Rick Miller's earliest recollections of his time in Bathurst are of ruffling feathers with raucous motel afterparties when on tour with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Forty years on, he and his flautist wife, Suzy, still feel they are pushing the envelope.

They have owned Rainham, one of Bathurst's oldest estates, since 2012 and say their approach to the building has mystified some locals.

The couple has purposefully left the house practically as they encountered it.

"I think it worries some people that we haven't done a restoration," Mrs Miller said.

"It looks like it's abandoned but actually it's overly cared for in that we let it alone.

"It can be a little bit tricky for people to understand what we're trying to achieve."

For only the second time in 193 years, the iconic house is

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