History of Rose Lindsay Cottage

Rose Lindsay Cottage is part of the original Norman Lindsay Estate at Faulconbridge. The main house of beautiful sandstone and rough-hewn Western Red Cedar was designed by Jane Lindsay (daughter of artist Norman) for her mother, Rose Lindsay. Construction commenced in 1954. Jane Lindsay, in her book "Portrait of Pa", writes of the construction of the house:

"Ma ... had always wanted a little place of her own. She kept asking when I would be finished with Mick [Stratton, builder & stonemason] so that he could start cutting stone for her ... She lured him away at last, and he began building her house on the land further up the hill.

This move made Pa suspicious. He kept asking me in private, 'What is your Ma going to do with that mansion she's building?' I couldn't give him an answer. Although I had designed it to her specifications, and knew it was to contain a large living-room, dining-room and three bedrooms, as well as a wide veranda with more Grecian pillars, I really had no idea of her future plans. She just repeated that she had always wanted a little place of her own. When the stonework was done, the walls up to roof height, the veranda flagged and the pillars cast, she lost interest. It stayed at that point for years until she sold the land." p. 31

The building lay as a stone shell until completed in the early seventies by the Lee family. It was their family home until the present owners, Danny & Annette Wotherspoon, purchased it in 1992 with a view to establishing a Bed & Breakfast.

With that successfully achieved and operating, the Loft was then constructed, and opened in December 2000- a totally private, self-contained tree-top apartment - a little place of your own!

The house and the Loft are set within 3/4 acre of bushy garden. As you wander through the grounds, you'll find stone pathways that lead through gardens filled with native plants like Mountain Devil, lillipillies, waratahs and rainforest plums. There's everlasting daisies, native violets and orchids hiding amongst the ferns.

You'll also find the famous "Fairy" swings from the movie "Sirens" and you can visit the Norman Lindsay Gallery with its magnificent sculptures, etchings and paintings of fairies, water nymphs and sirens.

With the Loft as your base, there are so many wonderful things to do and see and places to eat, such as the Norman Lindsay café, just a short stroll across the road.

We hope that you enjoy your stay and we have endeavoured to do all we can to make your stay enjoyable, comfortable and very special!

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance or help.

Your hosts, Annette & Danny