I love gardens and one of my favourites is Mayfield, a two-hour drive inland from where I live. Situated just outside the town of Oberon in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Mayfield Garden is a cool-climate garden widely known as one of Australia’s most significant horticultural attractions. Located about 200 kilometres (124 miles) west of Sydney, the garden is positioned within a 2,000-hectare (4,950-acre) working farm.
Owned by the Hawkins family and inspired by the magnificent gardens of Europe, Mayfield was originally a sheep farm. The heart of the property has been gradually transformed – with the help of talented local landscapers and tradespeople – from bare paddocks into one of the largest, privately owned cool-climate gardens in the world.
Mayfield is made up of two main garden areas: Mayfield Garden, specially designed to open year-round (closed only on Christmas Day and Boxing Day) as a tourist destination and covering 16 hectares (40 acres); and the Hawkins Family Garden, an additional 49 hectares (121 acres) of private garden open to visitors for 16 days during each of four seasonal festivals.
The gardens are open from 9am to 4.30pm and entry prices start at $22.00.
