AMBROSE BRINGS ENGLISH GARDEN ROMANCE TO WOODEND

Seemingly borrowed from a scene in Bridgerton, or plucked from the pages of a Brontë novel, St Ambrose in the picturesque Macedon Ranges of Victoria is a masterclass in English-inspired charm.

It’s no surprise, then, that the expansive 108ha estate, whose grounds are known as The Enchanted Garden, is the former home of celebrated landscaper Paul Bangay.

St Ambrose is a property with a genuine narrative. The story begins in the 1880s, when the original bones of the modernised homestead were just a humble schoolhouse.

Just over a century later, Bangay bought the country compound and spent a decade transforming it into a magical escape showcased in his iconic book, The Enchanted Garden.

Arranged as a sequence of “rooms”, the grounds are connected by sculptured hedges and framed planting that has been handpicked to connect with the surrounding Macedon landscape.

Now the estate is back on the market via an expressions-of-interest campaign with Campbell Kilsby and Tony Ryan of Kay & Burton Bayside, who are seeking offers between $8 million and $8.8 million. According to title records, it last traded in 2023 for $8 million.

A line of perfectly placed pencil pines frames a structured forecourt, anchored by a central, calming water feature.

Beyond the landmark gardens, the residence has also been revived, crafted into a series of connected pavilions balancing old and new. The former schoolhouse is still part of the story, now integrated into the main living zones.

Inside, the house features epic proportions with high ceilings, big fireplaces, spacious rooms, and expansive glazing that captures the romance of the outdoors from every angle.

The central country kitchen has stone surfaces, an island bench, shaker cabinetry, and French doors to the patio.

There are four bedrooms, including a main suite with a quiet garden outlook, while additional bedrooms are positioned for privacy. At the far end of the vast floor plan, there is also a fully self-contained one-bedroom guest residence for extended family or visitors.

Two separate garages have raked western red cedar ceilings, polished concrete floors, and custom timber doors that open the space up for entertaining in the stately setting. Ordinarily, the garage can accommodate more than five vehicles.

In addition to the heritage-style gardens, the grounds feature a newly rebuilt 20m wet-edge pool with an integrated spa, as well as an upgraded reflection pond complete with new filtration and lighting.

Other recent behind-the-scenes renovations include hydronic heating, air conditioning, irrigation, and water storage.

St Ambrose is close to Woodend Station and is approximately 70kms from Melbourne’s CBD.

St Ambrose at 7 Wood St, Woodend, Victoria, is listed through an expressions-of-interest campaign with Kay & Burton Bayside. Offers close on May 27 at 5 pm, and the price guide is $8 million to $8.8 million.

Unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show, Feadship’s largest concept yacht to date places human connection at the centre of its design, with a four-deck social space, underwater lounge, 20-metre swimming pool and an unconventional approach to life at sea.

The world’s largest superyachts have traditionally been defined by their dimensions, engineering and increasingly elaborate amenities. Swimming pools, private cinemas, beach clubs and helicopter landing pads have become familiar features of vessels built for the world’s wealthiest individuals.

But Dutch superyacht builder Feadship is challenging that approach with HIVE, a 115-metre concept unveiled at the 2026 Monaco Yacht Show that begins not with the yacht itself, but with the people who might live aboard it.

The largest concept design in Feadship’s history, HIVE has been developed by the company’s Studio De Voogt design team, led by senior designer Jan Schaffers, alongside its naval architects and engineering specialists.

Rather than following the traditional process of arranging guest suites, entertainment spaces and technical facilities across a series of decks, the designers began by imagining a family of four and considering how each member might want to spend their time at sea.

The result is a yacht built around a central gathering space, with a series of individual environments allowing owners and guests to move between shared experiences and more private pursuits.

“HIVE is designed around the idea that experiences can change people,” Schaffers said.

“We wanted to explore what becomes possible when you start not with what a yacht has always been, but with how people might want to live on board in the near future.”

It is a philosophy that marks a departure from the conventional superyacht layout, where individual decks and dedicated entertainment areas often dictate how guests use the vessel.

At HIVE’s centre is an extraordinary open space extending across four decks, conceived as the social heart of the yacht.

On the main deck, the space can function as a grand saloon, performance stage or auditorium, with terraces opening on either side to connect the interior with the surrounding sea.

Curved staircases rise through the central volume, linking balconies and smaller gathering spaces overlooking the main area. Behind the scenes, dedicated service pantries, furniture storage and a green room allow the space to be adapted for everything from intimate family gatherings to concerts, lectures and large-scale entertaining.

The concept draws inspiration from the salons of 1930s Paris, where artists, intellectuals and cultural figures gathered for conversation, performances and the exchange of ideas.

