From boardroom to vineyard: At home with HIA's Jocelyn Martin in Murrumbateman

The promise of open space and a stronger connection to nature is drawing Canberra families to lifestyle properties across the border.

But back in 2000, Jocelyn Martin and her vintner husband Bryan were the exception when they moved from Campbell to the cool climate wine region of Murrumbateman.

The managing director of the Housing Industry Association says it was once a small community of farmsteads.

“It was very much a rural area where people knew each other. Now, there’s a lot of housing with a growing population, a primary school and a new set of shops,” she says.

These local conveniences would have been welcome 25 years ago. In swapping city life for an opportunity to cultivate a sprawling 16-hectare vineyard, the couple ended up about 40 minutes from the capital. 

Those early days were a whirlwind of contrasts as Jocelyn juggled a corporate career with the daily commute, sport on the weekends for three children and the unpredictable rhythms of country life.

It wasn’t unusual for her to swap a suit for overalls. However, she says much of her input for their label Ravensworth – “apart from being chief taster!” – has been in marketing the wines they produce, from estate sangiovese and riesling to nebbiolo, shiraz and chardonnay. 

“I’ve certainly enjoyed living out here more in the last decade than I did in the first,” Jocelyn says, laughing. 

It’s clear that much of her contentment comes from how the property and gardens have flourished.

By renovating the original kit home, the couple created more space for the family and shed the cottage decor they disliked. The goal, she explains, was to “reduce that vibe down to something much more contemporary and simple”.

The Martins extended the living space, added bedrooms and updated the kitchen, slowly creating what she describes as a “more Tuscan feel”.

To achieve an interior defined by warm, earthy colours, she collaborated with designer Mimmi Freebody of MMM Interiors.

Today, the two-storey, three-bedroom (plus study) home is introduced by a winding driveway and a wisteria-draped front porch.

Past the bright red front door, the open-plan layout is unified by timber highlights and floors, which pair with dark joinery.

Contrasts are found in a white-veined black stone that surrounds a stunning three-sided glass fireplace and covers the custom bar benchtop, with integrated fridges and a grid-style wine rack below.

The transformation of the external grounds has been just as profound as the house.

The expansion extended to the addition of a winery and the meticulous construction of a straw-bale cellar.

Adorned with large-format oak barrels, Italian amphorae and concrete monoliths, the impressive temperature-controlled space, complete with a pizza oven and outdoor kitchen, has become a favourite venue for family gatherings and hosting guests.

However, a more personal harvest is fast becoming Jocelyn’s pride and joy. 

“I’m part winemaker but I’m a super vegetable grower, too,” she says. 

This year, their tomatoes have yielded about 70 different bottled varieties; many of their cupboards are filled to the brim with pickled or fermented vegetables. A crowning moment came when one of her pumpkins was recently served in a restaurant on Oxford Street, Sydney.

“That felt like one of the most amazing achievements of my life!” she says.

Jocelyn’s hands-on, rural life provides a stark change from her busy day job leading the peak body supporting residential construction.

Builders have experienced intense pressure in recent years, dealing with the business impacts of COVID, soaring material prices, skills shortages, and sweeping code changes. 

Amid these challenges, Jocelyn points to a significant breakthrough: the federal government’s National Housing Accord. She calls the ambitious target of 1.2 million homes by 2030 a key advocacy win, long championed by the HIA.

“This is a framework that allows the industry to focus on what’s needed to meet the target, putting long-standing barriers such as planning, approval times, taxation and skills, firmly on the table,” she says.

It’s the conversation, she insists, that we must have to boost productivity and deliver the homes Australia desperately needs. 

This intense professional focus is precisely why her weekend ritual of pulling on the gumboots and Akubra hat is such a vital shift in headspace.

“I need to do something radically different,” she reflects, “otherwise I become the job.”

What began as a practical life change to Murrumbateman for the Martins has blossomed into a fulfilling lifestyle, and its legacy is now taking root in the next generation. Jocelyn says one of their children is studying viticulture and taking an interest in the family business.

Jocelyn credits the unique character of the capital region for making this dual life possible. 

“Canberra gives you an opportunity to live in a variety of ways, from city apartments or homes close to town centres, to a rural setting less than an hour from the CBD,” she says. 

“What we’ve been able to do here is enjoy the best of so many worlds … send our kids to school, sports and hold a professional career, all while living on a vineyard nearby. Where else in the world could you do that?”