Geurie gets an art gallery!

After the previous business relocated to Wellington, we knew the large retail space operated (the premises of the old general store / antiques Store) needed a lot of work. 

Pre-loved art-gallery ceiling lights were sourced from Noosa (big thanks to Paul and Fiona Bastow of Gallery One93 for being bloody lovely to deal with!). 

The shop & cafe area was entirely re-wired (Thank you to Ben & Noah Woldhuis - Diverse Electrical & Solar).

Tenants requested LOTS of new power points.

We upgraded a very old electricity meter box.

The new electrical circuit and meter box, enabled new ceiling / pendant lights to be installed and a HUGE new air-conditioner unit to be installed (Thank you to Marty Nelson Air-Conditioning).

L’Art Zoom gallery lights enable Jacinta to showcase her art with specific lights from narrow to wide beam angles (for large landscape paintings as well as smaller pieces).

Local painter Damien Sallustio Painter removed years (decades?) of old paint and treated the surface to stop ‘old wall colour’ staining the new white-on-white gallery walls.

Jacinta the artist, had the vision: glorious white cabinetry and white paint on the old brick petition wall. New coats of commercial floor paint went on the concrete floor.

We installed a new kitchenette/laundry tub in the back of the art-gallery to enable Jacinta to offer art-classes and enhance her working environment.

When Buckenbah Collective purchased the  building, we asked the (then) tenants what they would like done to make their space work better.

A long list of things was compiled.

It has been great to complete each item (noting it took us 2.5 years…).

The challenge with an older building - is to figure out what can and is classified as exempt or complying development.

The wheelchair loo…

Introducing the:

  • exempt development,

  • heritage building compliant,

  • wheelchair friendly

    loo!

Adding a humble loo to a retail & cafe space sounds like a small job.

The reality, however, is incredibly different.

The things we have learned about installing a loo (in a heritage building) would make a sane person, slightly twitchy.

The new loo enjoys:

  • hot water,

  • is wheelchair accessible,

  • a baby-change table

  • does all the things needed to enable the Café to be compliant with local food handling rules.

Shade sails

Once the loo was completed, we moved onto shade options… we know living in a rural space, you really want a shady, green and cool place to enjoy. The last drought reminded us we need moments and places to connect with others - to break up the hard times. Somewhere to meet with others, when your backyard grass is dead and somewhere for the kids or grandkids to enjoy whilst you catch up with friends or family. 

We erected 6 long steel poles and large shade sails.

The long-term plan is to have glorious grapevines climb up and over, so in the hot summers, we can re-charge in a green oasis.

A modern cafe, function & event space

In May 2023, REDI.E as indicated they were buying the French Press cafe business from Britt, we decided to purchase a ‘pre-loved’ commercial cafe & kitchen fit out. We knew the cafe fit-out was dated and needed a facelift.

Initially our plan was to just replace shelving and counter-tops.

When we called Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) to ask what food safety items we needed to take into consideration as part of the cafe renovation/fit-out, they advised us that trade-waste disclosures for the building needed updating.

It became clear we needed to do a full-overhaul of the cafe space.

We checked the existing Development Approval linked to the building, and obtained confirmation from DRC, that “Yes! We could upgrade the cafe and modernise the kitchen”. 

Why not, we said?  How little we knew about the journey ahead…

As luck would have it, at the same time we realised an update of the cafe/kitchen was needed, local businesswoman Angela Hutchinson was selling her commercial cafe & kitchen fit out furniture.

Ange owned the nearby Wellington cafe / giftshop, Ang & Co, for six years.

The people behind the renovation!

The renovation process has largely taken place in two stages.

Gratitude and thanks to the following tradespeople for “making it happen!” - 

Stage one:

  • Bradd Hyland - builder

  • Paul Whillock & team - builder / landscaping / equipment hire (bob-cat)

  • Ben Conroy - plumber & roofing

  • Jacob Perry - plumber

  • Ben & Noah Woldhuis Diverse Electrical & Solar (Electricians) - electricians

  • Marty Nelson & team - air-conditioning install and maintenance

  • Damien Sallustio - painter

  • DCL Locksmiths & Security - keys/locks

  • Craig & Cate Whitely, Eliza Whiteley, Jack Courts & Brendan Booth - all undertaking serious hard work, general labouring, design and vision (and hard yakka)

  • Shout out to Coralie of the Magnolia Nursery in Dubbo for supplying many plants (and ordering in special items) for the garden courtyard.

Stage two (Jan to June 2024):

Our usual builder Bradd Hyland was booked up in Jan/Feb 2024, - we didn’t have much notice due to cafe suddenly closing, so it was a scramble for trades. So a new builder & tiler, James Wood, was engaged (as luck had it, had just bought a local Geurie farm in late 2023).

A great group worked together for stage two, including:

  • Rob Bracks - landscaping & equipment hire (bob-cat & shovel)

  • Jake Elliot - concreter

  • Andy, Dave, Luis & Rita - hard-working backpacker labour in between potato picking & summer farm work

  • Damien Sallustio - commercial expoxy flooring

  • Ben & Noah Wolshius of Diverse Electrical & Solar (Electricians)

  • Regional Power Connections (installing 3 phase upgrade - replace the old meter to a new current smart meter, and installing a new switchboard

  • Jacob Perry - plumber, gas and trade waste

  • Premise Australia -surveying and town planning

  • Dave Jones & team of Western Power - building audit for fire safety. Instalation of photoluminescent exit signs, 10 year lithium battery interconnected wireless smoke detectors, new fire safety signage, the emergency response plan and various fire equipment

  • Dubbo Landscaping - supplying granite and initial guidance on courtyard options

  • Justin Whitney of Central West Pressure Cleaning - intense cleaning of front concrete paths and awning areas

  • Rodney Woldhuis of Bobcats R US - delivery of fresh topsoil, landscaping and bob-cat hire

  • Rhonda Osborn and Jen Price - landscaping advice and hard garden yakka

  • Bull and Libby Wilson, Brendan and Claire Booth,- “the glue”, co-ordination general labouring, design, vision, and hard yakka

  • Last - but by no means least! - Coco and Chris Newberry have undertaken a wide range of prep, planning, deliveries and long hours on weekends. We very much owe them sincere thanks for their hard-work and dedication. We love the brick pathway & outdoor kitchen in the playground was their idea (and Chris built the kids table).

Once the trades and labouring processes were completed, finishing touches have kept us busy as well as installing CCTV cameras (credit to Macquarie Alarms in Dubbo for their guidance with this process).

The rear residence has become a fully-furnished 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car-port accommodation option for local workers needing modest residential accommodation.

We loved sourcing trades from the local region. Where possible we sourced materials from locally owned small businesses (and Bunnings).

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