Locations
Le Vésinet
Le Vésinet is a suburb in the Yvelines department of the Île-de-France. It is located 18 kilometres west of the centre Paris in the direction of Versailles, and 3 kilometres east of St Germain-en-Laye. Le Vésinet is known for its wooded avenues, mansions and lakes and contains many English-style gardens designed by French landscape gardener Paul de Lavenne Comte Choulot.
Le Vésinet was part of Louis XIV’s hunting grounds before the suburb was formed in 1856 by detaching a part of the territory of Chatou and merging it with parts of the territories of Croissy-sur-Seine and Le Pecq. It sits in a graceful bend in the river Seine.
Le Vésinet has been a sister city with Hunters Hill NSW Australia since 1988.
Hunters Hill
Hunters Hill is Australia’s oldest garden suburb and a place of national heritage significance. It has a fascinating history. When proclaimed a borough in 1861 it was already known as the ‘French Village’. The many early stone houses and buildings are still set in leafy gardens and streets and are close to enchanting bushland areas, including Kellys Bush and Boronia Park.
Called in aboriginal times ‘Moocooboola’ – the meeting place of the two waters, Hunters Hill lies on a peninsula in Sydney Harbour surrounded on three sides by the Lane Cove and Parramatta rivers. Its local government area is small (575 hectares), yet it contains seven distinct localities – Boronia Park, Gladesville, Henley, Hunter’s Hill, Huntleys Cove, Huntleys Point and Woolwich.
There are many places of interest, most of which feature on the sixteen walking trails developed by the locals. Examples are the National Trust’s ‘Vienna Cottage’ (1871), the Council’s former Marist Father’s retreat ‘The Priory’ (1857) and the Harbour Trust’s Woolwich Dock (1901). Cockatoo Island which lies nearby is now also open to the public. Of special interest are the historic churches and schools which continue to play an important role in the life of the community.
The many community groups, always welcoming to new members, embrace diverse interests – history, heritage, theatre, music, arts, sports, seniors, youth and the environment to name a few.