One of the first things that strikes you as you drive into Mt Wilson is its beautiful tree lined avenues,(Queens,Church,Wyndham and The Avenue) always a blaze of colour in the autumn with plantings of Oaks,Elms,Beeches and Pines from Europe,Rhododendrons,Magnolias,Cedars and Spruces from The Himalayas,and Red Oaks,Tulip Trees and Conifers from North America..
At 1,040m above sea level,Mt Wilson has a resident population of around 200 people.Thousands more however,visit its magnificent private gardens every year,many of which,at a small cost,are open to the public all year round.
Surprisingly there are few facilities catering for these visitors so you do need a full tank of petrol,a picnic lunch and to be organized if you are planning to stay as most accommodation is either of the lodge style where booking is for several days or more or of the bed and breakfast variety.
Mt Wilson ia approximately 124km for Sydney CBD or 2 hours drive via the Bells Line of Road.
Mt Wilson is,along with nearby Mt Irvine,a remnant volcanic basalt cap which prior to European occupation,and still today,supported cool climate rainforest in very dense thickets.
In 1823 Archibald Bell made his way to Mt Wilson,but convict Matthew Everigham is considered the first European to see the area when he visited in 1795.
By 1880 eight homes had been built and the first plantings made in what has gone on to become a gardeners paradise.
Mt Wilson has also beem made famous by the fact that Patrick White,noted Australian author lived here with his parents in his youth.
Other Mt Wilson GalleriesWindyridge - Autumn ColourBebear - Mt Wilson
