About
Kookaburra’s Joy is one of Oberon’s original, hand built colonial cottages. The current lounge, dining room and one of the bedrooms are constructed from pisé, a French technique involving compressing mud inside frames. We restored the pise walls of the fireplace and then rendered them to show the beautiful irregularities in the corners and edges that give it a unique character, along with the revealed original hardwood beams.
The house was then extended using local timbers in the early part of the twentieth century. The only contemporary extension is the large, open-beamed kitchen that leads onto a new, covered deck with barbeque that opens onto the large backyard and hosts views of the hills beyond. For more information and gallery use the menu at the top of the page.
Rest
With a soft colour palette, genuine original features and a cosy atmosphere, Kookaburra’s Joy is the ultimate rest location.
The thick walls ensure quiet from the world outside and edge of town location make it an easy place to escape to the country with the conveniences of small town life.
Retreat
Sometimes it is good to get away. To reconnect with family, with friends. To explore the outdoor world and the inner world.
Escape from your everyday. With a dedicated workspace and NBN internet, you can also make this a working retreat if needed.
Rediscover
Oberon is a wonderful place from which to explore Wiradjuri, Gundungarra and Darug country.
Surrounded by farmland, pine forests, national parks and lively towns and villages, Oberon gives you a chance to explore, reconnect with nature and enjoy pursuits new and old.
Our values
We first explored the Oberon area as a ‘safe’ escape in COVID. We wanted somewhere we could bring ageing parents to escape the confines of city life. We found it difficult to find accommodation that had space for all of us with features that would be helpful for older parents with health issues.
When we first saw Kookaburra’s Joy it was dilapidated and unkempt. Many of the original features you see now were covered over by decades of renovations. The front door didn’t open and windows were covered. Only 1 window faced the lovely back garden and view, and the lawn was around 1.5m tall!
We decided to work with local tradesman to try to restore the cottage – seeing value in its thick, colonial walls and finishings. We wanted to try to create a beautiful space which could be a home away from home.
Restoration
In restoring the house, we had a strong focus on using recycled materials. We sourced and collected windows, doors, light fittings, bathroom fittings, etc and restored them rather than buying new. Hardwood timbers that were removed in the renovation were reused – the steps leading from the drive to the deck for example came from our original hardwood flooring.
We wanted to create something special by re-using and re-purposing quality materials. Reducing waste, but also creating an authentic feel to the humble colonial cottage.
Kookaburra's Joy 