A call for preservation of the region's historic precincts and more open garden events were key takeaways from a month-long event at an historically-significant Highlands property.
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Co-owners of Beatrice Park (formerly Eugenie Lodge) in Bowral opened the gates to the property throughout October so that people could revel in the botanic beauty of a bygone era.
The generous co-owners Justin Hutchinson and John Bower were keen to share the beauty of their property, established from 1949, with the community to showcase the prize-winning garden, highlight the historic significance of the area and raise funds for charitable organisations.
They also saw the opportunity to offer a great outdoor experience to the community following a long winter of restrictions and shutdowns prompted by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Expanding the potential of the event even further Justin and John called on local entertainers to share their musical talents - an opportunity embraced by those in one of the industries hardest hit by covid restrictions.
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The appeal of the Beatrice Park open garden month was not lost on the community or visitors from further afield.
Justin said about 500 people passed through the gates each weekend from the start of October with many travelling from Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Canberra.
He pointed out that the majority of visits were earlier in the month with inclement weather putting a dampener on the outdoor experience in the final two weeks of October.
Justin said that while a final count of funds taken through the gate, in a raffle and the sale of some items, was not yet complete he anticipated that about $500 each would be donated to the Australian Gardens History Society and Save Southern Highlands Heritage.
The latter has a focus on campaigning for the preservation of several historically-significant properties and extending the conservation precinct of Bowral. Among the properties on the SSHH initiative are Yarrabin located next door to Beatrice Park on Kangaloon Road, Bowral.
Justin said campaign for preservation gained plenty of support from people who visited Beatrice Park.
"They [visitors] love gardens. They don't want old gardens cut up," he said.
"They were amazed at just how long it takes for trees to grow."
Justin said visitors loved hearing the history of properties in the area including Beatrice Park, Yarrabin, Walden and others in the area.
He said there were "four wonderful houses in a row" along Kangaloon Road built from 1949 ( Beatrice Park/Eugenie Lodge) to the mid-1950s.
Justin said it was wonderful to see so many people enjoy the chance to take in the Beatrice Park experience including children.
He said a highlight for him was meeting one old builder in his 90s who had worked alongside renowned early Southern Highlands builder Alf Stephens.
"He remembered Yarrabin and Beatrice Park going up," he said.
Justin said that the Highlands musicians who performed each weekend were also fabulous.
He said even with the rainy conditions of the last two weekends they continued to play under the shelter of the glass terrace and gatehouse located on the property.
Justin said that while more volunteers would have been great and both he and John are exhausted from a very busy month they hoped to open their garden to the public again.
In fact, he said they were now looking at doing a Christmas Opening Concert and Australia Day or "Near Australia Day Concert".
He said this would be in the form of booked tickets so people could come along, sit and enjoy the entertainment while enjoying a picnic on the grounds.
"Hopefully there will be less pandemic restrictions," he said.
Performers in the garden were sourced through Southern Highlands Musicians on the website https://southernhighlandsmusicians.com/
