Table of contents for August 2016 in Country Style

The little boy with his mop of red-gold curls walks after his dad through the wheat crop, intently following his every step. Will Haylock may only be three, but he’s already making a very impressive farming apprentice to his dad George at the family property Old Springfield, near Nimmitabel, on the NSW Monaro plains. It’s a busy life — at certain times of the year, George is “often out the door at 5am and not back until well after dark,” says his wife, Mel, who hopes Will and his little brother, Tom, will be the fourth generation at Old Springfield. The Haylocks are part of our Campaign for Country section in this issue, which focuses on Cooma and its surrounding areas. Local businesswoman Jane Cay is our ambassador for the…

“I’M A SHOPKEEPER. Isn’t that just the best sounding job? The keeper of a shop.” If a meaningful life is about doing one thing you love most, then Julie Hall has found her sweet spot. And it has a name: The Black Hen, a characterful and beautiful homewares and furniture store housed in a former Deloraine clothing factory, and before that a grain store, dating back to 1887. In fact, there’s only one rule for how Julie stocks the large, two-storey emporium and workshop space: “I only stock things I love,” she impresses. “That’s what I’ve done from the start.” The start was four years ago when she leased a much smaller gift shop directly across the road. The name went with her to the new premises when she reopened…

As she strides through her garden in wellies and a chic cable-knit sweater, her little dog Bill darting ahead, it’s hard to imagine Jo Maxwell never had any intention of moving to the country. But it’s true. “I loved the city,” she says, casting her mind back. Sydney born and bred, Jo ran a barristers’ chambers bustling with 42 lawyers, and enjoyed life at that pace. “I liked going to restaurants and to see shows, and buying gorgeous clothes.” Then, at dinner one evening in 1998, without warning, her husband Michael brought out a brochure about a house on a large plot of land in the NSW Blue Mountains. “Everyone passed it round and said it was lovely, and I said, ‘Why are we looking at this? I’m not interested.’…

1. MULTIPURPOSE PIECES “I love things that have multiple uses,” says Caroline of the zinc drum that doubles as bedside table in a bedroom. “These would be great anywhere, even as planters.” Behind, an antique French wooden drying rack adds a sense of height and sculpture to the room. The French linen bedding is from Scarlet Jones. 2. STORAGE AS DISPLAY Caroline wanted something big to fill the living room and provide storage and display space for her collection of white ironstone and porcelain, much of which is from Carlton store French & Co. She discovered these crates — originally from a tulip farm — at a vintage market and bought all 21 of them for about $300. Best of all, they can move from room to room. 3. IMPACT…

I DON’T KNOW about you, but when I think of cheeks, I picture one of my children as a chubby toddler, and me affectionately pinching their rosy cheeks. This mental image quickly morphs into that of my heavily made-up, perfumed and, it must be said, moustached aunty, squeezing my own juvenile cheeks before smothering me in her ample bosom. Beef cheeks, on the other hand, do not conjure up an image of soft, puffy pillows. The bovine profile, with its broad jawline and accompanying muscle, is a much-admired silhouette, but until recently, this part of the noble animal was simply minced, as the current generation was unsure what to do with it. The answer to this cooking conundrum is to braise it — long and slow. If you’ve ever observed…

CHEF’S PRODUCE CHOICE: CHISWICK-GROWN BEETROOT “The rush is addictive,” says Laura Baratto, head chef at Chiswick at the Gallery, located in the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney. “It’s all about meeting deadlines head on.” Laura thrives in the kitchen. Having started her career in the kitchen at ARIA Sydney, she also worked at Chiswick Woollahra when it opened in 2012 and moved over to be the head chef at Chiswick at the Gallery when it opened in 2014. “I love getting creative with produce. I look at a raw ingredient, like beetroot, and think of ways I can use it to put personality on a plate,” says Laura. Fresh produce is at the heart of the menu at Chiswick at the Gallery. In fact, Chiswick has its own kitchen…

CHEF’S PRODUCE CHOICE: COUNTRY VALLEY MILK AND CREAM From working at Quay in Sydney, The Ledbury in London and Le Meurice in Paris, to running her own pop-up in Morocco, Analiese Gregory experiences the world through food. “Travelling has been invaluable to my career. I got to experience other food cultures and had exposure to ingredients that I might not have had otherwise,” says Analiese. Back in Australia, Analiese has recently joined forces with the Acme crew to head the kitchen at Bar Brosé in Sydney. They transformed a narrow bar in Darlinghurst and offer an enticing menu with a loosely French angle – there’s also a bit of Chinese influence, as well as Spanish and Moroccan. Dairy is an essential part of the menu. “We use a fair variety…

