Tallong Painters for Orchard-Country Cottages and Bush Acreage
Painting in Tallong, the old apple village on the edge of the gorge country
Tallong is a small village on the Main Southern railway, east of Marulan, with the Shoalhaven gorge country at the end of its back roads. It started as a railway halt called Barber’s Creek, and for a good part of the twentieth century it was known for its apples. WM Painting & Decorating is licensed and insured, with over 10 years of painting and decorating experience, and we price a Tallong job from what is on the walls, not from the postcode.
Below is what shapes painting here: the railway timber, the orchard-era sheds, wet ground, hard frosts, the 1965 fire and the houses built after it. To book a visit, call 0434 432 267 or send a message through the contact page.
Skilled, Licensed Painters
Honest, Upfront Pricing
Personalised Colour & Design Advice
Premium-Grade, Long-Lasting Paints
Ongoing Support & Maintenance
Painting services in Tallong and the country around it
Interior Painting
Cottages and farmhouses with wood-heater soot, cracked old plaster and tired ceilings, prepared properly before any colour goes on.
Exterior Painting
Weatherboard, fibro and brick on larger blocks, prepared for frost, damp at the base of walls and long bush boundaries.
Commercial Painting
Village premises, halls and small rural businesses painted around opening hours and local events.
Roof Coating Services
Iron roofs, sheds and water tanks washed, rust-treated and recoated.
Decorative Solutions
Colour advice for timber houses among gums and old fruit trees, tested against the light on the actual wall.
A railway halt called Barber’s Creek Tank
Before Tallong had a name it had a water stop. The State Heritage Inventory record for the Tallong Railway Station, yard and water supply says the dam was first built in 1869, rebuilt in 1888 and had its wall raised in 1917, with a pump station dated 1911 and station buildings of about 1913. It describes the group as a rare, early collection of timber railway buildings, and notes the dam and pump house as important to the industrial heritage of the railways.
The station belongs to the rail owner, so it is not our job, but it shows what Tallong has always asked of paint. Timber stands up for a century if the paint film is kept up and water is kept off the end grain. The railway history compiled by the Australian Railway Historical Society, Uringalla, Tallong, Morrice’s Siding and the Barber’s Creek bridges, says the railway opened to Marulan in August 1868 and that there was no population centre here before it. The village grew from station staff and fettlers, and by the end of the nineteenth century had a store, a school, a hall, a church and a substantial fruit packing shed. Older timber houses and outbuildings in the village call for the same care: small buildings, iron roofs and a lot of exposed end grain.
What the orchard years left behind
Apples gave Tallong its reputation. The Australian Railway Historical Society history says orchards of apples, pears and stone fruit became the main land use by the end of the nineteenth century, helped by Sydney businessmen who set up country retreats here, and that the 1917 crop was forecast at 10,000 cases. A Region Canberra feature on the Davenport family describes the brothers Albert and Harry planting 40 acres, and a government fruit expert in 1910 reporting branches bending under fruit.
For a painter, an orchard district means packing sheds, cool rooms, equipment sheds and small outbuildings that outlived the trees. These are often plain timber or iron buildings with big flat walls. We repaint them with the same discipline as a house: wash, scrape, treat bare timber, prime, then two coats. A shed that has been dry and neglected for decades will often take more primer than you expect, because old timber drinks paint. We say so when we quote, so the price is fixed and the surprise is not.
Wet ground and the bottom of the wall
The same Region Canberra feature says the Davenports began by growing fruit in swampy ground and tackled the drainage problem while others predicted failure. Not every Tallong block is wet, but low spots and gully lines are, and houses on them show it the same way: bubbling paint and soft timber at the foot of the wall, mould on the lower boards, and a musty smell under the floor.
Paint cannot fix a drainage problem. Before we repaint a damp wall we look at gutters, downpipes, ground levels against the cladding and the subfloor vents. If soil or garden beds are piled against the boards, we tell you to pull them back. Where timber is soft we cut it out and replace it, and prime new and bare wood on all faces. Then the paint has something sound to stick to. A repaint of a wall that is still wet lasts one season at best, and we would rather tell you that than take the job.
Frost mornings and when we can actually paint
Tallong sits on cold tableland country. The National Parks visitor page for nearby Bungonia National Park gives winter temperatures averaging 1 to 13 degrees Celsius, with a lowest recorded reading of minus 9 degrees. One recollection in the railway history has children waiting for the morning train sitting in the frost and lighting a fire to keep warm.
Frost matters to painters for two reasons. Paint will not cure properly on a cold or damp surface, and every product has a minimum surface temperature on its label. And frost and dew leave moisture on timber that may not burn off until mid-morning. In winter we start later, stop earlier and check the surface before each coat. We also plan exterior work for the warmer months where we can, and use winter for interior jobs. If you need an outside job done in July, ask us what is realistic. Painting in conditions the paint was not made for is how coatings fail early.
After March 1965: the houses that came next
The fire of 6 March 1965 is the great dividing line in Tallong’s history. The Australian Railway Historical Society history says the industry was largely wiped out and that the brick general store built in 1927 was destroyed and replaced by the weatherboard building that stands today. It adds that the last commercial orchard stayed in operation until 2014. Local accounts call it the Chatsbury fire, and the Region Canberra feature says it swept through the ageing orchards as it raged all the way to Nowra.
