter, Georgia. Stop
in and wander the cottage gardens,
enjoy the bistro’s French-country
fare and shop Stuart Cantor’s dreamy
European summer photographs,
floaty Palm Noosa dresses, Marigold
Interiors’ treasures from Asia as
well as locally crafted jewellery by
Edenborough Evans. You can also
purchase a selection of produce and
wine online. 3460 Frankston-Flinders
Road, Merricks, (03) 5989 8088,
mgwinestore.com.au
NEW SOUTH WALES
Three Donkeys Home doors down to this busy duo’s original
Quieter than its well-known venture, Three Donkeys café, for
neighbour Terrigal, the beachside wholefoods and great coffee. 1/2 Ghersi
town of Wamberal is the perfect place Avenue, Wamberal, (02) 4309 5440,
to stop for a few hours, or even days, instagram.com/threedonkeyshome
on your way along New South Wales’
Central Coast. In any case, a visit Flots & Jets
to Three Donkeys Home is a must. “My mum had one of those!” is
Owners Joanne and Roy Mussalli a phrase heard often, and received
opened the store, affectionately named warmly, by Flots & Jets owner Megan
after their three children, a year ago. Ridgway. The shop, in Megan’s coastal
Joanne has a knack for sourcing hometown of Yamba, was originally
vintage furniture and French opened to alleviate her house of
farmhouse-style homewares with some of the interesting pieces she’d
a modern feel — their calming neutral gathered over time while raising her
tones make the shop a pleasure to five children — “items that I could

Quincy Mae, Children of the Tribe and
gorgeous French label Louise Misha
leading the children’s wear charge.
Follow @themarigoldmerchant on
Instagram for gift ideas and updates.
Shop 2, 12 Napier Street,
Warragul, (03) 5623 1386,
themarigoldmerchant.com.au
browse through. We love lush linens
by In The Sac, Meg By Design tunics
and Joanne’s stunning selection of
10 Stones ceramics. Don’t miss her
stylish range of mesh cloches over
timber boards, too — essential for our
kitchens in summer, be they country
or coastal. Post-shopping, pop three
see value in, when others couldn’t,”
she explains. Four years on, the quirky
store is a stylist’s dream. As Megan
tells us, “it’s filled with found objects,
weird collections and lots of old vintage
and retro pieces like bottles, boxes,
patterns, tins, lamps, buttons, beads
and more.” A keen recycler and true >

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 107


creative, Megan values things that
are well-crafted and made to last.
She finds joy in giving pre-loved
possessions a new chance to add
character to our homes. In store,
you’ll also find a selection of modern
treasures, such as Pony Rider textiles,
Moe Moe jewellery and gorgeous
Just Enough Beach soy candles,
hand-poured in Yamba. 3/13 Yamba
Street, Yamba, 0421 742 122,
instagram.com/flots_n_jets
TASMANIA
Coco Blue
Coco Blue in Campbell Town is located
along the Heritage Highway, the main
road connecting the north of Tasmania
to the south. “We often have tourists
come in, stretching their legs with
a coffee in hand,” says owner Jo Taylor,
“plus we get a lot of husbands looking
for ‘lost’ wives!” We can attest the
light-filled weatherboard cottage is
just the sort of place we’d love to get
lost in. Jo wryly tells us she encourages
“mooching” in store, and we know some
customers do spend more than an hour
browsing her stunning collection of
108 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT
The studio of Short St Gallery
in Broome; a historic building
houses the gallery; an Indigo
Love Collectors lamp at
Gypsy and the Bowerbird;
10 Stones ceramics at Three
Donkeys Home. FACING
PAGE, FROM LEFT In Mackay
Gypsy and the Bowerbird has
a bohemian vibe; Coco Blue
owner Jo Taylor arranges
wares in her light-filled shop.
antiques, art, homewares, women’s
fashion, babies’ clothes, lifestyle books
and men’s products — all carefully
sourced from Tasmania, mainland
Australia and beyond. Jo and her
husband Dave are wool producers, so
items made from natural fibres rate
highly for Jo. She names Bow and
Arrow, Woolbabe and Binny as some
of her best suppliers. We can’t resist
Antica Farmacista candles and locally
made Just Add Moonshine jams and
chutneys — and there’s a waitlist in
store for The Essential Onion Jam.
She says, “it’s addictive and always
sells out.” Where do we sign up?
If you’re not in the area, visit Coco
Blue’s website to shop online. 80 High
Street, Campbell Town, (03) 6381
1150, cocobluegiftware.com.au
QUEENSLAND
Fabric Society
Fabric Society is a long-held secret
among Noosa regulars. Every year,
those in the know make the 20-minute
drive from the Sunshine Coast holiday
destination to see ‘the quilt lady’, as
Diana Boden is fondly known, in her
permanent store at the Eumundi
markets. Here they shop Diana’s
exquisite range of vibrant Indian
cotton kantha bedspreads, along with
tablecloths, cushions, placemats and
more. Breathable, lightweight and
beautifully soft, the pieces are ideal
for summer. Diana’s faithful clientele
know she has an exceptional eye for
detail, quality and price, thanks to
her studies in screen-printing and
textiles. Years spent in India, China,
Mozambique, Thailand, Bali and
Singapore also mean she’s carefully
hand-picked a loyal group of fair-trade
suppliers. This season, stock up on
fresh blues and whites, teal greens and
calming grey tones. Diana’s restocked
her palm tree prints in green, pink,
blue and soft grey — “everyone loves
the palm print,” she tells us. Another
rare find? Extra-long (340cm) cotton
tablecloths for extra-long lunches and
big family barbecues. Fabric Society is
open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays
and by appointment, or buy from afar
online. Shop 216, 1–7 Napier Road,
Eumundi Square, 0416 293 205,
fabricsociety.com.au

Gypsy and the Bowerbird
When their favourite Mackay boutique
came on the market, sisters-in-law
Stephanie Hain and Claire Hammill
jumped at the opportunity to buy it.
The pair have since enriched the store
with earthy colours and bohemian
Coco Blue in Campbell Town stocks antiques,
PHOTOGRAPHY JESSICA COLEMAN, RENEE HODSKISS, SHORT ST GALLERY
art, homewares, fashion and babies’ clothes.
style, selling an eclectic mix of
vintage and modern interior pieces.
Independent brands from Australia
and New Zealand feature heavily
— think tribal pieces from Indigo
Love Collectors and Maison & Maison,
decorative tiles by Ahoy Trader and
summer essentials from The Beach
People. With five children between
them, it’s no wonder Stephanie and
Claire also stock stand-out kids’
products, such as Olli Ella’s clever
Strolleys and the Little People, Big
Dreams books by Maria Isabel Sánchez
Vegara. Look out for baskets and rugs
picked up recently on a buying trip in
Morocco — Stephanie and Claire
toured with Pip Brett from Jumbled
in Orange, NSW, and Julia Green from
Greenhouse Interiors in Victoria’s
Barwon Heads. Conveniently, Gypsy
and the Bowerbird shares space with
The Deli Nook, who are arguably the
best baristas in Mackay so you can
get your caffeine fix in store. The
ladies also have an impressive website
to browse from home. Shop 2, 139
Victoria Street, Mackay, (07) 4953
5125, gypsyandthebowerbird.com.au
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Short St Gallery
What better way to spend a summer
afternoon in Broome than to immerse
yourself in local culture. For more
than 20 years, Short St Gallery has
been specialising in contemporary art,
showcasing some of Australia’s most
collected and respected Indigenous
SHOPPING GUIDE REGIONAL
artists. Owner Emily Rohr and staff
also work with and source from
community-run art centres around
regional Australia. The public gallery,
located in the heart of Broome, holds
specialised exhibitions each month,
with this year’s calendar curated to
include newcomers and established
artists. More magic is to be found in
the gallery’s studio space at Town
Beach — a hidden stockroom or
annexe. Walk down the red dirt
path to the historic white bungalow
surrounded by palm trees, with open
louvres and a weathered front door.
Inside is described by the gallery as
“a true Kimberley treasure trove”
and it is run by friendly staff and
knowledgeable resident artists. A visit
to the gallery or studio is an amazing
way to learn about complex and diverse
Indigenous art practices. It’s easy to
see why many clients return yearly
for professional advice and, of course,
to add to their expanding collections.
7 Short Street, Broome (public
gallery); 3 Hopton Street, Broome
(studio space, by appointment only),
(08) 9192 6118, shortstgallery.com
Photographer Nicola Sevitt
pauses in a doorway while
exploring the city of Ostuni.
FACING PAGE Polignano a Mare
is a town on Italy’s southern
Adriatic coast famous for
its white pebble beaches.
 PUGLI A ITA LY HOLIDAY HUNTER

D E S T I N A T I O N
P U G L I A
PHOTOGRAPHER NICOLA SEVITT TRAVELLED TO THE
SOUTHERN ‘HEEL’ OF ITALY TO INDULGE IN ITS FOOD, FAIRYTALE
ARCHITECTURE AND COASTAL CULTURE.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY NICOLA SEV ITT

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 111

 CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT
The courtyard at Masseria
Moroseta with a stairway leading
to the rooftop; looking out beyond
the swimming pool to where the
olive groves meet the sea; one of
the bedrooms; a vintage Fiat
parked at Masseria Moroseta;
Pablo, one of Masseria
Moroseta’s resident English
bulldogs; rock walls are a feature;
exploring the streets of Ostuni.

