Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 20 i Australian Country Homes

On any given day, Simone Williams may be jetting into New York or touching down in Tokyo as part of her day job as a Qantas cabin service manager, but there’s always one place she’d much prefer to be — her sprawling Gold Coast hinterland property, Hillview Homestead. “My husband, Bruce, and I bought Hillview many years ago,” she explains. “I grew up in Brisbane and always dreamed of living in the country in a beautiful old Queenslander.” Just half an hour by car from the glittering Surfers Paradise strip, Hillview is a world away in lifestyle with its rolling green hills and thousands of acres of surrounding Crown land in the lush Currumbin Valley. Once the heart of a thriving dairy farm owned by one of the area’s pioneering…

If you’re new to purchasing antiques and art or if it’s been a while since you’ve dabbled in the area, getting reacquainted with the way the market works can be daunting. In a post-Covid world, we are comfortable with searching and buying online for everything we can think of, but when it comes to antiques it doesn’t quite work the same way. Just like a piece can be rare and eccentric, so can the way you buy it! So where do you start? Let’s look at an example of searching for a table. You’ve got a vague idea of what you want: perhaps rectangular, seating six to eight, and you’ve got a style in mind — country farmhouse. You could begin by searching on Google. You may see reproduction pieces,…

Perfect for summer lounging and al fresco entertaining alike, verandahs are among many homeowners’ favourite spaces — especially in warm climates. Here are 10 inspiring ideas for creating a secluded outdoor living area where you’ll simply love to spend time. TIP: One of the homeowner’s favourite places in the house, the verandah features a rambling granadilla vine and full-length wooden shutters that she commissioned a local carpenter to make. The well-worn cane and Morris chairs were junk-shop finds. TIP: The verandah floor is made from local stone that has been hand-worked and manually inserted into a lime mortar continuous floor. Paredback wooden verandah furniture was sourced by the architects and designers, More Design, and the peacock chair is a vintage-store find. TIP: The dining table is made from upcycled wood…

Step back in time to 1890s Australia and the bold era of boom-style classicism design. Extravagance, exuberance and even recklessness were the order of the day, as the nation toasted a post-Depression period full of promise. When you add love to the equation, anything is possible, as evidenced by this exquisite country mansion completed in 1896 as a wedding gift to a lucky bride. An entrance hall with removable doors should you wish to dance, sash windows so high you could step straight outside, delicate hand-painted stained glass specially delivered from Melbourne, plus many more fine details for this farmer’s wife-to-be. The besotted groom wanted to leave a lasting impression and the property remains as breathtaking as ever thanks to a couple of modern-day cupids who believed in the fairytale.…

When Craig and Julie Hulbert went to inspect the block they were thinking of buying, the first thing Craig did was grab a shovel and take a big scoop of soil. After long careers in landscaping for Craig and nurseries for Julie, the couple decided the year 2000 was the time to build their own dream garden. Good volcanic soil was at the top of their shopping list when they started looking for the right place in which to do it. The right weather was also a priority, as the Hulberts were keen to grow as many cool-climate plants as possible. The location on the slopes of Mt Gibraltar at Mittagong in the NSW Southern Highlands ticked both these boxes, plus a good few more. More than 20 years down…

To celebrate warm weather living, we explore how to create an entertaining space that flows seamlessly from kitchen bench to outdoor barbecue and alfresco areas. From clever window solutions to smart use of materials, we’re discovering how to elevate the indoor/outdoor lifestyle for your home. PROJECTS 1 Serve It Up The servery window of the Northcote Solar Home designed by Green Sheep Collective (greensheepcollective.com.au) helps connect the kitchen and backyard in a way that enhances the functionality of both spaces. The servery window makes outdoor dining a breeze, but also acts as a way for the homeowners to keep an eye on their little ones even as they prep meals in the kitchen. The servery window is just one of the ways the home opens up to the outside. Sliding…

Good seasons. Bad droughts. Farm accidents. Good succession planning. Bad inheritances. Community as solid as bush baking. Small towns riddled with gossip. In her time as a rural journalist, Maya Linnell has seen and reported on the impact of them all. And Maya used this experience to great effect in Wildflower Ridge, her debut novel, which shone a light on a family of four country women struggling to come to terms with the decisions they had made in life. Maya lives with her husband, Jason, and children, Charlie, Amelia and Elizabeth in the south-west Victorian seaside settlement of Narrawong at the end of the Great Ocean Road. In 2008, they moved to Portland for Jason’s work as an aircraft engineer, but since have owner-built a vast cathedral-style home on acreage…

Affectionately known as the Green Cauldron, the northeastern corner of NSW rests within an expansive ancient volcanic crater. Winding the narrow roads toward The Channon, green it certainly is and in every possible shade. World-Heritage-listed rainforest and national parks are patchworked with rolling hills of macadamia and coffee plantations, lush pastures and strolling cows. Home to an eclectic mix of alternative lifestylers, farmers and tree changers, this area is dotted with little villages connected by a labyrinth of dreamy country roads. Of her newfound home, Niccy Mockridge says, “You’ll feel like you’re a million miles from anywhere.” Along with husband Andrew Shepherd, she purchased this 1950s farmhouse set on slightly more than 100 acres (40 hectares) as a weekender seven years ago. Their renovation of this property far exceeds its…

COOMBER BROS JEWELLERS Coomber Bros Jewellers has been designing, making and remodelling jewellery since 1919. Due to modern technology, we do not require our clients to attend our store at any time during the jewellery-making process. All consulting is done via telephone and emails, making it easier than ever to commission a designer Coomber Bros piece. We have clients all over Australia and recently made a stunning engagement ring for a client in Sydney. We also sell lots of other jewellery from some wonderful suppliers in gold, silver and stainless steel, as well as watches, giftware and our own custom range of cattle- and horse-themed jewellery. coomberbros.com.au…