Hillview, Sutton Forest facts for kids

Hillview is a special old house in Sutton Forest, New South Wales, Australia. It used to be the country home for the Governor of New South Wales from 1882 to 1957. A Governor is like the Queen's representative in a state, a very important leader. Before it was called Hillview, it was known as Prospect. This historic place was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999, meaning it's protected because of its importance. Today, Hillview is a beautiful boutique hotel.

A Look Back: Hillview's History

Early Days and First Owners

In 1819, Governor Macquarie asked Dr. Charles Throsby to build the first road through the Southern Highlands. This helped people settle the area. Early settlers like Benjamin Crew, Charles Wright, and John Larkham received land grants in 1822. These pieces of land later became part of Hillview.

The land where Hillview stands was given out by Governor Brisbane in 1822. These were two 60-acre plots.

Later, a man named Richard Pemberton Richardson bought these lands. He came to New South Wales in 1850 from England. He was a wool merchant and became very successful. He started his own business, Richardson & Wrench, which focused on selling country estates.

Richardson bought the land and built a house on one of the plots between 1872 and 1875. He named his new home "Prospect." It was a two-storey stone house with stables, built from stone found right on the property. He added more parts to the house before selling it.

By 1875, Richardson was so successful that he retired and moved to Prospect. The Southern Highlands became a popular place for tourists because of the new railway line. However, Richardson soon decided to go back to work. In 1881, he sold "Prospect" to the New South Wales Government.

The Governor's Country Home

For a long time, Governors of New South Wales wanted a country home outside Sydney. They needed a place to escape the summer heat and get some fresh air.

Several Governors pushed for the government to buy a country property for them. Some even rented homes in the Southern Highlands. When Lord Augustus Loftus became Governor in 1879, he really wanted a summer home because the salty air in Sydney bothered him. He even had to host Prince Albert and Prince George at Government House in Sydney, which was very expensive for him.

Because of this, the government bought "Prospect" in Sutton Forest on 1 February 1882. They spent a lot of money on it.

The government architect, James Barnet, was asked to plan big additions to the house in 1882. The house was greatly changed, with new staircases and woodwork. When it was finished in 1883, it had 46 rooms, including 9 bathrooms! It also had over 3 acres of beautiful gardens. These changes cost the government a huge amount of money, which caused a lot of discussion in Parliament.

The house was mostly extended between 1890 and 1899. More small changes were made until 1957.

Hillview's Amazing Garden

The Southern Highlands became very popular for tourists from the 1870s onwards. People loved the scenery, which reminded them of the English countryside. Wealthy landowners often competed to have the most impressive gardens.

Hillview's garden was designed to be simple and beautiful, like the gardens of English gentry. In 1882, "The Illustrated Sydney News" said Hillview was "on the summit of a hill... commanding a splendid view."

Charles Moore, who was in charge of the Sydney Botanic Gardens, helped design Hillview's garden. It had a long, winding driveway, a rose garden, and open parkland with great views. He likely designed the pine tree avenue along the driveway, which was planted in the 1890s.

Later, after Queen Victoria died in 1901, the pine trees were replaced with elm trees. There was also a gatehouse with iron gates that showed the Royal symbol. This gatehouse was removed in 1938.

Joseph Henry Maiden took over from Charles Moore in 1896. He was in charge of many important gardens, including Hillview's 300 acres.

New Owners and a Special Garden

The government decided to sell Hillview in 1957 because it was expensive to keep up. Edwin Klein, a builder and land developer, bought it in April 1958. He wanted to turn it into a peaceful place for older people.

Klein opened the "Emma Louise Hostel" at Hillview in September 1958, but it didn't work out. Klein himself ended up living in a smaller building on the property, not the main house. He loved Hillview's charm and wanted to improve the property, especially the gardens.

Edwin Klein was a very thoughtful person who believed in knowledge and wisdom. He wanted to create "a garden of the mind for beauty, performance and perception." He decided to completely redesign the grounds. He removed some trees and shrubs but added many camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, and oleanders. He also created huge displays of dahlias, with 500 different types!

Around 1958, he made the garden bigger, from 3.5 to 7 acres. He wanted it to be "a place for contemplation and the getting of wisdom." He built structures like the circular "Treasury of Wisdom" and "The Haven," along with stone archways, viewing platforms, and a fish pond. He also added small sculptures.

Klein worked on the 7-acre garden almost entirely by himself, even at night by lamplight! He didn't believe in watering the garden much, saying it was "survival of the fittest." He gave Hillview back to the New South Wales government in 1985.

Hillview Today

After Klein gave Hillview back, a caretaker named Vic Tatt and his wife Helen looked after the property.

In the 1990s, Damien Miller became interested in Hillview. The house was in a bad state, but a plan was made to save it. In 1999, Miller agreed to restore Hillview. It took him longer than expected, until 2005.