FORMER COUNTRY STYLE staffer
Nicola Sevitt left us last year to
broaden her horizons — in a quite
literal sense. Her well-thumbed
passport is rarely packed away for long
as this talented lifestyle photographer
has already travelled to Europe, South
America, Bali, Japan and Mexico.
But for Nicola, travel is more than just
sightseeing or relaxing on a beach.
“Travelling for me is all about
soaking in everything a destination
has to offer and imagining what it
would be like to live in that particular
place,” Nicola says. “I look forward
to tasting new food, chatting to locals,
taking in the architecture, and
exploring the streets. I feel inspired
when travelling, and on return, I
always feel like I’ve learnt so much.”
This month, she takes us to Puglia
at the south-eastern tip of Italy:
WHY PUGLIA? Puglia has this rustic,
genuine charm. I gravitate towards
places that are a little less explored and
unknown and, although Puglia now
seems to be on everyone’s list, it feels
as though tourism hasn’t yet fully hit
this special part of the world. Also,
who can go past pasta, fairytale towns,
beautiful swimming holes and an
abundance of fresh seafood?
WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING
YOU DID? We picked up a Fiat at Bari
Airport and began to make our way
down to the beautiful white-washed
town of Ostuni. Initially, we were
focusing on driving on the opposite
side of the road and trying to work
out the speed limit, or lack thereof.
But we took a turn off the main road
and were suddenly surrounded by
rows and rows of olive groves and
driving in front of us was a white
vintage Fiat — it was just so ‘Italian’.
As we approached Ostuni, a sea of
white buildings up on a hill began
to appear. Finally, we arrived at our
accommodation, Masseria Moroseta,
set among five hectares of olive fields.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by
the infamous resident English
bulldogs, Beppe and Pablo.
HOW DID YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?
We spent our days eating delicious
pasta and fresh seafood, reading,
exploring the nearby towns and
seeking out the most beautiful
coastal swimming holes.
WHAT WERE YOUR FAVOURITE
MOMENTS? Some of my favourite
memories are from the stunning
town of Lecce and exploring its history
and baroque architecture. It’s so
interesting and refreshing to see the
craftsmanship of architecture that was
designed centuries and centuries ago.
I also really enjoyed exploring the
rugged coastline. In Australia we are
PUGLI A ITA LY HOLIDAY HUNTER
spoilt for choice with stunning white
sandy beaches, but I actually love the
look and feel of the rocky beaches and
inlets where you can dive straight into
the clear blue Mediterranean sea.
DID YOU FIND ANY HIDDEN GEMS
YOU WEREN’T EXPECTING? On our
last day of the trip, we discovered this
gorgeous little beach called Porto
Ghiacciolo in Monopoli, which was
situated right next to an old castle. We
spent the afternoon playing cards and
eating fresh peaches until the sun went
down. It was pretty special. In Lecce
we discovered the best bakery (Caffé
L’incontro) on the outskirts of town
that made the most delectable
pasticciotto — an Italian custard-filled
pastry that Lecce is known for. I still
dream about them!
ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR DAY TRIPS?
If you’re a ceramics lover, definitely
take the time to go to Grottaglie. Only
a 30-minute drive from Ostuni, this
quaint little town has shop after shop
full of traditional Apulian ceramicware.
For a piece of paradise, head to Grotta
della Poesia, an easy day trip from
Lecce. This picture-perfect natural pool
is ideal for a dip and a seaside picnic.
MUST-DO ACTIVITY? I would
definitely recommend doing a road
trip in Puglia, I think it’s the best
and only way to see the region. And
obviously hire a Fiat! Puglia is only
quite small, and having a car gives you
the freedom to hop from town to town
and explore whenever you feel like it.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE
MEAL? The spaghetti alle vongole
from Alba Chiara or Il Principe del
Mare Ristoro. My fiance and I still talk
about it! It had the perfect ratio of
garlic, olive oil and pasta and tasted
like the ocean. Puglia is also well known
for orecchiette pasta, which look like
little ears. We ate delicious orecchiette
at a restaurant in Ostuni situated
inside a cave (Osteria Del Tempo
Perso). Something I wish we got around
to doing was taking a cooking class
— they’re offered in most of towns. >
JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 113
HOLIDAY HUNTER PUGLI A ITA LY
Known as the Florence of the south, Lecce
is famous for its beautiful architecture.
FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP
LEFT The small cove of Cala dell’Acquaviva;
a fruit seller near Canale del Ciolo; Nicola’s
bedroom at La Signura Bio Suites in the
historical centre of Lecce; the charming
kitchen in the apartment; Tricase Porto
is a beautiful seaside village; the rustic
courtyard at Masseria Uccio in Tricase;
a cocktail bar in one of Lecce’s laneways.
DID PUGLIA LIVE UP TO YOUR
EXPECTATIONS? I had painted
a picture in my mind of what it would be
like and it turned out to be more
beautiful than I’d imagined. This part
of Italy runs at a different pace to the
north. The days are slow and long (in
the best way) and the people are relaxed
and incredibly friendly. It’s rustic,
rugged and not perfect — it’s just real.
ANY TRAVEL TIPS? Before I leave,
I jot down the names of restaurants,
towns, beaches and markets I like the
sound of and plot them on a Google
map. I also grab tips from friends
or family who have visited the
destination. But I’ve found that it’s
always best to mix this with a bit of
spontaneity. The thing I love about
travelling is experiencing and seeing
something new every day.
WHAT WILL YOU REMEMBER
MOST? Driving through olive groves
and watching the sun disappear over
the horizon. Eating copious amounts
of pasta and not feeling one bit guilty.
Getting lost in cobbled streets. Eating
pizza and drinking too many negronis
on a balmy evening as we watched the
piazza in Tricase come to life: children
played soccer, holidaying Italian
teenagers flirted on benches and their
parents sat at restaurants drinking,
eating and enjoying the night. Italians
really know how to live well.
Follow @nicolasevitt on Instagram.
PLACES TO STAY
• Masseria Moroseta, Ostuni
A big white stone farmhouse
surrounded by gardens, a large
swimming pool, and five hectares
of olive groves. With only six
rooms, Masseria Moroseta has an
intimate atmosphere and there
are various nooks and cosy spots
for you to enjoy the peace and
quiet on the property. Only a short
drive from the rugged coastline
and historic towns and villages, it
makes a great base for exploring
the area. Contrada Lamacavallo,
s/n, 72017 Ostuni BR;
masseriamoroseta.it
• Masseria Uccio, Tricase
A charming little country house
located in the hills of Tricase and
surrounded by stunning green
fields, farm land and other nearby
masserias. Run by Francesco and
his lovely wife, this B&B makes you
feel right at home. Uccio is a great
base for exploring both the east
and west coast of Puglia and the
breakfast here is not to be missed!
Via Madonna di Fatima, snc 73039
Tricase LE; masseriauccio.com
• Masseria Cimino, Fasano Our
one-night splurge! Located
near the town of Fasano, this
is a beautiful 18th-century
masseria that operates as an
upmarket hotel. The rooms are
breathtakingly romantic and the
interiors are artfully decorated.
Breakfast and dinner are included
and take place in the stunning
dining room where masses of
dried tomatoes hang from the
ceiling. Enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail
in the white-washed lobby before
sitting down to eat. Contrada
Masciola, 72010 Savelletri di
Fasano BR; masseriacimino.com >

JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 115

HOLIDAY HUNTER PUGLI A ITA LY
• Casa di Mario, Monopoli This
gorgeous multi-level apartment was
such a great find! Located in the old
town, it is only two minutes from the
ocean. If you don’t feel like leaving, take
in the views from the rooftop terrace
with a glass of red and a cheese board
paired with produce bought from the
local market. The apartment has been
carefully curated with stylish pieces the
owner has collected from his travels.
airbnb.com.au/rooms/17115546
• La Signura Bio Suites, Lecce
A bright and airy B&B located right in
the middle of town and a stroll away
from amazing bars, restaurants and
historic sites. Adjoining our room was
our own private terrace; we would keep
the wooden doors open and let the fresh
air flow in while we took an afternoon
nap. Delectable pasticciotto, croissants
and organic fruit are left on the table for
you every morning. Corte A Miali Angelo,
4, 73100 Lecce LE; lasignura.com
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
• Alba Chiara and Il Principe del Mare
Ristoro, Savelletri Both these low-key
restaurants are located at the ocean’s
edge and I couldn’t tell you which one
was better. Sip rosé and nibble on fresh
bread with balsamic and olive oil as you
wait for your meal to arrive. Sea urchin
is a local specialty, or you can’t go wrong
with the spaghetti alle vongole, mussels,
and a variety of freshly grilled octopus
and prawns. Alba Chiara, Strada
Provinciale TorreCanne, Savelletri BR.
Il Principe del Mare Ristoro, SP90, 25,
72015 Savelletri BR.
• Osteria Del Tempo Perso, Ostuni
A lovely laidback restaurant offering
traditional Apulian dishes. It is located
in a cave (request an inside table when
you book) and local ceramics are
A quiet place to work at
Masseria Moroseta.
116 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
everywhere you look. Be sure to order
the orecchiette and, if you’re a cheese
lover, try the burrata. Via Gaetano
Tanzarella Vitale, 47, 72017 Ostuni BR.
• Caffe l’incontro, Lecce An old-school,
no-frills bakery located on the outskirts
of Lecce. Go here first thing in the morning
for fresh pasticciotto. You will not regret
it! Viale della libertà, 51, 73100 Lecce LE.
• Farmacia Balboa, Tricase One of my
favourites! Located on the piazza in
Tricase, this stylish cocktail bar is the
perfect spot for an aperitivo and to
watch the world go by. If you get
peckish, head next door for a simple
yet authentic Italian pizza. Piazza
Giuseppe Pisanelli, 23, 73039 Tricase LE;
farmaciabalboabar.com
• Taverna del Porto, Tricase We loved
this quaint seaside restaurant where
the staff fully embrace the rustic,
nautical vibe by wearing striped T-shirts
and navy aprons. The seafood is
incredibly fresh and is artfully displayed
on the counter. Order the banquet and
pair it with a delicious crisp white wine.
Be sure to return another night and
head to their upstairs pizzeria for
the seafood pizza! Via Lungomare
Cristoforo Colombo, 121, 73039
Tricase Porto LE; on Instagram
@tavernadelportotricase
• Quanto Basta, Lecce This hipster
cocktail bar in Lecce had an extremely
impressive drinks menu. Sadly we didn’t
make it here but we walked by almost
every night and it was always packed
with locals! Via Paladini 17,
73100 Lecce LE.
THINGS TO DO
• Grotta della Poesia Only a short drive
from Lecce, Grotta della Poesia is a
great spot to escape for the day. Located
on the archeological site of Roca
Vecchia, this stunning natural pool
attracts tourists and locals alike. If
you’re feeling daring, the pool is deep
enough to dive in from the rock platform
above. Strada Statale San Cataldo-
Otranto, 73026 Roca Vecchia,
Melendugno LE.
• Cala dell’Acquaviva If I lived in Puglia,
you would find me at Calla dell’Acquaviva
every day in summer. Dive into the
crystal clear water of this gorgeous inlet
from the surrounding cliffs, or slightly
awkwardly tip-toe in like I did via the
pebbles that meet the shore. It’s a
20-minute drive from Tricase; bring
a good book, water and some snacks
and call it a day. Diso, Via Litoranea,
73030 Marina di Marittima LE.
• Polignano a Mare This unique town
perched atop 20-metre-high cliffs with
views of the Adriatic sea is not to be
missed. The crowds here feel slightly
more touristy, but you can’t go past the
azure water and surrounding dramatic
architecture. Spend some time walking
around the town, try a gelato and look
for the balcony that provides a stunning
view of the beach below.
• Canale del Ciolo A picturesque rocky
cove we came across while driving from
Tricase to Santa Maria di Leuca. The
high cliffs make it another great spot
for dare-devil divers and look out for a
lovely old Italian man selling fruit. We
picked up some delicious peaches and
summer fruit for the rest of our journey.
73034 Gagliano del Capo, Lecce LE.
• Grottaglie If you’ve come to Puglia
to buy ceramics, a visit to Grottaglie is
a must. This town is full of little stores
displaying work by various artists from
around the region (you may even meet
some of them). Make sure you’ve left
enough room in your suitcase, as you’ll
find it hard to resist temptation.
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Stay
at Masseria Cimino, an 18th century
farmhouse on the edge of San Domenico
golf course; cacti in the garden at
Masseria Cimino; dried tomatoes hanging
from the dining room ceiling; the facade
of the original farm house building; cacti
leaves hanging on the reception area’s
walls; the fishing town of Polignano a
Mare; breakfast and dinner are included
at Masseria Cimino; a local in his vintage
car on the west coast of Puglia.
FASHION
Harriet Birrell enjoys an afternoon walk
along Front Beach in Point Lonsdale with
Fred, a koolie border collie cross, near her
home on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula.

118 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

FOR COOKBOOK AUTHOR AND RETAILER HARRIET BIRRELL,
HER PASSION FOR NATURE DICTATES HER FASHION CHOICES.
WORDS VIRGINIA IMHOFF PHOTOGRAPHY NIKOLE RAMSAY
FASHION
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP Harriet and
Fred. Hat, linen shorts and shirt from
Natural Harry; a simple arrangement
of crystals, Billy Buttons in vintage vases
and Harriet’s jewellery box; firewood
stacked in the garden.

HARRIET BIRRELL
C O O K B O O K A U T H O R A N D R E TA I L E R , 3 2

For the owner of Natural Harry, sustainability

is at the heart of all of her endeavours as well as
her personal style.
How would you describe your style?
Down-to-earth; no fuss; no make-up; natural.
Are you interested in fashion? I have always
been interested in fashion — my earliest memories
all involve clothes and sewing. I even made my
own teddies and dolls when I was a child.
Who are your style influences? Anyone who
radiates ease and grace in their clothing choices.
What’s the best style advice you’ve ever received?
Find colours that suit your complexion and don’t
slavishly follow trends. Buy according to personal
taste, in colours that flatter, and you won’t go wrong.
What are your wardrobe essentials? Travel wrap
dress, rope sandals, hat, and Blundstones.
What are your favourite clothing labels?
Spell & The Gypsy Collective, Rowie and
Andean Collective. I love op shops too.
Where do you shop for clothing and accessories?
Op shops, vintage shops, second-hand shops and
my store, Natural Harry!
Do you have any favourite accessories?
My dad’s old Akubra and a ceramic travel mug.
What are your go-to hair and beauty products?
I make my own shampoo and rinse with apple cider
vinegar (recipes coming in book three!). I make my
own ‘beauty’ products but keep it minimal and
simple; I use very little make-up. For my body
routine, the best thing I do is fill my plate with
plant-based wholefoods and drink lots of water.
Do you have a favourite perfume? I make my own
perfume too. Essential oils make the best perfume!
What do you never leave home without? Water,
my dog Fred, bathers and a towel — you never know
when you might want a swim!
What are you reading? The Yoga of Eating by
Charles Eisenstein, Bewildered by Laura Waters and
Ancient Wisdom for Modern Health by Mark Bunn.
What are you listening to? Bobby Alu, Alana
Wilkinson, Shakey Graves, and all the oldies.
As for podcasts, I’m really into Deliciously Ella,
Ted Radio Hour and How I Built This.
What are you watching? The Game Changers
on Netflix, it’s about plant-based eating.
What do you love about country Australia?
Everything! I grew up in regional Australia and
it’s where I feel most at home. I love the little country
towns and the quietness. But the enviro t
— coast and bush — is the real treasure.
For more information, visit naturalharry.com.au

120 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP
LEFT Harriet keeps her
beauty regimen simple
with homemade products.
Her recipes are available
at naturalharry.com.au;
Harriet feels at peace
when connected to the
outdoors; the kitchen
is where Harriet tests
all her recipes for her
books; Fred makes himself
comfortable. For stockist
details, see page 136.
 “I love everything about
country Australia. It’s where
I grew up and where I feel
most at home.”
 FASHION
Harriet and Fred going in for a swim.
FACING PAGE Harriet has her towel and
swimmers in her bag at all times in case
she wants to take a dip in the ocean.

