Mt Hay Retreat – What’s the Story?

Mt Hay Retreat – a little history.

The Houghton family have been lucky enough to call Mt Hay home since 1987.  At one time it was simply the family’s retreat from the chaos of Sydney, with many weekends and holidays spent building fences, chasing cattle and general mischief (as can be expected in a family of 5 children – now all grown).  Today it is home to two generations, a working beef farm and a much loved retreat.

The Family

When the family first came to Mt Hay there was only an old 1960’s disheveled fibro ‘house’ on the site, a few sheds and “The Bales” which was once the Milking Shed, back when this was a ‘two can’ dairy – literally two cans of milk a day, many moons ago. The old house with the use (and abuse) of a very large extended family and the aforementioned 5 ‘children’ and their friends, gradually began to develop some unusual and not very livable ‘quirks’….

The Old Weatherboard House

That fibro house was eventually demolished around 2003.  The family had worked with a renowned Sydney based architect (and family friend) to develop plans for a stunning Main House and Pool and outline plans for an associated retreat – to be built as a second stage. The plans were approved in 2000, with demolition starting around 2003. The pool and Main House were completed around 2008. You can still see the sandstone piers that the old house once stood upon, now repurposed in the gardens, on the way to the pool. 

Big Dreams

It had always been the dream of the family to build a retreat on this beautiful property – for the family to use on occasion, but also to provide a sustaining income that would allow the property to remain largely untouched and undeveloped.  That dream started to take shape when our plans were revisited back in 2010 and amended to reflect changing times. 

It took almost 4 years of work with council and our architect to obtain permission to begin stage 2 of Mt Hay’s future.  It then took 18 months to fully complete the build and settle the gardens before Mt Hay Retreat could open it’s doors to guests for the first time in July 2016. 

The build was challenging and slow, using local builders and trades in order to ensure that we got the finish and result that we wanted, whilst also ensuring that the benefit of the build remained within the local community, an ethos that remains at the heart of what we do today. 

The Property

In its entirety, the property stretches over 364 acres, although the majority of the land here is bush and native pasture.  We chose to keep the retreat to a select, already cleared area, in order to minimise our impact on this beautiful spot and to retain the inherent characteristics of the farm for future generations.

Each guest suite was designed with peace, privacy and serenity in mind.  The use of floor to ceiling glass and expansive doors that slide away to invite the view into each suite was a very deliberate choice – having observed so many times how intoxicating the ‘view from the hill’ could be and the mesmerising effect it had on just about everyone who visited.

Mt Hay Today

Mt Hay Retreat is now nestled in beautiful gardens that help it blend into it’s surrounds. They are the creative work of Christine (Anthony’s mother) who has spent many, many years tinkering, pruning, cultivating, propagating and experimenting to create the gardens that you see today.  The gardens feature a mix of natives and exotics, deliberately chosen to bring the native birds (and wildlife) that inhabit this area – up close and personal with our guests. 

Today our gardens remain an ongoing project and source of great pleasure – managing the ageing of the garden and bringing in new ideas and concepts.  It is a labour of love both for Christine and Louise. 

Today, Mt Hay Retreat is run by Anthony (one of the original 5 children), his partner Louise and their ever-eager dogs Dougal and Griff.  Anthony’s parents Wayne and Christine can still be found on the farm on occasion, although the draw of Grandchildren in Sydney grows ever stronger.

Wildlife

You are likely to see Brush Tailed Rock Wallabies in the gardens and paddocks along with their larger cousin the Kangaroo. 

Upon dusk there is the chance encounter with wombats – so please drive carefully.

You will probably also notice Skinks, Kookaburras, Frogs, Wedge Tailed Eagles (there’s a mating pair who can regularly be seen cruising on the thermals), King Parrots, Rosellas, Lyre birds, Eastern Spinebills, Blue Tongued Lizards and if you are very eagle eyed a Tawny Frog Mouth or a wild deer – to name a just few.

Sustainability and Future Proofing

We are strongly committed to protecting this unique place for future generations.  Environmental, ecological and sustainable living have been our mantra for decades.  Not only in our use of resources here at Mt Hay but also in our choices of where we spend our money and who we support.  We buy locally, source locally and use local providers wherever possible.  Berry is a fantastic village – made more so by the passionate people who live here.  It’s something that we are committed to continuing to support and play our part within.

We hope you enjoy your time here, and love it as much as we do, and we will hope you visit us one day. 

Anthony, Louise and Dougal and Griffy, Mt Hay Retreat