Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i Country Style

I WAS BORN in Kyogle, did some of my primary schooling in Byron Bay and went to high school in Lismore. In all three towns, Norco loomed large. Established in 1895 in Byron Bay, Norco was the place we walked to from Nan’s house in Kyogle to buy flavoured milk, cheese, ice cream and rolls of devon – the makings of a top-shelf childhood lunch. In Lismore, the Norco factory sat on the banks of the Richmond River, where butter, cheese and ice cream were made and milk was pasteurised and bottled. For me, Norco is a symbol of home. Sipping Norco Chocolate Milk is linked with school holidays in my mind and I still treat myself to one whenever I’m in the Northern Rivers. I was thrilled when I…

book a table WA Abrolhos Long Table Lunch/Midwest Paddock to Plate Sun-drenched Geraldton hosts the Shore Leave Festival, from April 24-28, offering more than 30 events. This year’s focus is on sustainability, with a choice of fine-dining experiences, foodie farm tours, liquor trails, distillery sessions and gourmet barbecues. Two ticketed events celebrate the region’s homegrown goods: Abrolhos Long Table Lunch, held on East Wallabi Island, will see chef Scott Bridger preparing fresh western rock lobster, Abrolhos octopus and scallops – complemented by local wines. The Midwest Paddock to Plate, held at Yanget Farm, features chef Matt Stone’s menu paired with Xanadu Wines from the Margaret River region. Enjoy live music, performances and workshops each day. shoreleavefestival.com.au SOUTH AUSTRALIA Salt Festival, Apr 19-28 A melting pot of connection and innovation, Salt…

A DEAR FRIEND sent me a well-loved copy of Farmhouse Fare: Recipes from Country Housewives (Hulton Press, London, 1947). I keep it close by, on my writing desk rather than the bookcase, because there’s something so comforting about it. It features an illustrated fireside on the front, complete with milk jug and potted geranium. The featured recipes are gathered from women all over the British Isles and include dishes designed to spark invention and imagination in a time of scarcity. The first recipe in the book is for Cheese Soup. The second requires ‘an old hen’. There is an Imitation Hare Soup, something called Coventry Godcakes, something else called Old Wives’ Sod, and Mock Goose made from a bullock’s heart. Mrs E Symes from Northumberland has a pudding called Frumenty…

MANY GROWERS HOPE that at least one of their kids will follow in their footsteps. For viticulturalist Peter Brown, whose grandfather established the first Brown Brothers vineyard in 1889, all three of his children did so. And when Peter died suddenly at age 60, they truly had to step up. Grief-stricken but determined, Eliza, Angela and Nicholas Brown rallied, and they didn’t just keep the lights on. They made Peter’s big dreams a reality. Over the next two decades, the siblings expanded upon Peter’s wineries, All Saints Estate and St Leonards Vineyard in the Rutherglen-Milawa region, to acquire Mount Ophir Estate and set up boutique accommodation. They opened a restaurant, Kin, in a 19th-century castle at All Saints, and created a sophisticated wine bar, Thousand Pound, on Rutherglen’s main street.…

TIM AND LAUREN SAYCE never planned to live on a farm with horses, cattle, chickens and pigs. But when they spied a beautiful vacant block in Mount Marrow, near Ipswich in Queensland, while visiting family, an idea began brewing. “We just thought, ‘Well, wouldn’t this be nice?’” recalls Lauren, 40. The couple, who were living in Brisbane at the time, made an offer and let fate determine the outcome, agreeing that if the sale went through smoothly, it was meant to be. “It went through trouble-free!” Lauren says. The sale might have been simple, but Tim, 37, and Lauren describe their move to the country as a “journey”. They kicked it off by building a modest two-bedroom home on the 16-hectare property – on the traditional lands of the Jagera,…

