Looking at the shadows, I am wondering whether the wall with the plaques on it faces north. If so, can the height of this be reduced? If it is north facing, the room beyond the courtyard would be extremely dark in winter - miserable and cold. If this wall could be dropped so that it is 1.5 metres tall, possibly with a line of fastigiate deciduous trees on the far side to then provide DECIDUOUS height, winter would be lighter and the solid mass of the wall would be reduced. It really is a rather difficult spot. And the paved base of the courtyard only allows for pots unless you want to dig up the pavers and put in tree ferns etc. But then it looks as though the area would get the full blast of hot midday sun. I live in coastal SW Victoria where our climate is similar to yours. But we still get hot days during summer which can scorch plants that haven't acclimatised to this heat.

The cane furniture will really look nice in your verandah. As for plants, jump online and browse for some hardy plants on the Aussie websites. They are a wealth of information and if you do have a large planter box or pot make sure you put it on wheels. That way you can take your plants in and out of the house. Also put a base under the pot/planter so it catches the water and does not ruin your nice floor. You can pick these from a garden store in your area. Good luck! :) btw hope you don't mind me your spelling error "taught" should be "taut", I really hope folks correct my spelling too! cheers.

Thanks everyone for your further comments. No problem about it being an old post, always nice to communicate with people about design solutions/problems. Jilly, I posted some photos on 1st January 2016, they appear further up in the post. Garden Beet Pty Ltd, and Morel Construction Ltd, both of your solutions look great, but our problem still remains the western Queensland sun which is pretty vicious on anything that will either wilt, fade or break down. It was quite a difficult challenge to come up with something that was affordable, workable and durable. I would love to have had plants because I believe they soften large "hard" exterior areas, but we have decided that we will do that with pots around the pool area. Still have that to do, even after all this time. :) Thanks everyone for re-igniting this chat. Jilly, hope you find something that works for you.

Congratulations Aaron on finding your "Forever home" & wanting to preserve it's 70's vibe. It does look like a big project to get your teeth into! I would think the black to be a bit strong & tend towards a warmer tone with the brick. Sandstone is also a light stone with yellows, apricots & warm tones. Woodland Grey from the Colorbond range has olive/brown tones which might suit. It depends on the vision you are trying to achieve but it looks like a natural modern style would suit the theme of the house. By that I mean taking cues from nature for colours. Good luck!