In the words of owner Mel...
My husband and I purchased 228 Brady’s Lake Road, Brady’s Lake in 2015. For the entire time we have owned it, we have looked and wondered about the little overgrown shack next door. We had never met the owners, but knew that it must have a very cool little story. We watched over the years it become more and more overgrown. A tree came down on its roof one winter, waking us in the night with a huge crash. Since, the place continued to fall into disrepair, and we noticed nature and the wildlife taking over. April 2019 we noticed the for sale sign out the front with the words “renovate or detonate”. This was our chance, and we jumped at the chance to own both places.
When we finally got the keys, I think Adam and I were both in a complete state of shock. It was evidently clear that a family of possums had been calling the shack home. It was a whole lot of chaos. After months of hard work, tip runs and cleaning, we got the shack back to a clean slate. It was then we saw it for it’s true beauty. The original furniture, the bedroom still plastered with fishing posters and 70s pornos. The pantry, still full of tinned food and beautiful vintage crockery. Adam has always loved 230 for its potential, but it has taken me a little longer to come around.
One day, whilst doing some tidying, a 4WD pulled into the driveway, and a gentleman introduced himself. His father had built the shack, christened “Kelly Street” and it was his childhood shack. He asked if he could see inside, and it was a beautiful moment to see someone relive their childhood memories. He was able to tell us that all the timber was sourced from the Bronte timber mill. He told us funny stories about how him and his brothers would hang rabbits from the trees out the back and take shots at the crows as they would come in for a feed. He was even able to show us where his original bed was. It was an amazing moment, we only regret not getting his contact details so we could share the future of Kelly Street with him.
This summer, we spent weeks raking 30 years of built up bark, branches and leaves off the ground, in preparation to give Kelly Street a new roof, and yard space. We hope in the near future that Kelly Street will be available on Airbnb; so that others can enjoy the beauty that is Brady’s Lake and the Central Highlands.