JUST IN TIME

In the idyllic village of Berrima in the NSW Southern Highlands, a couple have extended an historic home while also restoring its original features.

BERRIMA TODAY THRIVES on its reputation as the most delightful of all the small towns in the NSW Southern Highlands. Its charm rests in its survival as a unique convict period town, laid out as the county capital of Camden in 1831, and its sandstone buildings — particularly the massive former gaol and imposing courthouse, both built between 1835 and 1839. Bypassed by the main southern railway line in 1867, and then by the multi-lane Hume Motorway in 1989, Berrima has retained the scale and atmosphere of an English village, centred around a village green. Cottages and houses are scattered through the nearby “fields and woods”, as the early settlers of the area described the bush. One such cottage belongs to Eric Savage and Clive West, who bought their property in 2001. “It was fortunate for us and for the cottage, because another prospective buyer intended to demolish the rundown dwelling to build a ‘colonial-style’ house. Our cottage is a slab construction from eucalypts cut down on the property, with the roof struts made from rough-hewn branches. We believe it was built some time between 1850 and 1860. Since we restored it, it has been heritage listed by the local council, winning a heritage award for the restoration,” Eric says. Today, Eric and Clive’s home sits on approximately one hectare, with half of it given over to a cultivated garden. This paradise is filled with roses, fruit trees and vegetables, yet hidden from view by boundary plantings of native vegetation. “The front of the old cottage looks out over the original horse paddock,” Eric says. “When we returned to Australia after living in Paris for many years, we lived in the old cottage for the first five years. We always knew we would add to it to have some modern comforts, which meant planning the garden so that when we did renovate, we didn’t have to uproot every plant.” In 2005 and 2006, Eric and Clive added a major extension to the cottage, transforming and incorporating the small >

“We’re over 600 metres above sea level here and we have cold winters with temperatures often below freezing at night.”

BERRIMA NSW HOME Rocks collected from the property were used to make the fireplace. FACING PAGE Owners Eric Savage and Clive West have items collected while travelling and living in Europe and Asia on display throughout their home.

BERRIMA NSW HOME The large living room takes up almost the entire footprint of the original cottage. The 1980s painting of pomegranates is by Canberra artist Vicky Dabro, depicting fruit from Eric and Clive’s Canberra garden.

CLOCKWISE, TOP LEFT Eric and Clive’s garden is a delight in any season; an original timber slab wall is a feature in one of the bedrooms; stone from the property was used to build this drystone wall; the walnut armoire was purchased in Paris in 1997. FACING PAGE Camellias from the garden grace a Chinese altar table displaying antiques and souvenirs.