bishop's lodge historic house and heritage rose garden

A4560IJpeterw

Bishops Lodge is best visited on a hot day to truly understand how the design is adapted to the climate. The rooms are barely furnished but this does not detract from appreciating the size of the house and how it relates to (what remains of) the garden. You are left on your own to explore the house, a short video sets the background for the house, the architect and the later restoration. Informative panels in the rooms give an insight into the rooms history and use. A must see in Hay.

979suziep

Walked around the grounds & impressed by the work invested in keeping the historic features intact & the notices placed around the garden very informative. Had to hit the road before official opening hours....maybe next time.

Maccas78

A house from a bygone era. It is huge and the design incorporates many features that could be well used today. That said, while interesting, it is still a fairly empty house (some parts not open for inspection. There is a short video that details some of the long history of the house. A council officer provides other details that fill out its past. These magnificent houses pose a common problem for local councils throughout Australia - how they can be maintained. Hay is doing a pretty good job given what must be very limited resources. Worth a visit but more for adults than young children who probably would lose interest pretty quickly.

313leahw

My family and I travelled from SA to NSW; this is the halfway mark between these states. We stayed at Bishop's lodge for the night. If you are travelling through, pack an esky with cold drinks and munchies as the closest station/shops from the lodge are pretty pricey. It is a beautiful and quaint little hotel that is clean and comfortable for the family - the room was very large with loads of space. I especially loved the country hospitality; we had freshly baked bread and fresh milk in the old fashioned glass bottles. It was nice to see that people are still living and loving the simple things in life. I would suggest to have your swimmers and beach towel handy to take a dip in the hotel pool as it is very hot and dry.

Tuko_Pomoja

We arrived by chance to find the fete at the lodge. Lot's of local fun, stalls, food, kid's performing. Lovely and historic house and gardens. If you're here you must take a look.

PatR1948

A eye opener to a bygone time, a house that when built was ahead of its time and the lessons forgotten.

256gaylem

The first thing that hit us about Bishop's Lodge was that t was made of corrugated iron. We watched a video inside explaining the architecture of this late 1800's property and were amazed at the technology - how they insulated the house and how they structured it to cater for large movements in the ground caused by the cycle of drought. It is hard to reconcile the beauty of the property with it's corrugated iron exterior but it is indeed beautiful inside and out. The rose gardens were not in bloom when we were there but the majestic hoop pine and huge palms are breathtaking. The garden, where it has required restoration has been done with plants sympathetic to the period of the house - they reminded me of my grandmother's garden. There were seats to sit a while and admire and birds and butterflies flitted about. We chatted with one of the many volunteers that make this property possible - it is a credit to everyone involved.

SuperDuperCoach

Historically important home, of significant and climate-adapted architecture. Worth seeing. That being said, after a few rooms the significance waned and I was happy to move on after an hour or so. Just an empty house and a few things to read, so don't take the kids they'll be whinging in no time. Friendly guide on hand if one wanted to ask questions. If you are in Hay anyway, definitely do see it. Woudn't drive to Hay just for it thoigh.

RobertaW527

Beautiful old home, we can learn a lot today from this about building houses. Rose garden was nice even thou roses were not out, lots of bird life.staff very friendly/helpful.

smbdbb

Today was our 2nd visit to Bishops Lodge. We passed through Hay several months ago, and saw it then, and came back to Hay for 2 days this time, as there is much to see and do, while still being able to soak up the relaxed rural ambience... Todays visit to Bishops Lodge was so interesting, and only $5.00 admission. We were welcomed, and allowed to browse through the home at our leisure. Very well worthwhile.

400timm

All good. Very interesting. Amazing history. Great staff. Immaculate grounds. Interesting history. Well maintained

Lightw

This was well worth a visit. The building and the video about the architecture is very interesting. We loved the rose garden and surrounds. Should be supported and maintained.

glenlee84

We visited Bishop's Lodge Historic House and Heritage Rose Garden in February. We were welcomed into the home by a staff member and we paid a small fee of five dollars entry. A brief history is of the property was given and then we were invited to watch a short film which was quite informative. Then we were free to walk around and experience the home and it's gardens of yesteryear. There were magnificent high ceilings and glass stained window and as you wander from room to room you get the feeling of how life was a hundred years or so ago. There is one part of the home which was converted in more recent times with some modern fixtures but it doesn't detract from the home as a whole. It is alittle out of Hay but well worth the visit and highly recommended.

LegItAustralia

Very pleased to hear you enjoyed your visit. With all small towns, finding funds can be a challange. Our Committee of Volunteers are dedicated to ensuring the future of Bishop's Lodge is a bright one!

octaviaillawarra

It is a tranquil oasis. Not opened Sundays but afternoon tea is served Monday to Saturday. A must for rose lovers. There is a small gift shop. Entry is $Aus5.00 and well worth the small fee. Bishop's Lodge is situated east of the round-about into Hay on the corner of Roset Street and the Sturt Highway, if travelling on to Melbourne or Mildura it is well worth the break.