Arthouse
Tim Walton’s Peregian Beach home reflects his combined passions of surfing and art. One of the first things you notice when you step inside Tim and Lee Walton’s home is that almost every wall is adorned with a piece of art. All originals, each one represents a chapter in their lives and is testament to their appreciation for beautiful artworks. Originally from Angourie, on the northern New South Wales coast near Yamba, the pair are constantly reminded of their roots through a Joanna Terpstra painting in the hallway.
“Angourie Point is one of my favourite places to surf and was declared Australia’s first surfing reserve,” says Tim, who works as an offshore oil and gas drilling project manager. Wandering further through the house, striking works by indigenous artists Jeannie Petyarre and Minnie Pwerle draw the eye into the main bedroom, while the hallway serves as the home’s central gallery with an array of mixed media pieces gracing the walls. Pointing out a surf photo on canvas, Tim says the shot was taken before the days of digital photography.
“The shot of Thornton Fallander surfing Nias (Sumatra) in 1988, taken with a film camera by Erik Aeder, looks a bit like a Picasso in the fact that from a distance it looks great but up close it has a different dimension.” Beneath it sits an original Cyclops 1960s pedal car, which Tim bought on an online auction site. The couple moved to Peregian from Sydney two years ago with children Ethan, 4, and Imogen, 2. Tim says a painting of the Sydney Opera House in the hallway is a reminder of the strong friendships they formed while living there.
“On our last night in Sydney we took our neighbours out to dinner in Bronte and the painting was on the restaurant wall and we offered to buy it,” Tim explains. “We’ve had it since we moved to Peregian but we plan to swap it with our old neighbours every few years.” Further along the curved hallway an enormous canvas depicts world champion surfer Nat Young by Ballina artist Mike Mann, who Tim commissioned to create a three-part surf art series. Around the corner is the informal dining area, where another large scale work by Mike features Tom Carroll surfing at Banzi pipeline in Hawaii.
Continuing the surf theme on the upper level, spaces are filled with photographic portraits of legends such as eight-time world champion Kelly Slater, Hawaiian longboarder Joel Tudor and an early 1960s shot of a young Bob McTavish. A semi studio/workspace for Lee, who works with foliage and found natural objects to create collages, the room is filled with dried branches and seeds from the garden. Yet with a strong appreciation for a wide range of artists, Lee admits wall space is at a premium, relegating her own works to the outdoor entertainment area.
Paintings by Perth artist Waldemar Kolbusz can be found in the children’s bedrooms while his three-piece work Under the Water, which was an engagement present to themselves, hangs in the living room. “Lee and I both like to invest in artwork and we’re involved with Art Index, which is an organisation that enables you to register and lease your art,” Tim explains. With an appreciation for good design, the home is peppered with classic pieces including a replica Rupert Oliver leaf chair and a collection of sturdy former RSL tub chairs.
“We paid just $60 for all six, but ended up spending $600 each on them to be French polished and upholstered,” Lee explains. “But we love them so it was worth it.” For Tim, a favoured classic is a 1970s Geoff Darby surfboard with a single fin and swallow tail, which takes pride of place propped up in the living room. “I’ve been gradually getting it restored over the past two years, but it’s still a work in progress,” he says.
Outside Lee’s green thumb is evident with strappy ponytails, succulents, pandanus and a variety of palms creating a perimeter of greenery around the house, while carefully positioned red cordylines and pink bougainvillea add a vibrant splash. Although she admits to being an avid gardener rather than a surfer, weekends are often a family affair at the beach. “Surfing is a real family activity,” Tim says.
“Ethan already has a little board, which he takes out, and when Imogen is old enough she will be a surfer too.” It is this passion for the sport that has the family excited about the upcoming Noosa Festival of Surfing. “I’m a longboarder, not a shortboarder, so I won’t be competing during the festival, but it is a great weekend to see some great surfers out on the water and enjoy good music,” Tim says.
The Noosa Festival of Surfing, proudly sponsored by the weekender, runs from March 14-21. For more on the annual celebration see pages 8 and 49. For a full program visit www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com
INSIDER
Favourite spot?
Tim: At the kitchen bench or table. It is really the hub of the house.
In the garage
Tim: Surfboards by my three favourite shapers from home (Angourie) — Thornton Fallander, Greg Webber and Rodney Dahlberg.
Next project
Lee: Down the track we hope to build an additional room between Ethan and Imogen’s bedrooms so they can have a study/play area, maybe with a glass roof.
Story: Kylie Jackes, Issue 617, March 11th, 2010.
