En Plein Air

Halfway between Canberra and Batemans Bay, a luxury farm stay in the idyllic Southern Tablelands of NSW offers art lovers the chance to commune with nature.

- Harry Roberts

The sculptures of US artist Peter Lundberg exude a primordial presence on the grounds of Mona Farm, yet these monumental outcrops mark an entirely new chapter for the historic property in Braidwood, NSW. Dating back to 1836, when Royal Navy surgeon Thomas Braidwood Wilson first settled on the Southern Tablelands site, the 50-hectare farm has now been re-imagined as a salubrious retreat where arcadian paddocks play host to eye-catching contemporary art.

Lundberg is one of 40 artists whose creations comprise the Mona Farm collection. Arresting artworks from the likes of Bill Henson, Fiona Hall, Darren Sylvester, and Marion Borgelt have all been deployed across the bucolic estate and on the walls of its beautifully maintained buildings. These include the property’s main residence, The Homestead – built in 1853 and now comfortably accommodating up to 10 guests – as well as the charming, rose-colored Coach House from 1903, once home to the property’s Cobb & Co coaches and now transformed into a chic bolthole. Extensive updates to additional outbuildings by architect Louise Nettle will soon see capacity swell to 45 guests.