The garden also needed a lot of work. Many of Klein's structures were falling apart. The Southern Highlands Branch of the Australian Garden History Society helped restore the garden. They cleared overgrown areas, improved the soil, and replanted. They also held open days for the public.

The restoration aimed to keep both the Vice-Regal (Governor's) garden style and parts of Klein's unique garden. So, the eastern side of the garden still shows Klein's ideas.

In 2011, Damien Miller finally signed a 40-year lease for Hillview. He opened it as a boutique hotel later that year. Today, Hillview is still a hotel and a popular place for weddings.

What Hillview Looks Like

The Main House

Hillview is a large group of buildings located on the highest part of its 60.4-hectare property. The buildings are mostly made of timber and corrugated iron, with some parts of brick and stone. They have different styles and don't look exactly the same, showing how they were built over time.

The main house and staff areas have 38 rooms, including 27 bedrooms! There are also 14 other rooms like bathrooms and storage areas. The total size of the main house is about 940 square metres. There's also a caretaker's house, garages, and stables.

The main house grew around a smaller, L-shaped stone building. This means it has many corridors linking rooms and staircases, almost like a maze! The buildings still look much like they did in 1899 after the Governors made their additions.

The Gardens

You reach the main house by a long driveway lined with English elm and Lombardy poplar trees. This driveway goes through open parkland.

Near the drive, you can see large evergreen oak trees and camellia bushes. The main flower garden is on the western side of the house. It has walkways and beds edged with terracotta tiles. The parkland around the garden offers beautiful views.

A second gate shows the formal entrance to the house. The driveway here circles around the front of the house, leading to a large lawn with a fan-shaped rose garden. An old magnolia tree is one of the few original trees from the early planting.

The garden still shows the design from 1872, with many different types of trees, including conifers, oaks, and plants from New Zealand and China. The garden uses the surrounding countryside views and has thick plantings for shelter.

The shrubbery area has different types of camellias, Japanese wisteria, Monterey pines, cypresses, and other old-fashioned shrubs. Edwin Klein later extended and replanted parts of the gardens, dedicating them to his mother.

Changes Over Time

Hillview has changed a lot over the years:

• 1872-1875: The original "Prospect" house and garden were built.
• Around 1875-1882: Timber rooms, a chapel, and stone extensions were added. Charles Moore helped design the grounds.
• 1884-1885: A dining room, parts of the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) wing, and other staff buildings were likely added. The main stairwell and hall were probably built then too.
• 1890s: Gates and pine trees were added along the driveway.
• 1893: Workshops, the Ladies-in-Waiting wing, and more bedrooms were built.
• 1894: A new dining room and garage were added.
• 1901: The pine trees along the driveway were replaced with elm trees.
• 1934-1957: The gatehouse was removed around 1938, and the entrance road changed.
• 1958 onwards: Edwin Klein doubled the size of the garden and completely redesigned it.
• 1994-2003: The garden was restored by the Australian Garden History Society.

Governors Who Lived at Hillview

Many important Governors of New South Wales lived at Hillview:

• Lord Augustus Loftus (1889)
• Baron Carrington (1885)
• Earl of Jersey (1891)
• Sir Robert William Duff (1893)
• Viscount Hampden (1895)
• Earl Beauchamp (1899)
• Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson (1902)
• Baron Chelmsford (1909)
• Sir Gerald Strickland (1913)
• Sir Walter Edward Davidson (1918)
• Admiral Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford De Chair (1924)
• Air Vice Marshall Sir Philip Woolcott Game (1930)
• Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven (1935)
• Admiral Sir David Murray Anderson (1936)
• Baron Wakehurst (1937)
• General Sir John Northcott (1946)

Why Hillview is Special

Hillview is incredibly important to the people of New South Wales. It was the country home for the Governors for 75 years, from 1882 to 1957. Sixteen different Governors used it!

This house and its contents are a rare collection that shows how people lived, what they liked, and how they decorated their homes from the 1880s to the 1950s. It's the most complete government summer residence still around. It helps us understand the lives of the Governors, especially their family and leisure time, in a way that Government House, Sydney doesn't.

Hillview is special because:

• It was the second country home for Governors, after Old Government House at Parramatta.
• It shows how the state and nation developed, and the role of Governors.
• It's connected to important people like Governors, architects like James Barnet, and garden designers like Charles Moore.
• The house, even though it's rambling, is beautiful and sits in a large, important garden.
• It's a landmark in the Southern Highlands, visible from all around.
• The furniture collection is very valuable because it was all bought or moved from Government House specifically for Hillview.
• The gardens show different styles from the Governor's time and Edwin Klein's time.
• It helps us understand how government policies and budgets affected the Governor's office.
• It's one of only two Governor's country retreats in Australia that still exist, and the only one that has kept its original setting, furniture, and look.

Hillview helps us learn about a way of life that has now disappeared. It's an excellent example of a country house in the Southern Highlands that hasn't been changed too much over time.