Tim Walton’s Peregian Beach home reflects his combined passions of surfing and art. One of the first things you notice when you step inside Tim and Lee Walton’s home is that almost every wall is adorned with a piece of art. All originals, each one represents a chapter in their lives and is testament to their appreciation for beautiful artworks. Originally from Angourie, on the northern New South Wales coast near Yamba, the pair are constantly reminded of their roots through a Joanna Terpstra painting in the hallway.
“Angourie Point is one of my favourite places to surf and was declared Australia’s first surfing reserve,” says Tim, who works as an offshore oil and gas drilling project manager. Wandering further through the house, striking works by indigenous artists Jeannie Petyarre and Minnie Pwerle draw the eye into the main bedroom, while the hallway serves as the home’s central gallery with an array of mixed media pieces gracing the walls. Pointing out a surf photo on canvas, Tim says the shot was taken before the days of digital photography.
“The shot of Thornton Fallander surfing Nias (Sumatra) in 1988, taken with a film camera by Erik Aeder, looks a bit like a Picasso in the fact that from a distance it looks great but up close it has a different dimension.” Beneath it sits an original Cyclops 1960s pedal car, which Tim bought on an online auction site. The couple moved to Peregian from Sydney two years ago with children Ethan, 4, and Imogen, 2. Tim says a painting of the Sydney Opera House in the hallway is a reminder of the strong friendships they formed while living there.
“On our last night in Sydney we took our neighbours out to dinner in Bronte and the painting was on the restaurant wall and we offered to buy it,” Tim explains. “We’ve had it since we moved to Peregian but we plan to swap it with our old neighbours every few years.” Further along the curved hallway an enormous canvas depicts world champion surfer Nat Young by Ballina artist Mike Mann, who Tim commissioned to create a three-part surf art series. Around the corner is the informal dining area, where another large scale work by Mike features Tom Carroll surfing at Banzi pipeline in Hawaii.
Continuing the surf theme on the upper level, spaces are filled with photographic portraits of legends such as eight-time world champion Kelly Slater, Hawaiian longboarder Joel Tudor and an early 1960s shot of a young Bob McTavish. A semi studio/workspace for Lee, who works with foliage and found natural objects to create collages, the room is filled with dried branches and seeds from the garden. Yet with a strong appreciation for a wide range of artists, Lee admits wall space is at a premium, relegating her own works to the outdoor entertainment area.
Paintings by Perth artist Waldemar Kolbusz can be found in the children’s bedrooms while his three-piece work Under the Water, which was an engagement present to themselves, hangs in the living room. “Lee and I both like to invest in artwork and we’re involved with Art Index, which is an organisation that enables you to register and lease your art,” Tim explains. With an appreciation for good design, the home is peppered with classic pieces including a replica Rupert Oliver leaf chair and a collection of sturdy former RSL tub chairs.
“We paid just $60 for all six, but ended up spending $600 each on them to be French polished and upholstered,” Lee explains. “But we love them so it was worth it.” For Tim, a favoured classic is a 1970s Geoff Darby surfboard with a single fin and swallow tail, which takes pride of place propped up in the living room. “I’ve been gradually getting it restored over the past two years, but it’s still a work in progress,” he says.
Outside Lee’s green thumb is evident with strappy ponytails, succulents, pandanus and a variety of palms creating a perimeter of greenery around the house, while carefully positioned red cordylines and pink bougainvillea add a vibrant splash. Although she admits to being an avid gardener rather than a surfer, weekends are often a family affair at the beach. “Surfing is a real family activity,” Tim says.
“Ethan already has a little board, which he takes out, and when Imogen is old enough she will be a surfer too.” It is this passion for the sport that has the family excited about the upcoming Noosa Festival of Surfing. “I’m a longboarder, not a shortboarder, so I won’t be competing during the festival, but it is a great weekend to see some great surfers out on the water and enjoy good music,” Tim says.
The Noosa Festival of Surfing, proudly sponsored by the weekender, runs from March 14-21. For more on the annual celebration see pages 8 and 49. For a full program visit www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com
INSIDER
Favourite spot?
Tim: At the kitchen bench or table. It is really the hub of the house.
In the garage
Tim: Surfboards by my three favourite shapers from home (Angourie) — Thornton Fallander, Greg Webber and Rodney Dahlberg.
Next project
Lee: Down the track we hope to build an additional room between Ethan and Imogen’s bedrooms so they can have a study/play area, maybe with a glass roof.
Story: Kylie Jackes, Issue 617, March 11th, 2010.
