Nestled in the heart of Bushy Park's rich hop-growing history, “Wayside” has quietly watched the seasons come and go for well over a century. Like many of the district's beautiful old homes, she carries stories that have been passed from one generation to the next. One such story suggests she was built for a son of the pioneering Shoobridge family and named after the family's home in England. Whether every detail is true or not, it is a story that has become part of Wayside's own history, and somehow, it feels as though she has earned it.
“Wayside” is not a house for everyone - and that's exactly what makes her so special. Built from magnificent old-growth timber by craftsmen of another era, she carries the warmth, strength and personality that simply can't be recreated today. The floors aren't perfectly level, the walls aren't ruler-straight, and every room bears the gentle marks of a life well lived. Those are not imperfections; they are the character that only time can create.
It has been a privilege to care for this remarkable old home. Houses like “Wayside” are never truly owned; we are simply their custodians for a little while, entrusted with preserving them before passing them on to the next pair of caring hands.
My hope is that they fall in love with her just as she is. I hope they notice the afternoon light filtering through the old windows, the richness of the timber, the quiet creak of the floorboards that have carried generations before them, and the sense of peace that settles over this special place.
If you're looking for history, craftsmanship, character and soul - if you understand that the best homes are the ones with stories to tell - then perhaps “Wayside” has been waiting for you all along.
