Dixon reunion honours family home, pioneering legacy
‘Feels like home’: Michael and Sarah Clarke love living in Chermside the old family home.
by Cameron Outridge
Michael and Sarah Clarke on the front steps at the reunion with Dixon family descendants.
After more than half a century, Chermside, the historic Flaxton homestead, is back in the embrace of its Dixon family descendants. A recent family reunion held at the home on October 17 honoured the enduring legacy of the Dixon family. Descendants gathered to celebrate its return to family ownership two years ago.
Built in 1905 by local pioneers Joseph and Alice Dixon, Chermside has long stood as a symbol of family heritage. Now, under the care of great-great-grandson Matthew Clarke and his wife Sarah, who bought the home in 2022 it begins a new chapter.
“The reunion for the descendants of the eldest Son Joseph Clarence and his wife Mary, was really special,” said Sarah. “I think the family members were really appreciative of the invitation to return to somewhere they had so many fond childhood memories, and they really showed appreciation that we had bought back the family home.”
Known as “Tanderra House” for many years, Matthew and Sarah restored its original name, “Chermside”, in honour of the family legacy the same day they took ownership.
The property, with its wide verandahs and pit-sawn beech floors, had been lovingly preserved by its previous owners, Geoff and Ann Hocking. “They maintained and improved the house to a standard that made it an easy decision to buy,” Sarah said.
Sarah said the reunion was filled with laughter and a shared sense of nostalgia. “There were a lot of emotions and a lot of stories, a lot of piecing together of information, and everyone very much appreciated it.”
The process of purchasing and restoring Chermside has been meaningful for the Clarkes but the decision to buy was relatively spontaneous, sparked by their daughter. “Our youngest daughter was flicking the internet one day and she said to me, ‘Mum, look at this in Flaxton’ and I recognised the house. On our drives up the Range over the years Matthew had pointed out that this was a Dixon family house and I had said ‘wouldn’t it be great to get that one back in the family one day?’”
After making a phone call to local real estate agent Roger Loughnan they inspected the property the same week and made an offer the same day.
Since buying Chermside, the Clarkes have undertaken significant restoration work, focusing on both preserving its historical features and incorporating modern comforts.
Yet, they have been careful to maintain the home’s character. “We wanted to keep the feeling of classic timelessness but also bring modernity into it. And that involved bringing the colour into the house and, for us, giving it a real character with furnishings. You would be hard-pressed to build anything like this today, not with the workmanship, the woodwork, the windows, the use of timber.”
Sarah said the house also carried the warmth of generations past. “It’s been so beautiful to hear from so many descendants about how pleased they are that it’s back in the family,” said Sarah. “It has so much character. It moves and creaks and it talks to us. The wind whistles down the chimney. There’s so much going on in old houses. It certainly feels very much like home. We love it.”
Sarah has been working with Doug and Cate Patterson from the Montville History Group on Book 10 of a series about Historic Houses of Significance on the Range in which Chermside is featured. It should be available soon.