The Cedars

Home and studio of Australian painter Hans Heysen, open for tours

The former home and working studio of Sir Hans Heysen, one of Australia's most celebrated landscape painters, sits on the edge of Hahndorf in extensive gardens planted by Heysen himself over six decades. The property is run by the Heysen family as a heritage site and is open for guided tours several days a week.

The studio is the highlight — a purpose-built working space filled with Heysen's materials, reference collections, and the light he used to paint the gum trees and Flinders Ranges landscapes that made his reputation. The house holds family portraits, personal effects, and correspondence. The garden is beautiful in its own right, with old trees and a kitchen garden. Allow 90 minutes for the tour.

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A story
Hans Heysen painted the Adelaide Hills for 60 years from The Cedars, producing the landscapes that defined how Australians visualised their country. His daughter Nora Heysen, who grew up in the house, became the first woman to win the Archibald Prize. The studio where he worked is preserved exactly as he left it, with his paints, easels, and unfinished canvases still in place.