Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2024 i Country Style

AS MY DAUGHTER Ally and I left the Evandale Market, she said to me, “I could see you living here. You’re always here!” While it is an exaggeration that I am always in Tasmania, I do feel at home there and it’s a place I would love to live one day. The only problem is I have no idea where. Every time I visit, I fall in love with a new part of the island state. On my most recent visit, which was Ally’s first, we were lucky enough to stay in the home featured on the cover: Leighton House. It has been in the Campbell family for 40 years and is the perfect blend of old and new. The original homestead dates back to 1860 and has been thoughtfully…

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Shinju Matsuri, Aug 17-Sept 1 Japanese for ‘festival of the pearl’, this event held in Broome celebrates the town’s pearling history and multicultural community. Shinju Matsuri opens on August 17 with a Yawuru Welcome to Country, followed by the Dahlia Designs Shinju Opening Ball at the Town Beach Festival Hub. Across 16 days, highlights include: a Family Fun Day at The Roebuck Hotel; the annual Float Parade through Chinatown; the HitWA Carnival of Nations with cultural displays and performances; a Broome Pearl Grading Masterclass; the Willie Creek Pearl Meat Cook-off, where top local chefs will present their creations based on the theme ‘Land Meets Sea’; a Sunset Long Table Dinner held on Cable Beach; and many more. Check the website for ticketed events. shinjumatsuri.com.au Nannup Flower and Garden…

WHILE A FROST sparkles on the lawn outside, Belle Binder curates the chaos of her five children with the well-oiled mastery of an orchestral conductor. With the oldest four out the door of their 120-year-old farmhouse in Spreyton, Tasmania, Belle chats to son Eddy, four, while perusing a list of ingredients for a new recipe she’s trying. She’ll take the slice out to one of the farms she works with later that day. “I like to bake for them because I feel it says a lot,” Belle, 43, says. “I like to show I care through cooking.” If there’s a ball, Belle is probably juggling it. The owner and managing director of agricultural labour hire agency Left Field, Belle balances the needs of producers and employees with raising the children…

THERE ARE HISTORIC buildings in paddocks all over Australia that are left to wither away, taking their stories with them. Sadly, the cost to restore them often outweighs the benefits of the job, especially for those making a living on the land. That could have easily been the fate of this cottage in Cressy, near Launceston. Built in the early 1800s, it was little more than a crumbling shell when it came under Fiona and Nick Moses’s care 12 years ago. “Restoring it was always a dream we had,” Fiona says. But there were more pressing jobs at hand. The cottage is one of three dwellings at Richmond Hill, a 60-hectare property on the traditional lands of the Palawa people. When the duo moved there with their four children in…

WITH ITS GOLDEN sandstone buildings, antique shops and quaint cafes, it is little wonder Karen Miles was enchanted by the town of Oatlands, around an hour’s drive north of Hobart, during a work trip in 2018. “There were these beautiful, wide country streets, gorgeous chocolate-box houses lined up in rows and, of course, the lovely French provincial homewares store I was there to see,” says Karen, who was visiting a potential stockist for her linen homewares business, French Consul. “It had such a strong ‘village’ feel, like something you would find in England or France, and I fell in love straight away.” A year later, Karen “dragged the whole family down to Tassie, raving about how beautiful it was”, visiting again with her husband, Stuart, in January 2020. “It was…

SOME PAIRINGS GO hand in hand: Kim Kardashian and publicity; Elon Musk and stock tumbles; John Farnham and goodbye tours. The cornucopia of flavour combinations is no different. Over millennia of endeavour, from the very first tools to atomic energy, cooking has been in lockstep with human achievement. Our need to discover flavour sensations has spawned enough profound discoveries to fill the largest of libraries. Yes, there are the obvious examples – strawberries and cream; soy sauce and rice; bacon and eggs – but they’ve had enough airtime. History has revered numerous titans of the culinary arts, from Apicius in Roman times to Snoop Dogg’s From Crook to Cook cookbook. However, there are countless contributors who have added to our repertoire of combining tastes. We owe that most underrated gastronome,…

SPRING INTO ACTION Prepare for the warmth of spring with core Lauren Ralph Lauren pieces in sporty yet classic Parisian styling. Embrace tailored designs, layered, striped fabrications and floaty georgette looks. SUMMER LOVING This advance preview of the Lauren Ralph Lauren summer collection takes us on a journey to Provence. Fresh whites, shades of indigo and soft lemon are the colours of the season, with a mix of vintage patterns, floral prints and denim washes creating the ultimate relaxed, feminine look. STYLING ASSISTANT LILLY VEITCH HAIR AND MAKE-UP SARAH TAMMER. SHOT ON LOCATION AT OSBORN HOUSE, BUNDANOON, NSW. JAN-MARIE @ CHADWICK MODELS. BIANCA @ IMG MODELS.…

