Ballarat and Bendigo do have a world-class feel! The glint of gold is still in the air. To a designer like David Cook-Doulton, with a luxe aesthetic and a deep respect for quality, Ballarat and Bendigo seemed like the perfect places to realise a very particular dream. And so, with partner and marketing guru Martin Shew on board, Hotel Vera (Ballarat) and Hotel Ernest (Bendigo) were created.

Hotel Vera Ballarat. The building David and Martin found to realise their vision in Ballarat, is one of Sturt Street’s graceful old mansions, complete with carriage entrance. However, its most recent iteration – surgeon’s offices – meant the Hotel Vera team had their work cut out for them. David and Martin had to strip away decades of lacklustre decorating decisions to reveal the true strength and beauty of the building. They were also determined to do it with as little environmental impact as possible.

As David says, ‘We want to overlay the historic wonder of the place with contemporary luxury. And we wanted to do it with a sustainable lens.’

The process of design and renovation was where Hotel Vera’s green credentials really started to come through. Almost all the material produced by demolition was recycled, from the timber to the electrical wiring. Bricks were cleaned and set aside to be incorporated into the new extension and solar panels were installed. Careful attention was paid to the gardens, which are impressively extensive for an inner-city block.

Hotel Ernest Bendigo. The building is a boutique heritage-restoration hotel in Bendigo’s CBD, housed in one of the city’s oldest bank buildings. While the hotel is best known for its luxury accommodation and Terrae restaurant focused on local produce, it also weaves sustainability into its guest experience and operations.

Environmental integrity is described as a foundational principle for Hotel Ernest with the hotel emphasising sustainable travel by offering on-site electric vehicle charging, enabling guests to reduce emissions while exploring the region.

And now to add to their sustainable story, everyone who stays at their hotels in Ballarat and Bendigo will have a tree planted to mark the occasion. Through a partnership with Fifteen Trees, these are planted in the region, so that guests can visit the location to see the impact of their stay.

Elaine, VIC | 250 trees | 2021

The trees were planted at Narmbool, which are the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung people: Stringybark, Peppermint, Snow Gum, Candlebark, Manna Gum,Blackwood, Sheoaks (Black/Drooping), Golden Wattle, Silver Banksia, Silver/Black Wattle and Yarra Gum.

Narmbool is owned and operated by Sovereign Hill, and this land exemplifies sustainable farming within a diverse and fragile ecosystem. Famed for its fine quality merino wool, Narmbool also protects bushland and Williamsons Creek as habitat for native wildlife and flora.

Napoleons/Enfield, VIC | 150 trees | 2025

The planting took place at Scotchmans Lead Reserve, in an area between Union Jack Creek and Yarmlok Plain, Napoleons, VIC on the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung People. Here, the Napoleons and Enfield Landcare Group Inc. (NELG) are rehabilitating the riparian zone (the areas of land that border rivers, streams, creeks, gullies, and wetlands) along the Yarrowee and Union Jack Creek.

Thanks to the efforts of the local landcare group, the emerging bushland now supports a thriving community of wildlife, including frogs, rakali (native water rats), echidnas, koalas, wallabies, and possums, as well as countless invertebrates such as dragonflies, bees, and other insects. Birds of prey are the most common avian visitors, but as vegetation diversity increases, bird species have grown from around six in 2010 to more than forty in 2025. Kangaroos and koalas are also now regular inhabitants of the reserve.

The newly planted trees (including eucalypts, acacias, banksias and hakeas) will provide shade along the creek, create shelter for fish and platypus, and protect the riparian zone from erosion and flood damage. As the canopy matures, it will also offer shelter from strong winds and enhance the overall resilience of the landscape. A trackway now runs alongside the creek, allowing visitors to walk, observe, and enjoy this beautiful natural restoration in progress.

We are very pleased to have sponsors contributing to this work that we have been undertaking for many years. The results are now speaking for themselves, and more people than ever are interested and aware of the importance of protecting and restoring our environment. Financial support is so useful to get things done well and it also represents moral support – which is very motivating

Jenny Ryle | President | Napoleans Enfield Landcare Group Inc.

The focus on sustainability is in the detail of both hotels ‘think local act local’ ethos. From rooms named after local regions to a hatted chef with a strong paddock-to-plate philosophy, the hotels is nothing if not detail-oriented. David and Martin want the experience to be about taking a place-based journey. ‘People are looking for that authentic experience,’ says Martin. ‘They want to know where their food came from, what the story is behind the building. They want to feel they’ve made a connection.’

David agrees. He grew up on a farm and understands how connecting with a place can bring with it a sense of belonging: ‘I planted a seed once as a kid, on the farm, I remember it clearly. It was an acorn. I can put my arms around that trunk now.’

Writer – Sarah Hart.

Sarah is an artist whose passions include the stories and experiences of women and narrative driven work. Her aim is to delight, to reveal glimpses of everyday beauty and to celebrate flights of the ordinary. Sarah works across a range of media, with an abiding interest in pen and ink, mixed media and the human form. You can find Sarah here.