Public invited to exclusive snoop inside Kath and Kim’s waterside Patterson ‘Fountain’ Lakes abode
It’s nice, it’s different, it’s unusual. The owner of the house made famous in hit TV series Kath and Kim is opening it to the public for an exclusive look before renovations remove the slice of Fountain Lakes forever. But there’s a poignant real-life story behind the move.
South East
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It’s been more than a decade since Australia’s favourite mother-daughter duo graced our TV screens, but now the public has a chance to step inside the most famous house in Fountain Lakes.
Patterson Lakes resident Joanne Kelly is the owner of the all-too familiar red brick, two-storey house made famous by television hit Kath and Kim, and she’s decided to let die hard fans in for a snoop before remodelling and to raise money for a good cause.
The mother-of-two, who tragically lost her first husband to brain cancer, is charging $5 at her door on August 31 with all funds raised to be donated to Carrie Bickmore’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer.
“My friends always said to me before we started renovations, we had to do a Kath and Kim party,” Ms Kelly said.
“I thought instead of a party, we could turn this into something for charity.”
Ms Kelly, who has lived in another house around the corner from the famous spot for more than 20 years, is waiting for remodelling to be completed before moving in with her family -children Patrick, 15, and Keilah, 14 and husband Tony.
She purchased the house two years ago and remarried in the property’s backyard last year — but with less horse carts and daggy outfits compared to the infamous Day-Knight frontyard wedding in the first season of the series.
Ms Kelly said she remembered television crews packing the residential area with vans and food trucks during filming time in the early 2000s.
“We used to see them filming the show out on the street and there would be dozens of crew vans and food trucks set up for the workers and actors … it was pretty exciting,” she said.
According to Ms Kelly, “not much” had changed about the four-bedroom, three-bathroom Lagoon Place property since filming, except new paintwork on the roof and in the kitchen which was completed by previous owners.
“The famous kitchen, the tiles and the living room with the fireplace are all the same from the original series,” she said.
“We still get plenty of people coming around and taking photos out the front.”
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Ms Kelly said friends and family members would dress up as characters from the series to get into the spirit for the fundraiser, with Kath and Kim DVDs played on all TV screens and trivia questions stationed around the house.
Daughter Keilah and her friend would dress up as the hilarious homeware workers Pru and Trude as they run a bake stall, and a family friend of the Kelly’s has completed a wall-sized Kath and Kim mural inside the house.
Ms Kelly said she and friends would be visiting costume shops in the coming days to decide who would reincarnate the ever-hilarious characters Kim, Kath, Brett, Kel and Sharon.
A coffee cart, sausage sizzle and raffle prizes have all been organised to further entertain guests on the day, including an auction of the Day-Knight’s original fireplace and entire kitchen.
“Before the house changes, what better excuse to raise some money for charity,” Ms Kelly said.
“We would love if you could visit and support us in this fun adventure to raise money for a fantastic cause … hope you can make it down to Fountain Lakes.”
The open house will run between 10am-3pm Saturday August 31 at 4 Lagoon Place Patterson Lakes, with all funds raised going towards Beanies 4 Brain Cancer.
To donate, click here