SET IN STONE

A SANDSTONE MANSION IN RICHMOND IS RICH IN HISTORY – AND AFTER A RENOVATION, IT’S RIPE FOR FAMILY LIFE.

An 1840s sandstone mansion has been transformed into a family home and as well as a shop and a soon-to-be gallery for local photographers.

“I never go past an antique store without stopping to see if they have something rusty.”

THE AUTUMN SUN IS WARM on the golden masonry of Richmond Bridge and a clear blue sky stretches endlessly over the wide and fertile Coal River Valley. The bridge – built in 1825 and Australia’s oldest stone bridge – is just one of the many historic structures in this small town 25 kilometres north of Hobart, which is known for its elegant Georgian mansions, upmarket antique stores and access to the region’s many vineyards.

Bellevue House, built in the 1840s, is a significant building set on Richmond’s main street and was described as “a noble, substantial and well-built stone mansion” when it was sold in 1856 after housing the local police magistrate for a number of years. With its stable for six horses, spacious reception rooms and a large walled garden, the home was considered a “commodious and substantially built stone residence” when it was sold again in 1950. As the newspaper noted: “The whole of the fittings in the house are cedar and the whole place is in excellent order… This beautiful old home should commend itself to any person desiring a nice home in the country and yet within a half hour’s drive of the city.” >

It was this sense of history – and the rough-hewn internal sandstone walls – that attracted Kylie Opray, 50, and her husband Dr Mark Spearpoint, 49, to Bellevue House when it came up for sale four and a half years ago. “Everyone wanted to buy this house,” says Kylie, who had been living in Richmond for about six years. “As soon as we walked in, we just had a feeling. Of course, we didn’t realise how much work it would need!”

With the help of a local builder experienced in working on heritage homes, Kylie and Mark have completely transformed the house and stables to create a warm and inviting family home, as well as a shop for Kylie’s candle and bath products business, Richmond Botanicals Co. “Now that the renovation is over, it’s all completely worth it.”

Looking around the house and grounds now, “It’s just heaven,” says Kylie. And it’s home to two of their four children, Harry, 16 and Izzy, 14 (Jacob, 24, works for the National Audit Office in Canberra, and Lochie, 21, is doing army officer training, also in Canberra), as well as Wilbur the golden retriever and Winston the labradoodle. The dogs greet visitors at the entrance, crafted from sandstone that was originally the floor of the stables. “It’s another world in here and certainly wasn’t functional for a family with four kids when we arrived,” Kylie remembers. While the building was solid, not a single room or lighting fitting was left untouched as the family made it their own – relaying convict bricks, adding a family bathroom and completely renovating the kitchen. Despite modern comforts like underfloor heating (a necessity in Tasmania’s chilly winters), the home’s history is evident everywhere – from the thick sandstone walls and window reveals to the well-preserved internal cedar shutters that still frame every window in the high-ceilinged reception rooms.

Upstairs, the centrepiece of the new ensuite is a bath that came with the house – it arrived in Australia as ship’s ballast in the early 1800s. Not surprisingly, given her business Richmond Botanicals Co makes luxury bath products, Kylie loves having a bath. “And those products are my favourite thing to make.” The view over the township and towards nearby farms makes it all the more pleasant a spot to spend time in.

Kylie and her family have lived all over Australia thanks to Mark’s previous career as an army doctor but are now firmly settled in Tasmania and Bellevue House. “We love the space and the small community,” she says. “Life’s too short and living here is just the best thing ever.”

“Everyone wanted to buy this house. As soon as we walked in, we just had a feeling. Of course, we didn’t realise how much work it would need!”

Built in 1840, Bellevue House is a significant building on the main street of Richmond, an historic town north of Hobart. FACING PAGE Over-height windows allow plenty of natural light to flood into the family room.

The cedar shutters, now restored, are original to the house and help keep the cold Tasmanian winters at bay. FACING PAGE Kylie with her dogs, Wilbur the golden retriever and Winston the labradoodle; a modern sign for a historic building; the birdcages and bathtub add quirky touches to the garden.

The walled garden was originally grass with just two established trees and some rose bushes. Kylie and Mark have completely transformed it to create an extension of both the house and shop – customers are free to wander through and there’s often a fire blazing on a winter’s day.

The textured sandstone walls are a rustic artwork in their own right. FACING PAGE, FROM LEFT An antique bath, which arrived in Australia as ship’s ballast in the 1800s; the cabinet was a lucky find.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT The rear portion of the former stables will soon become a gallery for local photographers; also within the stables is Kylie’s shop which, in addition to her own products, sells other luxury gifts crafted in southern Tasmania; out in the sunshine with Wilbur and Winston; the ladder that now houses plants originally led to the loft above the stables.