Long before the current crop of hipster cafes shone the light on regional, seasonal produce and single origin roasts, a green-thumbed chap was growing his own tropical bounty ??? including coffee ??? atop Buderim mountain on the Sunshine Coast.
Farmer Herbert Fielding had his majestic Queenslander built in 1915 on 16 hectares of the 49 his father had selected back in the 1870s.
The landmark property's colourful history began even before the house was completed when Fielding received an offer he couldn't resist from an interested buyer. Walter Oakes added a couple of conditions to the purchase ??? he wanted a tower added to the top of the house and an elaborate "Buderim House" stained glass window in the front door.
Both additions have stood the test of 102 years. Not that current owners Tim and Jackie Banks have need for the tower ??? they can see the ocean from their bedroom window.
"There was a big ship parked off Mooloolaba yesterday," Tim said.
Fielding went on to build a very similar house nearby but he purchased Buderim House back in 1925 and continued to produce fruit, cattle and coffee on the land.
"There are coffee trees all through the yard," Banks says.
"I thought about harvesting some but??? it's a lot of work.
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"As you come in the driveway there's an orchard of Washington navels, mandarins and lemonade and a couple of mango trees."
He said this season's citrus had been the best in years.
"We've been getting hundreds and hundreds."
But the fertile land, the sub-tropical gardens and those views over the Maroochy coast are not even the biggest drawcards of this site ??? that crown must go to the majesty of the house itself. It is said to have hosted many a notable guest over the years, including the Duke of Gloucester.
It was run down when the couple found it in 1996 but even after years of use as a function centre and tea house, with 14 unapproved toilets and a commercial kitchen whacked in downstairs, the heritage grandeur of the building was undeniable.
The couple got busy restoring the mountain-top beauty along with the addition of a pool, landscaped grounds and an in-character extension at the rear. Established trees were moved around the property as needed and rock walls were incorporated from stone found on the site.
The Banks have bought another local property, known as Rim House ??? "half the name and half the land of Buderim House" ??? and are putting their beloved home of the last 20 years under the hammer on September 16.
Ray White Buderim agent Lew Pottinger said Buderim House, located at 10 Orme Road, was a rare find in a secluded location that was still only 10 minutes from the beach, conveniently placed to make the most of the Sunshine Coast lifestyle.
