MY TOWN: YASS
TRAVEL
Close to wineries and pretty countryside, this NSW town offers a great lifestyle and friendly community.
JUST 60KM FROM CANBERRA, the historic town of Yass offers all the benefits of the capital’s cultural offerings, conveniences and opportunities, along with relaxed country living. The town of 6,500 people retains a strong sense of community and attracts a growing number of visitors and new residents drawn to the region’s pretty landscapes and burgeoning food and wine scene.
For Claire Bremner, returning to Yass has brought her full circle. The 43-year-old associate partner of a corporate affairs firm in Canberra returned in 2007, after her husband Duncan discovered Claire’s childhood stone home, Ty Cerrig, for sale. It’s now home to their children Jeremy, 12, Simon, 11, and eight-year-old Camilla.
“The idea of raising our family in a regional community that allowed us to commute to our city jobs had a strong appeal,” says Claire.
“We’ve got the best of all worlds on our doorstep in Yass: the coast, the snow and Sydney are just a couple of hours away. Canberra is also a short commute with all its opportunities and attractions – Questacon, the National Gallery and the National Museum. But the greatest thing about living in Yass is belonging to the community itself. It’s a wonderful mixture of friendly people – from those on the land, small business owners, and families who’ve moved for a tree change.”
According to Claire, it’s also innovation that makes the town so special. “The same as so many Australian country towns, Yass has seen change and had to be resilient and adapt – adjusting to life under COVID-19 restrictions has been a really good example of that. In the last six months we’ve seen a new bakery, Clementine, open on the main street and an online home delivery service called Yass 2 You start up, specifically supporting Yass producers,” she explains.
The mayor of Yass Valley, Rowena Abbey, 61, has called Yass home for the past 25 years. Rowena worked in banking, finance and risk management in Sydney before marrying her husband Brendan and moving to their 647-hectare farm.
“As a community the people are very friendly and step up regularly to help their neighbours,” says Rowena. “That’s one of the things I love about smaller communities. There’s an interesting range of activities to do – from agricultural experiences to award-winning wine and food. It’s a great place to live.” >
For more information, visit yassvalley.com.au
MEDIAN HOUSE PRICE
$450,000
MEDIAN RENTAL PRICE
$450 per week
BY THE NUMBERS
Residential blocks start at around $200,000. Renovators start at around $300,000 and the high-end lifestyle is up over $2m.
MARKET WATCH
“Our current market has many buyers and a lack of stock. Well-marketed property is going very quickly and we are seeing a bit of a tree change. Our market is driven firstly by Canberra and secondly by Sydney. Rural property is also very popular at the moment,” says Andrew Curlewis of Yass Valley Property.
REASONS TO VISIT
COOMA COTTAGE Visit the colonial home of Australian-born explorer and pastoralist Hamilton Hume. national trust.org.au/places/cooma-cottage
THE CRISP GALLERIES
AUSTRALIA A handmade glass gallery, café and garden, currently open by appointment. 28234 Hume Highway, (02) 6227 6073; crispaustralia.com
YASS TOWN WALK Explore the town’s gracious architecture and heritage with a self-paced walk. yassvalley.com.au/tours-and-trails/ self-guided-walks/yass-town-walk/
MURRUMBATEMAN MOVING FEAST Take a weekend to discover the region’s exceptional wine, food and produce over October 2-3. makersofmurrumbateman.org.au/moving-feast
WINE Plan a trip or take a winery tour to the Yass Valley’s local cellar doors and wineries. clonakilla.com.au; shawwines.com.au; fourwindsvineyard.com.au
REASONS TO STAY
BURRINJUCK DAM Bushwalk or picnic on the banks of one of the world’s largest irrigation dams. yassvalley.com. au/explore/towns/burrinjuck
FOOD Sample smoked meat at Poachers Pantry Smokehouse and Robyn Rowe handcrafted chocolate. poacherspantry.com.au; robynrowechocolates.com.au
EXPLORE Find the Yass Valley’s many villages, including Binalong, Bookham, Bowning, Murrumbateman and Gundaroo. yassvalley.com.au/explore
EAT
CLEMENTINE BAKERY For heavenly sourdough, Danishes, pies and croissants. 69 Comur St, (02) 6226 3456
TRADER & C0 A café and social change collective with coworking hub. 92 Meehan St, 0412 575 012, traderandco.com.au
THYME TO TASTE For great coffee and deli goods head to this café. 60 Comur St, 0403 999 899, thymetotaste.com.au
YAZZBAR For great wine, music and tapas. 81 Comur St, yazzbar.com.au >
“We’ve got the best of all worlds on our doorstep in Yass: the coast, the snow and Sydney are just a couple of hours away.”
SHOP
MERCHANT CAMPBELL For unique, handmade and small batch homewares, jewellery, cashmere, marble, soft furnishings and one-off furniture pieces. 287 Comur St, (02) 6226 1240, merchantcampbell.com.au
CREATORS NEST Handmade products made with passion, purpose and uniqueness, predominantly made in the Southern Tablelands.
The Oddfellows’ Hall, 67 Comur St, 0410 527 897, creatorsnest.com.au
COMUR HOUSE Stop here for fashion, homewares and gifts.
116 Comur St, (02) 6226 1411, @comurhouse ROSS’S RELICS For a large range of antiques, bric-a-brac and collectibles. 55 Comur St, 0412 591 824
STAY
THE GLOBE INN Stay in this 1847-era Georgian inn with a choice of four upstairs guest rooms and a garden room downstairs. 70 Rossi St, (02) 6226 3680, theglobeinn.com.au
ABODE MURRUMBATEMAN Plan a weekend getaway in a stylish studio room, situated close to wineries.
57 Rose St, Murrumbateman, 1300 122 633, abodehotels.com.au/ hotels/murrumbateman/
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Yass has daycare and early learning centres, a Montessori pre-school, junior schools and a high school. yassvalley.com.au/live
OPPORTUNITY CALLS
Public administration and safety, construction, healthcare and social assistance and agriculture, forestry and fishery are the Yass Valley’s major employment sectors and there’s low unemployment rate of about 1.7 per cent. There are over 1,000 businesses in the region within the agriculture, tourism and retail and tourism and the proximity to Canberra means it’s possible to enjoy a regional lifestyle and commute to the capital. yassvalley.com.au/work; profile.id.com.au/ yass-valley/industries. For business support, visit yassbusiness.com.au