One of Gunnedah's oldest properties will soon be opening up its doors as a bed-and-breakfast.
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David Cholson and his wife Sandy are hoping to open up their home, a 100-year-old sandstone building on George Street, by the end of the year. It's one of only a handful of its kind in Gunnedah.
'Rose-Lea' is one of the oldest properties in town, dating back to about 1914. It originally sat on 17 acres, but this has been reduced over time to half an acre. It still has a housekeeper's cottage on its grounds, though.
According to Mr Cholson, the original property "would've gone from George Street to the south, Albion Street to the east, Hunter Street to the north and Ashford's water course to the west".
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Mr Cholson said they had tried to find out more about its history, but floods destroyed many of the old records.
But some history has come from word-of-mouth, from the granddaughter of the original owners.
Mrs Cholson took the NVI on a tour of the property, and shared some insight into the granddaughter's memories. She now resides at a local aged care facility.
"She remembers sitting on the fire box in the middle of winter learning to knit for the war effort," Mrs Cholson said.
"She would've been about nine or 10 at the time."
The pair have been slowly restoring the property to bring it back to its former glory, while ensuring that all of the facilities are modern or in working order.
"We've replaced everything; all of the old plumbing and electrical wiring, and we're currently trying to replace our roof but that's proving to be a bit harder," Mr Cholson said.
"Inside the rooms are quite large and stately, the ceilings are all pressed metal and are 12 feet high.
"The floors are original and all the floors' timber would've come from the original sawmill in town."
Some of the furniture remains from the original homeowners, including a tapestry in the lounge and a fire screen on a fireplace.
Other items, including a claw-foot bath, have been sought from Gunnedah Buy, Swap and Sell so there are still some older pieces among the modern.
The gardens haven't been neglected either, with the pair removing many weeds and bringing life back into the half-acre property.
The husband and wife team moved up to Gunnedah from the state's south coast five years ago, as his eldest child and his wife and their two children lived in the area.
"We saw the house was for sale and fell in love with the house and fell in love with the town," Mr Cholson told the NVI.
He is planning on contacting the folks at Google, as the property's current location on Google Maps doesn't show the correct spot.
"By that stage, we'll be developing our own website as well and have instructions on how to find it," he said.