Notes from the Sea: Finding Stillness at Margaret Cottage on the Hawkesbury River

There’s something about places you can only reach by water. A certain quality of light, perhaps. Or the way time seems to move differently once you've left the road behind.

For our Summer collection, Notes from the Sea, we sought a setting that evoked the same feeling.

We found it in Margaret.

Tucked along the Hawkesbury River at Milsons Passage, Margaret is a 120-year-old weatherboard cottage resting on the traditional lands of the Darug people. The cottage sits alongside 40 or so riverside shacks, with the Muogamarra Nature Reserve rising behind like a green, breathing guardian. Much of the year, the reserve is closed to protect its fragile ecosystems and to preserve its deep cultural significance. Getting there requires a boat. No shortcuts, no alternatives.

Named after her former owner, anthropologist Margaret Kerans, an intrepid woman who lived alone on this river for decades, the cottage embodies a sense of courage and curiosity in its walls. After standing empty for 11 years, she was rediscovered, lovingly refreshed, and eventually entrusted to the Simoneau family, who continue to honour her character with gentle, thoughtful restorations.

The heart of Notes from the Sea was shaped long before we arrived at Margaret, but the moment we stepped inside, everything fell quietly into place. The slow light, the salt in the air, the gentle sound of boats passing... it all held the ease and simplicity we wanted this collection to carry.

In Margaret’s simple rooms, surrounded by vintage finds and seaside touches, our pieces found their context. These aren’t clothes that demand attention. They’re made for mornings on the deck with coffee, for afternoons reading in the shade, for evenings watching the sun turn the river gold.

The merino wool pieces we’ve added are perfect for those cooler times, such as early mornings or late nights by the water, when you want something soft to wear. Everything goes together easily because nothing is overdone. Like Margaret herself, there is no extra shine just to look fancy. Just real materials, carefully made, and clothes that move with you.

If you do find yourself craving that quality of stillness that only comes from being near water, Margaret is there. But you don’t need a riverside cottage to find what Margaret offers. Our Notes from the Sea collection works just as well in your own life, wherever that is. It’s designed to layer and mix with what you already own, pieces that transition from one moment to the next without fuss.

Wherever this season takes you, may you travel lightly, dress softly, and carry a little of the river with you.