CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Kirstie at the front entrance to the court room. The
woven tote is fromwoven tote is from The Bungalow and Basket, Toowoom The Bungalow and Basket, Toowoomba, wba, while the bentwood hile the bentwood
chair was picked up at an antique shop; a banner fromchair was picked up at an antique shop; a banner from Em Emmma Kate Co is hung a Kate Co is hung
behind the ‘Copenhagen’ sofa frombehind the ‘Copenhagen’ sofa from Freedom Freedom; one of the Pentons’ pet sheep. ; one of the Pentons’ pet sheep.
FACING PAGEFACING PAGE A cushion handm A cushion handmade by Cathy sits on Kirstie’s pallet bed. Cathy’s ade by Cathy sits on Kirstie’s pallet bed. Cathy’s
business, Cathy Penton Atelier, sells her cushions and charmbusiness, Cathy Penton Atelier, sells her cushions and charms as well as linen and s as well as linen and
bespoke pieces by other designers. bespoke pieces by other designers. For stockist details, see page 142.For stockist details, see page 142.THERE’S ALWAYS A MOMENT during a renovation when you
wonder if the hard work will ever pay off. For Kirstie Penton,
that moment came while she was high on a scaffold with her
younger brother, Andrew, and father, Geoff, ripping down
pieces of the old ceiling from the Meringandan Courthouse,
dust falling down on them. “I had goggles on but my face was
black,” Kirstie says with a laugh. “You don’t really know what
you’re going to find, but it was even better than we imagined.”
Eighteen months on, when Kirstie enters that room of
the former courthouse about 20 kilometres north-west
of Toowoomba, it’s the exposed beams and high-pitched
ceiling — previously hidden — that captures her attention.
“Every time I walk in, I take a deep breath and have an ‘a-ha’
moment,” the 24-year-old says. “It was definitely a family
effort and we’ve really worked hard for what it looks like now.”
Kirstie’s parents, Cathy and Geoff, purchased the
courthouse, which neighbours their 1880s railway
cottage in the small country town, 11 years ago.“We were worried someone would buy it and knock it
down as it was in really bad disrepair,” says Cathy. “We
didn’t really have the money at the time but we thought
why not? We knew it could be beautiful again.”
Once part of Gowrie Station, the Meringandan area was
resumed and opened for selection in 1872. Meringandan
was the first station on the railway line from Toowoomba
to Cabarlah and the Cabarlah Courthouse was shifted to
Meringandan early last century as the farming area grew.
The Pentons put tenants into the adjoining living area of
the courthouse, once the police officers’ quarters, and initially
used the large open court room for storage. When Kirstie,
who works in Toowoomba as a senior academic program
support officer at the University of Southern Queensland,
decided to move back home, it was the perfect opportunity
to focus on the room, which measures eight by four and a half
metres. “We knew it was going to be Kirstie’s apartment so
we wanted to restore it to its former glory,” says Cathy, who >36 C OU N T RY ST Y LE NOVEMBER 2017