ANGLICARE CASTLE HILL TOUR - Nov 2026
The group of 24 walkers were given a guided tour, thanks to Peter N, around Anglicare Castle Hill (previously known as ARV), on a very sunny and warm Monday, 2nd November. The extensive 120-acre Anglicare Retirement Village is home to 5 villages – Mowll, Warrina, Hopetoun, Nuffield and Flinders Villages housing 700 people as well as several hundred people in aged-care in the Brian King Gardens and The Donald Coburn Centre facilities. A sixth village, Kilvinton, is under construction.
They assembled over coffee at the landmark Wills Café (who even had reserved table(s) in our name). Thereafter we headed across the walkway to Lober House.
Built in the 1920s as a private residence named Elwatan, the sprawling home was constructed by Robert and Eva Dixson, a wealthy family in the tobacco industry. At the time it was said to be the most expensive residence in Australia. It has been magnificently maintained and is the social hub of the community, housing many meeting rooms for bridge, chess and other board games, library, table tennis, snooker, and the computer society, and much more. A bit of an irony that a tobacco mogul provided land that was used to build an aged- care community!
The group passed the fabulous rose garden, supervised by a world-famous rose expert in the community, the St James Chapel, and stopped at the Tower House which played a significant role as a beacon for pilots in WWII. The Gatekeeper's Lodge, along with the associated Gatehouse, were staff cottages (designed by J.F. Munnings in a style similar to early cottages in Canberra) and were built on-site in 1926 to accommodate live-in staff and manage access to the sprawling rural property. Both have a distinctive stucco rendering.
This was followed by a leisurely stroll through most of the ‘villages’, passing many aged care facilities. The tranquil Willow Pond, Gallipoli Pine, veggie gardens and the Silos were part of the 3.5km journey.
Back in Wills Cafe, out of the blazing sun, lunch was a pleasure. The grounds are open to the public and should be a ‘must visit’.
This Gallipoli Pine is a direct descendant of the original Lone Pine
Original silos now used as part of maintenance projects