That influence is deliberate. Feadship wanted to create a vessel that could facilitate interaction rather than simply provide a collection of luxurious spaces.

The idea was also shaped by six finalists from the Boat International Young Designer of the Year competition, who were invited to work alongside Studio De Voogt’s designers in the Netherlands.

Their discussions repeatedly returned to the importance of a central place where people could come together before naturally moving towards their own activities.

For a yacht of this scale, the approach offers a different interpretation of luxury: the freedom to spend time together without requiring everyone on board to follow the same routine.

Beyond the central gathering space, HIVE offers a collection of environments that would be remarkable even by the standards of contemporary superyacht design.

A two-storey beach lounge opens towards the water, connecting to an outdoor dining area capable of accommodating 24 or more guests.

On the owner’s deck, a 20-metre swimming pool incorporates Feadship’s patented ContraWave technology and extends indoors as a suspended, glass-bottomed infinity pool.

Elsewhere, an underwater lounge provides views beneath the surface, while a circular, glass-enclosed library on the foredeck opens onto a secluded garden.

An observation lounge above features a retractable glass roof, allowing guests to look directly towards the night sky.

The arrangement is intended to accommodate very different interests, from swimming and entertaining to reading, observing marine life or simply enjoying the surroundings.

It also reflects a broader shift in superyacht design, where the relationship between indoor and outdoor environments has become increasingly important.

HIVE’s extensive glazing, opening terraces and connected living spaces are intended to create a greater sense of openness than traditional multi-deck yacht configurations.

The exterior design reinforces that philosophy.

Despite its 115-metre length, HIVE has a long, low profile, with a largely glazed superstructure that reduces the visual separation between decks.

The design builds on ideas previously explored in Feadship’s Pure and C concepts, particularly the opportunity to reconsider the traditional placement of the bridge.

Instead of a conventional wheelhouse occupying a prominent forward position, HIVE uses a virtual command centre supported by cameras and sensors.

Retractable glass wing stations provide direct visibility during close-quarters manoeuvring, while the alternative arrangement frees up valuable forward space for the owner’s accommodation and observation lounge.

It is an example of how technological development can influence the architecture of a yacht, rather than simply improve its performance.

Feadship has also placed considerable emphasis on ensuring that HIVE’s proposed engineering systems are technically achievable.

Although the vessel remains a concept, its propulsion and electrical architecture have been developed using technologies that already exist or are under active development.

The proposed system combines three 900 kW variable-speed generators operating on hydrotreated vegetable oil, fuel-cell technology and a substantial five-megawatt-hour battery bank.

That battery capacity is approximately five times greater than the installation aboard Feadship’s pioneering hybrid yacht Savannah, while occupying a comparable battery-room footprint.

Two fuel-cell configurations have been considered, including solid oxide fuel cells and a proton exchange membrane system supported by a methanol reformer.

HIVE would also use Voith Schneider Propellers, which provide multidirectional thrust without conventional rudders.

Already established in commercial marine applications, the technology offers precise manoeuvrability, low-noise operation and dynamic-positioning capability.

Feadship’s proposed performance figures include a cruising speed of 12 knots, a maximum speed of 16 knots and a range of up to 9,500 nautical miles when operating on HVO.

While these remain projected figures rather than results demonstrated at sea, they illustrate the level of technical development behind the concept.

For Feadship, HIVE continues a programme of experimental designs dating back to 2006, through which the Dutch builder has explored emerging technologies and changing expectations of life aboard large yachts.

Ideas investigated in earlier concepts have subsequently influenced completed vessels, including developments in hybrid propulsion, structural glass and alternative fuels.

HIVE is therefore more than an exercise in imagining an exceptionally large yacht.

It represents an attempt to reconsider the fundamental relationship between the people aboard a vessel and the spaces they inhabit.

For all its extraordinary dimensions, the thinking behind HIVE begins with a relatively simple question: how can a yacht bring people together while giving them the freedom to enjoy their own interests?

The answer is a design that places shared experiences at the centre of life at sea, with technology, architecture and engineering developed around them.

Whether HIVE is ever built in its current form remains to be seen. But as a statement of where superyacht design could be heading, it suggests that the next generation of luxury vessels may be defined less by the number of amenities they contain and more by the experiences they make possible.

AMBROSE BRINGS ENGLISH GARDEN ROMANCE TO WOODEND

A former Paul Bangay estate in the Macedon Ranges blends heritage charm, sculpted gardens and pavilion living across 108 hectares.

On the owner’s deck, a 20-metre swimming pool incorporates Feadship’s patented ContraWave technology and extends indoors as a suspended, glass-bottomed infinity pool.