1 2

salt of the earth

HARRIET’S PICKS ARE NATURALLY
BEAUTIFUL WITH A BEACHY FEEL.
PRODUCED BY ANN DO

1 Andy fedora in Oak, $149, from Natural Harry. 2 Woven straw shopping bag,
$115.14, from Sustainable Products. 3 Large travel cup, $55, from Clay by Tina.
4 Seashell gown, $329, from Spell & the Gypsy Collective. 5 Style 659 work boots 12
in Brown Thoroughbred, $159, from Blundstone. 6 Line top in White, $219, from
Kowtow Australia. 7 Hemp and silk Studio shorts, $165, from Good Studios.
8 Wellness essential oil roller, $30, from Courtney + Babes. 9 Sila bralette, $39.95,
and high-waisted bottoms, $27.95, from Bimby + Roy. 10 Body Love body oil,
$39.95, from Natural Harry. 11 Natural Harry and Whole (Hardie Grant) cookbooks
by Harriet Birrell, $49.95, from Natural Harry. 12 Mountain Momma sandals in
Camel, $80, from Nomadic State of Mind. For stockist details, see page 136.

5 10
0

9
6

11

JANUARY 2020 COUNTRY ST Y LE 123

HEALTH AND BEAUTY
THE BROW EVOLUTION
FORGET ABOUT EYELASHES, BROWS ARE THE NEW FOCUS
OF THE MAKEUP WORLD. JULIETTE WINTER EXPLAINS HOW
TO TRAIN YOUR ARCHES TO BE BANG ON-TREND.
JUST LIKE FASHION trends, brows have
always had their own distinct look. In
the era of big hair and shoulder pads,
it was Brooke Shields’s thick and
natural; along came the ’90s and we
religiously plucked them into skinny,
almost non-existent lines. When the
noughties hit, we switched to strong
and powerful, a brow movement the
Insta-generation have since embraced.
“Brows are the most transformational
feature on the face,” says Hannah
Mutze, national brow artist at Benefit
Cosmetics Australia. “The ’90s taught
us not to experiment with brow trends
that call for excessive hair removal.
This is one trend I can safely say is in
the past.” The evidence of past beauty
blunders often still remains, while
bold, bushy brows catapulted the likes
of Cara Delevingne to global modelling
fame, generations of women with
over-plucked arches spent the
last decade testing out all manner
of pencils, putties, powders and even
tattoo needles to try to bulk up their
still-sparse brows.
All this fuss about brows isn’t just
driven solely by the ebb and flow of
beauty fashions though — they can,
in all honesty, dramatically change
your entire look. “When shaped
correctly, the lines and angle of your
brows can make the face appear more
balanced, and the eye area look more
open and awake,” says Hannah.
“They can lift and contour our other
facial features, taking years off in the
process.” Of course, that means they
can also do the reverse — add on years,
that is — so it’s best to leave shaping
to a brow pro and just learn the tricks
for daily fine-tuning.
Exactly how you fix or fill them
will largely depend on, you guessed
it, current brow trends. This year,
124 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
it’s all about creating texture — fluffy,
natural and shiny — and playing with
shadows and highlights. We’ll get to
specifics in a moment.
“There’s a big shift away from the
Instagram brow right now,” says
Amy Jean Linnehan, the founder of
the Amy Jean Brow Agency, who has
carved out a successful international
career sculpting the brows of local
and international celebrities. “Fluffy
brows are still very on-trend in 2020.
Keeping the centre of the brows soft,
rather than dark, always looks more
natural. I would suggest filling in the
“When shaped correctly,
the lines and angle of
your brows can make
the face appear more
balanced, and the eye
area appear more open.”
gaps and correcting the shape with
a fine pencil, then using a powder or
3D brow gel to create a textured effect.”
There are several variations on the
natural toned-down brow this year,
the easiest of which is the dewy brow.
“This look is about creating healthy,
textural and radiant brows,” says
Hannah. “The most wearable take
on dewy brows is simply setting your
brows with clear gel — not only does
the gel work like hairspray to set
brow hairs in place, it also adds
a subtle glossy sheen.”
The direction you brush on the gel
can make a difference, too. For the
past few seasons, brushing brows up
has been the most popular technique,
but things are shifting. “Windswept
brows are now the epitome of that
effortless look so many of us covet,”
says Hannah. “It’s a wearable take
on brushed up, feathered brows
and is as simple as brushing the
hairs with brow gel on a slight angle
towards the temple.”
If your hair is a little lighter in
summer (naturally, or otherwise),
Amy Jean recommends giving your
brows the same treatment by using
a light-coloured, tinted brow gel to
create natural-looking highlights.
“Or, if you’re really artistic, you could
try using brow powder to create an
on-trend ombre effect,” she says.
“It’s all about creating depth. Fill in
brows along the base, arch and tail with
a deeper colour, then use a lighter
colour through the centre of the brow
and no colour at all along the top and
where the brows start. Use light,
feathery motions and blend really
well with a spoolie to make this
ombre effect look seamless.”
While trends will come and go,
there are a few brow rules that never
go out of fashion: keeping them on the
thicker side is always more youthful;
using a product that matches the colour
of your brow hair will look the most PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE STYLING ASHLEY PRATT
natural; maintaining definition and
fullness is easiest with a regular brow
tint — we recommend henna brow
treatments, which is kinder to sensitive
skin and lasts longer than traditional
tints; and shaping is always a job best
left for an expert.
If ever you are tempted to tweeze
between appointments, remember
this advice: “Brows have the capacity
to make or break your face,” says Amy
Jean. “If they don’t harmonise with
your face shape and nose, and the
colour of your hair and eyes, your
brows can seriously age you.”
 1
3
7
JUST BROWSING
Create beautiful brows with a few fabulous products.
1. Renowned for mastering natural beauty looks, this
Bobbi Brown Brow Kit ($75) contains two gorgeous brow
shades to define your brows and comes in a cute compact.
2. These handy Amy Jean Privée Collection Two-in-One
Tweezers ($35) have both a straight tip and slanted end.
3. Brush your brows upwards with the Charlotte Tilbury
Legendary Brows ($39) micro-fine brush and the tinted
gel will thicken, tint and hold your brows perfectly in place.
4. A highlighter for your brows, Benefit High Brow ($38) is
a creamy luminating pencil in a flattering pink shade that
you blend along your brow bone to lift and open your eyes.
5. In a perfectly portable compact, Natio Brow Kit ($19.95)
has two brow powders (so you can customise your own colour),
4
6
brow wax to keep your brows in place, two brushes and
tweezers so you can tend to your arches wherever you are.
6. Fill in your brows like a pro with Amy Jean Privée Collection
Micro Stroke Pencil ($42). It’s available in six shades with
a very fine pencil end, so you can create life-like hair.
7. This clear Mecca Max Brow Guru Clear Control Gel ($16)
keeps your brows in line, adds volume and a glossy finish.
8. Banish skinny or sparse brows with Benefit Gimme Brow+
($43) that combines a tinted gel with tiny microfibres that
grab onto your hair to build volume and texture.
9. A multitasking brow pen, this Elizabeth Arden Beautiful
Color Brow Perfector ($40) has all the brow styling
essentials including a 1.5mm micro-tip pencil for creating
super-fine hairs, a powder applicator and a spoolie brush for
blending the ultimate brow. For stockist details, see page 136.
 OUT AND ABOUT
A PIONEERING OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAM HAS GIVEN THESE
QUEENSLAND STUDENTS A TASTE OF RURAL WORKING LIFE.
WORDS CLAIRE MACTAGGART PHOTOGRAPHY PIP W ILLI A MS

126 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

 SCHOOLS
Ella Cornish, a student in the
Ironbark program at St Peters
Lutheran College in Queensland.
FACING PAGE Students have
activities each morning and
afternoon, such as milking
the cows and feeding the other
livestock on the property.
SCHOOLS
Ironbark is set on 600 hectares on the Darling
Downs. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP LEFT The school promotes physical and
personal development; Sarah Lockhart and Ella
Cornish cradling lambs; bringing the cows in;
Matthew Sullivan, director of Ironbark, with
Cherise Marks, Mihir Sud and Yasmin Duarte.
FOR MANY STUDENTS of St Peters Lutheran College in
Brisbane, the compulsory five-week stay at the school’s
600-hectare farm north of Crows Nest in Queensland’s
Darling Downs is their first opportunity to ride a horse,
collect eggs or witness the birth of a lamb. Each day,
the students work in groups to complete farm jobs and
milking the five cows — Pearl, Lily, Daisy, Poppy and
Ruby — is always a rewarding experience.
Matthew Sullivan, 42, is the director of Ironbark and
oversees the program that introduces students to farm life.
“There’s always the satisfaction of seeing milk in the bucket.
Some kids really thrive and some are quite apprehensive
because they haven’t been around large animals. The
biggest thing is their growth in confidence,” he says.
Each Year Nine student participates in the pioneering
Ironbark program where day students and boarders learn
about the mixed farm and develop their skills with outdoor
adventure activities such as orienteering, hiking, camping,
horseriding and high ropes. It’s a break away from
technology and their formal curriculum that allows them
to grow in self confidence, character, strength and resilience
in a natural environment.
Day student Cherise Marks, 15, enjoyed helping in the
dairy during her time at the farm in 2019. “This particular
farm job helped me appreciate the food that is put on my
table,” she says. “Being at Ironbark taught me to better
appreciate the little things in life and show more gratitude.
I surprised myself with my ability to be able to complete tasks
that I previously thought I wouldn’t be able to do, for example
the four-day hike and Jacob’s Ladder heights activity.”
For Matthew, who grew up on a beef cattle property at
Jandowae, near Dalby, his role allows him to share the
lifestyle he grew up with, with students from the city.
“Being at Ironbark taught me to better appreciate the
little things in life and show more gratitude.”
128 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
“I think that’s very important because a lot of families
now don’t have a connection to a farm. It’s also seeing the
kids really grow across the five weeks and achieve things
that they didn’t think they could do through perseverance
and a bit of resilience. When they walk out of here, there’s
that real sense of achievement and being willing to tackle
new challenges. That’s the rewarding part for us,” Matthew
says, who manages 50 to 60 students at a time, as well as
20 staff that assist with catering, farm management and
outdoor adventure instruction.
The Ironbark St Peters Outdoor Education Centre
property has a range of horseriding, running and hiking
trails along with the working farm, which has a dairy,
piggery, beef cattle, horses and chickens.
“The kids are involved in activities that help them
understand more about their character essentially.
There’s a range of challenges they’re going to work
through — physical challenges, working in groups and
living in the dormitory,” he adds.
Students have rostered activities both in the morning
and afternoon such as collecting eggs from 60 ISA Brown
hens, feeding and caring for livestock, tending the
vegetable garden, cleaning the dormitory or chopping
firewood. They also help prepare meals and experience
the full paddock-to-plate approach with eggs, vegetables,
milk and meat grown on the farm.
Fifteen-year-old day student Oliver Pesce from Brisbane
appreciated the different lifestyle during his stay.
“Personally, I liked the general work and maintenance
around the farm. I really liked that you could get closer
with the farm staff and listen to their stories. They live
a very different life from ours and I love connecting
with them,” he says. >
SCHOOLS
There is a horseriding arena
at Ironbark where students learn
the basics of riding and horse
behaviour. Later in the program,
they can choose to do a horseriding
elective and join trail rides.
The Ironbark program has provided many defining
memories for students over the past four decades as
they transition to early adulthood, since the initial
32 hectares was gifted to the college.
“All of these experiences are set up in a way for the kids
to see how they respond to the different activities and
opportunities. There’s a lot of personal reflection that takes
place throughout so they can identify their strengths, but
also to do things that they struggle with,” Matthew says.
Another aspect is the development of social maturity
as students overcome the challenges of working and living
together and being away from home for an extended period.
During their time at the property, students also have eight
nights camping and a four-day hiking expedition.
Fourteen-year-old boarder Terri Zhu from Shanghai,
China, welcomed the opportunity to participate. “I have
learnt a lot. Not only did I improve myself but I also learnt
how to deal with interpersonal relationships better. In
life, there will always be times when we need to ask for
help from others and times when we need to help others.
It’s important to try your best no matter what,” she says.
Terri’s favourite part was the 24-hour solo activity
in the last week, by which time students have the skills,
confidence and self-belief to camp alone on the property.
The unique Ironbark program allows participants to apply
their personal development to future situations in life.
For more information, visit stpeters.qld.edu.au
130 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS
IRONBARK, ST PETERS LUTHERAN COLLEGE
This Prep to Year 12 co-educational school has two distinct
schools — St Peters Indooroopilly and St Peters Springfield
— and offers a holistic approach to learning. St Peters
Indooroopilly campus is set on 21 hectares with boarding
from Year Six onwards. The Ironbark program offers an
expansive outdoor education experience which enhances
personal growth. (07) 3377 6222; stpeters.qld.edu.au
TIMBERTOP, GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Geelong Grammar School’s innovative Timbertop campus, set
on 325 hectares of bush and farming land, combines academic
and outdoor education programs for Year Nine co-educational
students to build confidence, resilience and life skills. (03) 5733
6777; ggs.vic.edu.au/School/Campuses/timbertop
GLENGARRY, THE SCOTS COLLEGE
Glengarry is a six-month residential experience in NSW’s
Kangaroo Valley for Year Nine students of The Scots College,
with experiential learning in a natural environment.
(02) 9391 7600; tsc.nsw.edu.au/glengarry
MLC MARSHMEAD, METHODIST LADIES’ COLLEGE
The non-compulsory eight-week program MLC Marshmead
centres on the concepts of personal, community and
environmental sustainability where students gain personal
development and life skills. (03) 9274 6333; mlc.vic.edu.au/
Why-MLC/Campus-Facilities/MLC-Marshmead