“WHENEVER THEY NEED ME, AND WHATEVER I NEED TO DO, I’M THERE IN A HEARTBEAT.” EVERY YEAR WE’RE brutally reminded that we live in a land of fire, flood and drought. And for every natural disaster that occurs, there are farmers around Australia who suffer huge losses of infrastructure, stock, pasture and hay stores. It was after the devastating fires in Gippsland and the High Country that started in late 2006 and burnt for several weeks destroying a vast area of farmland, that Graham Cockerell, was driven to action. He founded the Need for Feed Disaster Relief project, run by Packenham Lions Club, where he is outgoing president. “I have a hobby farm at Upper Beaconsfield and I gave one load of hay from my own place — and that…

“I DIDN’T WANT TO LOSE WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL — THAT I MAKE EVERY THING MY SELF.” Talk to a passionate knitter and you’re bound to hear of the patient grandmother who passed on her creative skills and the love of beautiful yarn. And, indeed, fashion knitwear designer Jo Nathan, behind the Woolliwoolli brand, has just such a heritage. As a child, Jo took up the knitting needles under the watchful eye of her grandma. “My grandmother loved knitting and she taught me the basics,” says Jo, 43, who grew up on a dairy farm at Cobram in northern Victoria. “I knew I wanted to do something creative so, when I left school, I started at the Melbourne College of Textiles and went on to do a Bachelor of Textile…

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DAVID MORGAN This English-born, Sydney-based food stylist turned his hand to our Country Chef feature, page 66 . Escaping the city for a day in the NSW Hunter Valley was a dream assignment for this acclaimed food stylist, who originally trained as a pastry chef in London. “Working with chef Troy Rhoades-Brown was incredibly easy,” David says. “There was no need to have conversations about not using white plates, which in the past has been a battle with other chefs.” Better still, he went home with Troy’s recipe for perfect pork crackling. “I’ve already put it to the test and can tell you it’s incredible!” In his downtime, David loves to pack up his dog Stella and head down to his beach house in Culburra Beach on the NSW…

I HAVE THIS theory about people who like to go and get massages. They’re not very good at looking after themselves or, in therapy-speak, their emotional needs. I know this because I am one of those people. Whenever we pack up the car for a holiday and start to drive the hundreds of kilometres towards the sea and cafes and movie cinemas, I begin to google massage therapists as soon as those 3G bars light up on my phone. Ed looks at me blankly when, minutes after checking in to the beach rental, as the kids are jumping on the beds with the joy of the new and opening and closing every single cupboard door, I say, “I am going down to the shops alone. I will be an hour…

 The bright yellow chimney in the cosy kitchen of ceramic artists Nanna Bayer and Zsolt Faludi goes beyond keeping them and their pots of kombucha warm throughout the long Tasmanian winters. It is, you could say, a wonderful representation of how the sought-after artists, whose clients include the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart and Sydney florist Grandiflora, actually live — how they work together to create pieces that are both beautiful and functional; how they take pleasure in challenges that require them to think outside the box; and how, much like their chimney, they draw you into their charming world in the Huon Valley. Rewind six years and their lives looked completely different. Nanna was living in one of the world’s largest artistic communities, Fiskars, in…

Even the act of caring for wool has its rewards, with the scent of eucalyptus wafting from the line. One little orphan lamb looking right at home.…

IT ALL STARTS with a conversation about food. “Our menu comes from the food we love to eat,” says chef Troy Rhoades-Brown of Muse Restaurant and Muse Kitchen in the NSW Hunter Valley. “We all sit down, the cooks, the chefs, and we talk — about what we’re eating and cooking with. You have to cook and serve food that you love eating. We’re into black garlic at the moment.” These talks encourage experimentation and result in novel combinations. They’ve also inspired Troy to get out and explore his own backyard, seeking out people who grow food nearby, which in turn fuels more inspiration. A Hunter Valley local, Troy grew up in Lake Macquarie and went to Hunter TAFE, where he was awarded the Brett Graham Scholarship in 2005. Presented…

