30 Sights to Make You Proud to Be an Australian
Be inspired by the shots from Houzz that are making us say: "Happy Australia Day!"
Australia is a land worth celebrating, and when it comes to our lifestyle and homes, there’s a lot to love. A favourite Aussie movie, The Castle, was even based around our strong feelings towards our homes: “It’s every Australian family’s dream. A quarter acre block. A pool room. A barbie. And an airport over the back fence.”
What makes you proud to be an Australian? Tell us in the Comments. In the meantime, here are 30 things on Houzz to make you want to sing Advance Australia Fair from the rooftops this Jan 26.
What makes you proud to be an Australian? Tell us in the Comments. In the meantime, here are 30 things on Houzz to make you want to sing Advance Australia Fair from the rooftops this Jan 26.
This swing seat. We don’t shout loud enough about it, but we’re a nation full of country charm … almost 8000 square kilometres of it, in fact. Amanda from RedAgape knows just how to embrace her surrounds, fashioning a swing seat on a 21-acre block using a reclaimed pallet.
This view. Not a bad view of your neighbour’s pad… We hear the owners are quite the entertainers.
Or this view. Inspired by NSW university town Armidale’s mix of rural life and culture, this hilltop homestead is an expression of the ‘agri-culture’ we’re seeing more and more in our nation’s rural design. The owners are ‘gentlemen farmers’ who can oversee the health of their cattle from the comfort of their urbane refuge. We’re talking the best of both worlds.
Or even this view… We know how to live for the weekends, don’t we? Justin Long Design planned this weekender for one lucky businessman who now has the pleasure of having Palm Beach as his backyard.
Have a look at the rest of the place
Have a look at the rest of the place
And what about this view? In a land girt by sea, some of us live by the beach (lucky ducks!) while the rest of us can holiday there. And why not? We have some of the best beaches and coastlines in the world! How about this retreat in Seal Rocks, NSW?
This spa. Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi! How’s this for a bit of luxury? Seriously lacking in bubbles – no, I mean the other kind – but you can’t complain about the view.
12 outdoor spas done the Aussie way
12 outdoor spas done the Aussie way
This letterbox. What other country can boast of a national villain/hero who based his body armour on the design of a letterbox? Or was it the other way around…? Either way, we love our Ned Kelly Letter Box.
This garden prepared for the sporty season. Howzat! MCG, eat your heart out. Now this is a fine way to celebrate the cricket season this summer. And where every vantage point can be called the Member’s Stand!
This shady spot. Take your virtual minds to the hammock under this box elder tree. Don’t forget the lemonade. Oh, and the fly swat!
This backyard. But we’ll fight the kids for it…
This bird. Say hello to the resident peacock at Summerlees Estate in the Southern Highlands.
Or (less authentic) bird. Traditionally, our culture has valued larrikins (rowdy, but good hearted; someone who acts with apparent disregard for social or political conventions), and our larrikin birds are definitely worth celebrating. This photograph features Seise, a palm cockatoo found in the Adelaide Zoo.
This traditional terrace balcony. We may not all have the luxury of a rural homestead with hundreds of acres of land, but boy do we make do. Wake up to the sounds of morning passers by on your leafy terrace-lined street or even better, sit out on the balcony with a coffee and watch! Ooh, are those presents for us?
And this inner-city courtyard. Who needs the three-quarter acre when this Melbourne courtyard is room enough to house life’s necessities: such as a bike and a barbecue. Just saying.
See the rest of this home
See the rest of this home
This starry-eyed pool. Our thin ozone means we never really have a problem with stars … but just in case you missed them.
Take a tour around this Asian-inspired retreat
Take a tour around this Asian-inspired retreat
This home overlooking the water. Designed to make the most of a steep site, this private home boasts a covered pavilion to house a kitchen (complete with wood fire pizza oven), a large dining area, sunken spa and wall mounted TV. Travel down a set of steel stairs and you come to an inviting blue pool with wet edge spill over out to the bay. Ok, we’ll stop now.
Or this water’s edge home. We like houses that have a living relationship with the landscape. Our architecture excels when it embraces the surrounding trees, water, views, light and sky.
Read more: 12 Mouth-Watering Homes Overlooking the Water
Read more: 12 Mouth-Watering Homes Overlooking the Water
This granny flat on stilts. This neat little one-bedroom granny flat is safe from the elements – and in our Great Southern Land, the elements can be intense. Pole houses reduce flooding, water damage and weakening of the house’s foundation. Plus sitting higher amongst the trees provides a beautiful outlook from the house.