MUSEUM PIECES
THIS MONTH JOHN MCPHEE TURNS HIS
ATTENTION TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY
OF VICTORIA’S EXHIBITION OF MURANO
GLASS FROM THE EARLY 1800s.
NEARLY EVERY AUSTRALIAN tourist in Venice pays a visit
to the island of Murano and marvels at the products of the
glassmaking studios established there in the 15th century.
Liquid Light: 500 years of Venetian Glass, an exhibition
at the National Gallery of Victoria, presents glass pieces
from Venice and other countries that were inspired by
techniques and forms developed by the Murano
glassmakers. The earliest examples date from the 16th
century, but the purchase of a large number of pieces by
the gallery from the Melbourne International Exhibition
of 1880-81 dominates the exhibition. The flutes, jars,
bowls and objects were often inspired by Renaissance
objects but the love of fanciful decoration and a desire
to show off their skills led the glassmakers to create some
of the most delightful creations of the 19th century.
The ruby glass (below) is one of those purchased by the
gallery in 1881. Its exaggerated flute is supported by a
highly decorated stem in the form of a golden lover’s knot
embellished with clear glass wings. Made to be looked
at and admired, works such as this flute demonstrate
the extraordinary skills of Venetian glassmakers.
In the 16th century Muranese glassmakers immigrated
and established workshops in France, England, the
Netherlands and Germany, and the Venetian industry
declined. However, in the 19th century resulted in
the modern glass workshops of today. In the early
20th century glassworkers began to produce modern
items and Italian Art Deco glass is highly prized by
collectors. The great revival of modern glass that
occurred in the 1980s with Ettore Sottass designing
postmodern objects for the Memphis Group showed
the way for Italian glass. In America, Richard
Marquis brought a playful hippy style to
glassmaking, and on visits to Australia
taught young Australian glassmakers
such as the South Australian Nick
Mount, whose whimsical creations
are great fun. The exhibition concludes
with work by Dale Chihuly, a glass
artist whose skill and vision has its
origins in Venice.
Liquid Light: 500 years of Venetian
Glass, until 12 July 2020. National
Gallery of Victoria, 180 St Kilda Road,
Melbourne, Victoria, (03) 8620 2222,
ngv.vic.gov.au
The glass flute (right) was made by the Venice
and Murano Glass and Mosaic Company, circa
1880. Purchased in 1881, it is now on display at
the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
COLLECTABLES
$50
$30
COLLECTABLES
VASES WHICH BELONGED TO A READERS’
GREAT-GRANDMOTHER ARE EVALUATED.
I INHERITED A VASE (above left), approximately
50 centimetres high, from my grandmother, which
I understand was passed to her from her mother, my
great-grandmother. The front features a painted scene
and embossed scroll work. The back is simpler, decorated
only with a painted rose. We know nothing about it except
that it appears to be Japanese from the markings on the
base and the style of the scene painted on the front. It has
no chips or cracks and the paintwork is still very good.
I have a second pair of vases (above right), which my mother
bought approximately 55 years ago from an antique store,
just because she liked them. They also have ‘Made in Japan’
on the base. Any information you are able to give me
regarding these vases would be most appreciated.
Kathryn Hede, Merimbula, NSW
These three Japanese vases were made early in the
20th century. The single vase, perhaps originally one of
a pair, has more elaborate painted decoration depicting
a Japanese house in a landscape with pink iris in the
foreground. The decoration seems more aimed to please
a foreign market. The pair of vases featuring windmills
were obviously made for the European market.
In the early 20th century, Japan was trying to modernise
its ceramics industry by making goods for the European
and US markets. Cheap ceramics were exported in vast
quantities. Most, like the landscape vase, have a simple
mark in Japanese script, but from 1915 onwards, export
wares were marked ‘Made in Japan’ to meet US import
regulations. The pair of vases were probably made in
the 1920s or ’30s. They are interesting survivors.
John McPhee is an art historian who has worke n art
museums for 30 years and was curator of Australian
Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Australia.
If you have a precious (or simply mysterious) object that puzzles you,
send your inquiry, along with a colour print or high-resolution digital
image, your suburb or town, and your daytime telephone number,
to austcountrystyle@bauer-media.com.au. The photographs must
be clear and show the whole object against a white background.
Photographs will not be returned, even if they are not published.
JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 131
 BOOK CLUB
AS THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS BEGIN, THE HAMMOCK AND A FEW GOOD BOOKS BECKON.
REVIEWS ANNABEL LAWSON
ONE: LIVING AS ONE
AND LOVING IT
Victoria Alexander,
Murdoch Books, $59.99
Yes. Yes. Yes. Living solo isn’t selfish.
It’s often the kindest thing you can do
to the planet. Alexander was a fashion
editor at Vogue Australia so she’s
certainly not a solitary eccentric
riding a hobby horse. She’s been ‘six’,
‘five’ ‘four’ ‘three’ and ‘two’ before
‘one’. Let your first encounter with
this glorious volume be pictures only.
Ideas. Possibilities. Then start digging
into the wisdom. We firstborns know
the trauma of a usurper butting into
our world but at least we had that
cherished own-zone for a while. Are
you at all surprised that 21 of the
first 23 astronauts were firstborns
and the other two had no siblings?
Subconsciously or consciously,
ones travel beyond the humdrum.
Alexander doesn’t give any captions,
just the photographer credits.
We’ll never know the who or why
of the bareback huntress in what
looks like Nepal. My favourite
photograph is the supine Berber
enjoying an unhurried cigarette cheek
by jowl with his prone camel. It’s a
manifesto which ‘twos’ and ‘threes’
and, so help me, ‘tens’ can enjoy. And
when ‘two’ must become ‘one’ some
consolation is right here.
THE CHICKEN LIFE
Fiona Scott-Norman, Plum, $32.99
I suspect this is going to be one of
those peculiarly Australian wheezes
that will propagate around the world.
Soon we will have similar publications
parading hen fans in Mexico, Moldova
and even in the smoky backlots of the
technopolis Shenzhen. Scott-Norman
finds hen love in aged care facilities
and in a dialysis centre in Alice
Springs. A pagan burlesque goddess
132 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
used chickens to ward off depression
but then a fox got her five lovelies and
depression is succeeded by grief. At the
back, there’s a glossary and a warning
against rearing ducks and chickens
together (don’t ask). Miranda Boulton
has designed a rehab chair to help
injured birds to recover with dignity.
She’s being pestered by an American
organisation, which sounds as though
it does palliative care for chickens.
The paper, which is beautifully thick
and matte, shows off the images
to perfection. A treat.
THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST
LOOKS LIKE
Emily Maguire,
National Library of Australia, $29.99
Maguire presents the heroines
of Australian emancipation and
empowerment of females, many of
them unfamiliar. Antipodean women
got the vote ahead of Britain thanks
to campaigning feminists, who were
cruelly mocked. It was every bit as bad
as present-day trolling. In fact, it would
be useful to dig up flickering footage of
Adela Pankhurst (1914) and Millicent
Preston-Stanley (1925) to see how they
crushed hecklers. Men —and women,
too — in vast numbers were not merely
unsympathetic to the cause but vicious.
In recent times, the bullies should
know better but they don’t, viz. Julia
Gillard. Surprisingly, Maguire does
not mention Julie Bishop, trapdoored
at the vote for PM.
WOMERAH LANE
Tom Carment, Giramondo, $39.95
Most families have a member or two
who, like Carment, resolutely do their
own thing, heedless of good advice
and norms. He’s a plein air artist and
travels the length and breadth of
Australia with crayons, paints and
brushes. We’ve seen plenty of carefully
honed documentaries with scores
of names in the credits. However,
Carment’s solo work confronts a
moment or an hour, occasionally
longer. He meets people and they talk
to him unscripted. This is as
transparent a picture of Australia
during the last 30 years as you’re likely
to find anywhere. Carment established
his family in Darlinghurst where gangs
held sway. Today, there are terrace
houses, which cost as much as an
atelier in Paris. The gangs linger.
The painting of St Vincent’s hospital
at night is structurally just rows
of lighted windows and yet somehow
the life and death tensions within grab
you. How does he do that? The perfect
book to place next to a guest’s bed.
BIRD BONDS: SEX, MATE
CHOICE AND COGNITION IN
AUSTRALIAN NATIVE BIRDS
Gisela Kaplan,
Pan Macmillan, $34.99
Kaplan bewilders and enchants
in equal measure. Start with two
chapters: The ‘heartache’ of finding
a partner and Parenthood, spoilt
offspring and life-history rewards.
Then go on to the other chapters,
which are like two years of academic
ornithology packed into an entrancing
narrative. She shows that much of PHOTOGRAPHY ABBIE MELLE STYLING ASHLEY PRATT
what we assume about Australian bird
behaviour is either wrong or not quite
right. Until recently, it was believed
that the species we have here are
versions of what travelled down to us
from the north. It was the other way
round. Australia is a cradle of the
avian genome. You probably thought,
as I did, that the miraculous
performances of birds in migration,
construction, song, courting rituals
and parenting were all hard-wired.
Recent studies have shown that for
many species and in much of their
behaviour there are cognitive