BELIEVE IT OR not, there was once a time when one had to travel overseas to gain experience in order to be taken seriously back home in Australia. This bias affected numerous professions and career trajectories. “What country did you work in after graduating?” came the inevitable query at the job interview. “Err, I stayed in Melbourne?” “Thank you, we’ll be in touch.” So ingrained was this advice that there was no question that I’d go abroad after completing my cooking apprenticeship. It was also at a time when many unscrupulous and uncredentialed chefs returned home to well-paid jobs on the strength of a stint overseas. The fact that some of them worked at establishments well below par when compared to Australian restaurants was often overlooked, for how could one…

The cottage is a welcome respite for travellers and conscious consumers alike.  THESE DAYS, it’s common for people to juggle multiple roles, but what’s rare is for an old factory to take on the ethos without losing its charm. For Milk Haus, that’s exactly what happened, with the converted 19th-century cheese factory becoming a sustainable eatery, a retail pop-up, a cooking school and farm-style lodgings. Located in the scenic foothills just outside of Milton on the NSW South Coast, Milk Haus was established in 2014 as a wholefood canteen, with owners Kitty and Nat coming onboard in 2020 to continue its story. The former corporate executives dreamed of offering fresh food in an idyllic setting while creating community connections. Today, the garden-to-plate eatery is a sprawling operation offering a seasonal…

TOP SHELF, FROM LEFT Sand & Sky Australian Pink Clay Porefining Face Mask, $54, from Adore Beauty, gently draws out impurities and pollutants, stimulates collagen and leaves skin with a natural glow. Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask, $77, from Adore Beauty, pampers skin while you sleep with nourishing jujube berries, shea butter and honey. Awakening Gold-Colored Eye Masks with Caffeine, $79, from Arbonne, will soothe tired, puffy eyes with an antioxidant-rich blend of vitamins C and E, omegas and phytonutrients. MIDDLE SHELF, FROM LEFT Parabenfree Avène Soothing Radiance Mask, $39.99, from Priceline, contains natural berry extract to strengthen the skin’s barrier, plus soothing Avène Thermal Spring Water. Rescue stressed skin with a comforting blend of ceramides, hyaluronic acid and buriti oil in The Repair Shop Nourishing Repair Mask, $50, from Go-To…

Editor KYLIE IMESON Creative director SARAH FARAGO Deputy editor HANNAH JAMES Queensland contributing editor CLAIRE MACTAGGART Art director BERNHARD SCHMITZ Stylist KATE LINCOLN Features writer REBECCA HOOTON Features writer RACHEL WHITE Junior writer LISA EASEY Chief copy editor, Homes Group PETER GRIFFITHS Senior copy editors GRETA DUMBLETON, BETHAN LACOBA 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…

IN THE LOVELY countryside of Millthorpe, just south-east of Orange in New South Wales, Renee Sinclair has been delivering Burtons Lane Curry Pastes since 2015, making dinnertime for local families extra special. Growing up on a dairy farm on the outskirts of Bega, Renee’s childhood was full of food, with the family vegie patch and orchard of pear and apricot trees figuring large. Now Renee, 44, husband Brad, 45, and their children, Ella, 16, Archie, 14, Millie, 12, and Peggy, eight, live on Burtons Lane near Millthorpe – the very spot that inspired the name of her Indian-style curry paste business. The inspiration behind Burtons Lane Curry Paste doesn’t stop there. Each jar of curry paste tells the story of Renee’s great-grandparents’ brave struggle during the Great Depression in India.…

“IT’S MY JOY TO bring a home to life,” says Nonnie Aldridge, a property stylist who lives in the mountain village of Leura, 100 kilometres west of Sydney, on Dharug land. Contrary to the cookie-cutter aesthetic often associated with real-estate styling, Nonnie creates inviting spaces that feel lived-in and loved. “I’m always searching for perfect vintage or handmade pieces to put into my homes to make sure I give a curated and collected look, rather than a one-size-fits-all,” says Nonnie, who established her business, Open House Property Styling, nine years ago. Nonnie’s signature style flows effortlessly across her own home, a refurbished and extended weatherboard beauty dating back to 1901. Wherever the eye falls, vignettes of loved objects and patinated furniture represent flashbacks to people and places for Nonnie and…

