Wollongong`s exclusive retreat for BHP executives has been transformed into a stylish guesthouse nestled in…
Wollongong`s exclusive retreat for BHP executives has been transformed into a stylish guesthouse nestled in a heritage-listed `garden of Eden` designed by Australia`s master green thumb Paul Sorensen.
`Greenhill at Figtree` has opened as a 4.5-star B&B, conference and wedding venue after a colourful life as a stopover for the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prime Ministers Howard, Whitlam and Menzies plus an assortment of Governor Generals, ambassadors and diplomats.
Built in 1935 by the founders of the Illawarra steelworks, the Hoskins family, the historic art deco property features two massive houses set atop a hill cloaked in lush gardens and huge figs on the edge of Wollongong. Until 1998, Greenhill at Figtree was the exclusive retreat for BHP executives, with the centrepiece a huge 100-year-old mahogany billiard table still in use today.
The main house on the four-hectare property is `Greenhill` itself, a beautifully restored seven-bedroom residence boasting leather chairs, sweeping verandahs, towering ceilings, spacious bedrooms, elegant dining room and huge 70-year-old boardroom table. The second house, `Hillside`, offers 10 bedrooms, grand hallways and the 100-year-old billiard table around which cigar-smoking BHP chiefs would gather.
Less than 90 minutes south of Sydney, `Greenhill at Figtree` today offers stressed and overworked guests valuable time out in a time capsule-like environment close to home.
Nearby are Wollongong`s surf beaches, rainforests, the regal Nan Tien Buddhist Temple and eye-opening tours of the fiery furnaces inside Australia`s longest buildings (up to 1km) at the BHP complex.
Tourism Wollongong General manager Greg Binskin said Greenhill at Figtree would help to attract more visitors to the seaside city from Sydney, Canberra and the South Coast.
New upmarket properties like Greenhill at Figtree, together with our great new beachside restaurants and cafes, adventure activities and natural scenery, are helping to draw to Wollongong new legions of visitors who tell us they are surprised at the quality and diversity of experiences here so close to home, Mr Binskin said.
Greenhill at Figtree is a fascinating and incredibly beautiful property which will appeal to anyone seeking something special with more than a little pampering thrown in.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