and social elements shaping and
innovating. As only three per cent
of male birds have a penis, mating
takes many forms. The crested
grebe’s acrobatic courting dance with
clawshake and accompanying music
and rhythm couldn’t be more different
from the whistling kite’s swoop and
move on. Kaplan claims that despite
the millions of years of evolutionary
distance between us and birds they
were in some ways a prequel to the
human species and our unique
success at communication.
JUST KIDS
Patti Smith, Bloomsbury, $59.99
I nearly skipped over this one because
we reviewed an earlier version of it
almost a decade ago. However, these
memories and encounters are now
counterpointed with Smith’s drawings
and the photographs of Robert
Mapplethorpe. When they met she
was sleeping in ‘door wells, subway
cars even a graveyard’. For a while they
lived together. When wealthy Sam
Wagstaff donated a loft in downtown
Manhattan to Mapplethorpe one
episode of the Mapplethorpe-Smith
adventure was over but she would
always be able to crash there. She
survives. He did not. This is
mandatory reading for those too
young to remember her music and
her rebellion. And for those who
maybe have forgotten. It maps the
glory of freedom and the cost.
TARGETED
Brittany Kaiser, HarperCollins, $32.99
No one’s too old to feel a wistful
‘what might have been’ when a young
talented woman has the chutzpah to
pitch to a man who believes he has
no paragon in the whole wide world.
This is the true story of Brittany
Kaiser, the man who bedazzled her
— Alexander Nix — and their roles in
‘a one-stop shop for election swaying’
by Cambridge Analytica, the data
manipulation laboratory in the UK.
Lumbering governments are, as
we speak, trying to halt Artificial
Intelligence’s kaleidoscopic responses
to Facebook and the harvesting of
details which make your behaviour
known and therefore — yes —
directable. But the genie is out of
the bottle. Legislation will always
be a long way behind the likes of
Cambridge Analytica. It used and,
under a different name, still uses Big
Data to analyse individual internet
users and recalibrate their behaviour
to deliver votes for a paymaster:
American campaign directors,
Nigerian princes, Middle Eastern
BOOKS
potentates, the power hungry in the
Caribbean, Indonesia and Mexico. Note
that even the remotest connection with
Russia was a no-no for Nix and yet it
was okay to be in cahoots with Hong
Kong. Hmm. Brexit was a client
although Nix’s work for them was free.
Kaiser needed money to help her
parents out of a crisis. She’s sorry she
ever clapped eyes on Nix, the Dungeon
Master at SCL and then CEO at
Cambridge Analytica. She quit. She
testified. Nevertheless, you can sense
her nostalgia (she’s megabrainy) for
a unique glimpse of how the world
works and how human beings
can be persuaded without their
knowledge or consent. Exciting.
TWAS THE NIGHTSHIFT
BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Adam Kay, Picador, $19.99
Thirteen major newspapers, quoted on
the inside cover, called his first book
This Is Going to Hurt ‘hilarious’ and so
did we. He’s back again, our favourite
ex-obstetrician (he gave it up to be
a comedian). As a bachelor registrar
he was repeatedly dobbed in each year
to work the Christmas shifts. I’m glad
he does not aim to be a poet. Here’s one
of his intros: “Who’s that you can see
in his suit of magenta? It’s me I’ve
been soaked head to toe in placenta
 GET YOUR COPY OF
OUR NEW BOOK
WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE
Become a subscriber or extend your subscription
for just $79.99 and you’ll receive a copy of the beautiful
Country Homes in Australia: 30 Years of Life on the Land.

Subscribe now at magshop.com.au/CS201

 Created by the Country Style team, this book
is a celebration of the gorgeous rural homes and incredible
characters who have filled the pages of the magazine Yes, I would like to subscribe to Country Style
over the past 30 years. Be inspired by the heartwarming PAY M E N T O P T I O N S (A u s t r a l i a n r a t e s)
tales and amazing renovations undertaken by families I wish to subscribe for (tick one only)
throughout regional Australia. Me Gift
1 Year Print Only (13 issues) $79.99 SAVE 27% + Gift (13AUP)
2 Years Print Only (26 issues) $149.99 SAVE 32% + Gift (26AUP)
SU BSCR I BER BEN EFI TS 13 Issues New Zealand $85 (13NZ)
13 Issues Overseas $149.99 (13OS)
Save 27% off the retail price.
I already subscribe. Please extend my subscription with the offer selected above.
Plus, receive a bonus copy of For overseas rates, visit magshop.com.au/cs201
Country Homes worth $59.99.
M Y D E TA I L S
Never miss an issue of Mrs/Ms/Miss/Mr
your favourite magazine. Address

Enjoy free, convenient delivery to your door. Postcode

Telephone ( )
Email
A L R E A DY A S U B S C R I B E R?
Simply extend your subscription GIFT RECIPIENT DETAILS
to receive this offer. Mrs/Ms/Miss/Mr
Address

Postcode Telephone ( )
Email

PAY M E N T D E TA I L S
Cheque/money order for $________ is enclosed payable to Magshop
or charge my Visa MasterCard Amex

Cardholder’s name (please print)

Cardholder’s signature

Expiry date /

Valu PLEASE PHOTOCOPY THIS ORDER FORM FOR ADDITIONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

$59.ed at HURRY — OFFER ENDS JANUARY 29TH, 2020.

99
SUBSCRIBING IS EASY
136 116 and quote M201ACS Monday to Friday
8am–6pm AEST. Overseas dial +61 2 8667 5100
PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SHAW STYLING OLIVIA BLACKMORE

magshop.com.au/CS201
Send original or copy of this coupon (no stamp required) to:
Magshop Reply Paid 5252
Sydney, NSW, 2000

* Offer ends January 29th, 2020. A standard 1 year subscription consists of 13 issues.
By including your email address, Country Style will keep you informed of offers and updates
from our publisher, Bauer Media Group, and specially selected partners. Please tick if you’d
prefer to not receive offers and updates from ¨ Bauer Media Group ¨ Our specially selected
partners. Our Privacy Policy can be found at bauer-media.com.au/privacy and includes
important information about our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information
(including the provision of targeted advertising based on your online activities). It explains
that if you do not provide us with information we have requested from you, we may not be able
to provide you with the goods and services you require. It also explains how you can access
or seek correction of your personal information, how you can complain about a breach of
the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with a complaint of that nature.

or call 136 116 and quote M201ACS

STOCK ISTS
stockists
WHERE TO BUY PRODUCTS FROM THIS ISSUE.
ABI 3/128 Gold Coast, Kortum Drive, Burleigh Heads, Queensland,
(07) 5520 2775, abiinteriors.com.au Amber 1300 139 868, ambertiles.
com.au Amy Jean Privée Collection amyjean-collection.com Angelucci
20th Century 113 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Victoria, (03) 9415 8001,
angelucci.net.au Aura Home 1369-1371 Malvern Road, Malvern, Victoria,
(03) 9822 6980, aurahome.com.au Bauwerk Colour Unit 1/15
Emplacement Crescent, Hamilton Hill, WA, (08) 9433 3860, bauwerk.
com.au Beacon Lighting (03) 8561 1599, beaconlighting.com.au Benefit
benefitcosmetics.com/au Bimby + Roy bimbyandroy.com.au Blundstone
1800 258 669, blundstone.com.au Bobbi Brown bobbibrown.com.au
Bunnings (03) 8831 9777, bunnings.com.au Camilla Walford
camillawalford.com Charlotte Tilbury charlottetilbury.com/au Clay by
Tina claybytina.com Colorbond 1800 022 999, colorbond.com Country
Road 1800 801 911, countryroad.com.au Courtney + Babes
courtneyandthebabes.com Cranmore Home & Co 0437 647 811,
cranmorehome.com.au Cultiver 499 Malvern Road, South Yarra,
Victoria, 1300 016 772, cultivar.com.au Daniel Emma Studio 10,
JamFactory, 19 Morphett Street, Adelaide, South Australia, 0466 612
354, daniel-emma-store.com Deer Willow 12 Manning Street, Kiama,
NSW, (02) 42 93 1033, facebook.com/deerwillow Domayne domayne.
com.au Eco Impact 0415 873 485, ecoimpact.com.au Elizabeth Arden
elizabetharden.com.au Euromaid 1300 556 816, euromaid.com.au Eva’s
Sunday evassunday.com.au Evolution Product evolutionproduct.co.za
Fenton & Fenton 471 High Street, Prahran, Victoria; 191 Johnston Street,
Collingwood, Victoria, 1800 433 686, fentonandfenton.com.au Folkstore
248 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria, folkstore.com.au French
Country Collections 1800 000 496, frenchcountrycollections.com.au
Glem Gas (02) 9643 3500, glemgas.com/aus/ Good Studios
goodstudios.com.au Harper & Blohm Cheese Shop 365 Sydney Road,
Brunswick, Victoria, (03) 9381 0764, harperandblohm.com Harpers
Project harpersproject.com HK Living (03) 9428 2400, hkliving.com.au
House of Orange (03) 9500 9991, houseoforange.com.au Iittala 1300
852 022, (02) 8665 8200, iittala.com.au Inartisan 545 High Street,
Praharan, Victoria, 0421 884 233, inartisan.net Kowtow Australia
kowtowclothing.com Le Weekend leweekend.com.au Lee Mathews
(02) 9997 3787, leemathews.com.au Lighting Collective (02) 6685 5744,
lightingcollective.com.au Lofra lofra.it/en/ Loom Towels 0417 443 271,
loomtowels.com Major-Minor majorminorwares.com Make Designed
Objects 194 Elgin Street, Carlton, Victoria, (03) 9347 4225,
makedesignedobjects.com McMullin & Co 0423 114 882, mcmullinandco.
com Mecca mecca.com.au Natio natio.com.au Natural Harry 0447 125
558, naturalharry.com.au Nomadic State of Mind nomadicstateofmind.
com Nood Co 7/7 O’Malley Street,Osborne Park WA, 0401 487 654,
noodco.com.au Orient House 45 Bridge Road, Glebe, NSW, (02) 9660
3895, orienthouse.com.au Papaya (02) 8571 7777, papaya.com.au Pop
& Scott 27a Hayes Street, Northcote, Victoria, 0474 548 194; Unit 4,
57 Centennial Circuit, Byron Bay, NSW, 0472 905 186, popandscott.com
Provincial Home Living 03 9825 9400, provincialhomeliving.com.au
Qasair (03) 9482 7088, condari.com.au Rigby’s Homewares 39
Hitchcock Avenue, Barwon Heads, Victoria, (03) 5254 1890, rigbys.com.
au Saardé Precinct 75 Suite 2.02, 75 Mary Street, St Peters, NSW, 0401
818 157, saarde.com Schots Home Emporium 400 Hoddle Street, Clifton
Hill, Victoria, 1300 774 774, schots.com.au Smeg (02) 8667 4888, smeg.
com.au Stone Pony 67 John Street, Leichhardt, NSW, (02) 9566 1046,
136 COUNTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020
LEFT A beach picnic is the perfect way
to spend a summer’s day. See page 73.
stonepony.com.au Spell & the Gypsy Collective 15 Browning Street,
Byron Bay, NSW, (02) 9158 6557, aus.spell.co Sustainable Products
sustainableproducts.com.au Temple & Webster templeandwebster.
com.au The DEA Store 146 Regent Street, Redfern, NSW, (02) 9698 8150,
thedeastore.com The Dharma Door (02) 6629 1114, 0423 730 273,
thedharmadoor.com.au The Panton Store 440 Malvern Road, Prahran,
Victoria, (03) 9533 9003, shop.shelleypanton.com Vixen & Velvet
(02) 9517 4455, florabelle.com.au Worn wornstore.com.au
COUNTRY STYLE HOMEWARES
NSW: Adore Homewares (02) 9446 7472 Avenue Luxe (02) 9489 6077
Billi and Gus (02) 9653 9845 Brentwood Interiors (02) 9871 5551,
brentwoodinteriors.net.au Brush & Twine (02) 6655 9813 Cafe Graze
(02) 6777 2409 Concept Homewares (02) 4982 0865 Champagne Lane
(02) 6687 1616 Candleberries (02) 4464 3487 Cranberry & Fig (02) 9875
5555 Coasting Home (02) 6555 8838 Comur House (02) 6226 1411
Furnished In Glen (02) 6732 4386 Heart Of Home (02) 6687 1399
Heirloom On Victoria (02) 4322 9733 Honeysuckle Nurseries (02) 9487
3888, honeysucklegarden.com.au Humble Homewares 0423 843 773
Made On Earth (02) 9252 2322, madeonearth.com.au La Maison Castle
Hill (02) 8851 7580 Little Polli and Blackbird 0478 127 101 Maddisonbea
Home (02) 6672 2306 Magnolia Home and Gift (02) 4323 2400 Old Bank
Gallery (02) 6742 3944 P&S Home Furnishings (02) 4365 1561 Precious
Pieces (02) 6547 2016, preciouspiecesdenman.com.au Red Cedar
Emporium (02) 6657 2920, redcedaremporium.com Sorrento (02) 9144
1799 Shack Yamba (02) 6646 399, shackyamba.com Stone & Co Vintage
(02) 6546 6874 Swish Furniture & Homewares (02) 9913 1544,
swishfurnitureandhomewares.com Taylor’s Of Maitland (02) 4934 2505
The Greyhound (02) 6792 1363 The Home Interior (02) 4984 4888,
thehomeinterior.com.au The Lemon House 0417 248 359 Tigress Direct
1300 844 737, tigress.com.au Trouvé (02) 4365 5195 Umina Beach
Flowers and Gifts (02) 4341 4771 Vast Interior (02) 6652 1111 Watermelon
Home (02) 9949 5639 Whatever (02) 6372 6027, whatevermudgee.com.
au Your Home Matters (02) 4822 7229 QUEENSLAND: Casa Noosa
(07) 5447 3722, casanoosainteriors.com.au Eclectic Style (07) 5470
2946, eclecticstyle.com.au Emporium On James (07) 5520 3222 Galleria
Interiors (07) 4444 4006 Highland Homewares (07) 4982 4905 House
of Magnolia (07) 4984 1059 Ideas Cotton Tree 0407 218 551 Mount Isa
Furniture and Bedding (07) 4743 0876, mountisafurniture.com.au
My Country Escape (07) 5543 4042 Nest Homewares (07) 3878 4755
Perfect Decor perfectdecor.net.au Perfect Living (07) 3399 8335,
perfectliving.com.au Robina In Focus (07) 5593 1556 Rococo Design
(07) 5538 0830, rococodesign.com.au Saffron Noosa (07) 5449 9770,
saffronnoosa.com.au The Alfresco Room (07) 5449 0290,
thealfrescoroom.com.au The Bay Tree Homewares (07) 4038 3135
White Havana (07) 3359 8158, whitehavana. com.au SA: Best Wishes
(08) 8379 9730 Canopy Home Fashion (08) 8384 2110 Canopy Interiors
(08) 8725 4000 Get in 2 The Moose (08) 8298 2995 High Street Trading
(08) 8536 8441 Loaves and Fishes Robe (08) 8768 2724 Living by Design
livingbydesign.net.au One Rundle Trading Co (08) 8431 3033 Sassi Gift
and Home Millicent (08) 8733 1222 The Miners Couch (08) 8825 1222,
theminerscouch.com.au TASMANIA: Economy Warehouse (03) 6278
1119, economywarehouse.com.au Just For You Homewares (03) 6423
5540, justforyouhomewares.com.au The Importer theimporter.net.au
Urban Wall (03) 6425 5468, urbanwall.com.au VICTORIA: Alpine
Garden Supplies (03) 5779 1733, alpinegarden supplies.com.au Birch
Living (03) 9482 1500 Gisborne Cottage Flowers (03) 5428 4199,
gisbornecottageflowers.com.au Higheight Home and Living higheight.
com.au Linen Room (03) 9481 8758 Maple Homewares (03) 9830 7809
Minimax minimax.com.au Mollisons mollisons.net.au Nextra Sunbury
(03) 9744 1220, sunburynewsagency.com.au No Place Like Home 0409
140 624, no-place-like-home.myshopify.com Oliver Birch (03) 5444 1112,
oliverbirch.com.au Poyntons Nursery (03) 9337 8111 Robertsons
Furniture robertsonshorsham.com.au Southern Bazaar 0407 414 895,
southernbazaar.com.au Supply and Demand supplyanddemand.com.au
Thomas and Co (03) 9416 1063 Zest Living (03) 5352 4694 Warran Glen
Garden Centre and Café (03) 9844 3027, warranglen.com.au Zest Living
(03) 5352 4694, WA: East West Design (08) 9336 3944, eastwestdesign.
com.au First Avenue (08) 9257 1660, firstavenue.net.au Furniture Barn
(08) 9721 6144, furniturebarn.net.au Lloyds Of Margaret River (08) 9757
2074, shepgroup.net Luxe Gift & Décor (08) 9368 5631, luxegd.com.au
Merchants Of Swanbourne (08) 9383 3493 Merchants On Mends ST
(08) 9474 1581 Panache Living (08) 6460 8299, panacheliving.com.au
Simply Gifted (08) 9387 3698 The Cumquat Tree (08) 9339 0043,
thecumquattree.com The Furniture Gallery (08) 9444 1332,
thefurnituregallery.com.au