That fire is why Tallong has so many houses from the late 1960s and 1970s sitting beside much older ones. Postwar weatherboard and fibro cottages, small brick veneers and owner-built houses all need different handling. On fibro built before the 1980s we assume asbestos may be present, wash gently, never sand dry and seal with a suitable primer. On weatherboard we replace rotten boards and use flexible filler on joints. On brick veneer we look at the mortar and the eaves. We do not describe a repaint as bushfire protection, because it is not, but we do point out gaps, damaged eaves and rotten timber that are worth repairing for other reasons.
The Memorial Hall and Apple Day
The Memorial Hall opened in 1920 and is still the centre of village life. According to the Australian Railway Historical Society history, it replaced the first community hall. The organisers quoted in the Region Canberra feature say Apple Day drew more than 10,000 people before COVID-19, and a recent programme listed pig races, whip cracking, woodchopping and around 70 vendors.
A day like that puts pressure on a small village’s buildings. If you run a stall site, a hall, a shopfront or a bed and breakfast, the best time to repaint is well before Apple Day, not the week of it. Dates for the festival have moved around in recent years, so check with the organisers before you plan. We schedule public-facing work in stages so entrances stay usable, and we can finish exteriors before a major event if you give us the date early. Our commercial painting page explains how we work around trading hours.
Acreage cottages near Badgery’s Lookout
Beyond the village, Tallong turns into bush acreage. The NSW Government’s visitor page for Badgery’s Lookout says you reach it by turning onto Caoura Road at the general store and following Badgerys Road for four kilometres, with the Badgerys Spur track dropping into Morton National Park on the edge of the Ettrema Wilderness. Houses out that way have more bush around them than a town lot, more leaf litter in the gutters, and more sun and wind on exposed walls.
Quoting a house on a larger block takes a bit more measuring. We look at the house, then any sheds, the garage, fences, gates and the water tank stand, and we quote each as a separate line so you can do the house now and the rest later. Fence posts and gate posts are where we spend extra time: end grain and ground contact are where timber rots first, and sealing them adds little cost.
Iron roofs, tanks and rural sheds
Many rural properties collect rainwater from the roof, so roof condition matters beyond looks. Rust at the laps and screw heads of old corrugated iron lets water into the roof space and can stain the rainwater you collect. Where an iron roof is sound, we wash it, remove loose rust, replace failed fixings and recoat with a system suited to metal. Where it is too far gone, we tell you it needs replacing. Our roof painting and spraying page describes the steps.
Roof colour is also a practical call. Light colours reflect heat and keep sheds cooler. Darker colours blend into bush but absorb more sun. We hold samples against your gutters and walls so you can see both before deciding.
Inside an older Tallong house
Many country houses have a wood heater, and a winter or two of use leaves soot and a yellow film on nearby walls and ceilings. That film needs to be washed and sealed with a stain-blocking primer, or it comes through new paint within months. The same applies to old roof-leak stains and nicotine marks. We also check for cracked cornices, loose plaster and gaps around old window frames that let in cold air.
Small windows and tall gums outside can make a room darker than you expect, so a colour that looks right on a swatch can feel heavy at 3 pm in July. A colour consultation lets you test a few options in your own light. Our interior painting page lists how we protect floors and furniture.
Villages and towns nearby
Tallong work often sits alongside jobs in Wingello, Bundanoon and Exeter. If you are unsure whether we cover your address, look at our areas we serve page or ask through the contact page.
How We Work
- Consultation and Color Selection: We help you choose the perfect colors and finishes.
- Surface Preparation: We ensure surfaces are well-prepared for painting.
- Clean and Efficient Process: Our team works neatly and swiftly to minimise disruption.
- Professional Painting: Experienced painters deliver high-quality results.
Contact us via our website or give us a call!
Tallong painting questions
Can you paint in winter in Tallong?
Often yes for interiors. For exteriors we check the surface temperature and moisture before each coat, because frost and dew stop paint curing. We will tell you honestly if a job should wait.
The bottom of my weatherboards is bubbling. Will repainting fix it?
Not on its own. We look at the cause first, such as ground levels, gutters or subfloor ventilation, then replace soft boards and repaint. Painting over a wet wall fails fast.
Can you quote the house, shed and fences separately?
Yes. We measure everything on the first visit and list each building as its own line, so you can stage the work.
Should I book before Apple Day if I run a stall site or business?
Yes. Tell us the festival date when you ask for a quote and we will plan exterior work to finish before it.
What if my old roof is rusting?
If the iron is sound we wash, treat and recoat it. If sheets or fixings have failed we recommend repair or replacement first.
Request your Tallong painting quote
Tell us about your Tallong property. You get a free quote, a fixed price in writing and a clear plan for the job.
Let Our Paintbrush Do The Talking
At WM Painting, we use only the best equipment and materials to ensure the highest quality workmanship. Our team is committed to delivering excellence in all of our services, and we won’t be satisfied until you are.
Contact us today for a free estimate and let us bring new life to your property