‘Questa’ is a charming but faded piece of Barnes Bay history. Built somewhere around 1900, the house sits in a secluded corner of Simmonds Bay (a sheltered inlet of Barnes Bay) with title to the high water mark and an absolute waterfront position that is increasingly hard to find. The remains of a jetty, with registered number, still belong to the house and this could be rebuilt.
Originally with four small bedrooms, the internal area has been changed over the years to increase the living space, which is comfortable and very roomy, with a dining area at one end, looking out over the water. A door with period stained glass surrounds leads out to a small veranda. The living area has a wood heater.
There are two bedrooms and plenty of space in an enclosed veranda to add an extra sleep-out bedroom. The separate kitchen is spacious and functional. The bathroom has sink and shower and there is a separate inside toilet. There’s also a small adjoining laundry.
The garden shows signs of being loved in the past, but is overgrown and needs some serious work with a brushcutter.
The 2.5 acres is mostly cleared land with mature eucalypts. A track leads from the house past an attractive dam to a substantial machinery shed, big enough for a tractor and workshop. There’s also a galvanised iron garage and storage shed.
There’s plenty of history about ‘Questa’ . A 1906 edition of The Mercury reported that “Miss E. Denne of ‘Questa’, after doing a kindly action in driving Mrs Long to Dennes Point to catch a steamer to town, overturned her pony trap on the return journey, when a wheel ran over a grass tree, throwing her out, injuring her leg and giving a shock to her system. Miss Denne lay helpless for about 20 minutes and at last her cries for help brought a neighbour to her assistance.” The local doctor accompanied Miss Denne to Hobart that night, aboard Mr Gibson’s steam launch.
Then in December 1940, the paper announced the bethrothal of ‘Miss Eunice Nancy Churchill, only daughter of Mr and Mrs C. Churchill of ‘Questa’, to Brooke Hutchins Griffiths.” Where are they and their descendants now?
In its present condition, ‘Questa’ is perfectly comfortable and liveable as a simple and rustic holiday retreat. The superb position on the water will appeal to cruising yachties, sea kayakers and anyone who likes messing about in boats. And with some care and hard work, a new owner has the opportunity to restore the house to its rightful place as a heritage gem of North Bruny.

All information contained herein is gathered from sources we believe to be reliable. However we cannot guarantee its accuracy and interested persons should rely on their own enquiries