FIELD GUIDE
BROWSE OUR ADVERTISERS’ PRODUCTS AND SERVIC
UNIQUE STYLE
The Silhouette range of handcrafted
hardwood bedroom furniture from
Snooze can be customised to suit
your needs. snooze.com.au
FASHION FIRST
At Cint in Orange, NSW, you can find
hand-picked labels from Australia,
BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY GUY BAILEY STYLING ANNA DELPRAT
including Binny, as well as Europe.
You can also shop online. cint.com.au
TAKE A SEAT
The Charlotte dining setting mixes
a rustic acacia timber tabletop with
UV-resistant wicker chairs.
harveynorman.com.au
CES.
COMFORT AND CONFIDENCE
BJ’s PJs offers Australian made,
high-quality, pure cotton loungewear
that is comfortable, modern and
flattering. bjspjs.com.au
TOUGH ON TOP
Colorbond Matt roofing material
was made using innovative paint
technology to diffuse light.
1800 702 764, colorbond.com/matt
OFF TO BED
Pick up pretty cotton pyjamas,
including styles in Liberty fabrics,
in sizes XS–3XL from PJ Miller.
bowralboxers.com.au
FIELD GUIDE
DIN
NE ALFRESCO
The stylish T
Torens outdoor dining table
is made fromm moisture-resistant karri
gum hardwood with a grey ceramic
inlay. domayne.com.au/outdoor
ON TOUR
Experience the best of Poland on a
boutique, small-group tour where you’ll
enjoy the stunning landscapes and
delicious food. experiencepoland.net
ALL MADE UP
Luxurious Antwerp linen bedlinen has
been vintage washed for softness and
will keep you cool in summer and warm
in winter. provincialhomeliving.com.au
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Scholarships & Bursaries
NOW AVAILABLE
Academic Excellence | Agricultural Opportunities
International Equestrian Teams | Board with your horse
Talented Athletes Program | Strength & Conditioning
Online Distance Education | Wellbeing | Learning Support
Round Square | Small class sizes | Boarding from Year 5
NEGS Armidale, NSW 2350 | P: 6774 8700
For more information visit: www.negs.nsw.edu.au
SCHOLARSHIP DAY - 28 January, 2020
Academic, Music & Visual Arts
Applications close: 20 January, 2020
WHERE YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
Boarding at
Scotch College
Boarding at Scotch College provides boys with an education of the
highest standard, combined with accommodation in a caring, well-
equipped environment.
Scotch has an outstanding reputation for the high standard of its
academic programme and the wide range of its sporting, outdoor, and
cultural activities. The boarding precinct is located within the College’s
extensive 27 hectare grounds in Hawthorn, Victoria.
The Scotch boarding lifestyle provides an integrated, comprehensive
package for the education and development of each boy.
For school tours, please contact Admissions on 03 9810 4203.
687SCO
www.scotch.vic.edu.au
Scotch College
1 Morrison Street,
Hawthorn VIC 3122 Australia
Phone 1800 622 912
Email admissions@scotch.vic.edu.au
 KHDUWV DQG PLQGV DUW
RITZYROCKS

Hearts and Minds Art
1 Hastings Street, Noosa Heads
Ladies Accessories • Handcrafted in Gippsland • Australian Timber art gallery : homewares : stationery
Finished With Plant Based Stains • Vegan and Eco Friendly
0418 108 299
www.timberdesign.co
heartsandmindsart.com.au
COUNTRY EMPORIUM
Australian Designed & Handmade Jewellery
Specialising in Venetian Glass.
Express post & special gift on order.
www.ritzyrocks.com.au

ˆ# y($# '‰

Teacup series • Sculptural mixed media paintings with vintage tea cups
FREE shipping in January use code; countrystyle

www.selinawilsonart.com.au

BINNY
CAMILLA
PRIMNESS
LUNE
SPRING COURT
MORRISON
ESTILO
MARLE

cint_boutique cintboutique

www.cint.com.au

Pure Cotton Luxurious Nightwear

www.knisa.com.au | 0411 267 872

WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 139

 SALLY WILSON ART
COUNTRY EMPORIUM

Shop 3 59 Princes Highway Cobargo 0408 702 737

10% OFF WITH CODE:

STYLEJAN20

ETHICAL, SUSTAINABLE Open Tuesday to Saturday or by appointment

& COLLECTABLE Fine Art | Limited edition prints | Landscape | Photography
lovemerino.com.au sallywilsonart.com

IRONING BOARD COVERS

Great new range of colours and designs,
new products all ready for Christmas Sleepwear • 100%
Visit www.damaskbedlinen

www.hensteethtrading.com
www.suziehopedesigns.com

Australian made knitwear

E: info@uimi.com.au | T: 03 9495 1746

uimi.com.au

TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369

 COUNTRY EMPORIUM
100% Pure French
We are here to help you Linen For You
SOURCE, CREATE & CAPTURE And Your Home
the perfect Sunday feeling! West Australian
Designed
Shipped Worldwide

SHOP ONLINE
www.lazysundaylifestyle.com @theshearerswife 0402 733 187 www.bedtonic.com

Meron Somers Artist

Authentic French styled market

baskets for all your carrying needs.

Afterpay and Australia-wide shipping 2ducktrading.com.au

www.meronsomersartist.com | 0411 424 225 www.albanyecohouse.com.au 02 9380 2672

For unique and beautiful

hand-made home wares, soft
furnishings, jewellery and gifts
personally curated from around
the globe and around the traps

287 Comur Street, Yass, NSW

02 6226 1240
shop@merchantcampbell.com

mer chant camp be l l . com. au

PJ MILLER
HOME OF BOWRAL BOXERS

y
sleepwear sizes 8-24 Women’s pretty
sleep shorts & men’s
shorts available
Men’s & women’s now
cotton nightshirts XS-3XL
Women’s pretty garments
made with Liberty fabrics

Beautiful clothing for women through all ages and stages of life www.bowralboxers.com.au
www.zephyrloungewear.com 1800 804 776 Zephyrloungewear Phone (02) 4862 2520

WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 141

COUNTRY EMPORIUM

PRE ORDER
WEST HAMPTON
4 PCE SET
$1100.00

47 CHURCH STREET, BRIGHTON VICTORIA

PHONE: 0448 865 728 TO ORDER
WWW.MRSBLANCHETTS.COM

A timeless classic, the

exquisite ‘Evalina’ Chandelier THE
MO NTAUK
by Ralph Lauren Home for
Visual Comfort & Co.

L I G HT I N G
C O.

The Montauk Lighting Co. brings the

best of the world’s feature lighting to
Australia, including collections by
Ralph Lauren Home, Kelly Wearstler,
AERIN, Thomas O’Brien and Kate Spade
New York throughVisual Comfort & Co.,
Tigermoth Lighting from the UK and
Spanish design studio HOUTIQUE.

/HWXVKHOS\RXôQG
the perfect statement piece.