Editor KYLIE IMESON Creative director SARAH FARAGO Deputy editor HANNAH JAMES Art director BERNHARD SCHMITZ  Queensland contributing editor CLAIRE MACTAGGART  Stylist KATE LINCOLN  Feature writers REBECCA HOOTON, RACHEL WHITE  Junior writer LISA EASEY  Chief copy editor, Homes Group PETER GRIFFITHS  Senior copy editor GRETA DUMBLETON ADVERTISING AND PRODUCTION  Commercial brand manager JO-ANN TAYLOR  Advertising production manager KATE ORSBORN  Director of sales –NSW, VIC, SA KAREN HOLMES  Head of direct sales – VIC, SA, WA WILL JAMISON  Queensland head of sales JUDY TAYLOR  Creative director CLARE CATT  Head of events and sponsorships CATE GAZAL  Head of Directories REBECCA WHITE  Production controller KARA STEAD  Advertising production controller DOMINIC ROY  All advertising inquiries ADVERTISING@AREMEDIA.COM.AU MARKETING AND CIRCULATION  Director of marketing CARLY BOWRA  Head of consumer marketing LOUISE CANKETT  Marketing manager JESS TAYLOR  Circulation…

laundry love Anyone who’s in the thick of family life (or farm life) knows how often they find themselves in the laundry room. A reliable, large-capacity washing machine is an essential that underpins the whole kit and caboodle – and LG’s new 14kg front-load machine has the brand’s TurboClean360 quick-wash feature, its Steam+ program to reduce wrinkles, and AI features that sense the weight and type of laundry and selects the most energy-efficient, effective washing motions to use. Plus, you can start a wash remotely – perfect for those days when time is of the essence. LG WXLS1014G, $1499. Visit harveynorman.com.au J AVA JIVE If the coffee isn’t flowing, the day isn’t working. And Breville’s new The Oracle Jet coffee machine, $3699, keeps the joy juice coming. Swipe through pre-programmed…

THE VISUAL LANGUAGE of Australia’s rural landscape speaks of weather-battered textures and the rolling lines of fenced paddocks that sweep as far as the eye can see. Multidisciplinary artist Susan Simonini, 56, is inspired daily by this patinated poetry surrounding her home and studio in the blink-and-you-miss-it farming hamlet of Upper Castra in Tasmania’s north-west, where the Punnilerpanner people are the traditional custodians of the land. Born in Brisbane and formally trained with a fine arts degree at the Queensland College of Art, Susan began her creative career as a painter and printmaker. When the GFC hit, the artist returned to university to gain a teaching degree, followed by a full-time role teaching in primary school. “It didn’t leave much time for art-making,” says Susan. “I took a pottery class…

IN AUSTRALIA’S DEEP southern reaches, Tasmania bursts with historically significant properties and the conservation-minded folk who carefully restore and revive their fading character. Thorne Cottage is one of these storied locations, refreshed and ready to face another century in the seaside village of Lewisham, at the entrance to the Pittwater estuary on Hobart’s eastern fringes; the traditional lands of the Muwinina people. Originally erected in the 1820s by convict labour for a Royal Marine sergeant named Samuel Thorne, the two-storey stone building served as an inn for the nearby whaling station and then became a private residence, at one point housing a family with 13 children. When local couple Sarah and Phil Webb (46 and 60, respectively) bought the estate on a double block in 2009, it had weathered whipping…

A NEW ACQUAINTANCE of ours came to dinner in the middle of one winter and brought with her an enormous bunch of bright yellow flowers picked from her garden. They were the most cheerful and fragrant thing, like daisies but with a strong citrusy smell. I was intrigued by them and discovered they were tagetes, or Mexican marigolds. With supercharged aromatic foliage that deters pests and attracts bees and butterflies, the tagetes loves the sun, copes with drought, survives light frost and is in flower for about 10 months of the year. This makes it a fabulous winter flowering plant when you’re running around your yard with scissors in August, about to go out for dinner. And this is what I’m all about right now: cut flowers as gifts. What…

AS A KID, my little brother was powerless in the face of a country-bakery custard tart. He just loved them. I never understood it – the pale, wobbly, nutmeg-freckled custard held no appeal to me whatsoever. And certainly not in competition with a piece of squishy apple slice or a neenish tart; no-brainer. In more recent years, however, custard tarts have started creeping into my life in various forms, and I can’t say I’m unhappy about it. A good custard tart is indeed a thing of great beauty. Perhaps my favourite incarnation was a rather excellent one from a lovely little (sadly, no more) patisserie in Bathurst. It was a standing order whenever we visited my aunt and uncle there and, with a layer of soft, sweet date puree at…

bask in Byron Basq House is Byron Bay’s newest boutique hotel (left), and it’s a goodie – a stylish and serene spot from which to explore NSW’s glorious Northern Rivers region. Visit basqhouse.com.au TRAVEL CHIC Family-owned Tassie business Lake Leather makes beautiful leather goods. I love this Devonport bag, perfect for travel; $159.95. Visit lakeleather.com.au Keep cosy with Kathmandu’s Any Time Down parka, $449.98. Visit kathmandu.com.au And stride out in Teva’s new Rowena Lace boots in Olivine, $300. Visit au.teva.com HERE TO STAY Tasmania’s brimming with delightful places to stay. Our favourites include: The Woodbridge (right), a beautifully restored 1825 home turned hotel (woodbridgenn.com.au); The Picker’s Hut, a dreamy vineyard stay (thepickershut. com.au); the Clarendon Arms, an historic hotel in Evandale (clarendonarms.com.au); and Cressy House Estate, an 1827 homestead in…