MEET THE PRODUCER George Francisco, Noosa, Qld George Francisco’s Voodoo bacon has been known to break some vegetarians’ resolve. “It’s true,” says George. “They started eating meat again after smelling this bacon.” Free-range Ipswich pork belly dry cured for a few days in salt, brown sugar, herbs and garlic, then smoked over applewood makes for a sweet, aromatic bacon. It’s a recipe George learnt as an apprentice chef in Virginia in the American south. “Virginia is well-known for its ham and sausages,” says George. “Pigs are fed on peanuts and have a distinctive flavour. I remember seeing bacon being made on a school excursion when I was 15 and I’ve been making my own ever since.” Breakfast customers at the hotels George has worked in since arriving in Australia in…

CHEF’S PRODUCE CHOICE: FLINDERS ISLAND LAMB “I grew up in a family of 12 kids. My father is Croatian and my mother Australian. Everything revolved around the table,” says Joe Grbac, chef and co-proprietor of Saint Crispin in Melbourne. “Food is so important in European culture. At mealtimes we’d all gather around the table, we’d eat, we’d laugh, we’d cry – so many monumental moments happened around that table.” At Saint Crispin, it is all about the dining experience – from the exquisite food and wine to the staff and the atmosphere. The kitchen is known for a contemporary menu that’s changed daily according to nature’s bounty. “I change the menu according to Mother Nature. Sometimes summer goes for a long time so we make the most of the tomatoes;…

“WE LOVE BEING PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.” If ever a person embodied the ‘local girl done good’ label, it’s Jane Cay. Since buying a fashion boutique in Cooma — the main town of the Monaro and Snowy Mountains regions in southern NSW — and re-branding it birdsnest in 2004, the 38-year-old has become an unprecedented success story. Today, birdsnest has an annual turnover of about $20 million and a staff of more than 100, making it a key employer in the region. Just as important for Jane, who grew up in the region but left after school for university and work opportunities in Sydney before returning in 2002 with her husband, Oliver Cay, a farmer, is the nurturing culture she’s created. “In 2015 we were named the eighth best place…

I have always had an affinity with the open road and the possibilities of a road trip. I’ve clocked up tens of thousands of kilometres zigzagging across the length and fringes of the country, following the endless bitumen as it weaves its way through the landscape. Growing up, our family road trips were the most exciting holidays we would have. I always loved the closeness of being in the car together, heading off before dawn, eating toasted sandwiches Mum had made earlier — wrapped in aluminium foil to keep the heat in — and watching the vibrant colours of the sunrise pour into the dark car. I have never been able to let those nostalgic times go. So much so, in the past few years, I have continuously dedicated my…

“MICHAEL’S APPROACH IS ‘HOW CAN WE GET NATURE TO DO THE WORK FOR US?’” The view from the verandah — an old shearing shed, picturesque river, sheep dotted on undulating paddocks stretching to the horizon — could almost be anywhere, anytime in Australia. However, Therese and Michael Inwood’s homestead happens to be on the outskirts of Bathurst in NSW’s central west, and their merino flock is being farmed with a distinctly 21st-century approach. “We’ve got a lot of passion for trying to be sustainable on the farm,” Michael says. “There’s a lot of uncertainty and farmers really do need to be optimists. We want to make sure we leave this farm in better condition that when we came onto it.” Not only are the couple’s innovative farming practices scoring…

Materials Patons Inca 14-ply 14 (16, 16) balls (use two strands at once) Equipment 15mm knitting needles, preferably a circular needle for the cowl Large wool needle for sewing seams Stitch marker, or coloured loop of thread, if using a circular needle for the cowl Measurements S (M, L) Fits bust 88 (95, 105) Garment underarm measurement 96 (114, 132) cm Finished length, from shoulder to back hem 74cm, or desired length Note that this is designed to be a loose-fitting garment. Tension 7.5 stitches and 12 rows to 10cm in garter stitch, using two strands of yarn knitted together. Instructions 1 For the back, cast on 34 (42, 50) stitches using two strands of yarn together. Knit 84 rows of garter stitch (every row knit), or until you reach…

POTTED COLOUR August is usually the month when hyacinths burst into bloom, their dense mass of waxy florets spreading joy and perfume about the place. Potted hyacinths should be moved outside to a sunny spot and fertilised (but not overwatered). To ensure another showy display next spring, deadhead the flowers but leave the foliage to die off naturally — this feeds the flower not the seed. Once the foliage has died back, lift bulbs out and store in a dry, dark place ready for repotting next autumn. SCANDI CHIC Give your favourite pot plants pride of place inside with Danish company Ferm Living’s stylish powder-coated plant stand. $399, from Design Stuff. (03) 9592 2960; designstuff.com.au DESIGNER CURVES Fresh from this year’s Milan Furniture Fair comes Italian designer Piergiorgio…

