Community & Business
19 September, 2023
Mylo: Clifton’s beautiful historic homes, a window into our past
“Mylo” built in 1902 by Alf Morton is a grand sprawling Federation style home that remains today as one of Clifton’s most noticeable and historic homes.
Simon and Kate Wilshire fell in love with their home on Kates Street the first time they saw it in 2000 and began almost immediately restoring the home to its original splendor.
The original owner and builder, Alf Morton, was a well known identity in Clifton and he designed the home to be a family residence in the true Victorian style.
Despite being over 120 years old the design of the home has received minimal change from Morton’s original ideas.
Most noticeable is the enclosure of the verandah on the northern side of the house.
This change has created a large family room that is bathed in beautiful sunlight and lends itself to a variety of family activities.
Possibly the most important change is one initiated by Simon and Kate whereby they have moved the kitchen from its original location to a position that is more suitable for modern living.
Incorporated in the new kitchen are beautiful timber bench tops that, in a nice touch, have used the timber from a tree that was felled on the block.
Interestingly, and a sign of their desire to maintain the historic nature of the home, they have retained the original wood stove as a feature in what is now a living room and it works well as a link to the historic nature of the home.
The sprawling home has a variety of living areas all with large bay windows that allow light to flood the room and take in an expansive outdoor view.
The living areas of the home are blessed with two beautiful fireplaces that Simon and Kate still use.
The feature of the property that is most noticeable for passers-by is the imposing brick and steel fence, built some time during the 1930s, along the Kates Street boundary of the property.
The ornate fence provides privacy and is unique for the town of Clifton.
Morton built the home as a family residence and except for a period when used as a medical practice, the home has largely been used for this purpose.
Kate Wilshire made the remark that she only ever considered living in an old historic home and Alf Morton would be pleased to know the home he built is in the hands of a couple determined to maintain his vision.
