Photographer Peter Dombrovskis’ historic home hits market

The family home of acclaimed photographer Peter Dombrovskis is for sale. Picture: Supplied

There is a chance that you have visited this Hobart oasis.

Especially if you have a green thumb.

For many decades it was the home of the Dombrovskis family. And from time to time, Peter and Liz would open their garden to the public.

In a 1993 interview with the Mercury, the internationally acclaimed photographer said: “The garden reflects our personality as we are both visual people concerned with design. We are concerned with landscape values, scale, distance, proportion and shape.

“Gardening that’s creative and rewarding is an art.”

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No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

Peter’s daughter, Olivia Dombrovskis, told the Mercury that the time was right to list the family home for sale. However, it will be a sad day when its next chapter begins, she said.

Mrs Dombrovskis said her parents, Peter, and his first wife Gabrielle, bought the property in 1979.

She remembers it with fondness, a lush acreage to explore and play with her siblings.

“Our home was a great place to explore. And we were right next door to Mount Wellington, too,” she said.

“It was a beautiful place to grow up.

“One of dad’s main loves — alongside photography — was gardening. He was always planting rhododendrons. They were his favourite.

“He and Liz loved gardening, it was something that they shared together.”

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree was built in 1916 as a mountain retreat set upon 1.18ha.

The gardens feature towering and rare gums, ancient wisteria thought to be more than a century old, vibrant rhododendrons, giant man ferns, and at certain times of year, a magical scattering of red and white toadstools.

Throughout the grounds, many of the sandstone steps and walls were crafted by Peter, using reclaimed sandstone bricks that were salvaged from nearby Hobart homes that had been dismantled to make way for new roads.

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Peter and Liz Dombrovskis in their garden in the mid-1990s. Picture: Mercury archive

Rich timbers and natural tones run throughout the four-bedroom home, seamlessly bonding the interiors to the outdoor landscape, with large windows framing the picturesque surrounds from almost every room.

The ground floor offers numerous living spaces, with a generous lounge and library with wood heating, an atrium dining room that floods with light through extensive glazing, and an adjoining deck that makes the most of the spectacular outlook.

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

A second living room provides further space to relax, while a study nook beneath the stairs offers a private work-from-home area.

The large country-style kitchen is functional and welcoming, with slate floors, extensive timber cabinetry, stainless-steel countertops, a timber breakfast bar, and quality appliances.

Two bathrooms service the home, one on each level. Upstairs there is a shower, toilet and vanity, and there is an over-bath shower, vanity, toilet, and skylights downstairs.

Alongside the cosy wood fire in the lounge, year-round comfort is enhanced by reverse-cycle airconditioning and underfloor heating.

Built of solid brick and well-insulated, the home retains warmth.

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

In addition to the sunny entertaining deck, a separate, private gazebo, sheltered, and warmed by a wood fire, provides the ideal space for hosting family and friends, or simply enjoying the outdoors, surrounded by nature.

The extensive property also includes numerous outbuildings for storage, along with a workshop and adjoining rooms with a multitude of uses, creative, practical, or recreational.

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No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree.

Mrs Dombrovskis said a love of nature runs in their family, and that they all love this property in their own way.

“Fern Tree is a special place to live. It’s at once in a bushland setting and only a few minutes from the centre of a capital city,” she said.

“It’s a gorgeous suburb. The smell of the air is so fresh. It’s like a perfume that combines with the sounds of the black cockatoos and currawongs.

“In winter it will snow, and maybe settle on the ground a couple of times a year. It’s so picturesque when everything is covered in snow.

“And in summer it comes alive. It’s a beautiful retreat.

“I think this property is perfect for a family. Especially for children with the attic bedrooms and the gardens to play in.”

No.761 Huon Rd, Fern Tree is for sale with Peterswald. It is priced at $1.45m-plus.

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