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After growing up in Hurstbridge and Tasmania respectively, living in an inner-city Melbourne terrace with three children was beginning to feel stifling for Josh and Sharn Alexander.
Searching for more open space, they swapped one hill for another, moving from urban Clifton Hill to bushy Christmas Hills, located just north-east of the city.
Sharn and Josh purchased a 124-acre property including a relatively small timber home, former vineyard, and most importantly, an abundance of water.
Josh explains, ‘Our property has the Yarra River running through the bottom of it and a number of dams… This meant we could build a big garden knowing we could always provide it with plenty of water.’
Both the house and land were rundown, having been unused for years, but the property couldn’t have fallen into better hands. The couple are the directors of sustainable timber supplier Eco Timber Group, and Josh also has a background in landscaping, so they were prepared for the major restoration task ahead.
‘Being in recycled and new timbers, we were really able to explore the use of our products in many elements of the renovation. This gave us a real opportunity to breathe soul back into its bones and make the place a warm and inviting space to live in,’ says Josh.
In accordance with a design concept by Architecture Works, the house was fully restored, introducing a new roof, walls, windows, external cladding, and verandah timbers.
Preparing the foundation for the garden was enormous, requiring 18 months of earth works before new construction could begin.
Living Landscapes helped design ‘rooms’ for the garden, including a small orchard and two firepits — one area close to the house with an established olive tree, herbs, passionfruit and a crepe myrtle.
Hardy perennials and shrubs such as butterfly bush, yarrow, lavender cotton, and foxtail grass provide movement and colour to the hill overlooking the new pool.
The property feels worlds away from the family’s former inner-city life, with its big skies and grand vistas across the Yarra Valley.
The children always wanted a dog. Now, they have a dog, chickens, ducklings and soon cows and sheep!
‘Coincidentally the hot air balloons that used to pass over us in Clifton Hill now pass by us in Christmas Hills,’ says Josh.