“Thanks for giving us the motivation to keep chasing our dreams.” INSTAGRAM Writer Barbara Sweeney shared her adventures in Ireland @foodandwords. “There’s an old custom in Ireland where a corner of the field is kept wild to provide refuge for hares. They are called hare’s corners,” says Barbara of this scene. “We could all use that kind of refuge from time to time.” Follow us on Instagram @countrystylemag SOCIAL MEDIA Our June cover garnered many compliments on Facebook and Instagram. Photography Mark Roper Styling Tamara Maynes What a vibrant cover. I want to sit at that table and soak up the atmosphere, food and conversation. Julia Piper Another beautiful issue! theflowerseekers Thoroughly enjoyed our copy over a cuppa today. @countrystylemag always does us good. saddlerandco Got my first issue of…

gardens SA Stangate House Open Day: Camellias in Bloom 28th Explore the spectacular gardens while the camellias are in bloom and enjoy a tasty Cornish tea at Adelaide Hills’ Stangate House in Aldgate. The 1940s National Trust homestead is complemented by beautiful gardens that are recognised as one of the most dazzling camellia gardens in Australia. Entry $5. 0408 081 124; stangatehouse.org.au TASMANIA Centenary Celebrations: Freycinet & Mount Field National Parks 27th–29th To honour 100 years of glorious national park life since Freycinet and Mount Field were made parks on August 29th, 1916, they are offering free entry across the three days of community celebrations. parks.tas.gov.au/centenary BEST IN SHOW NSW Byron Writers Festival 5th–7th Twenty years is a milestone anniversary, and the coastal writers’ festival is celebrating…

To say that, for Heath and Krissy Harris, life revolves around horses would be a vast understatement. Since the 1960s, Heath has built a stellar career in the entertainment business, training horses all over the world for movies as diverse as Phar Lap, Gallipoli and Wolf Creek 2. More often that not, this has been with the help of his wife, Krissy, though there’s been plenty on her own agenda, thanks to an international showjumping career. It’s only natural, then, that their patch of dirt reflects that passion. Set on eight hectares at Mount White in the heart of Brisbane Water National Park, an hour north of Sydney, this has been their home since 1986. “When we bought the place, it didn’t look anything like this,” recalls Heath. “It was…

“ I JUST WANTED A REALLY SIMPLE, CLASSIC LOOK… WHEN IN DOUBT, KEEP EVERYTHING WHITE!” History repeats itself in many ways in the home and life of Caroline Carter. The stylist and visual merchandiser has always had a passion for collecting antique and vintage wares. At one point it culminated in her own shop, but now she works part-time for Melbourne concept store Scarlet Jones and has private clients, too. This allows her more time to spend with her family in a home that has become a passion project of another kind. The house, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, was where Caroline’s grandmother lived, and where she spent a lot of her childhood. Caroline and her husband Darren bought the Ringwood house in 2010 after her grandmother passed away.…

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GET CREATIVE AT HARVEY NORMAN…

CHEF’S PRODUCE CHOICE: LIVE LOBSTERS FROM TASMANIA Being described by Matt Moran as the “best fish cook in the country” is quite an accolade. And it seems Zac Sykes is living up to his reputation. Since moving to Sydney in the late 1990s, Zac has worked with some of the stars of the cooking world, such as Neil Perry, Stephen Hodges, Greg Doyle, Peter Doyle and now Matt Moran. Zac has built his reputation working at leading restaurants, including Bistro Mars, Pier, Omega, Fishface, Bistrode, Felix, Est, Coogee Pavilion, and The Fish Shop before landing his role at North Bondi Fish. “I love the creative aspect of being a chef – putting your passion on a plate and watching people’s faces as they eat your food is pretty amazing,” says…

1 THE SWEEPING MONARO LANDSCAPE “My daily drive from my home in Bungarby to work in Cooma is 65km each way, and the views and open Monaro landscape are enchanting and make me appreciate where I live.” 2 COOMA’S CENTRAL LOCATION “Cooma is just over an hour to some incredible experiences — we ski in Thredbo every weekend in winter and, in summer, pop down the range to the beaches at Merimbula and Pambula on the NSW South Coast. Canberra is an hour down the highway, too, so we can get a culture and city fix easily. The best of all worlds!” 3 ROSE’S LEBANESE RESTAURANT “I am often spotted at Rose’s Lebanese Restaurant, with wonderful, generous hosts Tony and Rebecca Nassar. They grow all their produce organically just out…

