Homes, Heritage & a Cup of Tea

It began with a mistake. Suzi had called the wrong agency, and Sebastian was sent out to appraise her property in Sydney. The day was oppressively humid; she had rushed from her marketing consultancy work, still carrying the frantic energy of the office. He arrived. She offered him a cup of tea. He declined.

Fast forward twenty years. They are married, living in Daylesford - the result of an impromptu road trip taken by pure coincidence. Three years later, they launch Spa Country Real Estate.

At first glance, they appear simply as professionals, paired: Sebastian, a career agent whose decades in Sydney’s North Shore residential sales were preceded by years as a partner at Knight Frank in the UK, overseeing commercial investment portfolios. Suzi, with a degree in marketing communications, carving a more idiosyncratic path - as one of Australia’s first trained tea sommeliers, blending heritage, ritual, and story with her professional work. Yet what unfolds is not merely résumé, but a tale of serendipity.

Suzi pours a first flush Darjeeling into a vintage cup, her favourite, and places it gently before me. Steam rises. I am drinking tea with a sommelier, and with Australia’s highest-ranking Anglo-Irish peer.

Sebastian is the thirteenth great-grandson of Grace O’Malley, the pirate queen of sixteenth-century Ireland. “To me, Grace’s courageous independence and strength of purpose truly resonate - especially in forging a new path, often in unfamiliar territory. While our journeys differ greatly, I share her resolve and curiosity - and a deep respect for place,” he says.

Grace O’Malley was called a She King - a fearless leader in a world of warring clans led mostly by men. “She didn’t shy away from standing up for the underdog or her beliefs,” Sebastian tells me. “It’s probably the reason that for many she represents an ideal figurehead for feminist movements. She was principled, gave as good as she got (usually much more so in a retaliatory sense), and lived to tell the tales, dying at the extraordinary age of seventy-three in 1603. I think this unrivalled principled resilience is still a character trait of her descendants today. Which includes me,” he laughs.

The laughter gives way to gravity. The Marquessate of Sligo carries with it another history - slavery, complicity, reform. Sebastian is its twelfth Marquess. “This is a complex legacy that I do not shirk - it’s one I continually reflect on with humility. It also plays a big part in our support of the Foundation of Indigenous Sustainable Health, specifically their Indigenous home ownership initiative. My family’s heritage is entwined with histories of plantation ownership and the realities of slavery. Yet there are also stories of reform and social conscience. My ancestors were instrumental in the abolishment of slavery, which is a great source of pride to me.”

Howe Peter Browne, the second Marquess, was called the Champion of the Slaves.
He inherited two Jamaican plantations through marriage, but, unlike his contemporaries, “did not enslave the local population.” Sebastian explains: “On the contrary, he looked out for their welfare and used his title and position to turn things around.” Sligoville, the world’s first free village, was named for him. His name was struck onto an emancipation medal in 1838.

The family motto - suivez raison, follow the right - threads through. Establishing Spa Country Real Estate, Sebastian tells me, is another expression of that spirit: awareness, resilience, community.

Suzi pours another cup. She speaks of philosophy. “We’re about building dreams and helping people find that purpose of place and sanctuary. Like we have found ours.” She lingers on tea: “Tea transcends age, race, culture and gender… it allows us to connect at a very human level and learn what makes us come alive. I learnt from a young age, that by creating a nurturing, welcoming environment things would grow. Coming from a migrant background, I worked in my parent’s tearoom from the age of nine. 

I witnessed how tea fosters connection, warmth, and conversation. Like the leaves unfurling in our cups, stories would unfold built on trust and listening, feeling seen and heard. Journeys would be shared.”

The same, she insists, applies to real estate. “The same applies to the way we approach our real estate business, with empathy, integrity, and authenticity. One of the greatest highlights in my tea journey was creating a bespoke tea blend for the Honorable Michael Kirby, former high court judge.” She smiles. 

“One of the things I remember him saying to second year law students at the time, while on camera for the local television, was that love begins at home. That has stayed with me. Home is where the heart is.”

The teapot empties. The conversation turns to Daylesford - the region, its magic, its inheritance. “For us,” they say, “this translates into honouring its natural beauty and history, supporting local artisans and the community which make it what it is, and ensuring our agency embodies integrity and genuine care. Each cup is full of intention, story and potential - the layers of emotion, memory, and belonging unfold. And it is the same for the unique properties we represent; they hold stories waiting to be honoured and carried forward.”

Spa Country Real Estate
Sebastian and Suzi Browne
spacountryre.com.au
03 5348 1388
Photoshoot at The Garden House Daylesford
Bookable for short stay accommodaiton with The Houses Daylesford

SEBASTIAN AND SUZI BROWNE
SPA COUNTRY REAL ESTATE

STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL
PHOTOS BY KAIYA RAE