This converted chicory kiln. A holiday house with a difference, this once dilapidated chicory kiln has been remade with flair, sensitivity and style. Located on gorgeous Phillip Island, the historic charm of the building has been retained by using a mix of industrial and recycled materials.
The modern and minimal but never austere interior provides this family with the perfect environment for relaxing and entertaining.
See the rest of this converted chicory kiln
See the rest of this converted chicory kiln
This converted shed. In inner-city Glebe, the presence of an old cowshed provides a glimpse of an almost forgotten past.
With the cows long gone, much of the original materials were beyond saving. But happily, this vibrant open-plan family home with a courtyard has married original fabric with a modern vibe.
With the cows long gone, much of the original materials were beyond saving. But happily, this vibrant open-plan family home with a courtyard has married original fabric with a modern vibe.
A palette of simple, robust materials reflect the rural history – concrete slabs polished as flooring, recycled bricks left as face for the internal walls and the timber structure exposed.
Check out the rest of this project
Check out the rest of this project
This collector’s home. Memories of being taken to op shops by her grandmother set the pattern for this collector’s life.
Now living in New South Wales’ beautiful Blue Mountains, this simple post WW1 cottage is a treasure trove of the practical through to the preposterous, majoring on the owner’s favourite decade of the 1950s. Vintage signs, ceramics, sculptures and lamps are just some of the finds that fill this tiny house and make it into a much loved home.
Now living in New South Wales’ beautiful Blue Mountains, this simple post WW1 cottage is a treasure trove of the practical through to the preposterous, majoring on the owner’s favourite decade of the 1950s. Vintage signs, ceramics, sculptures and lamps are just some of the finds that fill this tiny house and make it into a much loved home.
“This is going straight to the pool room” – from The Castle.
Some people do it because they like the sense of connection with their ancestry or our nation’s past, others just find something they love and the ‘must have’ drive kicks in.
The owner of this ‘collector’s home’ advises never buying more than one thing – because once you have two, that’s a collection starting right there… Yikes!
Some people do it because they like the sense of connection with their ancestry or our nation’s past, others just find something they love and the ‘must have’ drive kicks in.
The owner of this ‘collector’s home’ advises never buying more than one thing – because once you have two, that’s a collection starting right there… Yikes!
Or this collector’s corner?
What child doesn’t love collecting shells or rocks or hunting for years for the perfect gum leaf (oh, maybe that was just me?). Whatever the objects, collections ground us and give us a sense of identity, of belonging and connection, in a fast-paced world.
What child doesn’t love collecting shells or rocks or hunting for years for the perfect gum leaf (oh, maybe that was just me?). Whatever the objects, collections ground us and give us a sense of identity, of belonging and connection, in a fast-paced world.
This beach-style living room. Coastal chic embraces the seaside style we know and love. It’s why thongs are our footwear of choice, why we can wear our cossies to the shops and why throwing a few prawns on the barbie is a summer ritual.
It’s just part of who we are … and we like to feel we’re connecting with the outdoors even when we’re actually inside, with the air-con blasting.
It’s just part of who we are … and we like to feel we’re connecting with the outdoors even when we’re actually inside, with the air-con blasting.
This porch. They provide shade and shelter, and a place to sit back with your feet up and catch the breeze. Some are big and others small, but on a balmy evening the porch is the place to be.
Or this porch. We love the classic timber lines, crisp cool colours and flash of greenery. It’s an entryway that in every way says, “Welcome”.
Read more: 10 Ways to Get More From Your Verandah
Read more: 10 Ways to Get More From Your Verandah
This bushland veranda. Australia is a great place to live and our homes reflect so much of what we have to be thankful for: our lifestyle, the people and land.
However you choose to spend Australia Day, we hope you find a great spot to sit back and relax, to eat, drink and be merry with family and friends.
However you choose to spend Australia Day, we hope you find a great spot to sit back and relax, to eat, drink and be merry with family and friends.
Beer Can Chicken Roaster
And how could we forget … the larrikin spirit that infuses even the most humble of barbecue meals. The ultimate accessory that personifies our rowdy but good-hearted, disregard for social and political conventions. Bonza, mate!
TELL US
What makes you proud to be an Australian?
TELL US
What makes you proud to be an Australian?