Goldfields

S1, E3: What will happen to a Victorian goldfields ruin when the architect’s first thought is, “What am I going to do that that?” Hard-working Melbournites Wayne and Chris spent many a weekend getting out to the country. They came to love the area around Ullina, near the towns of Smeaton and Clunes, so much that they started looking for a property. After 18 months they found their block, complete with an 1860s ruin. They didn’t want to live in an old, dark house but loved the ruin’s stonework and overall mystique. Their idea was to include as much of the ruin as possible into a contemporary and light filled design. They approached architect, Ken Charles, with a very basic room plan and a photo of the ruin. Ken developed the design with Wayne and Chris to create an innovative and imaginative home. Goldfields House has rescued a piece of Australia’s gold rush history and brought it uniquely into the 21st Century. Wayne’s background is in building and project managing. He and Chris already knew Ken – they gave him his first job, a warehouse conversion. That was some 20 years ago and the men have kept up their association, working closely together on a number of development projects which have often included residences for Wayne and Chris. The key to their relationship, says Wayne, is the trust that they have built up working together over all those years. An innovative architectural design has preserved a piece of Australia’s gold rush history by transforming an 1860s ruin in country Victoria near Ullina into a contemporary and light-filled home.