BY NERRIN WARR
When Jesse White, a real estate agent, and his partner Kelly Bouteloupt White decided to extend their weekend in the Hunter Valley after a concert at Bimbadgen, they never expected to fall in love with Broke.
Originally just a spontaneous detour: “Nine minutes,” the sign read, “we can fit that in,” they chuckled. The journey revealed a hidden gem that captured their hearts.
Struck by the majestic Yellow Rock escarpment and panoramic views as they drove into Broke, Jesse recalls, “Wow, this place is beautiful.”
Lunch at Mount Broke introduced them to the locals and the area’s 5-star hospitality. Overlooking the beauty of the Brokenback Ranges they recall, “Could you imagine this being the ‘local’ and living in a place like this?”
Jesse and Kelly, from the Central Coast, quickly felt a connection to a charming early ’70s home on twenty acres nestled at the foothills of Yengo National Park, offering elevated views of olive groves, vineyards, and livestock in lush paddocks.
“As soon as I saw it, I cried,” Kelly remembered. “We never thought we could consider owning a place like this. We loved it.” A week later, it was theirs.
“It was a bit of a baptism by fire,” Jesse admitted, as they moved in just in time for the 2019 bushfires.
Despite these challenges, the couple saw endless potential in their new home.
Over the next five years, they carried out renovations and restorations, blending Kelly’s flair for colour and design with Jesse’s expertise in construction.
“We love the wide frontage and the elevation that offers views we never tire of,” Jesse commented.
Kelly agreed, “We’ve always been drawn to natural materials, and here, they just fit perfectly with the landscape.”
Their home, painted a deep blue with contrasting white windows, features a distinctive windmill and dam, restored to blend aesthetic charm with historical significance.
“It’s one of our favourite features.” The property is designed for enjoyment, with an ironbark-framed fire pit area by the dam and gardens filled with bottlebrush and succulents edged with sandstone.
Although busy with their careers, they make time to unwind and connect with nature.
On any given day, they enjoy observing local bird species like the Spotted Pardalote, Superb Fairywren, Satin Bowerbird, and Rainbow Lorikeets, to name a few, while planning future projects for their land.
“We have so much more to do here, our property has so much potential, and we’ll be adding more living spaces, enhancing the integration with the outdoors and blending in natural building materials like stone and old timbers,” they explained.
“We are not going anywhere in a hurry; we love it here!” Their commitment is as firm as the foundations of their beloved home.
“My dad was a builder and taught me to see the potential in property. Some people might walk into a place and only see cosmetic flaws, but it’s the bones of a home, the layout, the foundation, the location, and the character of the neighbourhood that matter,” Jesse shared.
