Q&A: Madeline Lawler
AS TOLD TO LARA CHRISTIE
After falling for a 1913 post office in Tasmania’s rugged north west, Hobart couple Madeline and Andy have lovingly restored the heritage-listed building into a luxury escape, with the Tarkine, Cradle Mountain and a very friendly country pub all within easy reach. We spoke with Madeline about the journey that helped her arrive at The Post Office.
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Madeline and Andy, custodians of The Post Office Waratah (image: Renee Thurston)
Where did you grow up, and what part of Tassie do you call home now?
I was born here and spent most of my childhood in Cygnet, south of Hobart. At 18 years old, I packed up and moved to London, where I stayed for eight years. Andy was born in the UK, but his family moved to Tasmania when he was just 18 months old, so he's about as Tasmanian as they come!
Now, we live at Bonnet Hill in Hobart. We love being so close to the city and the beach, and we never get tired of our view over the Derwent River.
What has your professional journey been up to this point, and what does a typical workday look like now?
I've had a really diverse career. Moving to London at 18, I was happy to try my hand at all sorts of roles, and eventually landed a job as office manager at a tech startup, which I absolutely loved. I was there for three years, and my colleagues became my work family. They were there for the birth of my daughter, Coco, in London in 2010, and we caught up with lots of them when we visited the UK last year.
These days, Andy and I both work in executive management roles with the Federal Government. I lead a large leadership team, so my days involve plenty of people leadership and decision-making. No two days are the same: I might be working with another branch on a service delivery issue, making a quick call on an operational problem, preparing advice for senior leaders, or supporting a staff member through a tough time. It's challenging and rewarding in equal measure.
Andy is a project manager in the digital services space, where he looks after change management, communications and project assurance.
How did you come to be custodians of a 1913 post office, and what went into turning it into a luxury escape?
We'd spent about six months searching for an investment property in Tasmania. We knew we wanted short-stay accommodation, and that to be successful, it needed real character and a point of difference.
We stumbled across The Old Waratah Post Office online and knew instantly that we had to see it in person. It was within our budget and had already been partly renovated, but it was the original cedar post office counter and the big sash windows that captured my heart.
In the front of the building, we painted the kitchen cupboards a deep green, extended the benchtop to run the full length of the wall, and swapped out all the hardware, adding brass light switches and cloth electrical cord. We lowered the lights and hung vintage fittings, added a velvet bench seat along the front window, and painted the front room in a beautiful dark green called Black Olive. A purpose-built half wall and floor-to-ceiling black cotton velvet curtains finished it off.
The back room was a total gut job. We removed the laundry to make way for a clawfoot bath and an extra bedroom, and had to source original mouldings, skirting and floorboards to fill the gaps. We also spent hours trawling Facebook Marketplace for original four-panel doors to replace the ones that had gone missing over the years.
The Post Office Waratah (images: Renee Thurston)
What makes Waratah such a special region to visit?
It's the rugged natural beauty. We're close to the Tarkine rainforest, Cradle Mountain and a gorgeous stretch of coastline, and there's an abundance of hiking trails and waterfalls to explore. The local produce is incredible too: dairy, beef, truffles, honey and some great distilleries.
What does the perfect weekend at The Post Office look like?
We almost always arrive on a Friday night and head straight to the Bischoff Hotel, just two doors down. It's a great country pub, and we love catching up with the locals, many of whom have become good friends.
Saturday starts with a slow breakfast. If we have friends staying, we always take them to Cradle Mountain, an easy 45-minute drive away, to walk the Dove Lake Circuit. We finish the day with a beer by the fire at Cradle Mountain Hotel, or treat ourselves to a sauna and hot tub.
Philosopher Falls, just a 10-minute drive from the house, is one of my favourite short walks and always the perfect reset from our busy lives.
When it's just the two of us, we rarely leave. We cook, read, soak in the tub and soak up the quiet. If you're the adventurous type, there are endless hiking trails nearby, but for us, Waratah's remoteness and serenity are exactly why we love it.
Where do you head for a Tassie staycation?
Anywhere by the ocean! We love camping at Bay of Fires, and Cosy Corner is a favourite spot. In Summer, the east coast is hard to beat, especially a hike and a swim at Honeymoon Bay in Coles Bay, and we have an annual trip to Bruny Island with friends.
This Christmas, our extended family is coming down from the mainland, and we've booked a place at Little Swanport for all of us. There'll be plenty of crayfish, fishing off the local beach, swims, naps and family time.
What are three things every visitor to Tasmania must do?
Get into the wilderness. The east and west coasts are completely different and equally special.
Eat and drink your way around the island. We have some of the best produce in the world.
And visit in winter for Dark Mofo, one of the best festivals anywhere in the world.
What's the best thing you've ever eaten or drunk in Tassie?
David Moyle's triple baller - a rice ball with truffle, uni and raw tuna - at this year's Dark Mofo Winter Feast absolutely blew our minds.
And to drink, the non-alcoholic drink pairing at The Agrarian Kitchen is exceptional. Whenever we go (and you really must!), we order one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic pairing to share. What they're doing there is next level.
Why makes Tasmania feel like home to you?
Tasmania is at its best when you slow down and really notice it. Some of my favourite experiences have been the simplest ones: finding a beach with nobody on it, lighting a fire, going for a swim, and watching the sun set with sand between your toes.
