Ormiston House, Accommodation, Strahan, Tasmania
continued
Even though the house was in a very bad state of repair when Young Fred sold the house he too became sad that Ormiston was once again deteriorating. When he sold the house it was because he could not afford the amount of money needed to restore it. He could only watch and see
the house falling back into its previous state of disrepair.
In 1993 John the Duke placed the house on the market and it stayed on the market until 1995, when a couple from Queensland, on holiday, saw the house and fell in love with it.
The New Owners
Queensland couple Mike Fry and Carolyn Nissen and their daughter Stephanie were on holiday in Tasmania in March of 1995. Their second and third nights were to be spent in Strahan and they settled into a little cottage and set about exploring the town. Their first night was
spent watching the play ' The Ship that Never Was' at the Visitors Centre with some great 'Fish and Chips' from the van on the seafront (unfortunately no longer there). Next day was a river cruise, some sightseeing followed by some fresh lobster around a warm fire back at the cottage.
The next morning before leaving the town, Carolyn had noticed an article that referred to Ormiston, one of Australia's finest examples of Federation architecture. Having an interest in Federation buildings, Carolyn and Mike drove along the Esplanade until they found the house. Their
immediate reaction was that it should be a guesthouse or restaurant. Their second reaction was to its poor state of repair and sad state of neglect.
For the remainder of the holiday they continually spoke of the house and upon arrival back in Hobart they visited the real estate agent. As it turned out the real estate agent was the Duke himself who, during the interview, referred to the Duke in the third person, as a property developer.
Not letting on that he was in fact the owner and Duke himself. However not to be deterred Mike and Carolyn decided to re-visit Strahan and take a closer look inside Ormiston.
That day Carolyn and Mike photographed Ormiston House and were convinced that the house was capable of being restored and that it had tremendous potential as both a guesthouse and a restaurant. Upon their return to Brisbane they were convinced that they should buy Ormiston. Within
a week of returning they had signed contracts and within a month they owned Ormiston House.
On completion of the contract Carolyn and Mike flew to Tasmania to take custody of the keys. With them they brought a friend, Valma Pugh, an interior designer. Valma was going to be left with the job of the co-ordination of all of the fabrics and designs that Carolyn had
selected together with custom built furniture. It would then be Valma's job to ensure that all furnishings arrived in Tasmania in time for Ormiston House to open for guests.
It was decided that restoration would take place from arrival on the 27th May 1995 and that the house would open for guests on 1st November 1995. A tall order when you realise how much work had to be done and with the outside to be painted during a West Coast winter.
During the quick visit to pick up the keys Mike realised how serious the water damage was and that most of the water ingress was in the vicinity of the Tower and Widows Walk. He rang the SES in Rosebery and they agreed to do a drill the next week and tarp the roof area which was letting in the water. The drill went well except for a chap who fell through a skylight while walking on a section of roof. Although not seriously hurt he was nevertheless a little shaken by the experience. Mike made a generous donation to the SES for their efforts and the water ingress was reduced until work
started a month later.
The last month in Brisbane was hectic with a full plan of the restoration drawn up and many antiques purchased. Specific pieces of furniture were purchased for each room so that the right period effect was achieved. Permits were applied for, legals taken care of so that
everything would be in place for a start immediately on arrival.
There were many sacrifices to be made to meet the schedules. For Mike it was disappointing that he would not be able to make his school reunion in Rockhampton on 2nd June that had been organised for some two years previously. It was a decision that he regrets to this day. In retrospect he could have flown up and back in two days but there were tradesmen organised to start work and be briefed immediately on their arrival. He promises not to miss the next one in 2005!
The first phase of the restoration took 5 months. It was intended to have a first deadline of 1st October for a soft opening and trial runs. This would also give them extra time in case there were delays. Just as well, as the first
phase was completed on the morning of the 28th October 1995 as the first guests were welcomed in.
The restoration included completely re-roofing the house. Re- plumbing and re-wiring. Installation of central heating, insulation and initially three new bathrooms. The kitchen was gutted and a new commercial kitchen installed. The floors in the front rooms needed re-stumping, three ceilings needed replacing as well as a complete re-decoration and painting inside and out. The Widow's Walk had to be completely removed so that the sheet iron underneath could be replaced. Some mornings the ice had to be removed from
the tarps before work could start and the roofing contractor had to wait for the ice to thaw before climbing onto the slippery roof.
All involved in the restoration had a totally enjoyable experience. They remarked on the fun aspects, the laughs, the funny situations and the late finishes and early starts. The roofing contractor had never been served morning tea on the roof by a waiter, carrying a silver tray with a silver teapot and Royal
Doulton china. At night or at least after work there were customary drinks. Chivas Regal, Bundy Rum and Black Bottle Brandy were the rewards for those who worked until dark and beyond.