In an epic renovation of one of Australia’s oldest properties

For the City Slicker couple, Andrew Morphett and Peter Hayward, the seemingly innocent fantasy of the “Weekend Project” turned into something bigger and life-changing.

In fact, when they first started looking for a small weekend, they were working on a busy, altitude financial career in Sydney to serve as caregivers of the historic, sprawling South Australian estate.

“We are busy living in Sydney, Sydney,” Mr Molfet told realestate.com.au. “Although we have been spending some time in Sydney, we are always looking for a week or long-term project that we can come back to life.”

And, after two years of searching, a handbook of beautifully photographs landed on their tables, showing a shaky SA homestead with a wild garden covering 2,000 acres.

A British village in South Australia

Located near Hamilton, central South Australia, less than two hours from Adelaide, Anlaby was originally founded in 1839 and is home to South Australia’s oldest Merino studs and the second largest in the country.

There is no doubt that the estate’s crown jewelry is its 35-room homestead from the 1860s. But Anlaby is more than just a building.

“It’s more than just a building,” the couple explained. “This is a village of heritage structure – 28 of which are heritage listed – spread across 150 acres, from sheds and cottages to the bones of the entire southern hemisphere once were once the magnificent glass conservatory.”

Heart determined by heart

During the first visit to the property during the peak summer (hot, thirsty and overwhelmed in the couple), their initial reaction seemed to be like after the death of the land as a project.

“We said, ‘There’s no way, too much!’” Mr. Hayward recalled. “It was dusty, paint was peeling everywhere, roof collapsed…we were completely out of depth.”

However, the undeniable magnetism of the property and its history, coupled with a lot of possibilities, turned out to be irresistible. After a second visit in August, the couple revealed the “soul of the place” during this period, and the couple made a proposal and signed a contract in October 2003.

“The charm is so strong,” added Mr. Moffett. “It’s never been a logical decision. It’s emotional – Narabe chose us. We thought it was a too good to miss!”

Rubber and Revival Weekend

Due to years of neglect, the duo faces a difficult timeline to start the transformation, so the property and reason is in poor condition.

“We were in the first four and a half years from Sydney to Adelaide over the weekend,” Mr Molfet explained.

“Flying to Adelaide and driving to Anlaby, we will work all weekend and then, when Monday morning at 3.30am we will be in the car and then at 4.10am at the airport and then back to the Sydney office by 9am.

“Our weekend was filled with rubble, rot and roof tiles. We mend the walls and painted rooms, dug up drains and weeds for a century. But we saw the pieces, the pieces, the rooms, the garden bed next to the garden, the garden bed, and we saw the progress.”

Every visit each visit makes you fall in love with the 165-year-old house even more. In October 2008, the two finally decided to clean up their Sydney life and move to Anlaby forever. Since then, renovation has been a continuous process.

“It starts with the necessities,” Hayward said. “Leaks, rewires the whole place, and literally crashes.”

From the rescue, they moved to the Revival, meticulously restored the Manor House, the former farm manager’s office, the gardener’s rooftop cottage (prefabricated villa in 1904) and the 1905 Coachman’s Cottage, now guest accommodation.

“These are not makeovers, they are archaeological labor,” Mr. Moffett stressed. “Every building requires careful heritage study, skilled stonemasons and lots of mud, dust and joy.”

The labor of love

Since then, their vision for Anlaby has grown into such a huge cause that it has redefined their lives.

The initial 150 acres have been expanded to nearly 2,000 acres, which contain other land, houses, and even pristine sheds.

“We now have a commercially operated farm with a land of 2,000 acres,” Molfett said.

This expansion involved enormous efforts, including nearly 30 km of fence and 9 km of water pipes to serve the sheep. They also struggled to restore the Victorian Stone Villas in the 1870s and 1905, originally built for managers and supervisors.

“You don’t have a place like this,” Mr. Molfit continued. “You become a caretaker. Every decision matters: from the color of the hinge to the color of the 150-year-old rose. The limit can be tough. There are grants, yes, yes, and thanks to God, but there are also many traditional Chinese tape festivals, and there are many bustling traditional Chinese tape festivals, sourcing real materials and working at the pace of historical demands, slowly and intentionally detailed.”

What is their ultimate dream? The complete restoration of Anlaby’s Conservatory was once the largest in the southern hemisphere. Next is the legacy grant for glass and steel, which is next.

“We’ve done enough that guests can now live in three beautifully restored cottages, but the list of ‘next door’ is never ending,” Mr Hayward said. “It’s the joy and madness of the history of life. You’ve never done it.”

A lifestyle business

Although the main homestead is still their private retreat, Anlaby is the property of agricultural tourism.

“The business aspect is not the hustle and bustle of the aspect,” Mr Hayward said. “It’s the heart of how we bring people to Anlaby’s story. Additionally, Anlaby is too special to keep itself. The coaches, gardeners and the estate cabin are now open to guests.

“We also run guided houses and garden tours, opening hotels for events and concerts, and of course, every spring we host Anlaby Spring Festival. It’s our favorite time of the year – the gardens are alive, music drifting in the air, and people fall in love with the property again.

“Apart from that, the property can be used for private purposes: weddings, long table lunches, editorial shoots, workshops – you name it. Everything we offer is based on authenticity. We don’t just invite people to visit Anlaby – we invite them to live in it, even for only one weekend.”

In addition to tourism, they operate commercially operated agricultural businesses and merino studs, specializing in producing beautiful wool from Anlaby sheep and turning it into a range of high-end wool, scarves and ladies packages, as well as baby blankets sold through their own wool business.

Lessons learned

Although property has occupied its own lives for the past two decades, the temptation of historic homesteads has not diminished over the years.

Hayward said enthusiastically, “This is how you hold your breath as you walk in.”

“The quiet of the 100-year-old floor, the autumn climbs up the estate’s ivy, turns to the house’s gold, or when we discover the old species tulips that have not bloomed for decades.

Despite the great efforts and numerous challenges, there is still no regret for the couple.

“Not one person,” Mr. Hayward confirmed. “It’s the hardest, most glorious thing we’ve ever done. We’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way. We’ve poured into Anlaby, and in return, she gave us purpose, beauty and legacy, and we’re honored to share. Will we do it again?