A Little Piece of France in the Byron Bay Hinterland

The Setting

At the end of the lane

There is a point where the coast gives way to the Byron Bay hinterland and the pace begins to change. Roads narrow, the landscape opens and home starts to feel a little further removed from everything around it.

At Knockrow, that sense of separation leads to Edward Place, a quiet dead-end lane where 9 Edward Place occupies approximately 2.3 elevated acres. From its escarpment position, the property looks east toward Byron Bay and Lennox Head, bringing the coast into the wider outlook without giving up the privacy of a country setting.

Designed by Ron Johnson and built in solid Western Australian limestone, the residence takes its cues from a French country house while remaining firmly connected to its Northern Rivers surroundings. Formal architecture meets established gardens, terraces open to the landscape and the scale of the property allows each part of the estate to find its own place.

It feels private, but never remote — a distinction that becomes increasingly important as the property unfolds.

The Detail

France, by way of Knockrow.

The European influence is most convincing in the materials themselves.

Western Australian limestone gives the house its solidity, complemented by French Oak flooring, imported French doors, wrought-iron balustrades and broad travertine terraces. Rather than being confined to a single room or decorative moment, the palette continues through the house and into the spaces around it.

Nowhere is that more apparent than in the French country kitchen. Substantial limestone island benches sit at its centre, alongside a seven-burner cooktop and double ILVE ovens, giving the room both presence and purpose.

From here, French doors open towards a secluded courtyard centred around a fountain, continuing a relationship between indoors and out that appears throughout the home. The European references may establish the aesthetic, but it is the ease with which the spaces connect that makes them feel lived in rather than staged.

The Space

Together, with room apart.

For all the architectural detail, one of the estate’s most compelling qualities is something much more practical: not everyone has to live under the same roof.

The main residence accommodates four bedrooms and a separate study, while a fully self-contained four-bedroom guest residence provides a second home within the property. Across the two residences are eight bedrooms in total, six with private ensuites, including the generous master suite.

Further down the property, a separate manager’s residence sits within its own garden and citrus orchard.
It changes what having people to stay can look like. Extended family can settle in for longer than a weekend. Guests can have a home of their own. Different generations can share the property while maintaining their independence.

At an estate of this scale, space is expected. What feels more unusual is how deliberately that space can be shared.

Outdoors

Follow the house outside

The relationship between indoors and out becomes even clearer beyond the main living spaces, where travertine terraces extend towards the swimming pool and a dedicated pavilion creates another place to gather.

From there, the estate opens further. Formal terraced gardens move through the grounds, a floodlit synthetic-grass tennis court sits beyond, and extensive covered entertaining areas make outdoor living part of the home’s everyday rhythm rather than something reserved for summer.

There is a large climate-controlled wine cellar too, while further down the property the established citrus orchard brings a different, quieter character to the landscape.

Together, these spaces give the day options. A morning in the courtyard can move to lunch on the terrace, an afternoon by the pool or on the court, and dinner back outside as the light changes.

For a property with considerable amenity, the appeal is refreshingly uncomplicated: there are simply plenty of good reasons to spend time outdoors.

The Hinterland

Close enough. Far enough away.

That balance between connection and separation extends beyond the boundaries of the estate. Knockrow sits between the hinterland and the coast, with Newrybar and Lennox Head close by, Bangalow a little further inland and Byron Bay within easy reach. Ballina Byron Gateway Airport provides convenient regional access.

It means life here does not require choosing between country and coast. The privacy comes with acreage and elevation, while the beaches, restaurants and familiar townships of the Northern Rivers remain part of everyday life.

A morning can start at home among the gardens and end by the coast. Friends can stay without taking over the house. Family can gather for a weekend and still find their own space when the day winds down.
And that is perhaps the more interesting story of 9 Edward Place. Its French-inspired architecture is what first gives the estate its identity, but the way it allows people to live is what gives it relevance.

There is room here — between residences, between indoors and out, and between country and coast. Enough separation to enjoy the privacy, with everything connected when you want it to be.