Located in Hornsby Shire's wonderful hidden gem, Lisgar Gardens, this cache is a must for the geocacher who loves a place of beauty. The Gardens are located on a steep slope but there are paved paths and steps throughout the upper levels and marked tracks below. A great one to take the family on and experience one of the most beautiful, if largely unknown, gardens in Sydney.
This cache is a companion to Thanks Again Lilian (GC2ZXKC), both dedicated to Hornsby Shire residents who created wonderful places for the enjoyment of all.
Hornsby's Secret Garden
Access by car, or a 1 kilometre walk from Hornsby railway station. Access to the gardens is via steps or inclinator from Lisgar Road only.
Lisgar Gardens covers an area of 2.4 hectares (6 acres) in Lisgar Road, Hornsby.
The site was originally purchased in 1917 by Max Cotton (1887-1967) from his brother Leo, specifically for the purpose of creating the gardens. In 1967, Hornsby Shire Council purchased the property, naming it Lisgar Gardens. The gardens were opened to the public on 21 September, 1968.
Built on a steep hillside, the gardens’ different levels were created by the construction of sandstone block walls. By 1950 the gardens were planted with rhododendrons, azaleas, gardenias and other exotics in harmony with native trees and ferns, highlighting the seventy two varieties of camellias.
Some of the original camellias still exist in the gardens today and are now over fifty years old. Since Council purchased the site, the work commenced by Max Cotton has continued.
The gardens now boast over ninety varieties of camellias, mass plantings of annuals in the formal gardens, a covered pavilion for weddings and other celebrations, a shade house containing the fish ponds, a gazebo, three waterfalls, informal lawn areas, picnic tables and a rainforest walk.
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Friday 8:00 am until 3:30 pm
Saturday and Sunday
EST 10:00am to 4:00pm
DST 10:00am to 5:00pm
Due to restricted parking in Lisgar Road, visitors to the gardens are asked to park in surrounding streets such as William Street.
FRIENDS OF LISGAR GARDENS
The Friends of Lisgar Gardens is a volunteer group which aims to ‘promote, protect and enhance’ Lisgar Gardens and to increase visitation to the gardens. The friends also assist Council by staffing the gardens on weekends with members volunteering on a roster system to greet visitors and help with enquiries. Monthly meetings are held and your attendance is always welcome. Please contact Council for further details. Each year the Friends of Lisgar Gardens organise the Teddy Bears’ Day Out in March and Camellia Gala Day in winter.
Note: there is no need to walk on ANY garden beds or climb over rocks.
The final cache is within 2 metres of a path.
Don't miss the lower waterfall or the fish ponds! Take your time, it's a wonderful place.
Coordinates were averaged for ages but you can see why the GPSr doesn't work well here. Use the hint.