Table of contents for June 2019 in Country Style

The Country Style team have spent days going through our old issues and filing cupboards filled with images in preparation for this special issue to celebrate our 30th birthday. Lots of memories came flooding back as we looked through the pages. Utes getting bogged while trying to shoot covers, worrying about photographers travelling in remote areas beyond mobile telephone reception and how one of them, Sharyn Cairns, would occasionally text us a beautiful picture with the words ‘in the line of fire’ — that’s a memory which made me run one of those images on page 96. It was shot in 2011 and I think it is just as powerful today as it was then. People often ask me how we find all the stories that fill our pages and…

I GARDEN IN BARE FEET, as though I too can be planted. When I was a child, my grandfather taught me to identify the native trees on his farm between Bathurst and Mudgee in central NSW. The gnarled, brittle gum trees and scribbly gums that grew on the rocky hillsides were my favourites. Their twisted branches reaching out at odd angles, the lumps and bumps and squiggles on silver white trunks, they appeared to me to be trees with a story. My grandfather loved the magnificent yellow box trees. He said that they showed us where the good soil was. Their canopy provided shade for his flock of merino sheep during the hot summer months and the dry wood of trees long past burned brightly in his wood-fired stove during…

NSW The Anchorage Port Stephens This resort and spa is the perfect base from which to explore this popular holiday spot, which boasts beautiful beaches, coastal walks, national parks and abundant wildlife. Overlooking a private marina, The Anchorage has two pools, two restaurants and a cocktail bar. All rooms and loft suites have a private terrace or balcony with water views, and there’s also a luxurious Hamptons-style villa that sleeps four and has a private courtyard with spa. Prices start at $299 per room, including a sparkling wine breakfast for two. 26 Corlette Point Road, Corlette. (02) 4984 2555; anchorageportstephens.com.au…

• The kitchen mantelpiece is a solid ironbark slab hand-milled from an old barn at Old Bogalara, and held up with brackets salvaged from a Sunshine Harvester. The floral feature was a gift from an existing business customer, Flowers From The Garden florist in Dickson, ACT. (02) 6247 4457; flowersfromthegarden.com.au • All of the artwork in Sus and Derek’s house is by family or friends. The charcoal sketches are by their daughter D’Arcy Bush. 0422 612 596; darcybcreative.com and on Instagram as @darcyb.charcoal • White subway tiles from Yass Tiles & Tapware feature in the kitchen splashback. (02) 6157 2733; yass-tiles-bathware.business.site • The pendant lights are large Holophane glass dish lights from Edison Lighting in Melbourne. (03) 9396 1421; edisonlightglobes.com • The black Leiter kitchen table chairs are from Thonet…

IT WAS THE beguiling story of how Rosendale, a romantically tumbledown stone cottage at Hayes in Tasmania’s Derwent Valley, came into David and Annie Johnston’s lives that we loved. Like many locals, their curiosity about the mystery house had already piqued while driving past it for years. But it was when they decided to cease farming the family holding in Ouse that the opportunity arose to buy Rosendale. When Annie and David’s story appeared in Country Style in July 2008, the couple had nearly finished restoring the 1830s cottage, shoring it up structurally, re-pointing the exposed stone walls, then adding a new bathroom, as well as a bedroom wing and rear verandah. David, then a business administrator, ran cattle on 40 hectares and Annie, a nurse, tended a garden full…

14 IAN JOHNSTONE Ecotourism operator and founder of The Maria Island Walk From its beginning in 2003, The Maria Island Walk quickly set a benchmark in ecotourism as one of Australia’s premier walking experiences. Founder Ian Johnstone operates the four-day walk, which caters to small groups, offers meals based around fine Tasmanian produce and provides accommodation in light footprint wilderness camps. Just off Tasmania’s east coast, Maria Island is a national park and a place of stunning beauty, unique wildlife and layered with Indigenous and European history. the Maria Island Walk is part of the exclusive Great Walks of Australia group and brings national and global focus to the area. Ian also has proposals to rebuild a heritage house on Maria Island and further ecotourism ventures on the south coast…

