The historic property 'Torryburn' nestles into the gently rolling hills of Gresford, in the beautiful Paterson Valley.
It was first settled in 1821 by John McIntyre, who named the property after his native Scotland's Torry Bay, tagged with the Scottish word 'Burn,' which means a small stream of water.
By 1830 he had 9 convicts working for him, and remnants of the original convict built house can still be seen today.
McIntyre was subsequently murdered by the convicts and the ensuing arrests and trials played a significant role in the historic evolution of justice in NSW.
In its early days Torryburn was farmed for tobacco, timber and grapes. Cattle grazed its' pastures.
The main homestead was designed by the prominent local architect J.W Pender and built in 1881. The style is classic Victorian Italianate.
Torryburn has enjoyed a variety of owners over the years including the Mackellar family, who took possession 1898. In her later years Dorothea Mackellar attributed much of the inspiration for her iconic poem, "My Country", to her years living at Torryburn.
In 1989 Torryburn was purchased by Rob and Jenny Ferguson who carried out extensive renovations as well as improving and extending the formal and informal gardens and parklands.
The gardens are widely acclaimed and attract many thousands of admirers on the few occasions they are opened to the public.