A National Trust property
I took the train to the Blue Mountains from Sydney and planned it as a day trip. Katoomba was my gateway to the Blue Mountains and once there I opted to get a ticket on the Hop on Hop Off bus. It just seemed the easiest way to cover the main stops I wanted. There was an added bonus too and that was it introduced me to a few other places I hadn't been aware of. One of those places was Everglades House and Gardens at Leura. It's a National Trust property to free entry to Trust members. Out come my membership card and in I went!
Unlike most National Trust Properties Everglades wasn't established as a permanent home, it was to be a weekend retreat. Once rail access was established to the Blue Mountains, wealthy Sydneysiders bought properties in the Blue Mountains to escape to on the weekend. In 1932 industrialist Henri Van de Velde bought the Everglades site which had great views over the Jamison Valley. He commissioned a landscape designer called Paul Sorensen to create the garden. It took four years to build the garden, the house itself was built in 1935-6. Van de Velde died in 1947 and the property was sold, the National Trust received the property in 1962 and Paul Sorensen was contracted to supervise the restoration of the garden. What you see now is the original landscaped gardens maintained by National Trust volunteers.
I was there at the beginning of November, what you see in the garden is very much dictated by the time of year. I was lucky to get the Rhododendrons in full flower, but missed the bulbs. There is also a small art gallery on the site which houses exhibitions.
From the entrance there are terraces that lead down to the house, this terrace was the agapanthus terrace, a bit early they weren't blooming yet.
The Garden Theatre. A helpful sign informed me that the backdrop to the Garden Theatre was the entry porch to the 1866 London Chartered Bank of Australia. It was demolished and the porch rebuilt at Everglades in 1938, this theatre was the setting for a 1941 performance of the Kirsova Russian Ballet.
The art deco house built in 1935-6, the back part of the house is now used as the Tea Rooms. The front has these large windows to take in the view.
The Lounge room
The dining room
The bathroom with this huge bathtub!
The Rhododendron Walk.
A close up!
As well as European plantings there is native Australian flora to be found.
The Warratah, floral emblem of New South Wales.
The Glades
The property is 5.2 hectares and the gardens are divided into various areas. As you enter the property you'll be provided with a map identifying the various parts of the garden. The pathways are well signposted, you're not likely to get lost! There's a lookout point where you can look down (from a great height!) into the Jamison Valley, I recommend looking across and into the valley rather than down!
For anyone who loves gardens, this is a must stop on a trip to the Blue Mountains, a traditional tea in the Tea Rooms should also be factored into a visit!
I took the train to the Blue Mountains from Sydney and planned it as a day trip. Katoomba was my gateway to the Blue Mountains and once there I opted to get a ticket on the Hop on Hop Off bus. It just seemed the easiest way to cover the main stops I wanted. There was an added bonus too and that was it introduced me to a few other places I hadn't been aware of. One of those places was Everglades House and Gardens at Leura. It's a National Trust property to free entry to Trust members. Out come my membership card and in I went!
Unlike most National Trust Properties Everglades wasn't established as a permanent home, it was to be a weekend retreat. Once rail access was established to the Blue Mountains, wealthy Sydneysiders bought properties in the Blue Mountains to escape to on the weekend. In 1932 industrialist Henri Van de Velde bought the Everglades site which had great views over the Jamison Valley. He commissioned a landscape designer called Paul Sorensen to create the garden. It took four years to build the garden, the house itself was built in 1935-6. Van de Velde died in 1947 and the property was sold, the National Trust received the property in 1962 and Paul Sorensen was contracted to supervise the restoration of the garden. What you see now is the original landscaped gardens maintained by National Trust volunteers.
I was there at the beginning of November, what you see in the garden is very much dictated by the time of year. I was lucky to get the Rhododendrons in full flower, but missed the bulbs. There is also a small art gallery on the site which houses exhibitions.
From the entrance there are terraces that lead down to the house, this terrace was the agapanthus terrace, a bit early they weren't blooming yet.
The Garden Theatre. A helpful sign informed me that the backdrop to the Garden Theatre was the entry porch to the 1866 London Chartered Bank of Australia. It was demolished and the porch rebuilt at Everglades in 1938, this theatre was the setting for a 1941 performance of the Kirsova Russian Ballet.
The art deco house built in 1935-6, the back part of the house is now used as the Tea Rooms. The front has these large windows to take in the view.
As well as European plantings there is native Australian flora to be found.
The property is 5.2 hectares and the gardens are divided into various areas. As you enter the property you'll be provided with a map identifying the various parts of the garden. The pathways are well signposted, you're not likely to get lost! There's a lookout point where you can look down (from a great height!) into the Jamison Valley, I recommend looking across and into the valley rather than down!
For anyone who loves gardens, this is a must stop on a trip to the Blue Mountains, a traditional tea in the Tea Rooms should also be factored into a visit!
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