ABOUT

Established in 1939

It’s unclear when the stables were built, but certainly they were part of one of the two hotels built on the site in the early 1900’s. The structure was believed to be primarily used as a stable and accomodation for stable hands. The newly renovated amenities block used as tack rooms for saddles and various other supplies. All the sleeping quarters have been respectfully restored to their original condition, through styling and design we have made a deliberate attempt keep an authentic feel of the structure, respecting its history so we can enjoy the experience of the stay in much the same way as it would have been enjoyed a 100 years go. The rooms are cosy, warm, simple but elegant with a rustic boutique charm.

We find the original beauty of the rustic timbers and agricultural feel of the building completely infectious and exactly the experience and connection we seek out to escape the pace of the modern landscape.

The main homestead, Green Hills House and Cottage were built much later by William Houston in 1939 when the property boasted a much grander 300 acres and housing Houstons family as well as functioning as the business centre for the running of the property at large. Now in 2022 Green Hills House now serves our family as our country escape and hope it will continue that way for generations to come.

Our history

It all started will a civil engineer met a perpetual creative sometime in the mid-’90s in India. Fast-forward to Easter 2018. We were visiting family in Blackbutt as we had done for the past 10 years. It’s a small town and we were doing the daily walk to the Bakery, once again passing the beautiful old, unloved home with its dilapidated but oh so beautiful old shed. The house was 30’s-40’s in era, reminiscent of homes of the High Country where I had grown up. Nods to a time of mass European immigration when our multicultural makeup was in its infancy bringing with it new styles and materials.The Californian Bungalow style home captured me, I had wondered for years how the house looked inside, who had lived there, what the shed was used for, how old it was, and spent idle hours planning a fictitious renovation of said falling down shed.

That is, until one day, my husband lifts his head from the paper (an actual newspaper because he’s the type that still likes the ritual of buying the paper and flipping the pages,) and says:

“That house on the corner is for sale, should we have a sticky beak?”

— “Yes we should!”

The cliche: we instantly fell in love with the house, the trees and, of course, the dilapidated yet charming stable house.

We cried because our first offer wasn’t accepted, cried again when it was, finally in September 2019 we cried because it was ours at last!

Since then, we’ve spent every weekend, holiday and spare day at the property, preparing to host family, friends and of course guests.

It never gets old for us, every time we arrive it blows us away. We love it more every day and hope you’ll love it too.

- Riza & Cam