Last weekend, my Wife and I ventured up to an oft visited place, Millthorpe (near Bathurst/Orange) in Central West New South Wales.
We went up to visit our very friends, Diane & David, plus attend the Millthorpe Garden Ramble. Different gardens are on display in different years.
This selection of photos were taken last weekend.
Till next time!
Written & photographed by David Johnson
9 November 2025
The following images were taken in May this year. We had a trip up to Millthorpe (near Bathurst/Orange/Blayney), NSW, in May for a good friend’s 60th Birthday party. Some of the images are from there, and others are around and about.
If you ever get a chance to visit the towns/cities mentioned above, please do so. Lots to see! Abercrombie House, just outside Bathurst is definitely a must. A three-storey mansion, built in 1870, where you can have lunch and do a self-guided mansion tour. I highly recommend it.
Till next time!
Written & Photographed by David Johnson
30 July 2025
Last weekend, my Wife, Susan and I attend stayed up at Millthorpe, near Bathurst, NSW, Australia and, over two days, had the pleasure of experiencing ten beautiful gardens at the 19th Millthorpe Garden Ramble.
Even though we have been going up to Millthorpe (as a couple) since 1995, this was the first time we had attended this event. We have nearly always been to Millthorpe in the Autumn (Fall)/Winter-time.
Our host’s, Diane and David Dixon, went to school with my Wife and Diane herself has been nurturing a Cottage Garden on their 7 1/2 acres for just on 30 years. Diane has entered her garden in the event once before but wasn’t an entrant this time around. I’ll be doing a separate post on Diane’s garden this month.
The gardens range from small residential backyards to properties with many acres.
I’ve included some images below that depict the type of gardens that we saw. I’ve also taken a lot of reference photos for sketches and paintings.
Till next time!
Written by David Johnson
12 November 2023
Last weekend my Wife and I went up into the country to stay at place we have been to many times over the years, Millthorpe, NSW, Australia. Millthorpe is about a 3 1/2 hour drive over the Blue Mountains, North-West from where we live, which is 60 kilometres / 37 miles South-West of Sydney.
We have been up there many times as Diane and her Husband, David were school friends of my Wife, Susan. They have 6 boys who are all adults now with only a couple living at home.
Pretty much all of the family came home that weekend as Sean (their second child) and his Wife, Emily were holding a 1st Birthday party for their first child, Nyssa, on Saturday afternoon in Bathurst about 20 minutes drive from Millthorpe.
The party was great and we dinner back at Millthorpe that night.
Millthorpe is a quiet little town of about 1,253 people, and is a Heritage-listed village. I’ll post a link below so you see more about this town if you are interested.
This time we stayed at the Rosebank Guest House. Normally, we would stay with David and Diane however they had a houseful this weekend.
Rosebank is a old Bank building with 4.5metres / 15feet ceilings and is run by a local Artist, Jenny Beach and her husband. We were the only guests staying that night so it was very quiet. They have an Art Supplies sale section within the guest house which is ‘indeed heaven’ for guests like me.
The guest house is beautifully furnished and has Art from Jenny and other local Artists lining the walls of every room.
Jenny (we didn’t get to meet her husband that weekend), was the perfect host, the accomodation was wonderful, and yes you guessed it, I bought some Art supplies. 🙂
On Sunday morning, I did a 1/2 hour walk around town mainly taking some reference photos for future sketches.
On the way home we stopped at Govett’s Leap in the Blue Mountains (the subject of my next post), and then a late lunch at a restaurant called, “The Bunker” at Springwood in the Lower Blue Mountains.
All-in-all another great little escape filled with good cheer, family, friends, Art and relaxation.
We are looking forward to our next escape!
Till next time!
Written & Photographed by David Johnson
30 June 2023
Click on the link (Home) to find out more about Millthorpe.
Welcome to the 5th post of Things That Attract My Eye.
This crop of images comers from various places, including on a at a dinner near the City, our front garden in Autumn (Fall), the local Nepean River, Millthorpe (Country NSW), opposite the gym I attend and in a car wash.
Images and the beauty within them are sometimes found in the most unlikely places.
Written & Photographed by David Johnson
29 June 2023
We have ventured up to Millthorpe a number of times since 1995 as it is the home of one of our great friend’s ‘the Dixons’, in fact Susan and Diane have been great friends since their school days.
This time, we were up there for the Wedding of their eldest son. I’m going to leave the wedding to another post, in fact, I will wait till the official Wedding photos arrive.
Millthorpe is a historical village classified by the National Trust and was originally called, ‘Spring Grove.’ More details about the name change and further detail about the town can be found in the link below.
Even though we have been going up there for a many years it is really only in the last two or three visits that I have actually been able to walk around the Town. Mostly, we have been up there for Family celebrations of one type or another.
A rather strange thing happened this time…My DSLR did not come out of the bag. Instead, armed with a small sketchbook, three pigment liners and just my phone camera, I took the chance to do some rough sketches and took many reference photos.
Millthorpe’s buildings are older ones and have a lot of character and I seem to love sketching and painting architecture. I’ve come back with quite a few ideas for sketches/paintings and the camera phone is good enough for reference photos for the moment.
As with any town there are a few Churches as well. I can see myself tackling these types of buildings as well.
I didn’t get a chance to go into the Museum this time around but was delighted to see some Art forms and industrial machinery on the outside.
The weather this time was beautiful and sunny on the Friday and Monday, however, Saturday and Sunday were very cold with single digit temperatures in Celsius.
Usually, we stay with the Dixons, however this time they had a full house so we stayed at a local Air BnB, ‘Millthorpe on Morley.’ It was the first time staying via Air BnB and it was extremely comfortable and very friendly.
The view from the front verandah below (where I was able to sit and journal) on the Saturday morning was very beautiful.
As always, I look forward to our next visit to Millthorpe!
Written by David Johnson
18 April 2021
For more information about Millthorpe, visit:
As the ‘Aussie Towns’ weblink* says, “Millthorpe is a picturesque and historic village set amidst gently rolling hills.”
What has drawn us to visit this lovely little Village over that number of years is a connection that started back when my wife, Susan met Diane and David at school back in the 1970’s and they remain close friends to this day. Diane and David have 6 boys, 3 of which are still at home.
Over the years we have been up there many times, though usually it was for Christenings, a Wedding and Family functions of different sorts or just visiting.
In that entire time, I had never really spent much time in the centre of the Village so went we went up earlier last month, I seized my chance, both on an observation, photographic and sketching level.
I had a lovely time wandering the streets, visiting a community gallery, a gallery/guest house, RoseBank, in an old Bank building as you might have guessed and a private gallery with innumerable types of Art in it.
With my DSLR camera I photographed the quiet country streets, one which had a beautiful arrangement of Flora on the Nature-strip and the Heritage-listed buildings. I sketched a couple of the churches and took many reference photos with my phone.
After so many years, it was so good just to wander around the Village.
If you are looking for a quiet, out-of-the-way stay and a base to explore this region, then pop in and have a look at the sleepy Village of Millthorpe. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
A few opinions, a little research, and maybe some general chatter!
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