Now that you’ve read about all of the wonderful contributions our 30 inspirational achievers are making in their relevant fields, it’s time to vote. Who do you believe is most deserving of our People’s Choice award? Head to homestolove.com.au/countrystyle top30 to have your say, and you’ll go in the running to win a weekend stay for two people at The Byron at Byron Bay. The prize includes two nights in a deluxe spa suite, breakfast each morning and a $150 restaurant voucher to use during your stay. This is a game of skill, not a game of chance. Open to Australian and New Zealand residents aged 18 and over. Voting ends 11.59 AEST on May 27, 2019. For full conditions, see homestolove.com.au/countrystyletop30. PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY…

WITH ITS HERITAGE STREETSCAPES lined with blossoms, and prime position on one of the most scenic stretches of the Blackwood River, Bridgetown’s aesthetics have long made it a magnet for the older set. But in recent years, an increasing number of young families have arrived. Some simply love that it offers four distinct seasons, a rarity in Western Australia. “That’s one of the attractions,” agrees born-and-bred Bridgetownian Pip Mills, 58. “You always know what season you are in here. People say it reminds them of Europe, along with the hills, the deciduous trees and the insanely rich soil that lets you grow anything.” With its location at the centre of the state’s South West region, major destinations such as Margaret River, Manjimup and Bunbury are within easy driving distance. It’s…

ANGELICA ARNOTT BIODYNAMIC FARMER AND MOTHER, 58 Formerly with pop band Chantoozies, Angelica lives between coastal Byron Bay and Boorowa in southern NSW with her two youngest children, Lilla and Lordie, and husband, Charlie Arnott. How would you describe your style? It was a challenge settling into life as a farmer’s wife; it took a while before I was able to hang up my stilettos! Right now my style is dictated by my 18-month-old son Lordie. Generally, I want to feel feminine and sexy, so I love a silk shirt and full skirt, but play it down with white trainers. Do you enjoy fashion? It’s a love-hate relationship. It takes time and precision planning to coordinate a wardrobe so on the days I go shopping I take my older daughters…

MAGICAL MOSS A forest floor blanketed in moss is a serene scene indeed. The luscious Moss by Swedish writer and artist Ulrica Nordstrom (Penguin, $29.99) is a tribute to the unassuming beauty of a miniature wonder of the plant world. Having grown up surrounded by the verdant forests of northern Sweden, its presence had worked its way into her consciousness… “to my mind it was something that humans and animals could turn to in comfort if they got lost in the forest,” she says. While in gardening, moss can often be seen as something to be eradicated, here it’s celebrated for its ability to flourish in environments ranging from deserts to Antarctica where many other plants struggle to survive. Ulrica explores the history of moss, both as a garden plant…

PERFECT MATCH Fisher & Paykel’s 12kg Front Loader washer with ActiveIntelligence™ and 9kg Heat Pump dryer have matching wash and dry cycles. fisherpaykel.com/au TURNING HEADS Natio’s new haircare range includes shampoos and conditioners formulated for daily use, to repair damaged hair and to care for coloured hair. natio.com.au WORK OF ART Mia Fratino collaborated with celebrated street artist Shannon Crees on the design of this colourful Art Series Coatigan, $499. miafratino.com BAGS OF STYLE A great tote for shopping or a day at the beach, 2 Duck Trading’s medium classic-trim basket, $65, has long handles and a strong base. 2ducktrading.com.au CREATIVITY BLOOMS Learn to paint flowers at one of artist Jacqueline Coates’s two- or four-day Blooms Painting Workshops in Australia or New Zealand. artscreativehub.com ITALIAN DESIGN The GrigioLusso Serie by…

VIRGINIA IMHOFF Our Melbourne editor has lost count of the number of stories she’s written since she started with the magazine in 2000. The feature about Barunah Plains, on page 54, is her favourite in this issue. A passionate horsewoman, Virginia has a farm at Kingston in central Victoria, where she runs a mob of Suffolk sheep, her thoroughbred and warmblood competition horses, and 13 brumbies rescued from the Alpine region. “I love getting out and seeing what people are up to — whether it’s visiting a beautiful home or garden, or talking to a clever artisan or producer,” she says of her work for Country Style. “There’s something about the country that inspires people to be extraordinarily creative.” Virginia particularly enjoyed visiting Damian Canny for her story about his…