Visit our website to browse

the entire range.

montauklightingco.com
@montauklightingco
0417 099 031

TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369

 COUNTRY EMPORIUM
Rural Australian Artist
Original artworks, fine art prints & commissions

Enter
discount code
COUNTRYSTYLE
Handmade homewares, giftware & babywear kim haines creations | kimhainescreations@gmail.com for 10% off all
orders
willowandmill.com www.kimhainescreations.com.au

w w w. w h i t s u n d a y m y r t l e . c o m

SoapOrders offers a speciality

range of beautifully fragranced Soaps
and hand poured candles.

orders@soaporders.com.au | 0412 357 613

Australian Made Leather Accessory Brand
soaporders.com.au www.laurajaynewicks.com.au
l k
SAM MICHELLE
PAINTINGS
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH GALLERYSMITH
EMAIL JESS@GALLERYSMITH.COM.AU FOR DETAILS

shop online, instore or at a stockist near you

ellaandsunday.com.au

Pure cotton, stylish, comfortable, flattering leisurewear and pyjamas with

wire-free breast support so you can wear them everywhere! www.bjspjs.com.au

WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 143

 6*'%4'9'.)1$'.+0
HOME A ND GA RDEN EMPORIUM

0''&.'%4#(6

Specialty Needlework Store • Supplies and Workshops

02 9498 6831 THECREWELGOBELIN.COM.AU

@wherethewildwomanroams
Swings
Teepees
Swags
Cradles
Rope ladders
& more...

Handmade
ceramics
from Spain TRIPOLINA CLASSIC
FOLDING CAMPAIGN CHAIRS
Australian made since 1993
0423194240
www.sunpots.com.au Ph 0414 551 895

www.swingz.com.au
muumuudesign1@gmail.com
02 4847 5052 info@sunpots.com.au www.muumuu.net.au

TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369

 For the love of wood
Your furniture needs it!

HOME A ND GA RDEN EMPORIUM

We grow over 800 modern and old fashion rose varieties
Potted and bare root roses are now available online
www.wagnersrosenursery.com.au • 08 8739 3321

FLEXIBLE STEEL
GARDEN EDGING
WHICH BENDS TO
VIRTUALLY ANY
SHAPE FOR LAWNS,
DRIVES, PATHS,
FLOWER AND
VEGETABLE BEDS. ORDER ONLINE OR FIND
EverEdge® is easy to install (no extra pegs or joiners), suits all soil types and is
A STOCKIST NEAR YOU
available in a variety of colours and depths. EverEdge is made from 1.6 mm gauge
www.howardproducts.com.au
PLOGVWHHOJDOYDQLVHGDQGSRZGHUFRDWHGRUZLWKD&RU7HQUXVWHGƓQLVK

www.everedge.com.au 0488 010 203 1800 672 646

WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 145

 COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS

Moroccan Haven For Sale on the Sunshine Coast

• Separate Large Artists Studio

• Courtyard • Spacious Interiors
• Outdoor Entertaining
• Country Gardens and Pond

3 2 4
Price: Offers over $1,495,000
Contact: Linda Shore-Perez
19 BROLGA LANE, DULONG QLD 0427 378 687
Set on 3+ acres of ‘Monet’ style gardens this artist retreat is a haven for anyone wanting peace linda@villarealestate.com.au
and tranquillity. The wonderful home is exquisitely finished and offers fabulous indoor/outdoor
entertaining, a separate artist studio, raised vegetable gardens and solar energy. villarealestate.com.au

Historic Park Mount -

1848 Jerrara/Kiama
Prestige Properties | New South Wales

HARBOURSIDE APARTMENTS
NORTH SYDNEY, NSW
Sydney’s absolute waterfront accommodation
offers fully serviced and equipped studio, one
and two bedroom apartments. Conveniently
situated at McMahons Point Ferry Wharf
Harbourside is the perfect Sydney base
FOR SALE for business or pleasure.
Web ID (20950514) 02 9963 4300
Vivienne Marris – Principal stay@harboursideaparments.com.au
Elders Real Estate Jamberoo harbourside apartments
0402 101343 www.harboursideapartments.com.au

The destination for real advice

+ inspiration
By the creator of SOUL of THE LITTLE COOKING SCHOOL
Gerringong MUDGEE, NSW
Helping other holiday property owners
The little cooking school offers informal, relaxed
through courses, workshops and much
cooking classes showcasing the best regional
more. Learn, connect and be inspired
produce resulting in a delicious, leisurely lunch.
about the holiday property industry
Adjoining the school is a newly refurbished
– from build to styling to creating a
accommodation sleeping 8. Fully self-contained
stylish and profitable business.
and stylishly appointed. Accommodation, dining
and cooking class packages available.
0400 417 711
6 Henry Lawson Drive Mudgee
w ww. s o u lh om e .com . a u www.littlecookingschoolmudgee.com.au

TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369

 COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
New South Wales
Discover our mouth watering
paddock-to-plate food during
F.O.O.D Week 27 March–5 April 2020

orange360.com.au

VISIT NUNDLE
NUNDLE, NSW ECO RETREAT
Feel welcome year-round at Nundle, a
charming town of 300 people in the beautiful
Hills of Gold, 50km south-east of Tamworth. Each of the 4 luxury Villas at La Rocher Eco Retreat offers spectacular views of the world heritage Mount
Relax in the peaceful environment, surrounded Warning/ Wollumbin and Border Ranges. Serenity, peace and tranquillity allows you to truly unwind and
by sheep and cattle grazing properties, and nourish your soul in this lush hinterland paradise, close to ancient rainforests and some of Australia’s best
forest and bushland covered hills forming part beaches. A comfortable 2-hour drive from Brisbane and just over 30 minutes from the Gold Coast airport.
of the Great Dividing Range.
Nundle Visitor Information 02 6769 3026 gprocher@me.com • 7 Minto Place, Smiths Creek, NSW 2484 • 0402 272 727
NundleNSW #nundlensw
www.nundle.com.au www.larocher.com

WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 147

 CHELSEA PARK & ARCADIA HOUSE
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS

Relax in the Southern Highlands

Chelsea Park is Hollywood in the Highlands. A boutique bed and breakfast Arcadia House is a country-style home located close to the heart of
in an art deco mansion, with three unique bedrooms. Ideal for reunions Bowral. Fully self contained accomodation for familes and groups close to
or girl’s weekends away. Close to all the magic of the Southern Highlands. all the attractions. Savour the lifestyle and relax in the Southern Highlands.

589 Moss Vale Road, Burrudoo NSW 2576 • 02 4861 7046 124 Old South Road, Bowral NSW 2576 • 02 4861 7046
www.chelseaparkbnb.com www.arcadia-house.com

Kakadu, Arnhem Land & beyond

New South Wales | Northern Territory | Queensland

EVANSLEA
MUDGEE, NSW
Mudgee’s preferred five-star luxury boutique 8 days hiking the Top End
accommodation. Nestled among breathtaking
gardens on a 4.5 acre riverside property - • Fully guided, pack free – approx 60km of walking
privacy and serenity are guaranteed. Book a • Most meals and snacks
romantic getaway or a relaxed break with • Two boat cruises – Kakadu flood plain and Katherine Gorge
family and friends. Weddings are a specialty. • Swim in rockpools and under waterfalls
• Great hiking and lots of swimming
0455 505 882
• Spend the day in Arnhem Land with indigenous guide
info@evanslea.com.au
Evanslea
www.evanslea.com.au Contact us on (03) 5639 2615 www.parktrek.com.au

KINGFISHER PAVILION
JERVIS BAY, NSW
Kingfisher Pavilion is a private suite at
Bundarra Farm. Fronting Currambene Creek,
which flows into Jervis Bay. Kangaroos and
birdlife share the farm with cattle, horses,
ducks and chickens. Featuring an outdoor spa,
fire-pit and picnic table. The Kingfisher Pavilion Only one and half hours drive north of Brisbane, nestled amongst 20 acres of
is the ultimate luxury getaway. abundant Sunshine Coast Hinterland rainforest, this authentic haven from city life
0478 008 814 allows you time to experience and reconnect with nature.
kingfisherpavilion@gmail.com
www.kingfisherpavilion.com 07 5445 7650 • www.kondalilla.com

TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369

Create a Masterpiece with Jacqueline Coates
BLOOMS WORKSHOP DATES 2019/2020
Learn all about acrylic paint. Includes art materials and catering. Transform your creative abilities.
MELBOURNE – Glen Iris
Blooms Freestyle 2 days $1850 pp
Jan 3 & 4, 2020 Hours 9-5.30pm daily
Create 3 paintings including a 1m square floral
Blooms 3 Day Painting Workshop $1480 pp
March 18 from 2-9pm, March 19 & 20 from 9-5.30pm HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND
– Paint a large Blooms style canvas.
SYDNEY – Willoughby
4 Day Painting Workshop $2350 pp
Jan 9-12th 2019 plus evening of Jan 8
– Paint two midsize canvases in acrylics
BAROSSA VALLEY – SA
Blooms 4 Day Painting Workshop $2350 pp
April 18-21 plus evening of April 17, 2020
artscreativehub.com/workshops • Phone 0412 587 438 or 0429 100 929
MISSION BEACH HOLIDAYS RIVER COTTAGE TASMANIA
MISSION BEACH, QLD HEYBRIDGE, TAS
Luxury to budget homes and apartments Escape life’s hustle & bustle at our tranquil
situated between Townsville and Cairns. cottage by the river. Close to beautiful sandy
Where to stay... what to do... beaches + cafes & a short drive to the popular
in our paradise. tourist towns of Penguin & Burnie. We are
approx. 1.5 hour drive to the iconic Cradle
Mountain & approx. 50 minutes to the beautiful
historic township of Stanley.
0478 437 700
(07) 4088 6699 rivercottagetasmania
www.missionbeachholidays.com.au www.rivercottagetasmania.com.au
“Peace on earth.
This is truly a
magical part of
the world” Golden light and long views to the bay. The sun is your companion.
Cygnet in Summer, dream the days away.
www.frenchmansriver.com.au • Kate/Posie 0466 790 142 • book@frenchmansriver.com.au
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
PERTH – Midland Junction Art Centre
Blooms 4 Day Workshop $2350 pp
Evening Feb 28, 2020 from 5.30-9pm
Then daily from Feb 29 to March 3
– Paint 2 large canvases in acrylics
4 Day Painting Workshop $2450pp
Sept 25-28 plus eve of Sept 24, 2020
FRANCE - BLOOMS
May 5-17, 2020
$7697pp package inc art supplies, catering French
chef, accommodation & transfers to/from Paris
Paint Blooms USA Los Angeles
February 7-9, 2020
South Australia | Queensland | Tasmania
SHIP INN STANLEY
STANLEY, TAS
Seven luxurious ensuite rooms with
stunning views of the bay, and the Nut.
Walking distance to the cafes, restaurants
and beaches, with off-street parking, free wifi,
gym, yoga studio and guest laundry.
0439 749 140
hello@shipinnstanley.com.au
shipinnstanley
shipinnstanley.com.au
@frenchmansrivercygnet
JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 149
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS

embrace summer with a Tasmanian gourmet indulgence

Experience Summer in Tasmania. Join us for one of our cooking classes or experience our rustic dining showcasing local produce
and wines. Luxury guest house and unique cooking school just minutes from Launceston. www.redfeatherinn.com.au
Tasmania

Getaway to a mountain forest retreat with

BOSCOBEL OF TASMANIA eco spa luxury in Tasmania’s wilderness area
WEST ULVERSTONE, TAS
History and luxury combined in beautiful,
private guest suites. Beaches and cafes are
within a 20-minute stroll. Great day trip
options including Cradle Mountain. #thepeakforestretreat
Excellent for cycling: road, MTB or paths.
Breakfast includes delicious local produce. Nestled in the mountain foothills of World Heritage forest, this luxury lodge and
0408 474 095 cottage with stunning views and seclusion is perfect for relaxing stays or as a central
hello@boscobel.com.au location to visit iconic places in Tasmania such as Cradle Mountain.
boscobeloftasmania
0408 553 976 | thepeakforestretreat@gmail.com | www.thepeakforestretreat.com
www.boscobeloftasmania.com.au

