‘The full package’: Historic Yass Valley home with cafe on the market

A run-down former Cobb & Co Station Inn is not everyone’s idea of a dream home, but for the late Tony Ryan of Young, the property at 142 Bowning Road, Bowning, was exactly that.  

Built in the 1840s and in a state of disrepair, the property left a lot to be desired.

The walls and plaster were crumbling, the floor was caving in and there was water coming from somewhere unknown. But, by Tony’s 50th birthday in 2000, he just couldn’t drop it. 

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“We were at his birthday party, and he just kept telling everybody how much he wanted to go and have a look, but I wasn’t as keen,” Tony’s wife, Renata, said. 

“But, off we all went, and you know in movies when people walk into houses and there’s cobwebs everywhere and the floor’s falling in? It was like that.”

Now, after many years, it’s clear that Shamrock and Thistle, as it’s now affectionately known, is a true labour of love. 

The Ryans restored the property over the course of 20 years to where it’s at today, including constructing the Rollonin Cafe in 2007 — the thriving business on the property that is loved by locals and tourists alike. 

Despite receiving a diagnosis of stage four melanoma in the midst of creating the cafe, Tony went to great lengths to retain the deeply embedded history of the town by ensuring the building’s design and construction replicated similar local buildings from the 1800s. 

In the home itself, the three bedrooms, each with their own entry from the outside, are a nod to the building’s original purpose as an inn. Many aspects, including the roof shingles and brickwork, are all from the original 1840s build.

There are four fireplaces inside, and a wood-fired pizza oven outside – perfect for those chilly winter evenings.

Selling agent Bill Robertson-West of Ray White Rural Canberra/Yass said the property was unlike any other in the area.

“It’s the full package with an established business, a beautiful historic home and enough acreage to pursue your chosen rural hobby,” he said. 

Not only does the property feature the established cafe with all the necessary fixtures, but the expansive gardens also have a long history as a popular spot for weddings, photo shoots, car shows and everything in between. 

 “The opportunities for the new owners are endless … the grounds could operate as a little B&B or glamping, we even thought about installing a putt-putt course,” Renata said. 

“There are eight acres of land, and three of them can be divided into half-acre subplots,” she added. 

The decision to sell was bittersweet for Renata, but she knows it is time to pass it on to spend more quality time with her grandchildren.

Renata hopes the new owners will appreciate the rich history of the home, and continue to explore the possibilities her late husband dreamt for it.