LITTLE WALDO AND REDA are the adorable and very lucky stars of our cover shoot for this issue. Both eastern greys, the joeys have been in the care of Helen Round of East Trentham Wildlife Shelter in Central Victoria since they were retrieved by her partner Manfred Zabinskas of Five Freedoms Animal Rescue last summer. Together, the couple run the voluntary shelter, where Helen cares for a range of native animals that have either been orphaned or injured, while Manfred operates the rescue arm, as well as a commercial animal rescue service for all species. “I do anything to do with animal welfare, from climbing-tree rescues where a bird might be caught in a tree or after bushfires I might climb up and get a koala. I abseil into mine…

NSW Balahdhurr: A Lasting Impression, June 23rd–July 21st Cowra Regional Art Gallery hosts this touring exhibition by Artback NT in association with the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre. Yolngu artists share stories of Indigenous culture and history through linocuts, screenprints, etchings and lithography. Admission free. Tuesday to Saturday 10am–4pm. Sunday 2pm–4pm. 77 Darling Street, Cowra. (02) 6340 2190; cowraartgallery.com.au Iandra Castle Open Day, June 9th Explore the imposing Mount Oriel Homestead and surrounding gardens at Iandra Station in the state’s Central West. Built in 1908, the grand two-storey house features spires, high verandahs and leadlight windows, which resulted in locals referring to it as Iandra Castle. 10am–4pm. Adults $15, children $5. 870 Iandra Road, Greenethorpe. (02) 6383 9241; iandracastle.com.au Echuca Steam Rally, June 8th–9th This annual event includes displays of working steam…

SA Mount Pleasant Farmers’ Market, every Saturday Located in a sweet point, midway between the Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley and an hour from Adelaide, this market draws farmers from across both food-rich regions and attracts customers from the city. There’s an extraordinary range here, from chemical-free vegetables grown by Sabri and Judy Dogan on their family market garden in Murray Bridge to Limousin beef, produced at Pebbly Range Limousin at Tungkillo. In the two showground pavilions, one is devoted to food shopping — free-range eggs, poultry, bread, wine from Eden Valley, milk and cheese, citrus from Nildottie, dried fruit from Mypolonga and seafood from the coast, once a month — and the other, to a makeshift tea room, where everyone meets to catch up over breakfast and coffee. 8am–noon.…

• Damian replaced the existing stove in the homestead kitchen with a new navy blue AGA Total Control five-oven cooker. (03) 9521 4965; agaaustralia.com.au • Most of Damian’s furniture came with him from a previous home. “We had a more modern and smaller house before this one and our furniture was fairly eclectic. Some of the furniture we now have, such as the grand piano, dining table, dining chairs and a sideboard, was purchased with the house.” • Many of the rooms have been repainted in what Damian calls Barunah White, a colour he had custom-mixed for the property. • Damian did most of the work himself, including landscaping around the existing pool, reinforcing the banks of Warrambine Creek with rock walls, and renovating the footbridge. His building and architecture…

NEARLY A DECADE ON after our February 2010 feature, James Broadbent’s Mulgoa garden and home is still a good news story. William Cox’s 1811 cottage survives intact — tucked away between Sydney’s urban sprawl and the Blue Mountains, an integral part of Mulgoa’s historic precinct. The cottage is one of the cornerstones of the heritage landscape triangle comprising it, St Thomas’ Anglican Church and the Greek revival mansion Fernhill. This remarkable group of buildings and the landscape of apple oaks is mercifully almost unchanged since colonial times. James Broadbent, historian, curator and author of The Australian Colonial House, is still in residence. The four-room building, “totally derelict” when the Broadbent family bought it more than 40 years ago, sits on a hill; its sloping unbroken roof line of flat iron…

20 CHARLES WILSON Industrial designer Born in regional New South Wales, Charles Wilson is one of the most renowned and celebrated industrial designers in Australia. He splits his time between his home in Sydney and his family’s estate, Droubalgie, which is located on the banks of the Lachlan River in western New South Wales. Success came early, with Charles receiving his first design award nomination while he was still an industrial design student at Sydney College of the Arts. He has since collaborated with industry giants Woodmark International, Herman Miller and King Living, creating some of the most innovative and beautifully designed furniture on the market. Charles Wilson is known for his cutting edge and unique designs with a focus on longevity, formidable quality and products that nurture the human…

