On Merryfield Farm — the name for the new venue — the barn, off McDonnell Rd, originally housed horses downstairs and grains and seeds upstairs, though the latter was more latterly used as a woolshed.
It’s been in the ownership of the Monk family since 1964 — originally Jim and Win Monk, and now their son Roger, who’s long wanted to restore the barn to prevent it from falling to bits.
The project’s taken five years, the first two spent on planning and consenting.
The new front part of the upper level, including a service area, replaces the corrugated iron lean-to structure dating back to about the 1950s — though recycled corrugated iron’s been used again on the exterior.
The upper-level barn, latterly used for shearing, has a new wooden floor over the existing floor and a new over-roof over the old wooden roof.
It’s also distinctive for the original schist walls appearing in patches through the plastering.
A matching toilet block’s been added to the side.
On the ground floor, reached by a sloping pathway, part of the original horse feeding trough’s been retained along with the horse stable walls.
An internal wall reveals the signature of ‘Thos McDonnell’ — the property’s original farmer was Thomas McDonnell, after whom McDonnell Rd is named.
It’s also been fitted out as another function space with a second bar.
Roger Monk says the project’s cost about $2.5million.
Gibbston-based architectural designer Matt White, who designed the repurposed venue, says ‘‘plenty of people would have thought it was too expensive or too much money to bother saving it, but Roger decided he was keen to carry on with it’’.