OUT ON THE gentle rolling hills of the Monaro in southern New South Wales, it’s been raining for a couple of days. But at his family property Old Springfield, near Nimmitabel, George Haylock, who is about to start shearing, isn’t too worried. “We’ve got enough dry sheep to last a couple of days at least,” he says, laconically. We meet up — George and his wife, Mel, and their two boys, Will, three, and Tom, almost one — at the shearing shed. It’s a busy, highly disciplined workplace, yet with a timeless quality that has barely changed since artist Tom Roberts captured this great drama of pastoral life in his 1890 classic painting Shearing the Rams. George, 33, and Mel, 32, carry Merino sheep bred for both wool and meat.…

As in previous years, we were overwhelmed with stories capturing and interpreting our theme ‘Thread’ in a variety of ways — all writers generously sharing creative efforts, many of which are deeply personal. As a writer, there is always a vulnerability felt when giving your work to someone else to read, but courage is an essential attribute and finding it, along with crafting your writing skills, comes only with practise. The Crafter’s Husband is an intimate and poignant portrait of farming life. Narrated by the farmer’s wife, she tells the story of her husband’s strength and stoicism in the face of many great challenges — only to ask whether that very strength will lead to his undoing when he is confronted once again. Congratulations to Megan Low of Victoria, for…

An unusual thing happened at Camden Park recently. It rained on Manny and James Walker’s family farm, 10 kilometres south of Longreach, and Manny’s car got bogged in the driveway. For the youngest Walker in the back seat, three-year-old James junior, the sight of mud up to the axles, instead of choking dust, was a first — and the cause of much hilarity. “We got 10 centimetres of rain and he was really excited, especially about Mum getting bogged,” says James. “Nobody has been bogged here for four years.” No-one was complaining. The rain brings hope that the four-year drought gripping central-west Queensland is finally breaking. James is ever the optimist. “Based on forecasting and the fact that a La Niña event has just been announced, it looks like it,”…

IT’S A DISCOMFORTING statement: “Whether you know it or not, you have sensitive skin,” says Paula Begoun, author of The Best Skin of Your Life Starts Here (Beginning Press). Although it sounds alarming, there is logic behind it — irritation is, by its very nature, irritating for everyone. The only difference is in the reaction. Some skin types will deal with it silently, while others will respond with indignation — redness, dehydration, stinging and itching is your complexion’s attention-grabbing cry for help. In the midst of such a skin tantrum, there’s just one red-hot question on sufferers’ burning lips — is there a magic soother? Sadly, no, there generally isn’t an overnight fix. You need a bit of patience (and often a lot less product) to calm reactive skin. “Understanding…

THE LUXE LIFE Cosy up your world with a beautifully light, yet warm, Bemboka angora and superfine merino wool throw from a selection available online at Juliet Horsley Homewares. juliethorsley.com TREASURE TROVE Add charm to a space with Picket Fence Imports’ stunning range of vintage, handmade and bespoke homewares; see the collection at the trade-only AGHA Gift Fairs’ Home & Giving exhibition, August 6-10. homeandgiving.com STAND AND DELIVER Pretty and practical, the Kenwood Chef Sense mixer comes in a selection of pastel shades, has a large glass bowl, five tools and 20 optional attachments so you can easily create your favourite recipes. harveynorman.com.au GLASS ACT Finding a birthday or thank-you present can be tricky. This set of three handcrafted Krosno Petite bud vases comes gift-boxed and fits the brief perfectly.…

THE REAL VICTIM OF THE BANK CLOSURE IS CONVENIENCE, BUT IN OTHER RESPECTS, OUR LITTLE BUSINESSES MAY YET BENEFIT. THERE USED TO be a funny question that related to the transitory nature of employment in the theatre. “What is the line most spoken by actors?” we’d ask. The answer was, “Would you like fries with that?” Very funny for everyone but actors. Today, the question is: “What is the line most spoken by Dunedoo businesspeople? Well, there are two actually. “Do you have anything smaller?” and “I don’t suppose you have the right change?”. And neither of them is the slightest bit funny. Should I ever get to ask a question of a royal commission into the banking system, it will be: “Why haven’t we got one?” A bank, that…