“It is interesting how things turn out,” she says with a smile as we chat to Peter.

The trainer, who grew up in Scone and started his career there as a jockey, is one of Australia’s best. His accomplishments are too numerous to list here – The Argus needs to dedicate another story to this remarkable horseman — but let’s just say he has won The Everest, the world’s richest turf race, twice and accumulated $100 million in prize money since he set up with his son Paul in 2014. Not bad for nearly a decade’s work.

But we are in for a special treat today. Peter puts a leather halter on George, a stunning liver chestnut colt, and brings him out of the stable. The three-year-old’s rug is slipped off for a few minutes so we can admire him.

George, or Cannonball as he is known on the racetrack, was bought for $975,000 as a yearling at the Gold Coast’s Magic Millions sale. 

Our talk turns to the news that George is soon to get on a plane to the United Kingdom, where he will race in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“He’s going pretty well,” says Peter in his understated way.

Horse people are a particular breed and the thoroughbred industry in Australia is like a family. And Daniel Morgan, who Annette married in 1994, is certainly one of them.

Such was his passion for horses, this father of three once considered becoming a racehorse trainer before concentrating on his legal career. “The love of horses is big in this family,” says his wife wryly.

It’s a passion that started when Daniel arrived in Australia’s thoroughbred capital as a three-year-old. His father John, a very well-known vet, had moved to Scone to establish Morgan, Howey, Fraser and Partners which later became the Scone Veterinary Hospital, one of the largest equine clinics in the Southern Hemisphere. Little did John know at the time, but this move was to set his son on a path that was to see him become the president of the Scone Race Club and develop businesses relying on his great love of horses. 

History does tend to repeat itself and so it happened here when Daniel and Annette decided to move from Sydney to Scone when their first daughter Emily was just 18 months old. Initially, it wasn’t an easy transition for Annette. “It was a shock. I had a very city view of the country,” she explains as we talk over coffee at her Balmain office. “I had been working in corporate law and we were living in a terrace in Chippendale. I had lived in Glebe during my university days, and I really loved that inner city life. The country was the last place I honestly thought I’d ever be.”

But Annette, who is the youngest of eight children, was no stranger to rural life — her parents had grown up in the NSW country towns of Dubbo, Mudgee and Bathurst.

So, what prompted the move? “It was the reality of realising that while living in the city as a young professional couple was exciting and dynamic, living in the city with a baby and working without family support was horrendous. It went from everything that I loved to everything that I hated,” she says, recalling the difficulties of those early days. “And I really wanted my children to grow up with a community around them.”

“Willangi”, a three-bedroom Federation house with a large garden in a lovely street of Scone, soon presented itself as an escape from the stress of Sydney. “It was built by Mrs Kevins in 1932 and designed by the same architect who had done Belltrees,” says Annette. “I was in that nesting stage; I was obsessed with David Austin roses and imagining what it would be like without the stress of work and a toddler, so we bought the house.”

But things weren’t immediately rosy for this busy corporate lawyer: it was to take her a few years to settle into regional life.

Opening Plain English, her homewares store in 2003, proved to be a turning point. Housed in the same building which is home to Morgan + English today, it was a big renovation job before the doors could be opened. “It was built in 1841 and was once a fish and chip shop. Mark Twain is said to have stayed in it, it’s a fabulous building,” she says. “I had absolutely no idea about the interiors business when I started but I loved it.”

Soon she had secured Porters Paints, No Chintz fabrics, Bison ceramics, Bemboka throws and Mud tableware. The new shop on Liverpool Street quickly became a regular stop off for everyone heading north.

The other regular arrivals – after school of course – were the kids: Emily, Jemima and Hugo. (Today, 28-year-old Emily is a makeup artist and works at Morgan + English in HR, Jemima, 25, is a lawyer and Hugo, 21, is studying Film and Television at the Victorian College of the Arts.) The balance between work and family life was far more achievable in the country and the stress of those early Sydney days became a distant memory.

In 2009 this entrepreneur took on a development project, Inn Scone, where she used her interior design skills. Then, two years later, Annette decided to close the shop. “I had loved it, and put everything into it, but it came to a natural end. It didn’t excite me anymore,” she explains. “I thought I needed to get much more serious about interiors or get out. I’m not a dabbler.”

But the building was not to stay idle for long. In 2016 the couple set up Morgan + English. Only four years later, the business was awarded the Australian Lawyers Regional Law Firm of the year. They also operate Thoroughbred Recoveries, a boutique debt recovery agency focussing on all things equine, and Safe Industries Australia, another business specialising in the racing industry, this time looking at work, health and safety. (The agricultural industry has some of the highest fatality rates in Australia, making it one of the most dangerous to work in.) With offices in Tamworth, Scone, Sydney and Brisbane, they employ around 40 people and 80 per cent are women.

Morgan + English is at 99 Liverpool Street, Scone NSW, (02) 6545 3339
and 2/37 Nicholson Street, Balmain East NSW (02) 9196 8950.

Annette English’s Address Book

From the perfect steak at The Cottage to the place to shop for that last-minute gift, Annette reveals a few of her favourite places in Scone.

Plants on Main

Don’t miss the fresh flowers on Wednesday with market bunches starting at $25 at horticulturalist and florist Lynda Posa’s charming establishment. We also hear that the early bird special is worth getting up in the dark for – customers between 5am and 7am can buy a coffee with an egg and bacon roll for only $10 at Plants on Main’s cafe

The Common  51 Main Street, Scone NSW. Telephone (02) 6545 9998. plantsonmain.com.au

Potter Macqueen

There is a very good reason why this Scone institution has been in business since 1968 — every time you walk through the door, you are sure to see something you want in their eclectic mix of homewares and fashion.

200a Kelly Street, Scone NSW. Telephone (02) 6545 1858.

The Cottage

Much loved by the entire family, this restaurant is a regular destination. “The arrival of The Cottage was embraced by all of us with open arms and for a good reason – their dry-aged steak has become our much-loved favourite.”

196 Kelly Street, Scone NSW. Telephone (02) 6545 1215. thecottagescone.com or @thecottagescone

The Herd Store

Need something to wear to the races? Acey Firth’s Liverpool Street shop should be your first stop according to the English-Morgan family. “Since it opened a few years ago, it has become a favourite among locals, including myself, who had long wanted a place to find beautiful clothes nearby,” explains Annette. “With an impressive array of dresses and accessories meticulously curated by Acey, The Herd has become one of my go-to spots in Scone.”

101 Liverpool Street. Scone NSW. (02) 6545 1946. theherdstore.com.au

And when in the city…

Home Croissanterie

Already famous for its potato and sea salt croissants – yes, really! – this cafe is only a short drive from Annette’s office and it’s a welcome addition to her daily routine since it opened in March 2023. “The coffee is great, and the pastries are exquisite,: she says. 

Shop 1/418 Darling Street, Balmain NSW. @homecroissanterie