Words by Della Vreeland Images by Abbie Melle
Stories are meant to move us. They inspire us, inform us, and educate us on the past, present and future. They seep through the pages of a book, they sound through the notes of a song, and they erupt from the colours on a canvas.
They also live in every nook and cranny of The Storekeeper’s House.
Located in the rural town of Tatura, just 20 minutes southwest of Shepparton, The Storekeeper’s House is indeed a story, a homage, an ode to the past. Celebrating its rich history, it has been lovingly restored by owners Carrie Donaldson and her husband Luis who spent two gruelling years undertaking an extensive restoration of the property to get it to where it is now. Where a tale of yesteryear can be told, and the inspiration for tomorrow can unfold.
The Storekeeper’s House was first built in 1905 by Thomas Flanagan, one of Tatura’s earliest businessmen, and had been held in the family for generations. Thomas founded Flanagan’s Store – a large general store that specialised in drapery and haberdashery and later expanded to ironmongery goods, boot-making and repairs.
Scattered throughout the house, you’ll find bits and bobs that will transport you to the time and reality of Thomas Flanagan – so you too can relive his story. There’s an antique cash register, vintage price tags, yarn, thread and spools, vintage hat and shoe moulds, keys and coat-hangers from the days of yore. All a nod to the home’s former founders.
Then there are the original features of the home – the short iron roof with corrugated glass skylight in the butler’s pantry, the original cast iron lacework and cast iron stove, exposed bricks, timber flooring, and even a surprise safe embedded in the lounge room fireplace.
But what we love most is how tastefully the entire home has been designed, with a relaxed rustic aesthetic that introduces contemporary elements into every room (hello lux French flax linen, clawfoot bath, rain showers, golden fittings and premium bath and body products), as well as sweet vintage knick-knacks, dried foliage, gilt-framed oil paintings, original photographs and antique furniture – making for a coherent design that is soul-warming and joy-inducing.
Carrie and Luis have also done a brilliant job hiding all those dull everyday items (kitchen cupboards and draws, television, microwave and toaster) so they just blend into the background instead of dominating the space. There’s nothing we love more than entering a living room and not having the television as the statement piece!
It’s also the little things that complete one’s stay away. The fact that there’s bread, spreads, tea, coffee and milk awaiting when you arrive. The fact that there’s a cupboard full of games or that Netflix is all signed in for guest use. The fact that there are practical items ready to further enrich your stay. Feel like a picnic under the stars? There’s a basket all packed. Want a game of croquet with the kids on the lawn? It’s all ready by the door. Fancy a trip to the market but forgot your bags? The bags are a-hanging by the pantry.
And while there’s a whole heap to discover around the Goulburn Valley region where The Storekeeper’s House is located, you’ll be forgiven for simply wanting to curl up in one of the leather couches with a hot cocoa in-hand and a soft woollen throw (no matter the season), and to simply soak up the story you find yourself now a part of.
THE DETAILS
WHAT: The Storekeeper’s House
WHERE: Tatura, Goulburn Valley
FIND OUT MORE: The Storekeepers House
We wish to acknowledge the Yorta Yorta people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.
