61 Hunter Street, Castlemaine, Vic 3450

Behind its solid brick facade, built circa 1910, Bombala tells two stories at once. The front of the home is unmistakably Federation: double-hung windows, ornate timber surrounds and sealed fireplaces, wrapped in a verandah dressed with camellias and roses. At the rear, a bold contemporary addition takes over, all glass, soft grey cladding and timber battening, stepping down the block toward a solar-heated pool and a garden that borrows the canopy of Kalimna Park beyond the fence. The two sit side by side rather than in competition, each given room to be exactly what it is.

Sitting privately, yet with street presence, on a generous 1014sqm (approx.) block, the home is screened by a hedge of Portuguese laurel and a stand of pencil pines. Slate stepping stones lead to the front verandah, the garden beds either side full and established, camellias, rhododendrons and hellebores softening the path.

To the rear, the garden opens out, a run of towering cypress and established ornamental trees giving the block a real sense of enclosure and privacy from the neighbours. Bluestone stepping stones continue the path from the verandah right through to the pool terrace, cutting a line through lush green lawn framed by clipped hedging and garden beds. Fruit trees and established shrubs soften the edges of the pool fencing, so the contemporary addition sits within the garden rather than simply overlooking it.

Inside, engineered oak flooring runs through the family living areas, grounding the home's contemporary spaces in a warm, natural tone. At the front of the period house, three bedrooms sit under the original roofline, with pressed metal and timber ceilings that speak to the home's age. Two bedrooms have bay windows dressed in ornate timber surrounds, double-hung sashes and split systems. A third room, currently a study,with built-in robes, keeps its sealed fireplace with surround, timber-clad ceiling and a skylight angled to draw in the northern light. The central contemporary bathroom has a spa-like feel. A skylight drops soft, even light over a freestanding bath set against a feature wall of pale blue tiling, with a floating timber vanity, vessel basin and mirrored cabinet on the opposite side. A separate frameless glass shower with a rain head keeps the room easy to share on busy mornings.

A few steps lead up from the original home into the rear addition, and the change is immediate. Where the front rooms are dressed in the language of 1910, this is a wholly contemporary space, light, bright and expansive, its walls of glass framing the bush beyond and pulling the northern sun deep into the room.

The kitchen is built around a long island bench in marble-look stone, dove-grey cabinetry and a considered fit-out suited to a cook. A Miele cooktop and Miele dishwasher sit alongside a Smeg oven, with soft-close cabinetry throughout keeping the space tidy and tools close to hand. Dining occupies its own sunny bay, a built-in bench seat tucked beneath the window and open shelving nearby for glassware and everyday treasures, the whole nook framed by a view that runs straight into the treetops.

The living room is the quiet centre of it all, with built-in joinery and a slim inset fireplace anchoring one wall, timber shelving beneath for books and everyday clutter. A wall of glass and sliding doors opens the room fully to a north-facing deck, so the space reads as much by the garden and treetops outside as by anything within it. Step through and the deck extends the living area outdoors, glass balustrading keeping the view uninterrupted down to the pool and garden below, a canopy of eucalypts overhead and, past the fence line, the borrowed landscape of Kalimna Park.

Downstairs, on the ground floor of the addition, polished concrete flooring underfoot and the original brick facade left exposed where the two eras meet, a quiet nod to the house's history. Here, a second living space or studio opens onto a covered outdoor area, ideal as a teenager's retreat, guest wing or simply extra room to spread out. A fourth bedroom with a walk-in robe sits alongside its own bathroom. A dedicated gym looks straight out over the lawn and pool, and a generous laundry with ample storage completes this level.

Step outside and the garden, set on its 1014sqm (approx.) block, falls away toward a solar-heated, glass-fenced swimming pool, framed by bluestone paving and a lawn that runs to the tree-lined boundary. By day, it is a private, sun-filled spot for lounging poolside. By night, the pool glows beneath the grey-clad, timber-lined rear extension, its upper deck lit for evening entertaining.

Bombala sits directly opposite the historic Buda Historic Home & Garden, a short stroll to the Castlemaine Golf Club and the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. Castlemaine's primary and secondary schools are close by, with the independent private schools of Bendigo also within easy reach. The CBD, cafes and V/Line station are all comfortably within walking distance, with Melbourne under 90 minutes away by car or direct train.

Bombala: A considered home for those who want history and contemporary living, in equal measure.

Type

House

Bedrooms

4

Bathrooms

2

Parkings

1

Area

1,014 m²

House Size

234 m²