Australian Country Homes – September 2019

34 Australian Country HOMES

gardens. “This home is a real sanctuary and
coming home of an evening after work is a
joy,” adds Vanessa, who works at a nearby
boys school as a pastoral house dean.
“My favourite part of living here is that
everywhere you look, the home reminds
you of its long history.”
The building is one of the oldest timber
houses in Ipswich, and a rare example
of Gothic architecture of the late 1800s.
It was built as an investment property
for Englishwoman Elizabeth Lloyd,
who’d purchased the land for £45 in

1863. “Elizabeth and her husband owned
      numerous properties in Ipswich and I am

lucky to have a copy of the ad when it

was fi rst advertised for sale,” Vanessa

says. “It details that the house included

a large wash shed, servant’s bedroom,

cow shed and that the house occupies, ‘a

most healthy and pleasing position’. Sadly

Elizabeth’s banker husband, Augustus,

died of consumption at the early age of 32

and afterwards she returned to England

with their two children.” The Lloyds

originally named the home Devonshire

Cottage, but when a Canadian, James

Jackes, purchased it in 1882, he changed

its name to honour his birth city.

Vanessa credits Ipswich City Council

cultural heritage offi cer Tanya Jen with

much of the detail about Toronto’s

historic past.

Through the years, successive owners

have shared an enduring love of the

home and have always taken great care

to keep it maintained and liveable. “One

Christmas night Chris and I sat on the

front verandah after guests had left just

pondering what previous Christmas

nights were like for the residents,”

Vanessa says. “We thought about the

Christmases that predated electricity, and

we also marvel that the house has stood

through world wars, cold wars, civil wars,

fl oods and so many historic events.”

The couple loves to travel and explore,

These pages: The home is a microcosm of the couple’s passions and interests. They both enjoy

cooking and Chris is a wine merchant so good food and wine are part of their DNA. They also share

a passion for history and an old photo of Toronto hangs on the wall next to a pianola that belonged to

Vanessa’a grandparents, who once had it in an old pub they owned in Ipswich. Coco the pampered cat

saunters through the attic lounge where she’s often found basking in the streaming sunlight. ›