Jun 17, 2026 – 5.00amWedged between the Hume Highway and a railway line, three crumbling 1890s buildings in six hectares of overgrown gardens straddle Nattai Creek in the NSW Southern Highlands. Known as The Maltings, they are, for now, romantic relics – albeit ones scrawled with graffiti. Should Rich Lister property investor Roy Medich and his son Anthony get their way, however, within three years the property just outside Mittagong will be a boutique hotel and sweeping art hub – one of the country’s most ambitious cultural precincts.Fifteen minutes away in Berrima, developer Blue Sox is planning to transform the village’s historic sandstone jail into a $30-million boutique hotel and wellness destination.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Eugenie KellyContributorEugenie Kelly writes on fashion, interiors, the arts, style and travel, and edits Life & Leisure's Spend pages. She was previously editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar Australia.Fetching latest articles