The population of Bridgetown is about 2800 (the wider shire, including nearby town Greenbushes, is about 4700). Healthcare and education are the main employment industries, followed by local government administration, timber milling and cattle farming. The biggest employer in the area is the Greenbushes mine, the world’s largest lithium deposit. Enterprise is supported in the region at the Community Resource Centres in both Bridgetown and Greenbushes (they hold regular courses and workshops), and by the Bridgetown Greenbushes Business and Tourism Association and the South West Development Commission. crc.net.au; swdc.wa.gov.au Another important institution for the town’s sizeable artistic community is the Blackwood Valley Arts Alliance. The region is connected to the NBN.…

THERE’S SOMETHING A LITTLE MAGICAL about lip colour. Long before screen sirens like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn fashioned a painted pout as the go-to for instant glamour, it was considered almost as precious as currency in Elizabethan England. Queen Elizabeth I herself is said to have believed that rouge lipstick had lifesaving powers and was rumoured to have been wearing nearly a half-inch of her signature scarlet when she died (ironically, most lipsticks were high in toxic lead back then). When the mercury dips each winter, fashion (more often than not) dictates that we should reach for colour as a mood-lifting beauty accessory. “Stained berry, red and dusky rose lips are going to be huge,” says Alphie Sadsad, national artistry lead at Sephora. “It gives a cool, undone finish…

SWEET DREAMS I love reading Country Style. Thanks so much for continuing to publish a well-written magazine. I fall in love with all the magical country scenes and use many of the pictures for vision boarding or manifesting. One day I’d love to have my own flower farm, and each time I read your magazine, I am reminded of this wonderful dream. I am obsessed with gardens and floral scenes, so I particularly love the garden features. Anita Ozolins, Dianella, WA FEELING CONNECTED I don’t usually write to the editor, but after purchasing the February issue I just had to. In a world of social media, one can get so caught up and yet be so disconnected. All of the stories in the issue showed normal families living their best…

BIODYNAMIC FARMER CHARLIE ARNOTT can tell you a story about every tree, gate post or paddock on his property, Hanaminno, near Boorowa on the South West Slopes of NSW. Even the property’s name has a tale — his parents named it after Hāna Ranch, a working cattle property in Hawaii where they spent their honeymoon (an enterprise that coincidentally now shares Charlie’s passion for regenerative farming and more direct supply practices). Charlie grew up on Hanaminno and describes the farm as his sanctuary. Together with his wife Angelica, he now shows their children how to plant trees, muster cattle and identify birds in the undulating basalt and granite hills of the 2143-hectare property. “I just love being in this landscape. The first seven years of childhood are about developing a…

VICTORIA Oakridge Restaurant Co-executive chefs Matt Stone and Jo Barrett are renowned for their innovative food and dedication to sustainability. Vegetables and herbs are sourced from two large kitchen gardens or local producers, cutting food miles and creating vibrant food with a sense of place. On Saturday June 1st, the chefs team up with Melbourne charcuterie expert and cookbook author PJ Booth for a special event, the Pinot, Poultry & PJ Booth Dinner, for which Matt and Jo have created a special menu comprising rich, hearty game bird dishes. Bookings are essential for the dinner, which costs $140 per person for four courses and matched Oakridge wines. The restaurant is open for lunch Thursday to Monday. 864 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream. (03) 9738 9900; oakridgewines.com.au SA Seed Winehouse + Kitchen In…

ONE OF JULIE BISHOP’S favourite books as a child was South Australian author Colin Thiele’s February Dragon. Thiele is famous for his novel Storm Boy, but it was this lesser-known work that struck a chord with our former foreign minister when she was a little girl. “It was about a bush fire and it made me cry, because it reminded me of the stories that my father would tell about our property when the place burnt down,” says Julie, referring to the Black Sunday fires that destroyed her family’s Adelaide Hills farm. Isabel Bishop — Julie’s resourceful mother who went on to become the mayor of East Torrens District Council — was at home alone with her oldest daughters, Mary Lou and Patricia, on January 2, 1955, when the fires…

A DRAMATIC ABSTRACT artwork hangs over the fireplace at Old Bogalara, the home of Sus and Derek Bush. You cannot see them but the words of Persian poet Rumi — “I want this music and this dawn and the warmth of your cheek against mine” — are delicately inscribed into the contemporary acrylic on canvas, painted by good friend Sara Cusack Cox. The painting was a Valentine’s Day gift from Sus to Derek and echoes all that they hold dear in their life at Bookham, 32 kilometres west of Yass in southern NSW. The painting is aptly placed in the centre of the kitchen; an open and airy space under a cathedral ceiling with views to the east and west. Featuring a large window seat, butler’s pantry, charming old-fashioned meat…

