Julia (left) is chatelaine and owner of Mas du Pradié.  She is an accomplished ceramicist, published author, and interior designer.

Melissa (centre) is based in Australia.  She owns and operates Kuranda Riverboat Tours, and Honeybee House holiday accommodation with her husband, Warren.  She was previously a nurse and medical secretary in England, Spain and Australia.

Sarah (right) is based in Australia.  Sarah has recently completed her PhD in Archaeology.  Sarah’s thesis is titled, ‘Old Smithfield Township, Cairns, 1876-1879: Revealing the Material Life of a Nineteenth Century Community in Tropical North Queensland’.  

She was formally an international ballet dancer.  When she retired from her ballet career, Sarah operated a performing arts school in Cairns for 10 years.  

Jenny (not pictured) owns Kirby Cakes and is the creator of bespoke buttercream celebration cakes in Shoreditch, London. She was previously a make-up artist.

The château’s last owner, before being bought by Julia, was famous French artist, painter, writer and photographer, Bernard Dufour.  

He bought Mas de Pradié in 1962 spending half of his time there before living their permanently from 1975, until his death in 2016.  

Photo (left) of Bernard Dufour during filming of the movie La Belle Noiseuse (The Beautiful Troublemaker).  La Belle Noiseuse, Jacques Rivette's 1991 film about an elderly artist, was partly inspired by Dufour, who was credited as "the hand of the artist" painting the picture at the heart of the film.

Photo of Bernard Dufour by JFJ Jean-Francois Jaussaud.

Read more about him Bernard Dufour here.