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Luminosité Dry Face Oil, $52, from Selkia Skin, infuses the skin with nourishing Kakadu plum, jojoba and rosehip oil. Brass dish is stylist’s own. Origins Nourishing Avocado Lip Butter, $30, from Mecca, contains eight plant oils and butters to soften dry lips. Istanbul Hand & Body Moisturiser, $39, from Saardé, moisturises skin with extra virgin olive oil and Saardé’s signature blend of clove, cinnamon, lemon, geranium, sandalwood and oak moss. Store your products on the Rufus Indra Shallow Bowl in Green Onyx, $60, from GlobeWest, which is crafted from Onyx marble. Lactic and azelaic acids gently remove dead cells to reveal radiant skin in Ren Clean Skincare Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic, from $36, from Mecca. Maya Hyaluronic 72-Hour Hydration Serum, $54, from Antipodes, targets…

THIS MORNING ON MY WALK, I stepped over a scattering of carrot sticks. They were freshly cut, vibrant against the grey footpath and kind of hopeful. Some of them had fallen into the gutter. A little further on, I passed a primary school. I tried to pick which child had ditched their nutritious lunch-box snack, then thought about all the healthy food I’d popped into my children’s lunch boxes… how much of it had ended up in a gutter or a bin? This led me to think about how two of my children now have their own cars, the interiors of which are scattered with junk-food litter. I am unreasonably offended by this litter; it seems like a terrible insult to all the healthy snacks I’ve prepared over the years.…

MIDYEAR MERRIMENT Since moving to a quiet seaside hamlet on the NSW South Coast 15 years ago, there’s nothing I enjoy more than playing host to my city besties when they come for a visit. And, at this time of year, I love treating them to one of our favourite annual events… Christmas in July. I go the whole hog: I decorate, play carols, cook tasty traditional Christmas fare, and we sit around a roaring fire, exchanging gifts and quietly pretending we are enjoying a northern winter White Christmas (and, as night draws in the peace and quiet, one could easily believe it is snowing outside!). Mulling over what I would prepare, I reached for my stash of Country Style magazines – dating back well over 10 years – for…

AS THE YOUNGEST of 10 children, Michelle Payne’s childhood on a 16-hectare horse-training property at Miners Rest, just outside Ballarat in Victoria, was anything but dull. Her dad, Paddy, raised Michelle and her siblings after her mum, Mary, was tragically killed in a car accident when Michelle was just six months old. “Sometimes, it was a bit like a game of survival – we had to fend for ourselves a bit,” Michelle, 38, explains. “There were plenty of fights, of course – like any family with lots of kids – but overall, it was just really good fun. There were always people around and things happening.” While the Payne family has Swiss and Irish heritage, both sets of Michelle’s grandparents owned dairy farms in New Zealand, where her parents met…

EMMA AND STUART BURGESS have always felt drawn to the land. Stuart’s family were dairy farmers in Gerringong on the South Coast of New South Wales, while Emma grew up in nearby Jamberoo. But it was Tasmania that stole their hearts. The couple moved there in the early 1990s, soon after getting married, intending to stay for three years. “Tasmania has a way of getting under your skin,” says Emma, 53. “It’s so beautiful, and a different pace of life.” Over the next three decades, Emma and Stuart moved back and forth between Tasmania and Sydney, even having their three daughters on the Apple Isle; firstborn Isabella, 22, lives there full-time today. “So, they’re kind of Tasmanian,” says Stuart, 54, smiling. In June 2023, on one of their trips down…

A STAY AT Leighton House in northern Tasmania can take any form you like. For owner Genevieve Campbell, it begins with a walk through the 121-hectare property to the South Esk River, a renowned local fishing spot heaving with trout. On her return, she does some stretches on the outdoor yoga deck followed by a hot sauna and an invigorating cold shower. The Breville Oracle coffee machine in the kitchen makes a mean espresso and then it’s time to head out and explore the local village of Evandale, with its gastro pub and antique shops. “The local area is really taking off with plenty of activities on our doorstep, from beautiful vineyards to adventure sports including skiing, mountain biking and hiking,” says Genevieve. She owns Leighton House with her husband,…

CATTLE BREEDER AND father-of-three Sam Fryer is in a good spot right now, but he hasn’t always been. After a series of traumatic events, Sam, 34, “broke down” at his parents’ kitchen table in outback Far North Queensland, when he was just 22. “I think I had a pretty high tolerance for dealing with things until that point, and then my cup overfilled, and I was done. I was on a precipice,” says Sam, who hosts the podcast A Place To Call Home. On the recommendation of a close family friend, Sam started seeing a mental health specialist in Townsville, who helped him cope with the challenges he’d faced from a young age. And they were many: Sam’s eight-year-old sister, Alex, who had cerebral palsy, passed away just before he…