form and function When renovating their cottage outside Ipswich, in Qld, Tim and Lauren Sayce took an impressively data-driven approach. “My thing was, how can we make this small home function for family better, so we don’t feel we’re drowning in things everywhere,” explains Lauren, who took photos of clutter-choked areas and designed cabinetry to fit. The kitchen’s honey-coloured oak joinery carries over into this butler’s pantry (a neighbour made the curtains). Now it’s a room that gives the family the space and tools to live the slow lifestyle – complete with chickens and vegie garden – that they always craved. Visit kaikonstruct.com.au bowerbird beauty As a property stylist, Nonnie Aldridge has an eye for the perfect item. The centrepiece of her kitchen, in Leura, NSW, is this workbench from…

MY LOVE OF using seasonal fruit and vegetables in sweet bakes will come as no surprise to those of you who know me. Adding fresh or roasted produce is one of my favourite ways to elevate a simple recipe and provide a welcome tart or fruity note to balance my baking cornerstones of butter, sugar and flour. If I had to choose just one fruit or vegetable to use for the rest of time, I think I could be quite content with either rhubarb or quince. Where rhubarb, perhaps, has the edge over quince is in its availability and ease of preparation – I always end up cutting myself when coring quince. So, I think rhubarb wins, at least for now. Or until my next batch of baked quince… The…

A FINE VINTAGE Classic French kitchenware brand Le Creuset has launched a new colourway and, fittingly, it’s inspired by red wine. Called Rhône, after the wine region in south-east France that grows chiefly shiraz and grenache grapes, it’s a warm, rich shade that looks as stylish serving up boeuf bourguignon at the table as it is decorating shelves; 20cm cast-iron round casserole, $480. Visit lecreuset.com.au Zero hero Sprout Zero non-alcoholic spirits have Middle Eastern spice trail flavours of liquorice root, star anise, rose petal, cardamom and grapefruit. Add soda water or rose lemonade for a delicious mocktail – or opt for the alcoholic version. Sprout Zero, $49.95; Sprout 24, $59.95. Visit hardtofind.com.au wine not This is perfect for anyone keen to improve their wine knowledge without upping their intake. Taste…

Wine, dine, refine Just an hour’s drive from Melbourne CBD is the Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill, a country estate set among the vines at the award-winning Lindenderry Wines. Explore the gardens, then enjoy hatted fine dining at the Dining Room, paired with the estate’s own wines, before retiring to the lap of luxury in your room; from $419. Visit lancemore.com.au KEEP IT SIMPLE There’s a spot for everything in this water-resistant, washable toiletries bag. Hang it on the hotel towel hook; $38.95. Visit hardtofind.com.au INSIDE EDGE Your travel outfit just got more chic. The curved hem on these Bassike canvas pants in Khaki gives them a sophisticated edge, while the loose fit and elasticated waist mean they’re super-comfy for long travel days; $360. Visit theiconic.com.au MADE TO MOVE Antler’s Stamford…

REFINED ELEGANCE Introducing Smeg’s Neptune Grey, a sleek neutral with a matte finish designed to balance the simplicity of Linea appliances. smeg.com/au SUBLIME SUPPORT Relish a deep, restorative sleep on a customised Sealy Posturepedic Exquisite Princeton Queen Mattress. domayne.com.au TIMELESS BEAUTY Miss Rose Sister Violet is a family-owned, South Australian company designing exquisite, ethical garments. missrosesisterviolet.com CITY OF LOVE Bendigo Art Gallery presents Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925 from the Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris. bendigoartgallery.com.au ALL WRAPPED UP Monty and Moo specialises in quality knitwear, such as the gorgeous Lizzy Possum Sweater with a rib collar. montyandmoo.com.au TAKE A SEAT Featuring a comfortable padded rattan seat, the Cristo bar stool brings a casual bistro ambience to your kitchen space. ozdesignfurniture.com.au SWEET DREAMS Discover the French Country Cotton Nightie…

