Classic revival

First impressions count. And sometimes, first impressions linger in the heart and mind, and trigger one of those life-changing moments upon which Hollywood thrives. In 1989, garden design consultant Barbara Landsberg fell in love at first sight with an enchanting historic estate in the Blue Mountains. Her friend was visiting from England, and they set out from Sydney together to visit the friend’s relatives, Helen and Gary Ghent, at Withycombe in Mount Wilson.

“We drove up to Withycombe in the wind and rain in my old Toyota Corolla, worried that we would not make it up the mountain,” Barbara recalls. “We got lost on our way and arrived very