The historic estate, Hillcrest House, located in the picturesque country village of Binda, on the western edge of New South Wales’ Southern Highlands, is being offered for sale.
Hillcrest’s sprawling 2.63 hectares features an exquisitely restored granite and stone farmhouse, the addition of an artist’s studio with accommodation, and a major landscaping to create majestic sweeping gardens.
The 19th century estate reflects the wealth and status of its original owners, lacemakers who migrated from Flanders when the early pastoral settlement of Binda soared to prominence in the Gold Rush. The Binda hamlet is renowned for its enclave of beautifully restored granite stone buildings including a church and mill.
Built in the 1870s as one of the original homesteads of Binda, Hillcrest House has since been extensively and luxuriously renovated by the vendors, whilst retaining period fittings of the era such as high ceilings and original fireplace elements.
It features four spacious bedrooms, including a principal suite, a country kitchen with a butler’s pantry, formal dining room, expansive sitting room for entertaining, a breakfast sunroom, and three well-appointed bathrooms.
Rooms open onto a magnificent wraparound veranda, which offers elevated views over surrounding farmland, and the mature garden provides the perfect place to experience the four seasons that the Southern Tablelands is renowned for.
The gardens are perfect for outdoor entertainment, with a dining area and fire pit, and adjacent parking for at least six cars.
Vendors, Wentworth and Annette Hill, bought the property in 2012 and stripped it back to its bare bones before embarking on a seamless restoration and expansion, guided by a Sydney-based architect who specialised in Georgian and Victorian residences.
“Hillcrest is a stately, secluded place, decorated in the rich hues of the English country home – deep reds, browns and blues – with elegant highlights such as the kitchen parquetry that came from Buenos Aires, and French elements including a limestone fountain,” Mr Hill said.
“For some time, the grand property was used as upmarket wedding accommodations, and rented out as luxury accommodation, allowing guests to enjoy our beautiful and often undiscovered western part of the Southern Highlands. We are now using it as private accommodation.
“We undertook a massive landscaping project, removing 200 tonnes of materials off the property and restructured the garden, planting hundreds of trees and shrubs which have matured beautifully – perfect for watching the transition of summer, autumn, winter and spring.”
Hidden alcoves and tranquil spaces offer privacy and seclusion throughout the garden – there are numerous botanical ‘rooms’, a lavender wall, and a diverse array of ornamental and deciduous trees and shrubs, securely watered by two dams and a 110,000L rainwater tank.
The adjacent studio retreat, The Gallery, covers 143 square metres and has been designed as an inspirational creative space. It has expansive walls to display artwork, complemented by a stunning collection of timber decorative doors imported from around the world.
The Gallery also features congenial guest accommodation that includes a well-equipped kitchenette, bathroom, laundry/mud room and a large covered outdoor terrace.
LAWD Agribusiness Director, Trish Brewer, said Hillcrest House offered the successful buyer a unique lifestyle and a range of options in a highly sought after region of New South Wales.
“This beautifully renovated estate has the potential to be a charming location for Airbnb accommodation, or an impressive work-from-home business hub, given its location in the coveted Southern Highlands with easy freeway access to Sydney,” said Ms Brewer.
“The vendor’s immaculate restoration of Hillcrest House has provided a strong platform, and some lucky buyer will be given the opportunity to continue the estate’s legacy as an integral part of this dynamic and historically rich area.”
Hillcrest House benefits from all the amenities of village living, with mains power and town garbage collection, as well as NBN and Starlink satellite internet. The estate is nestled within a highly regarded, high rainfall grazing district renowned for the production of quality livestock and has three dams with watering sourced from a 112,000 litre tank when and where needed.
The nearest major service area for the district is 14 minutes, or 21km south of Binda at Crookwell, a vibrant rural community with quality education, health, sport and agricultural services and facilities.
Hillcrest House is a two- and three-quarter hour drive from Sydney, under two hours from Canberra, with the southern snowfields easily accessed through Jindabyne in just under four hours, and the popular coastal township of Nowra only two-and-a-half-hour drive via Goulburn.
Hillcrest House estate is being offered For Sale by Private Treaty. For more information, contact LAWD Director, Trish Brewer on +61 409 524 901.
