Wash the chicken.  Place the salt and water into a large glass bowl and stir to dissolve the salt.  Add the chicken, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and lemon.  Place a small bowl on top of the chicken to keep it submerged, cover and refrigerate for a maximum of 4 hours.  

Remove the chicken from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Pre heat oven to 200°C and place shelf on the middle rack.  Drain the chicken, pat dry and place into baking dish.

Combine the butter and leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme.  Use a spoon or your fingers to loosen the skin of the chicken and spread the butter underneath the skin.

Stuff 1 of the lemons and the bay leaves inside the chicken.  Place remainder in baking tray, along with the rest of the thyme.

Tie drumsticks with string or skewer and tuck wing tips under the chicken.

Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 10 minutes then turn heat down to 180°C and roast a further 1 hr 15 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced.  This is best tested close to the drumstick.  While the chicken is cooking, occasionally rotate the pan and baste the chicken with pan juices.

Allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.