Uncovering pathways

Every week, something new is bought to our attention at our Southern Highlands Waterbrook site. Whether it be the roof going on our display residence which is currently under construction, or the uncovering of something from a bygone era, there is never a dull moment!

Recently, our groundsman uncovered a leafy pathway meandering along the front of the buildings, originally used to get from the school down to the bottom flats and creek. Along the length of it runs a beautifully preserved drystone retaining wall built from rock which was extracted from the Mount Gibraltar quarries known as Bowral Trachyte. This is special because “The Gib”, as Mount Gibraltar is commonly called, is clearly visible from our Retirement Lifestyle Resort site.

Even though the quarries were located locally, the rock was mainly shipped to Sydney for use in buildings that are now listed on the State Heritage Register such as the QVB, the ANZAC Memorial, Martin Place and Challis House. The quarries are no longer operational (production ceased in 1986 after 100 years of constant extraction) and are listed as historically significant sites due to the contribution of Bowral Trachyte to the built history of New South Wales.

We feel very lucky to be able to give this amazing rock a new lease of life within our landscaping plan.  Here’s to more discoveries!

Hebel you say?

Construction is well underway on the display residence at our luxury retirement Resort in Bowral. We are sourcing and using the highest quality products available, and one of these is Hebel which we are using for the walls.

Hebel has many qualities that impressed our construction team which is why we chose it. Some of these are:

It’s strength and solidity -Hebel panels are high-performance products containing steel reinforcement for added strength with an anti-corrosion layer on the steel for maximum durability.
It’s energy efficiency – Hebel panels perform well thermally, helping to keep your house cool in summer, and warm and cosy in winter.
It’s eco-friendliness – Hebel is an environmentally friendly choice of building material. Proudly manufactured in Australia, Hebel is made using readily available raw materials. Waste generated in the manufacturing process is recycled, even down to the steam that’s produced.
It’s noise reduction properties – A Hebel home is a quiet one because it reduces noise transmission. Compared to polystyrene and many fibre cement substrates, the use of Hebel for external walls reduces noise from external sources like traffic, meaning more peace and quiet. And when used for upper floors, can reduce sound transference between levels as well.
It’s fire resistance – Hebel is renowned for its fire-resistant properties and is a non-combustible building material. Hebel systems have been tested by the CSIRO and are proven to achieve fire resistance levels of 60 minutes through to 240 minutes and meet or exceed the requirements for all six bushfire attack level categories. This makes it an ideal choice in bushfire zones.

So, as you can see, Hebel is pretty impressive!

History on film

The refurbishment of the existing OLSH College buildings for our Waterbrook Bowral Retirement Lifestyle Resort will commence very shortly. Whilst we are all very excited about this, we’re also a little sad that we’ll no longer be able to take people on tours through the old classrooms, boarding house, bathrooms and chapel so they can appreciate fully the finished facilities when they are complete.

So, we decided to make a video!  Well known presenter, Dane Wheeler and cameraman, Damon Banning spent a day onsite in Bowral recently filming and recording the history of OLSH. A mini documentary of the spaces which are so special to not only to us, but all the boys that attended school there, and to so many members of the Southern Highlands community.

They had a great time exploring and working out the right camera angles to make the most of the lovely late summer light, and like almost all who go through the buildings they were also awed by the size and preservation of them.  We look forward to seeing the finished product and will release it to you all very soon!