By Kate Shilling — 10th July 2022
This is what a Family History Holiday is all about. While many of us have special buildings and destinations that hold historical significance for our families, few can lay claim to a lasting legacy like this one.
When 92-year-old John Macken visits the Hydro Majestic in the New South Wales Blue Mountains, he comes eye-to-eye with his long-deceased parents, uncles and aunts at every turn. They smile at him from the black and white historic photographs that adorn this iconic hotel, wave at him from the moving images in the gift shop and seem to whisper to him as he strolls the well-trodden corridors.
The nephew of renowned businessman and hotelier, Mark Foy (owner of the original Mark Foy department store in Sydney, now the Downing Centre), John’s parents, Bud and Estelle Macken, were employed to manage the Hydro Majestic during its heydays from 1938 to 1942 (when it was transformed into a temporary World War II hospital) and again from 1948. John and his three brothers were raised in the hotel and, as they grew into young men, were able to participate in the frequent parties and soirees that made the Hydro such a sought-after, aspirational destination for the who’s who of Sydney society and even international socialites.
“I remember back to 1939, when I was 9 years-old, the daily ritual after leaving the dining room at breakfast time,” shares John. “We would run flat out down Cats Alley and take ‘swallow dives’ onto the long lounges. This could only be done at breakfast time, when most guests were either asleep or in the dining room. We wore our pants out sliding down the banisters in Belgravia, an occupation which Estelle quickly brought to a stop by instructing the carpenter to install wooden knobs every foot or so on all the handrails; such is progress!”
These wooden notches still feature on the staircase today; a time capsule of John's childhood.
Mark Foy’s incredible ‘palace in a wilderness’ retains the glamour it has held since its opening in 1904 in Medlow Bath. With its eclectic mix of art deco and Edwardian architectural styles, the historic building is known for its remarkable Casino dome, which was shipped to Australia from Chicago and transported to the Blue Mountains by bullock train and reassembled on site.
The hotel stretches 1.1 kilometres along the escarpment edge of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, with killer views of the picturesque Megalong Valley. Step back in time on a journey of grandeur and explore the glamorous interiors with high tea in the Wintergarden, lunch in the Boiler House or cocktails in the Salon Du.
Embark on your own Family History Holiday and let us help you sample the heritage of the surrounding region in Katoomba and Blackheath Village and perhaps even unravel some family mysteries of your very own.
