"How can they do this?" Iconic house of Kath and Kim demolished
<p dir="ltr">The iconic house used in the popular Australian TV series that gave us foxy ladies <em>Kath and Kim</em> has been demolished.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Demolition works began on Monday on the property known as "Chateau Kath" in the fictional “effluent” suburb of Fountain Lakes.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Pete Rowsthorn, who played Brett in the series, said the house contained a lot of memories but it's time to move on.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It was a weird house, if I bought it I'd probably pull it down too," he told ABC Melbourne radio.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"It had really quite small rooms … the squeaky back door, that was all natural sound. There was no foley man putting that on top.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I played cricket in the backyard with Shane Warne, I danced in the garage with Kylie Minogue, I sat and had dinner with Barry Humphries dressed up as a monk.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">The home, actually located in the Melbourne suburb of Patterson Lakes, was last sold for $1.485 million in 2016.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Owner Joanne Kelly said it was time for a change as works begin to build a two-storey property for her family.</p>
<p dir="ltr">She held an open house in 2019 to raise money for cancer, which gave fans from all over the country to see the estate in person. </p>
<p dir="ltr">ABC rented the home from 2002 to 2007 for the filming of the series which has a large following.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It follows the story of a dysfunctional mother and daughter created and played by Jane Turner and Gina Riley.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Fans in the Facebook group “Da Kath & Kim appreciation society”, which has more than 114,500 followers have been left devastated at the home’s demolition. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Many questioned why the house would be purchased and renovated given its significance to fans all over.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Why would you buy a perfectly good house.. and one that has (dare I say) cultural significance to a great number of people, and then destroy it? It makes no sense,” someone asked.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I only had two reasons for wanting to visit Australia - to see the Kath & Kim house and visit Ramsay Street. Nothing goes right. Guess I’ll stay at home in the UK and drown my sorrows,” another said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Amazing how the demolition of the fake Kath and Kim house pulls on your heart strings. RIP to memories,” someone else commented.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“How is the house not ERITAGE listed!? Well, if it's not, it bloody well should be. The house is turn of the century, an Edwardian dream... BLOODY HOWARD,” another commented with references to the show. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“Bunch of crims, tearing this effluent home down. Should be heritage listed,” someone else commented.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Why on earth are they doing this?? Is the new owner tired of fans stopping by?? This is honestly so awful of them,” someone asked.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“How can they do this!? This house is an important part of Australian culture!” another stated.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>