PICTURE PERFECT I just want to say how much I enjoy your magazine. I am not a subscriber, but my elderly aunt buys it and when she’s finished reading it, she sends it to us. If all books were judged by their covers, Country Style would be up with the best. Such beautiful photos! C Savage, Woodenbong, NSW CHANGE OF PACE Once a month, I take some time out of my busy city schedule and for a glorious hour or two sink into the latest issue of Country Style. You see, I’ve always had a thing for the country, but my filmmaking career keeps me in the big smoke. I’ve been a Country Style subscriber for the past 20-something years (since my early 20s) and originally the magazine offered a…

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Freddy Australian cotton tea towel in Nutmeg, $14.95, from Country Road. Herringbone tea towel in Khaki, $24, from Aura Home by Tracie Ellis. Summer Lily White linen tea towel, $29, from Kip & Co. La Vie en Rose tea towel, $49 (set of two), from Williams Sonoma. Ladelle eco plaid kitchen towel in Green, $19.95 (set of two), from Myer. Eggs in Enamel tea towel, $26, from Father Rabbit Goods. Olbia Meleze linen tea towel, $59.80, from Francalia.…

PLAYING THE WIFE of a farmer may be Leila McDougall’s first-ever acting role, but she’s got plenty of real-life experience under her belt. The former high-school teacher, mother of two and wife to farmer Sean lives on a 1214-hectare sheep and cattle farm in the small town of Tatyoon in Victoria. “Normally, I help a little bit. Just, you know, doing the odd jobs,” says Leila of farming life. “What’s the joke? My job is the ‘Can ya’. You know, ‘Can ya get the tractor?’ ‘Can ya get us lunch?’ ‘Can ya do this?’ That’s a wife’s job sometimes.” As anyone married to a farmer knows, that’s definitely downplaying it. What goes under the radar is the invisible work put into supporting a partner under enormous pressure. “There’s a lot…

OFTEN IN LIFE, when one door closes, another one opens. In Sue and Michael Franklin’s case, many doors (and many Victorian sash windows) opened. Acquiring the Post and Telegraph building in Moruya on the South Coast of NSW – on the traditional lands of the Yuin tribe – in 2020 was a golden opportunity for the newly retired couple. They had thought about moving from Canberra to the coast for some time and couldn’t resist the grand old dame, with her wraparound verandah and stunning period details. Built in 1887 on the town’s main street, it was the post office and postmaster’s family home until it was sold to its first private owners in 1997. “It had been on the market for about two years because an old house like…

WHEN YOU THINK about your dream country home, do you imagine it as somewhere you can grow your own food? A voluptuous vegetable garden? Are you out there with a hat and a basket gathering armfuls of glossy red homegrown rhubarb, trimming beans from a tidy frame, and picking apples from your own trees? Growing our own food at Buena Vista Farm is a dream that has driven us to extremes and, if I’m honest, into slightly bonkers territory. Yes, we definitely have rhubarb, beans and apples, although I’m currently fighting a losing battle with codling moth for the latter. I’m incredibly lucky with space here, so we have an extensive vegie garden, a big separate herb garden, and a large, newish orchard. We grow our own coffee, our own…

IT WAS WHILE working as an apprentice for food educator and kitchen garden pioneer Stephanie Alexander that Annie Smithers first discovered a passion for fresh produce and a reverence for small growers. Later on, she would run a cafe for Carol White at Lavandula, a working lavender farm outside of Daylesford, Victoria, and it was here that her love of growing was sparked. “To put the ground to work makes perfect sense to me,” says Annie who moved to the Hepburn Springs shire over 30 years ago to be head chef at Lake House restaurant. “My love of gardening comes from hands in the earth, connecting with where the food that I cook comes from. The joy of sowing a seed and seeing it go onto a plate in a…

THE TOWN OF STANTHORPE, in Queensland’s Granite Belt, is renowned for its striking granite formations, abundant apple orchards, delicious summer stone fruit and quality wines. Back in the 1940s and ’50s, however, it was also known for its lively tennis parties. When George Hall, mayor of Ithaca in Brisbane, bought 85 hectares in the developing region in 1915 and set his sons to clearing the land, he became part of a legacy that continues today. As the fruit orchards were established and the community grew, so did the sporting clubs. Some locals played golf or football, while others built tennis courts beside their sheds. One of George’s sons, William Osborn “Ossie” Hall, had a keen interest in tennis and created Saturday afternoon matches, which became popular social outings throughout the…

