14 February 2020

Amazing village history in gold rush-era Majors Creek cottage

| John Thistleton
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A baker shop and general store

A baker shop and general store were connected to create the unique cottage. Photos: Supplied.

A character-filled heritage cottage created by combining what was once a general store and local bakery has been listed for sale in the tranquil village of Majors Creek.

On a little farmlet with well-established veggie plots, the three-bedroom cottage has quirky features that cannot be replicated.

“It is like picking up an antique,” said Kelly Allen, listing agent with Luton, who specialises in Braidwood and district residential property.

“This is a true country cottage with a long history. Once it was the area’s bakery – the master bedroom even has the original bake oven. It is a beautiful piece of history. It even has the bread tins that were actually used in the oven back in the mid-1800s,” Ms Allen said.

Fifteen minutes from Braidwood and standing among established trees at 25 George Street, the home’s spacious living areas admit plenty of gentle sunlight which falls across the timber floors.

Living area

There’s plenty of natural light in the main living area.

Timber ceilings and a slow-combustion fireplace offer the ideal place to sit in winter. The adjoining tiled dining area has an antique wood-burning Rayburn stove, a leafy corner outlook and sliding door access into the delightful private courtyard.

The recently renovated, farmhouse-inspired kitchen has a 900 mm SMEG five-burner stainless steel gas stove. It’s easy to imagine yourself collecting fresh chook eggs of a morning and returning to the galley-style kitchen, smelling the bread baking in the oven and preparing a hearty breakfast.

Kitchen

The recently renovated kitchen is farmhouse inspired.

Off the main living area, double doors open to the king-sized master bedroom which has a high, vaulted timber ceiling and an independent front entry. The original brick fireplace creates a restful parents’ retreat with a convenient connecting door into the second bedroom that would be perfect for a nursery or children’s bedroom.

Also leading from the main living area is an office space that features a built-in, reclaimed hardwood desk and wireless NBN. This is ideal for anyone choosing to work from home.

A rumpus or second living room is currently used as a music room and art studio. Handcrafted rough-hewn local pine stairs lead to a dedicated yoga space.

Bedroom

The original baker’s oven is evident in one of the bedrooms.

The third bedroom has the striking original bakery oven and potbelly stove, and evokes the gold rush. The bedroom also opens onto its own courtyard with a grapevine-covered pergola.

Ms Allen says the home would be equally suited as a weekender or full-time residence. An hour and 20 minutes from Canberra, it may just be the comfortable retreat required to inspire you to write that novel you have always wanted to within Majors Creek’s genuine village atmosphere.

“The local Elrington Hotel is where you collect your mail. It is a close-knit little community,” Ms Allen said.

The character of the home and its special charm are hallmarks of its history.

“You could build a new cottage but it would not ever have the same character that this cottage has,” she said.

“The door on the left-hand side when you are facing the cottage actually opened to a little general store. The main entrance, on your right, that was the bakery. At some point in time, someone has connected those buildings together. There is a black and white photograph of a family sitting on the front steps with their children. They were running the general store and bakery. It is amazing.”

The front porch is a lovely spot for enjoying the sunsets.

Today you can sit on the front porch and watch the sunset as neighbouring horses graze by the creek, enjoy summer barbeques under a shady mulberry tree, harvest your vegetables from the established gardens, and pick home-grown apples, cherries and figs.

A fenced paddock surrounds a barn, chook yard and water tanks while the near-new professional perimeter fencing secures the entire 2568 square metre property for pets. Seven rainwater tanks and an on-site well with electric pump maintain a constant water supply.

A huge shed offers plenty of storage space plus a powered workshop.

The home is for sale for $515,000.

To learn more about this unique property at 25 George Street, Majors Creek, contact Kelly Allen at Luton Properties Braidwood on 0466 632 696 or visit Zango.

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