Mount Wilson
Mt Wilson is a very special place.
As you turn off the Bells Line of Road and drive through the Australian bush, nothing quite prepares you for what lies ahead.
You know you are close to Mt Wilson when you drive through a pocket of lush rainforest. That in itself is surprising. However as you reach the outskirts of Mt Wilson there is a change. The road is lined with beautiful trees – in autumn the colours are breathtaking, in winter the trees are bare and misty, in summer and spring the trees are a welcome sight – shady and green.
Mt Wilson is a village of tree-lined avenues and English-style gardens. It is elegant and charming.
The high rainfall and rich volcanic soil give rise to a wonderful variety of trees including magnolias, rhododendrons, cedars, elms, oaks, beeches and pines.
The best way to see Mt Wilson is to park the car and wander. The Mt Wilson Progress Association has put together a fascinating Village Walk. It is 3.5 kms one way but allow 3 hours if intending to do the entire walk in a leisurely fashion.
If you visit in Autumn or Spring, many of the private gardens in Mt Wilson are open to the public (there is a small entry fee). Some of the gardens are over 120 years old. See the bottom of this page for a full list of gardens.
Places of Interest in Mt Wilson
Turkish Bath Museum
Cnr The Avenue & Mt Irvine Rd, Mount Wilson
Telephone 02-4756-2006
The Turkish Bath Museum is a unique building within the Wynstay Estate. This was the first property established in Mt Wilson in 1875 by Richard Wynne, founder of the Wynne Art Prize. The Turkish Bath serves as a museum displaying exhibitions of the history of Mt Wilson and Mt Irvine. The building itself is also of great interest.
Open: 12.30pm - 3.30pm- Every Sat-Sun (Apr-May), every Sun (Sep-Oct), third Sun (Jan-Mar, Jun-Aug, Nov-Dec), Public Holidays (Easter, Anzac Day, Labor Day).
Entry: Adults $5, child free
Cafe
Chimney Cottage Heritage Café
Don't leave Mt Wilson without visiting this charming and pretty cafe. Enjoy fresh, home cooking in front of the log fire or in the beautiful garden.
Waterfall Road, Mount Wilson
Open 10am – 4pm weekends
Picnic Spots in Mt Wilson
There are many beautiful picnic spots in Mt Wilson including:
- Wynne Reserve in the centre of the village near St Georges Church
- Waterfall Reserve at the end of Watefall Road
- Cathedral Reserve about 1km out of town on Mt Irvine Road (BBQs, tables, toilets)
Festival
- Mt Wilson hosts an annual Autumn Garden Festival - April and May.
- As part of the Blue Mountains Spring events, many of the gardens in Mt Wilson are open to the public.
Mt Wilson Gardens
There are several privately owned gardens in Mt Wilson that are open to the public in Spring and Autumn. Please visit our webpage Open Gardens in the Blue Mountains for details.
Mt Irvine
Mt Irvine is about a 15 minute drive from Mt Wilson. It also enjoys a rich basalt soil and high rainfall although it is at a lower altitude (850m) than Mt Wilson.
Mt Irvine is a rural village of about 20 properties with cool-climate gardens and small commercial farming of walnuts and chestnuts. The main season for these nuts is Autumn, so if you are visiting in April or May, keep an eye out for properties displaying signs to pick your own walnuts and chestnuts.
Kookootonga Nut Farm at 247 Mt Irvine Rd, Mt Irvine is one of those properties that open to the public in season. It has been in the same family since 1897 and the first chestnuts and walnuts were planted over 100 years ago. Telephone 02-4756-2136. Website www.kookootonga.com.au
For more detailed information about Mt Wilson and Mt Irvine please visit the Mt Wilson website (www.mtwilson.com.au).
Mt Wilson is 124 kms west of Sydney (a two hour drive) and is 8 kms off the Bells Line of Road. It is 1040m above sea level.
