The house was, we're told, built in 1888 from the same bricks as the Bungendore Railway Station. It was named 'Blair Athol' after the Athol River near Ayr in South West Scotland. It was later renamed 'The Atelier' when the house was opened to the public as an art gallery. At that time, one of the owners was supposedly a European Countess.
It's an old house, so some of the original plaster is bumpy, the floors aren't perfect and the corners aren't necessarily square. But every room in the house has character and let's face it... they've been up a while. There are some mystifying features. For example, two of the rooms have barrel ceilings, for no discernable reason other than that someone obviously liked the idea.
The whole house is under the original roofline. What was once the back verandah was long ago enclosed and incorporated as part of the informal living area. Wiring and plumbing were replaced under previous ownership, while the current owners have replaced the roof to the back section, installed fibreglass insulation throughout the roof, replaced guttering and downpipes and repainted in the existing heritage colours. This work has ensured Blair Athol is in fine fettle and ready for the next chapter in it's rich history.
The front portion of the house has a classic Victorian layout. From the front verandah with its iron lace, you enter an impressive central hallway. Four grand rooms open off the hall, two on either side. These are currently used as a study, two bedrooms and a formal living room and all have deep skirting boards, picture rails, Baltic pine floors and 12 ft ceilings. Three have fireplaces (one with a gas heater fitted) and three have Victorian ceiling roses.
The country kitchen/dining/informal living area is the heart of the house. It has large windows looking out onto the paved patio, lawn and garden, great for summer entertaining. In winter, it's a great place to sit around the fire. The kitchen fireplace has a Jetmaster wood burning convection system that heats the area very efficiently. This area also has a Rinnai gas heater with timer. There's a Waratah wood stove and oven in addition to a Blanco duel fuel stove (gas burners, electric oven).
One of the outstanding features of the kitchen isn't the kitchen at all. It's a separate pantry. Not just a walk-in pantry, but a room big enough to accomodate your fridge, microwave and wine rack, along with storage shelves along both sides. With doors opening to the side of the house... your very own Butlers Pantry.
There are two further bedrooms in the rear section of the house, one with built-in robes. The large modern bathroom incorporates a European style laundry with space for a front-loading washer and dryer. There is a separate toilet, as well as a vanity unit outside the toilet, making for a 'three passenger' bathroom setup.
The garden has been designed for low maintenance with hardy perennial plants. Behind the house is the original outdoor dunny (now handy for storage) and a large three-room shed which was historically the sulky shed and stable. There's a 36ft deep, brick-lined well which was once used to pump water to the garden. It went dry during the drought, but there are signs that the water is returning.
The garden has many mature trees, including gums, casurinas, golden elm, silver birch, cedar and cyprus. Fruit trees include apples, pears, apricot, quinces, plums, cherries, hazelnuts, walnut, three olive trees, pomegranate and fig (but you have to race the possums and the birds to get your share of the fruit). There's an established vegetable garden and a large chook shed (currently unused). A gravelled area next to the house provides parking for up to four cars.
The current Owners bought the house because they fell in love with it the minute they walked through the front door. It was one of the original houses in the western part of Bungendore and has a mixture of elegance and country charm. "The garden is a great place to sit and have a gin and tonic in summer, the lawns are expansive enough for a game of cricket, and growing our own veggies has been a rewarding pastime. Sadly, family obligations call us to Melbourne, but we will have wonderful memories of 18 happy years at Blair Athol"
Visit the Owners tribute page to Blair Athol and experience the real life version by contacting Ellie Merriman on 0402 117 877. Visit http://bungendorehome.com.au/ for a tour of the property.
For inspection times please visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RayWhiteBungendore.
DISCLAIMER. We have in preparing this document used our best endeavours to ensure the information contained is true and accurate, but accept no responsibility and disclaim all liability in respect to any errors, omissions, inaccuracies or misstatements contained. Prospective purchasers should make their own enquiries to verify the information contained in this document.
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