YEARS of work tastefully renovating their Rankin Street cottage has earned Shane and Jo Eslick an award from the Bathurst branch of the National Trust.
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Members of the branch recently visited the home at 22 Rankin Street to present the couple with the monthly heritage award for November.
The home is believed to have been built sometime between 1857 and 1875, serving as both a residence and a shop for owner Thomas Balcombe.
The property changed hands a number of time, being owned for years by three generations of the Collins family, until finally becoming a private residence in the 1970s.
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Mr and Mrs Eslick purchased the home in 2006 and began their renovations about three years ago.
They started with new paint, gutters and a carport, the latter becoming necessary after a tree fell on the property.
"The catalyst for the major renovations was a tree falling on my carport and the back part of the house. It fell from the end house, right across the back of the yard, across my carport, and onto the fourth bedroom," Mr Eslick said.
After the work on the carport, the couple then added shutters to all the windows and had screen doors custom made.
Inside, they have refurbished the lounge, dining room, study, laundry and bathroom, and they plan to do the same to the four bedrooms, kitchen and then the gardens.
Solar panels have also been installed.
President of the Bathurst National Trust, Wayne Feebrey, praised the couple for the work they've done to not only modernise the home, but to ensure it blends with the surrounding heritage area.
"The National Trust are big on maintaining the Bathurst streetscapes because they are so important as a heritage asset for the city, so when people go to the trouble of maintaining or restoring heritage facades, we like to recognise them," he said.
"From the smallest cottages to the largest and most significant buildings in town, it's important to say to the folks that own them that this is significant and this is what Bathurst is about."
Mr and Mrs Eslick were honoured to be presented with the award.
"I appreciate it. It's an indication that we are heading in the right direction," Mr Eslick said.
The award is not only about recognising the work property owners have done. It is also a way for the National Trust to encourage others to protect items of heritage value in Bathurst.
Mr Eslick said people should make the effort to restore older homes, and noted that there are grant opportunities to assist them to do so.
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