At “Rosebank”, stories linger in every corner. Built to evoke the permanence and soul of an early Australian homestead, this Wandin North home proves that character doesn't need to be inherited. Sometimes, it can be thoughtfully assembled, piece by piece. Proudly featured in the June 2026 edition of Country Style magazine, Rosebank is a home where timeless charm, thoughtful design and a deep appreciation for character come together beautifully.
Step through the glossy black front doors, crowned by leadlight bearing the Rosebank name, and it's hard to believe the house was built around 35 years ago. With its gabled roofline, ivy-clad Hawthorn brick walls and enchanting façade of old-world symmetry, it looks as if it has stood here for a century. Almost every surface has been salvaged, with treasures gathered across Tasmania, country Victoria and New South Wales coming together to create a warm, one-of-a-kind home of understated beauty.
Set on approximately one acre carved from a historic estate, with the original 1890s residence still standing next door, the property enjoys views from the rear to Mount Toolebewong, Healesville and Warburton.
The craftsmanship begins with the reclaimed Hawthorn bricks laid using a 19th-century method for a depth and texture that can't be replicated. Inside, Baltic pine lining boards warm the ceilings, while second-hand doors, windows and fireplaces lend a patina only time can create. Underfoot, handmade terracotta tiles were formed in timber moulds and dried in the sun. Look closely for the occasional chook or paw print pressed into the clay.
Then look up. Expansive timber beams salvaged from a bridge in Albury span the open-plan kitchen and family room. Each weigh around three-quarters of a tonne, most dating to 1941 and many still bearing hand-cut adze marks. Beneath them, the contemporary kitchen brings a noir edge, its matt black benchtops set against an exposed brick splashback. A 900mm Smeg induction cooker, stone sink and dishwasher add practicality, while a rustic timber-clad peninsula keeps things social.
For formal occasions, the separate dining room and lounge set a gracious scene beneath exposed brick and timber, each warmed by its own open fireplace.
Privately positioned at the entrance, the main bedroom enjoys its own fireplace, a walk-in robe and French doors to the garden. The ensuite is a showpiece, with a slipper claw-foot bath beneath garden-facing windows, exposed brick, a rain shower and an antique washstand with brass basin. A craft room or home office with garden views, walk-in storage, powder room, cellar and laundry complete the ground floor.
Upstairs, three enchanting attic-style bedrooms with robes tuck beneath the gables, served by a bathroom with claw-foot bath and a copper basin set into an antique washstand, plus a retreat for the kids. Both bathrooms are crowned with ornate pressed-metal ceilings and finished with Bastow tapware.
Outside, the professionally designed European-style gardens are every bit as captivating as the home. Flagstone paving is framed by ancient trees, around 180 rose bushes, lilly pilly, Chinese jasmine, box hedging, magnolias, rhododendrons and drifts of foxgloves, while a Virginia creeper climbs the brickwork and turns fiery red in autumn. Time spent here is quietly cathartic, slowing your pace and soothing the soul. A wisteria-clad terrace invites you to linger or entertain, rolling lawns sweep towards the views beneath a majestic elm, and the home captures easterly sunrises at the rear and golden sunsets out front.
A true labour of love, it offers the soul of a period homestead with the peace of mind of a newer build. And like all the best stories, its finest details reveal themselves slowly, as you wander through and take in the magic for yourself.
At a glance:
- Approx. one acre in the Yarra Valley foothills with views to Mount Toolebewong, Healesville & Warburton
- Four bedrooms & two bathrooms, plus powder room
- Salvaged Hawthorn bricks, bridge beams, Baltic pine lining boards, doors, fireplaces & handmade terracotta tiles
- 100% wool carpet
- Formal dining & lounge, each with open fireplace
- Contemporary noir kitchen with peninsula seating, 900mm Smeg induction cooker, stone sink & dishwasher
- Ground-floor main with fireplace, walk-in robe, French doors & ensuite with slipper claw-foot bath
- Three attic-style bedrooms with robes, kids' retreat & bathroom with claw-foot bath
- Pressed-metal ceilings to both bathrooms
- Craft room/home office, cellar, walk-in storage & laundry
- Electric slab heating to lower level
- Professionally landscaped gardens with approx. 180 roses & wisteria-clad terrace
- Expansive lawns & majestic elm, with easterly sunrise & westerly sunset outlooks
- Oversized double garage with extra 1.5m each side, plus additional shedding and ample parking
- Two 20,000L water tanks & two x 5,000L garden tanks
- 3 phase power connected to house and garage.
