Mt Wilson, Carcoar & Hill End
3 - 6 November 2023
Overview
Date: Friday 3rd - Monday 6th November, 2023
Please join me for a short retreat to CARCOAR – a town that time forgot!
We depart Sydney by train on Friday from Central to Mt. Victoria. Then by private coach to Yengo Sculpture Garden, Mt. Wilson for lunch and afternoon visit.
Depart late afternoon by private coach to our accommodation in Carcoar. Take time all Saturday to relax and discover the ambience of this historic and peaceful town with many opportunities to create art.
We’ll visit Hill End by private coach on Sunday and return to Carcoar late afternoon.
Return to Sydney on Monday after breakfast by private coach to Lithgow and then early afternoon train to Central. (Closer to this weekend we’ll check the calendar for what exhibitions, sculpture parks and gardens are open around this area).
About the Area
Carcoar
This 19th-century village, 258 km west of Sydney, was one of the most important government centres in NSW. With buildings on both banks of the Belubula River, the township is classified by the National Trust and in 2006 the population totalled 218 people. George Evans was the first European surveyor to travel through the area in 1815 and the public school which opened in 1857 is one of the oldest continuous schools in Australia.
The first bank robbery in Australia was in Carcoar in 1863 when Johnny Gilbert and John O’Meally led by Ben Hall held up the Commercial Bank. This is the site of Australia’s first documented uranium deposit; in the mid-1860s Carcoar declined when gold was discovered further to the west.
Yengo Sculpture Garden
Yengo was first purchased by Jesse Gregson in 1877. It was laid out with the assistance of the Director of the Sydney Botanic Gardens, Charles Moore and the Govt Botanist J H Maiden. Yengo is an alpine garden with 143yr old trees (in 2020) such as sequoia, cedar of Lebanon and Spanish cork. It is enhanced by sculptures created by English sculptors Judith Holmes Drewry and Lloyd le Blanc, which have been collected over the years. The garden is open in aid of Australia's first endangered species reserve which has been in place since 1969.
Tour Info
What to Bring
casual clothing
sensible walking shoes
hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, toiletries
art materials – your choice
(optional) portable seat for plein air work
Accommodation
Our accommodation and meals are in the welcoming Shalom retreat. Built in 1874 and 1870 respectively, the old convent/boarding school (St. Joseph’s Mount) is now a house of retreat with single bedrooms and shared bathrooms. Wake to fresh scents of the valley, native bird song and pleasant views of the town and surrounding hills.
Included
3 nights single supp. accommodation
3 breakfasts / 2 lunches (Fri & Mon) / 3 dinners (please notify dietary requirements at time of booking)
private coach/driver transfer Mt. Victoria to Carcoar (Fri)
private coach/driver transfer Carcoar to Hill End/return (Sun)
private coach/driver transfer Carcoar to Lithgow (Mon)
Not Included
Day 1: train Syd-Mt. Victoria ($2.50 senior)
Day 3: train Lithgow-Syd ($2.50 senior)
Alcohol or art materials
Lunch Sat & Sun
Itinerary
Fri / 3 Nov
We depart by train from Central Station approx 9.20am to Mt. Victoria; then transfer by private coach to Yengo Sculpture Garden, Mt. Wilson for lunch. Depart mid afternoon for transfer by private coach to our accommodation in Carcoar in the late afternoon.
Dinner / accom - Shalom
Sat / 4 Nov
After a leisurely breakfast outdoors at Shalom if the weather is good, we’ll spend the day relaxing and exploring the fascinating, historical town of Carcoar.
Breakfast / dinner /accom - Shalom
Sun / 5 Nov
Depart after breakfast by private coach to Hill End for a day of exploration around this fascinating and famous village.
Breakfast / dinner / accom - Shalom.
Mon / 6 Nov
Depart after breakfast by private coach to Lithgow for the homeward bound train to Sydney in the early afternoon. We’ll stop enroute with picnic lunch and explore a local area or gallery.
