OCTOBER 2010

“A CHANGE OF PLACE”

A painstaking restoration has given this relocated Queenslander on the NSW north coast a seamless connection with its surrounds.  When architect Ed began looking for a site for a sea change, the north coast of NSW beckoned – in particular, a verdant 4000sqm block on which nestled a traditional timber Queenslander. Leaving an ultra-modern city terrace in his wake, the idea of living in a “slightly worn, timber home with a bit of character” appealed to this former Sydneysider.

Surrounded by an abundance of natural beauty, the land came complete with a creek and views of nearby farmland, all nestled under the protective gaze of Mount Chincogan. All that was missing was a feeling of permanency; like Ed himself, the ’30s weatherboard house was not originally from these parts. “Many of the Queenslanders in the area were actually transported from Lismore – some 50 kms inland – due to a shortage of housing here,” explains Ed. “They are lovely, but the fact that they have been relocated means there’s a lack of connectivity with the land.”

As an architect, and with so much space at his fingertips, Ed might have been tempted to level the home and start from scratch, but it wasn’t an option he really considered. “The foundations of the house were strong,” he says. “I thought they were worth keeping”.