Vacy Hall, QUEENSLAND
Airing Date: Nov 17th, 2003
Vacy Hall is a magnificent Victorian mansion, located only one hour and 15 minutes from Brisbane in the garden city of Toowoomba. Built in the 1880s as a private home for landed gentry, Vacy Hall is now a heritage listed bed and breakfast providing guests with an experience reminiscent of the glory days of Queensland's 'squattocracy'.
There are twelve guest bedrooms that boast architectural features of the last century matched with the modern facilities of today. They are all decorated with antiques, have their own bathrooms and some even feature open fireplaces. Beyond the bedroom, Vacy Hall offers extensive grounds where you can stroll through an exotic garden or rest on the shaded veranda.
Vacy Hall isn't the only olden day house to belong to Toowoomba. A peaceful stroll through the town will reveal a wonderful collection of historic houses, and there are a whole bunch of self-guided walks to help you find them all. Even one of the town's premier restaurants is a living example of Australia's yesteryear.
Gips Restaurant, which is about ten years younger than Vacy Hall, was built in and around the old Billiard Room of the magnificent Clifford House. The house was owned by James Taylor, the mayor of Toowoomba at the time. When the restaurant came along, it was actually named after his Jack Russell dog called Gip.
If you want to throw yourself into the 19th century even further, head to the Cobb & Co. Museum. Here you can learn about transportation before cars came along. Entry prices are $6.50 for adults, $5.00 for concessions and $4.00 for children aged four to 16 years.
The facts
Accommodation at Vacy Hall starts from $101 a couple per night for a standard room.
Vacy Hall
Tel: 07 4639 2055
Cobb & Co. Museum
Tel: 07 4639 1971
Gips Restaurant
Tel: 07 4638 3588
