Yambacoona House will feature in Restoration Australia Season Six on ABC. The new season starts on May 23.
Host and Architecture Professor, Anthony Burke follows the progress and pitfalls of singleminded restoration enthusiasts who stop at almost nothing to revitalise their beloved buildings.
Yambacoona House is a significant historical homestead in the Federation style and dates back to the early settlement days of King Island.
It underwent significant renovations to restore this grand house to its former self and it is now available for bookings as visitor accommodation for those wishing to experience a bygone era.
Yambacoona is approximately 30 kilometres north of Currie. It was built in 1902 and sits on 17 acres of picturesque countryside.
Francis Stephenson was the original cattle baron of the north and he commissioned Yambacoona House. He was in partnership with Gunn of Launceston.
The property was partitioned by the government to settle returned soldiers after World War I. The settlement Yambacoona is most likely taken from a ship, the Yambacoona, which was owned by the firm of Stephenson and Gunn. The owner and the restoration driver is Gordon McKenzie and his family.
“I’m born and bred on King Island. We lived just up the road at Egg Lagoon. My family first came to King Island around 1910, making me 4th Generation. I dreamt that one day I could do something with the property. And then it was available.”
“For a small island we are not afraid to take on the big things. Like many King Islanders, wherever I go there is a family story, a relative, or the ghosts of the past speak of our ancestors and their struggles, successes over the past century. Yambacoona House represented an opportunity to return to country in a way that could cement our family back in the place we grew.
“Being part of Restoration Australia was also my way of giving something back to our island home, in publicity and a story that I hope has authenticity. It was a mad time of living in tents, showering in a shed, and being under a lot of financial and work pressure – I loved it,” Mr McKenzie said.
The program will be a surprise for Mr McKenzie, as he has not seen it yet.
“I hope the story shows what happens when we as King Islanders support each other to succeed, our unique culture, our history and our value in the world. We are more than just farms, kelp, crayfish and a mine. The way we do things – the way we communicate with each other is different.
“I hope this episode portrays a recognisable story for King Islanders, and that I don’t make a turkey of myself on National television. If nothing else, I hope my fellow Islanders get a good laugh out of it – although most of the dramas, disasters and damn foolery that goes with such a project is probably not going to make it onto the screen. Again – I want to say thank you to the wide array of King Islanders he said.”
The restoration took more than two years and the film crews from ‘Restoration Australia’ followed and filmed the restoration progress and the big reveal. There are future plans around the gardens and more.
“I’ve bought the Yambacoona church with partners and this will be the next restoration project. We hope to establish a small accommodation village on the church site while ensuring we keep the authenticity of the church…I’m also hoping to one day buy the hall and have that as a reception venue/ bar/cafe.
“I think the three buildings working together would make a great place for visitors and King Islanders alike,” Mr McKenzie said.