Lillydale Farmstay, Mt Barney, Queensland
Pam Hardgrave was born in Boonah, Queensland to farming parents. One of six children, Pamela learnt very early in life to work hard and she acquired coping skills that seem to come naturally to country people whose life is dictated to by the natural elements.
Pamela has spent all of her life living in the picturesque pocket known as the Scenic Rim in south east Queensland, which has fostered her love of the unique natural environment. Pamela married Doug Hardgrave, a fourth generation farmer and has lived at their property “Lillydale” since their marriage in 1972.
Lengthy and regular periods of drought led Pamela to seek employment off the farm and she has worked in a number of diverse roles that allowed her to develop her appreciation of high quality customer service and the fundamentals of operating a small business.
At the end of another long drought in 1999, Pamela acknowledged that for “Lillydale” to continue to operate into the next generation, she needed to diversify its operations and work towards implementing ecologically sustainable practices. She achieved this by opening her farm stay business in 2000, which has thrived from the combination of her tireless dedication to customer service and offering guests a unique experience on a working farm with the modern conveniences of 4 ½ star accommodation. Lillydale is one of the few farm stays in Queensland to hold a AAA 4 ½ star rating, advanced eco-tourism accreditation and to be named in the Queensland Tourism Awards Hall of Fame for three successive wins in the Hosted Accommodation category.
Pamela’s definition of success for her business is not measured by the accolades it has achieved but for the benefit that the business has created for the local economy, the tourism industry in the region and for her family. Pam Hardgrave has been involved in numerous local and regional tourism organisations and has recently been appointed to the Queensland Tourism Board.
Pamela and Doug continue to live at “Lillydale”. Their youngest daughter, Rebecca, works with them at Lillydale and her two older daughters have pursued lives off the farm. She has four wonderful grandchildren who continue to inspire and motivate her.
