BATHURST-based developers Bruce and Rose Bolam and are on the move into a spacious new apartment in the central business district.
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They have invested $3 million into the former Waratah Hotel building in George Street, which is now known as Read Chambers.
The naming is in honour of Nicholas Read who built the first hotel on that site in the mid-1800s.
Along the way, Mr Bolam and wife Rose have created a first floor unit of generous proportions that you could expect to find in the upmarket areas of New York, London or Paris.
The decision to go for an inner city apartment comes as the Bolams put their historic, award-winning Blair Athol property in upper Keppel Street up for sale at $2.5 million.
While the Bolams are sad to be leaving the stately home with its award-winning gardens, they say it’s a transition they need to make as they move into their later years.
“We were very happy at Blair Athol, but when the opportunity came up to do something on the Waratah site in George Street, we couldn’t pass it up,” Mr Bolam said. “It is a wonderful location with views over Machattie Park and the court house right in the heart of the CBD. As the real estate agents say, it’s a case of position, position, position.
“Being upstairs above ground floor tenants gives us security with a gated backyard and lifts allowing access from both the front and back entrances.
“We love Bathurst and have no plans on going anywhere. The new place is certainly a far cry from when we first moved here from Weipa 40 years ago.
We lived through that first winter in a caravan on the site of what is now the Carrington Park footy ground.”
Mr Bolam said they would move into their new George Street home once Blair Athol is sold.
“We have several antique items that we want to take with us,” he said.
“For instance we have a rare, tall sideboard that dates back to 1640 that will go in the dining area. It’s pretty tall, so we’ve had the roof raised in that space and a feature ceiling installed.
“Every effort has been made to buy local where possible. Dave Pennells and the team from Inland Building and Construction renovated the building for us and we couldn’t be happier.”
A feature of the 550 square metre Bolam apartment is a two storey atrium in the centre of the home, which brings natural light to most of the rooms. It has full length, doubled glazed windows facing George Street, complete with remote control blinds.
The timber grand entrance door was especially made.
There are three bedrooms, each with its own television and ensuite plus a visitors’ bathroom.