26 PIP BRETT Founder of The Sonic, Iglou and Jumbled Located in the regional New South Wales town of Orange, Pip’s successful fashion businesses have been receiving global attention. The concept store itself, situated in what was once the local Masonic hall, is called The Sonic and is home to her fashion business Iglou, her homewares business Jumbled, as well as a café called Nimrods. Pip has been running Iglou since she finished her design studies, and offers a carefully curated collection of high-end brands such as Sass & Bide, Viktoria + Woods, Elka Collective and Tigerlily. Jumbled is her newest venture, stocking an colourfully eclectic selection of high-quality art and homewares. The thriving businesses are testament to Pip’s passion, flare and keen eye for design and detail. Pip only…

I’M ALWAYS SURPRISED when birthdays are met with a ‘bah humbug’ response. In my opinion, people who subscribe to the belief that birthdays are only for the young are missing out on one of the few instances in which to celebrate significant milestones. Or could it be that scientific improvements in keeping people alive for longer have made us ambivalent to the wonder of surviving another year? Me? I love birthdays. I see them as a day of reflection for the past, an appreciation of the present and the possibility of the future. And there is cake. I’m not sure why cake has become the leitmotiv for birthday festivities. However, my extensive inquiries (I typed ‘history of birthday cakes’ into Google) reveal it probably harks back to the ancient Greeks…

GETTING THERE CAR Kununurra is 3212 kilometres north-east of Perth, 1044 kilometres inland from Broome and 828 kilometres south-west of Darwin. A four-wheel drive is recommended. FLY Airnorth and Virgin operate at East Kimberley Regional Airport, Kununurra. swek.wa.gov.au/airports.aspx BEST TIME TO VISIT The dry season is April to September. January to March is monsoon period, and some places are inaccessible. Check with the Kununurra Visitor Centre. 75 Coolibah Drive. 1800 586 868; visitkununurra.com WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK THE PUMPHOUSE A converted pumphouse on Lake Kununurra with a menu of local produce. Lakeview Drive, Kununurra. (08) 9169 3222; thepumphouserestaurant.com EMMA’S This shaded retreat with a wide verandah offers à la carte and buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner at El Questro Emma Gorge. (08) 9161 4388; elquestro.com.au/explore/dine STEAKHOUSE RESTAURANT Dine on…

WHEN IT’S COLD OUTSIDE, there’s nothing quite like sitting in front of an open fire, preferably with a glass of wine or toasted marshmallows close by. “A fireplace instantly makes a home feel more inviting,” says interior designer Justin Bishop of Justin Bishop Interior Design. It can help pull a decorative scheme together too. “A fireplace not only adds character and visual strength to a space, it creates a natural focal point. Seating and occasional tables, for example, can be grouped around a fire to create a cosy setting for conversation and entertaining,” he says. Whatever your home’s style and location, you’ll find no shortage of options to choose from. Take your pick from classic wood fires — gas models that offer heat and atmosphere at the touch of a…

THE REDEEMED Tim Pears, Bloomsbury, $32.99 It’s fair to say that if the opening chapter of a novel is a minutely detailed account of one young sailor’s part in a military battle in 1916, then the readers are going to be mostly males. That’s why I recommend female readers begin at Part Two. There’s a list of who’s who at the front of the book, so it’s easy to identify the various characters. Part Two carries the story forward and explores the blossoming of 16-year-old Lottie, who persuades the local vet, Patrick Jago, to take her on as his assistant. In 1916 in the UK this was highly unusual. Lottie has to disguise herself as a boy in order to be accepted by the local farmers as the veterinarian’s young…

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SUM UP THE LAST three decades in a single column. Sure, I can do that. After all, it has passed in the blink of an eye. And so, it came to pass, that in the late 1980s, a small publishing house in a big city noticed the only conspicuous gap on the newsstands was for a magazine celebrating the delights of rural living in Australia. Sure, there was Field and Stream, which depicted the majestic creatures of America’s northern plains and the weaponry to hasten their extinction. And there was Country Life, which opened up a world entirely populated by British women in head scarves and green wellies, and with many hyphenated family names to make up for their lack of a discernible chin. Country Style was to be different.…