Offspring actress Deborah Mailman bought her first home while filming The Secret Life of Us

The infinite space and dad’s garden. We lived on the outskirts of Mount Isa at the old Rodeo Grounds. He was an amazing gardener and we had so many fruit trees – mangos, mandarins, oranges, mulberries, a cactus garden. My favourite thing to do was wrap all the mandarins and oranges with brown paper bags to keep the bugs and birds away and then to sit under the mulberry tree and eat until my face was stained purple. It was pretty idyllic as a kid to ride our horses, swim in the creek and play on the permanent rides at the showgrounds and muck around.

What do you remember about buying your first home?

I bought my first one-bedroom place on my own in North Fitzroy in Melbourne many years ago when I was filming The Secret Life of Us. It was a massive undertaking to have a mortgage but it was a beautiful little place in a great area and it was a great accomplishment for me have a place that was mine. I lived there for a number of years before eventually selling. No regrets though, it was very empowering to have done that on my own. 

Have you ever house-shared?

Yes, all through my university years in Brisbane and always with other students that I knew. I don’t think I really had a choice not to house share simply because I couldn’t have afforded the rent on my own. I have fond memories of house sharing with my friends, living on next to no money, eating two-minute noodles most of the time and having amazing fun.

What is your favourite tip for organising your home as a parent?

I’m not sure if it’s well organised but at the moment I love that the boys (Henry, nine, and Ollie, six) are being responsible for a lot of the chores around the house. They each write a list of what they would like to do for the week and stick to it – feeding the pets, tidying their rooms, watering the plants. We all have something to do and it’s a shared experience looking after our home.

Do you have a favourite room?

The lounge room. I’m a couch potato and I love relaxing in front of the TV. In winter the fire is on, in summer the windows are open and it’s our common room for the family. 

What’s the worst piece of furniture or household item you have bought?

I bought a stupid towel hanging rack thing that hangs off the door from a two-dollar shop the other week but every time I open the bathroom door it keeps falling off and smashing on the tiles. I’m not really sure why I bought it; I just saw it, thought ‘this might come in handy’ and it’s been a pain in the butt since. Next time I’ll up the budget. 

If you could live in a dream home, anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I’m a country girl so for me a beautiful old homestead with a wrap-around verandah, here on the South Coast of NSW, surrounded by bush with the beach not far away.

Deborah Mailman appears in Offspring on Wednesday nights on Ten.