By Kate Shilling — 6th November 2022
A Family History Holiday is a great excuse to spend time in some of Australia’s legendary heritage-rich houses and homesteads. Just as the cities and towns helped shape the lives of our ancestors, these iconic historic buildings embody precious architectural heritage that embody our collective stories.
Read on for three classic historic stays:
Mt Lofty House, South Australia
The renowned Hardy family patriarch, Arthur Hardy, arrived on South Australian soil at just 21 from his native England in 1831. The visionary young Hardy overcame illness to prosper as a grazier on land around Adelaide’s foothills, before embarking on a professional career in politics and law. While building Mount Lofty House and calling it home for over 10 years, he planted three great Californian Redwoods (Sequoias), setting the foundations for the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens. Hardy, who was Australia’s first Grand Master of the Freemasons would later in life found the Adelaide Club, become a government minister and a member of the Supreme Court. In 1986, Ross Sands, a Stirling architect spends three years restoring the house to its original glory, and it was transformed into a luxury boutique hotel 1988. In the past decade, the hotel and service has continued to evolve, now featuring the Stables Day Spa and Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant.
Fitzroy Inn Historic Boutique Hotel, Mittagong NSW
The Fitzroy Inn was opened in 1836 as a ‘Traveller’s Inn’ and remains operational in Mittagong, NSW, after almost 170 years, providing visitors a unique window into Australia’s colonial past.
The original kitchen in the cellars has been described by some historians as ‘the finest example’ of a convict-era built kitchen remaining in Australia. The ‘water-well’ in the middle of the floor, hand-cut into the shale below the building, is a truly remarkable work of convict masonry and craftsmanship. The convict cell, used to hold prisoners on their way to Berrima Gaol, retains the original iron shackles and hand-turned bars which securely restrained its hapless guests.
During its years as the Oakland’s School the Fitzroy Inn was an important educational centre. The very first tennis court in Australia was constructed in the grounds of the then, Oakland’s School by R W Fletcher in 1875.
In 1987 the property was purchased by the Aloi and Lovell families and meticulous restoration work commenced in 1999. This rebirth has resulted in beautiful luxury accommodation in the Southern Highlands, perfect for a weekend stay or even a wedding.
Tasmania’s History House
Tasmania's History House was originally a two room Georgian-style sandstone cottage in Richmond, Tasmania, known as the Jolly Farmers Inn, built by convict Simon McCullough in 1826, who was pardoned for his role in apprehending a murderer in 1825. In 1829 the house was described as “A commodious new two storey brick house containing five good rooms on the ground floor, four upstairs with kitchen and cellar below”.
In the 1820s this side of Richmond was known as ‘Irish Town’ because so many Catholic families settled in the district and the oldest Catholic Church and School in Australia were established here.
While the house has been restored to suit modern living standards, there are many reminders of the past. At the front door the well-worn stone step indicates the number of visitors to Tasmania’s History House over the past 196 years. The trap door in the front room is reminiscent of the original bar where many barrels and bottles were hauled up from the cellar below.
The house was restored and registered by the National Trust in 1973 and is now available for overnight accommodation and private events. You can book a house and garden tour by appointment.
Image credit: Fitzroy Inn_Red Berry Photography
