At the turn of last century, a beautiful lodge in a unique design comprising vertical jarrah weatherboards and redwood shingling was built for the Swiss Consul - right on the escarpment. Gradually, a terraced, escarpment garden was created and steps leading down through it to Prince Henry Cliff Walk. During the 1930's a writer's retreat/library was also built, copying the lines of the main house, so that the writer, Frank Dyson, could enjoy some privacy, especially when his grandchildren came to visit - or so we've been told. It would appear during the Second World War this retreat was turned into two flats for rental purposes. There have been a number of owners over the years, including the Catholic church and we also know that the Cummings (keen horticulturalists) were here for over 20 years, having originally bought the property because of the garden. When the current owners bought the property in May 1997, it was in near-derelict condition, the garden needed considerable work and the garden steps were in disrepair. Ornate plaster ceilings in the main house had experienced major water damage, but fortunately the valuable interior and exterior timbers in both the retreat/library and main house could be saved. The painstaking restoration work involved recycling all the old materials wherever possible. Timbers featured include jarrah, redwood, Cyprus pine, blue gum, American oak, Oregon and Baltic pine. One delightful discovery during the restoration was finding old coins in the walls of the retreat, which we've since discovered was a custom in days gone by to encourage good luck!