‘Return of the King’: Charity restoring cultural hub could see King Charles back to Australia

The restoration of a NSW-based cultural hub by the King’s Foundation of Australia is set to make it “very difficult” to keep the monarch away.

The estate housing King Charles’s flagship charity’s first Australian training centre – the former summer residence of governors of New South Wales – could open as soon as 2026.

The King’s Foundation of Australia became the custodians of the 60-hectare, 1870s-built property called Hillview, in NSW’s Southern Highlands, in April and is restoring the abode into a “landmark cultural hub”.

“It is a long-term investment in Australia for Australians by the King of Australia,” the foundation’s Australian chair, Dominic Richards, said.

“All the love and attention and money we are spending on it is for a freehold that is owned by the people of Australia.”

The renovation is being modelled on Dumfries House – an 18th century Scottish mansion, which the then-Prince saved as a public asset in 2007 for the charity’s primary use.

Hillview, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, is the former Vice-Regal summer residence of the state’s governors and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. Picture: The King’s Foundation Australia

Dumfries House in Scotland. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

Dumfries House, located in East Ayrshire in south west Scotland, is an educational facility

training the next generation of craftspeople.

It features Valentin’s Education Farm, hosts horticulture and food lessons, textile training and a health and wellbeing centre.

King Charles III after opening the Cumnock swimming pool at Dumfries House.

School pupils learn about farming at Dumfries House.

“This isn’t an attempt to replicate that but it’s an attempt to bring the learnings of Dumfries House and the transformation opportunities it has done to Australia,” Mr Richards said.

“It’s a hub for Australia supporting regeneration through heritage, crafts training, education programs, sustainability initiatives and all the stuff that you saw at Dumfries House.”

Plans for The King’s Foundation Australia were announced in October, during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s tour down under.

King Charles officially launches The King's Foundation Australia last October, with Australian chair, Dominic Richards, right. Picture: The King’s Foundation Australia

Heritage New South Wales director of assessments Tim Smith and Governor of NSW Margaret Beazley formally handover the keys to Hillview to Dominic Richards.

Mr Richards said once the work is completed at Hillview, he is confident His Majesty will return to Australia to visit the restored estate and its surroundings.

“It’s clear that His Majesty is committed to furthering good work in Australia around the conversations of sustainable communities, education, planning and sustainable agriculture and he loves the idea that he can support Australians in those initiatives,” he said.

“This is a physical base for that which His Majesty is very pleased.”

Despite the King continuing to receive treatment for cancer after his diagnosis in January 2024, Mr Richards said: “I just think it will be very difficult to keep the King away from Australia, he comes whenever he can.

“Last year’s visit showed even when he was being treated for cancer, he made sure he got to Australia and I think that says it all.

“I think wild horses wouldn’t keep him away from visiting Hillview when it’s all done.”

Hillview ticked all the boxes for the foundation, including that it is easily accessible and has historical regeneration requirements. Picture: The King’s Foundation Australia

Hillview will be restored and transformed into a nationally significant heritage-led regeneration project, modelled on the successful transformation of Dumfries House in Scotland. Picture: The King’s Foundation Australia

Mr Richards said the Hillview property – which is receiving no taxpayer funding – ticked all the boxes for the foundation, including that it is easily accessible and has historical regeneration requirements.

“We found the former summer residence of the governor of NSW’s residence was forlorned and needed to undergo a “full restoration program” and it’s accessible to Canberra and Sydney,” he said.

“It’s taken the Dumfries House model of regenerating a historic property and using it as the template to expand opportunity in a local area and to bring together as a hub a whole range of initiatives of His Majesty’s charitable work, it’s the same principle.”

Also on the Scottish estate are accommodation facilities close to Dumfries House.

The King frequents the residence several times a year.

Mr Richards said Hillview could open to the public from February next year, pending the planning phases and three years will be spent restoring the homestead until 2028.

In addition, there will be a hub on site to house various activities, similar to Dumfries House.

“We have now got to go through a heritage planning program which is this year and then we have got three years of restoration of the house,” Mr Richards said.

“Then there’s a further two years of new build opportunities”.

*The writer was a guest of Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, Scotland.

Originally published as ‘Return of the King’: Charity restoring cultural hub could see King Charles back to Australia