I’M ON THE NORTH-WEST coast of Tasmania writing to you from the cosy luxury of the Ship Inn Stanley. The little hotel is nestled beneath The Nut, a spectacular basalt outcrop of rock. It’s knock-down windy and rain squalls have swept in horizontal sheets across the face of the monolith all afternoon. The town of Stanley is shuttered against the weather. Fishing boats bob, tied snug to the wharf, and the streets are empty. Across the state there are power outages, road closures and weather alerts; bushwalkers, graziers, shipping. This morning, in a lull, I climbed up the steep track to the top of The Nut and looked up and down the coast. It was the first time the clouds had lifted enough to see the coastline. I took in…

Wool rib dressing gown in Rosewood, $400, from Smitten Merino. Annabelle shirt dress in Faded Rose, $185, and Eva floral linen pants in Pale Pink, $165, from Miss Rose Sister Violet. Taralga ribbed local merino/alpaca/silk loose-top socks, $49, from Lindner Socks. Cleo cardi in Swiss Oat, $379, from Mia Fratino. Charlie pant in Merlot Check, $329, from Eva’s Sunday. Marigold broderie blouse, $189, Dahlia quilted jacket, $299, and Dahlia quilted skirt, $229, all from Peter Bill. Fergie knee-high gumboots in Beetroot and Light Pink, $189.95, from Merry People. Flowool sleeveless dress in Rosewood, $420, from Smitten Merino. Holly coat in Honey Check, $499, from Kachel. Fergie knee-high gumboots in Beetroot and Light Pink, $189.95, from Merry People. Riviera throw in Ochre, $329, from Waverley Mills. Agent coat in Sienna, $299,…

THE GLASS HOUSE Anne Buist & Graeme Simsion, Hachette, $32.99 Buist is Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. In 30 years of clinical practice she’s seen ‘isms’ come and go, fashions in treatment, fashions in training, and fashions in patient behaviour. Her novel is a racy, pacy ride through heartbreak and the occasional breathtaking miracle that happens when a good team subsume doctrinal differences and push hard. It is not a soap. Dr Hannah Wright is a registrar hoping to complete her qualifications as a psychiatrist. Professor Gordon is the Big Man, capable of being spiteful on occasion. Elena, a therapist, is too narrowly focused. Nicole, the new director, is interested – too much so for Nash, Hannah’s boss, who likes a free hand. Alex, a…

AT THE MUSEUM KLYTIE PATE CREATED THIS VASE IN 1950 TO CELEBRATE MELBOURNE HOSTING THE UPCOMING OLYMPIC GAMES IN 1956. KLYTIE PATE’S High Diving vase is a wonderful example of her skill as a potter. Its tall, elegant form seems perfect as the platform from which two female figures are about to dive. The top of the vase is a golden-yellow, while the lower part, a shimmering blue-green, suggests a summer sea. Cream and green was a fashionable colour scheme in the postwar years, but perhaps the colours of this vase are a reference to the green and gold of Australia’s sporting colours. In the 1970s and ’80s, Klytie had a remarkable spurt of activity. The works she was creating and exhibiting were the largest she had ever made. Vases…

Panic over news that the future of our planet is threatened by greenhouse gas pollution is masking an even greater threat to life as we know it in rural Australia. Insidious forces have sabotaged a priceless icon of country life and struck at the very heart of its simple pleasures. This week, when I trod the well-worn path to the Stars In Jars section of my favourite gourmet food shop, Condiments of the Season, unimagined horror awaited. My beloved Spiced Apple and Mint Chutney, one of a sparse handful of things that make life still worth living, had been defiled by new labelling. The dreaded new label now reads ‘Spiced Apple and Mint Salsa’. My cry of protest choked in a throat already constricted by my body’s spontaneous and violent…