COAST HOUSE TASMANIA

Treat yourself to a totally private, tranquil waterfront retreat yet just a few minutes to the village of Cygnet.
Far away from city distractions. Visit Galleries, wineries and restaurants or just relax at our cosy winter retreat.
“We have been astounded by the beauty and tranquillity, superb accommodation and sublime location at Coast House”

www.coasthousetasmania.com | stay@coasthousetasmania.com | Tel: 0409 446 290

TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369


PETER RABBIT™ GARDEN
CAMBRIDGE, TAS
Take an enchanting stroll through Peter
Rabbit’s™ garden, the only one in Australia.
Also see, Jemima Puddle-Duck™, Jeremy
Fisher™, Benjamin Bunny™, Mr Todd™,
Two Bad Mice™, Mrs.Tiggy-Winkle™
& Tailor of Gloucester™.
03 6248 5555
Riversdale Estate, 222 Denholms Rd, Cambridge
www.thepeterrabbitgarden.com.au
A slice of ocean luxe in the heart of the village of
Barwon Heads... Walk down the stairs and find
yourself amongst the shops, cafes and river.
@cerescoastal
Luxurious Accommodation in a Historic Homestead
Situated on a Working Australian Farm in the Western District of Victoria. One hour from Geelong Great for Milestone celebrations, family and friends.
Fully self contained homestead • 7BR with own bathrooms • 4 inviting fireplaces • Pool • Spa • Tennis Court • Fishing • Bike riding & much more.
0458 507 655 • WWW.NARINGAL.COM.AU
WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY
COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
EXPERIENCE
TASMANia,
in spirit
hellyersroaddistillery.com.au
RIVERSDALE ESTATE
CAMBRIDGE, TAS
French provincial styled cottages on private
country Estate, set amongst award winning
vineyard and olive grove. 1 queen and 2 singles.
Panoramic water views, rolling countryside,
rambling walks & private beach.
Families welcome!
03 6248 5666 | 0448 701 447
wendy@riversdaleestate.com.au
222 Denholms Rd, Cambridge
8009
www.riversdaleestate.com.au
Tasmania | Victoria
KANANOOK HERITAGE HOUSE
BAIRNSDALE, VIC
Relax at tranquil Kananook’s circa 1880’s
Executive Suite with glorious views over
rolling green countryside or enjoy the
Victorian period charm of the detached
‘Private Residence’ Apartment. This fine
A balcony overlooks vibrant Hitchcock Avenue.
Country House has every new modern luxury
Relaxed interiors. Sleeps 5, 2 bathroom, 2 car,
for a world class contemporary getaway.
washer, dryer and a fully contained kitchen.
Revitalise and reconnect.
0400 33 55 46
Bookings via: cerescoastal.com.au www.kananookheritagehouse.com
Voted Top 52
Weekends Away in
the nation in the
Good Weekend
October 2017.
JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 151
 COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
Located in the beautiful Alpine Valley’s townships of Bright, Big Sky Walkers Lane boasts 4 warm an inviting bedrooms,
4 well appointed bathrooms and plenty of space to spread out whilst enjoying your next escape to the country.
w w w. b i g s k y ret re at s . co m . a u
0 4 1 8 8 1 3 9 7 1 | re s e r va t i o n s @ 3 74 1 b o u t i q u e . c o m . a u
Victoria | Western Australia | Escape and Explore
MOORE RIVER HOLIDAYS
MOORE RIVER, WA
Moore River’s No.1 Kayaking Holiday
Home on the banks of the Moore River.
A region bursting with Stargazing and
Pinnacles. One hour north of Perth,
Why wait for a long weekend?
0419 909 167
mooreriverholidays
rona@mooreriverholidays.com.au
www.mooreriverholidays.com.au
FOR THE BIRDS YALLINGUP
MARGARET RIVER, WA
Breathtaking views to the Indian Ocean,
For The Birds Yallingup is a sanctuary bounded
by national park, valleys and expansive
vineyards. Set in the heart of the Margaret
River wine region, this wonderful light filled
spacious residence, boasts ocean or forest
views from every room.
0412 843 788
info@forthebirdsyallingup.com
www.forthebirdsyallingup.com
TO ADVERTISE CALL 02 9282 8369
NINGALOO BED & BREAKFAST
NINGALOO, WA
Want to swim with whalesharks?
Want to snorkel Ningaloo Reef? Stay with us,
it’s private, relaxing and personal.
Not suitable for children under 10.
0409 250 548
ningaloobedandbreakfast@netspace.net.au
www.ningaloobedandbreakfast.com.au
Discover Persia
CHOOSE BETWEEN 10 TO 30 DAYS TOUR IN OCT/NOV
Persian Jewels 10 days - $5,570
Taste of Persia (FOOD TOUR) 12 days - $6,250
Persian Veils (WOMEN'S TOUR) 14 days -$6,560
Persian Discovery 16 days - $6,770
Persian Dreams (choose between a 19, 25 or 30-day tour
For a FREE Info Pack contact your Kiwi/Iranian guide Mehdi
1800 778 694 • hello@travelandtour.com.au
www.travelandtour.com.au
LITTLE WANDANA
WANDILIGONG VALLEY, VIC
Perched high on a hill overlooking the
picturesque Wandiligong Valley sits Little
Wandana, a luxurious bespoke tiny home –
Bright & Surrounds only “Tiny Home” It’s the
Tiny Details that make a home and no details
have been spared in this Tiny Home.
0418 813 971
reservations@3741boutique.com.au
www.3741boutique.com.au
13 DAY KAMALAYA WELLNESS SANCTUARY
& KOH SAMUI GETAWAY
Departing 27 June 2020
from $6599 per person twin share
from $7399 single
Price includes airfares ex Melbourne* and a 7 Night Stay
at the World’s Best Wellness Sanctuary**
*other cities available on request
**Winner of World Spa Wellness Awards 2018
1300 885 255
w w w. s i s t e r h o o d w o m e n s t r a v e l . c o m . a u
 COUN TRY A ND COA STA L R ETR E ATS
2020 Tours
Spring and Autumn Discover the heart and soul of Italy
Private, guided tours
of Poland’s food, with ITALIAN TOURS!
culture, art & designs.

28 May –10 June 2020

MILAN AND THE BEST OF THE ITALIAN LAKES
Fabulous
opportunity experiencepoland.net/tours Slow down and experience the best of the Italian Lakes
to learn
from local 0405 336 240 on one of our truly small group tours.
artisans info@experiencepoland.net

textiles Art Culture

Book your 2020 tour now! 02 9358 4923 | ciao@italiantours.com.au | italiantours.com.

Spain, Portugal
& Morocco… CUSTOMISABLE + COST EFFECTIVE
WALKING TOURS

EXPERIENCE

Escape and Explore

See more of Europe, village to village
with a series of self-guided walks
across multiple countries. You could
walk the Cotswolds (UK), then the
Salzburg region in Austria before
with Wayfarer Experiences finishing your Europe walks in beautiful
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.
with the Iberian Specialists
WAYFARER PROVIDE:
D Tailor Made Itineraries
• Walking Maps • Accommodation
D Historic Accommodation
• Sim card • Daily breakfast
D Expert Advice
• Local contact • Luggage service
Ph: 03 9867 8833

www.ibertours.com.au Take your first step. Visit wayfarerexperiences.com.au

HISTORY | NATURE NINA’S PATHWAYS CULTURE | INDULGENCE

/[ UOCNN ITQWR VQWTU QH 5TK .CPMC CTG RGTUQPCN CPF ƃGZKDNG $QQM PQY HQT C TGOCTMCDNG
GZRGTKGPEG YKVJ 0KPCoU 2CVJYC[U CPF NGV WU DG [QWT IWKFG KP VJKU VTQRKECN RCTCFKUG
0419 213 327 | www.ninaspathways.com.au | /ninaspathways

WWW.HOMESTOLOVE.COM.AU/DIRECTORY JANUARY 2020 COU NTRY ST Y LE 153

COUN TRY SQUIRE

IT’S AN EMERGENCY
HEALTH SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS NEED
URGENT ATTENTION BUT DUNEDOO HAS
AN ADVANTAGE, WRITES ROB INGRAM.

A FEW WEEKS ago, I was lucky enough to get an appointment

with a medical specialist who was able to remove a small
swelling from my wallet. By way of conversation, he asked
me if I’d prepared for the inevitable.
I told him I had my credit card with me, but that if he’d
prefer I could slip him cash.
“I refer to the inevitability of life… which is death,” he
said. ‘‘I’m needing to note that if — when the decision has to
be made — you’d prefer the pointless charade of life support
or have us throw the switch for a nice, tidy departure?”
My imminent demise came as a bit of a shock, but he
eventually reassured me that his query was merely a bit of
data control that doctors indulge in these days. A big relief…
so was the news that he wasn’t fixated on my ability to pay.
A strong rumour about this particular practice is that if you
don’t pay before you leave, you don’t get your clothes back.

You may have noticed that the news imparted by medical
practitioners is now more troubling than ever before.
It used to be, “Nothing to worry about, it’s nothing”, then…
“Nothing to worry about, it’s nothing much”, then…
“If I were you, I wouldn’t worry about it”, then…
“There’s a good chance here that you’ll have a disease
named after you”, then…
“I’m making another appointment for tomorrow. Bring
the family with you.”
The ultimate, of course, is when the doctor leans forward
across his expensive desk and advises:“Try to focus less
on a cure and more on a treatment you can afford.”
The media has done a pretty good job of informing us all
that rural health these days isn’t very well at all. In fact,
it’s crook. As crook as Rookwood in the words of those
who know that Sydney’s Rookwood Cemetery is the world’s
largest remaining cemetery from
AND THA T’S WHERE WE’RE
the Victorian era. Now there’s
REA LLY LUC KY. DUN
a claim to fame.
The National Rural Health HAS CON
Alliance, which takes the LIKE NOW
temperature and checks the pulse of thousands of regional
communities across Australia, has its lights flashing
and its siren on. It is demanding urgent government action
to improve health outcomes for the seven million people
living outside Australia’s major cities.
Compared with many towns, we appear to be lucky.
We have a modern little hospital with an emergency
department and a dedicated and agreeable staff. About
all that it really needs, is a doctor.
At the time of writing, a doctor from another small town
visits two days a week. Except when he doesn’t. The National
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY MICHAEL WEE BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPHY SAM McADAM-COOPER STYLING PHOEBE MCEVOY
Rural Health Alliance has alerted the government to the fact
that connectivity in rural areas is incredibly important
to health and wellbeing.
And that’s where we’re really lucky. Dunedoo has
connectivity like nowhere else. There was movement
at the station the other day because the word had got around
that the doctor was visiting… and The Chosen One had an
appointment. But first she had to phone Norma about the art
show. Norma wasn’t there but her daughter Lisa answered.
No worries, The Chosen One told Lisa she’d phone Norma
back after she’d been to the doctor. Lisa said to check before
coming into town, because she’d been
down at Sue’s salon and she’d heard
EDOO
that the doctor was running very
NEC TIVI TY late with his appointments because
HER E ELS E. of an emergency at the hospital.
The Chosen One double checked with Sue at the salon,
then called Ciera the receptionist at the surgery. The
information was good. Don’t come in till much later.
On the way to the surgery, we called at the petrol station.
“What brings you folk to town?” asked the bloke behind
the counter. So we told him.
“Don’t be surprised if you have a bit of a wait,” he said.
“The doctor’s running late — an emergency at the hospital.”
You might have a hospital, but you need a doctor. You
might have a doctor, but you ne nectivity. We’re a very
lucky little town in that regard.

154 COU NTRY ST Y LE JANUARY 2020

 Attention all garden lovers! If you admire a beautiful garden and the power of
plants to transform a home, you’ll love Great Australian Gardens Volume 2.
Featuring country and urban projects, this book showcases 25 diverse,
beautiful and inspirational gardens that have appeared in the pages of
Australian House & Garden magazine. It’s a stunning coffee table book
to pop under the Christmas tree for the gardener in your life!

On sale now
Only $59.99. Available where all good books are sold and bauerbooks.com.au
Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Sunburst’

Grown tough, but oh so beautiful.

Finding great trees that can cope with tough conditions such as drought, wind, salt or sand can be challenging...
Fleming’s Top10 ‘Tough & Hardy’ Trees will manage challenging conditions with aplomb and bring
spectacular form and colour while doing it!

Flemings
NURSERIES
flemings.com.au