The influence of Alistair Knox is evident in 889 Skyline Road, Christmas Hills — built and designed by his son Hamish Knox, in collaboration with landscape designer and horticulturist Loretta Childs — which has just hit the market.

Loretta and Hamish bought the property 24 years ago when the site consisted of two neglected houses and a shed, but they saw immediate potential in its 360-degree views to Mount Macedon and the Yarra Valley.

‘The siting of all buildings placed on the top of the hill with the view and the bush block rolling behind felt like the perfect combination to create something special,’ says Loretta.

‘A bore was drilled and brought forth liquid gold — water — therefore giving us the security to create not only a home, but a native garden to envelop the buildings naturally.’

Indeed, over the years, Loretta and Hamish have transformed the buildings and added further studios across the 12-acre site now known as ‘Big Hill’.

Originally a 1960s cream brick veneer home, the main house has been renovated under the existing roofline to incorporate a new roof, windows, timber lining, wharf timber beams, and galvanised corrugated iron cladding.

The use of materials echoes the work of Hamish’s dad, Alistair Knox, who pioneered the local style of ‘bush modern’ buildings handcrafted from mud bricks and recycled timbers.

‘The design evolved as the materials came along. Recycled and secondhand were always our first choice — quality original materials that have and do stand the test of time,’ says Loretta.

‘All renovations were self-designed and built… The design and build is what we do and it has been a joy to explore the process of building for ourselves.’

Three large windows across the front of the house take in spectacular views of the valley, providing an ever present connection to the outside world.

The second largest building on site is a two-storey mudbrick studio complete with a bathroom and kitchen on both levels.

Additional studios, workshops, and sheds are dotted across the property, interspersed between Loretta’s planting, ponds, and a pool.

‘The garden is my haven, with water at its heart and garden rooms to meditate in,’ she says. ‘I will miss picking produce from the generous vegetable garden and cooking at the AGA.’

Hamish and Loretta have relished the home’s position, located within an hour’s drive from both the Melbourne CBD and Tullamarine airport, and on the doorstep to the Yarra Valley.

At the same time, the property provides a level of peace and quiet that’s hard to match.

‘The seclusion and yet centrality is without a doubt what we will miss,’ Loretta says. ‘Big Hill sits like an island in the bush surrounding one with bird life and tranquility.’

Much love and care has gone into creating Big Hill, but Loretta and Hamish are ready for their next chapter, and to see what new owners can do with the property.

‘The property needs to be passed on to new blood and new life,’ says Loretta. ‘To feel our work is there for others to create and build on makes it all worthwhile.’

889 Skyline Road, Christmas Hills VIC is listed for sale with Daniel Cobern and Lorraine Grimshaw from Jellis Craig and will go to auction on Saturday December 13 at 3.30pm.