The impressive vestibule leads to three display rooms on the ground floor. The formal dining room is a treasure trove with one of the original sideboards from the house, and another sourced from nearby Tenterfield Station. The 125 years old piano was once owned by the German royal family, and has recently been completely refurbished. The original Italian marble fireplace is a work of art, and on the floor is a large carpet square which matches carpet used in parts of Buckingham Palace. There is a marble pedestal, plus Victorian lustre vases, and an eclectic collection of Victorian bric-a-brac. In spite of all this, it is often the magnificent restoration work on the walls and ceiling which amazes people the most.

The drawing room, morning room and vestibule have all been restored with the same attention to detail. Kirk Jensen’s work has captured the colourful elaborate style of the Victorian/Italianate era. The furniture and fittings complement his work. The drawing room has a Victorian double-ended chaise, an Italian oval dining table, and one of the original Stannum chairs which has been generously donated by the Reid family. In the morning room are antique beds and a fully restored Napoleon suite with a four-seater chaise and two tub chairs.

Anyone with a love of timber will be enthralled by the cedar joinery throughout the house, from the doors to the main staircase, but the piece de resistance is the spiral staircase from the second to the third storey. The staircase was built in Belfast by the same company which later fitted out the Titanic, the ship which was built “barring no expense”. The cedar for the staircase was shipped from Australia, and then the finished product was returned in one piece to Stannum, where the external wall had to be modified to fit it in.

To arrange a tour, please contact us at info@stannumhouse.com.au or phone 02 67365538.