96 Australian Country HOMES
acclaim for his verse novel, Songs of a
Sentimental Bloke in the early 1900s.
Rosemary explains that visitors to
Auburn are most commonly attracted
by the town’s rich history and its
proximity to the vineyards and cellar
doors of the Clare Valley. As well, it’s
a starting point for the Riesling Trail,
a 27-kilometre cycling and walking
trail along a disused railway route and
its extension, the 19-kilometre Rattler
Track. Bikes for exploring all or part
of these trails can be hired in Auburn
and pickups and drop off s can also be
arranged at points along the way. The
café, which is open seven days, has
become something of an unoffi cial
tourist information bureau for the town
and Rosemary says engagement with
visitors is one of the many unexpected
benefi ts of the career change.
“I wanted to push myself and learn
new skills,” she explains. “My mother
was an amazing country cook, so
somewhat surprisingly, my sister and
I never learned much from her as wealways deferred to her. However, from
the outset I was determined that as
much as possible of the menu at the
cafe would be made on the premises
from local, seasonal produce, so I
developed quite a repertoire of home-
style comfort dishes.”
With her vast experience in
interiors, Rosemary was well placed
to decorate her cottage. “I was lucky
in that my building had good bones,
even though it was very small,” she
recalls. “Then I gave everything aThese pages: Rosemary brought vast experience as an interior designer to the home’s restoration.
She advocates repainting and reupholstering rather than replacing furniture and altering rooms.
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