The History of Highlands Hive
The reimagined Highlands Hive began life in the Sixties as a potato shed. The Hive and the Big Potato next door are at the heart of Robertson, a town famed for its spud-loving soil.
Blockbuster movie Babe filmed in Hogget barn interiors and built its sets at the old potato shed in 1994. Many artists including Archibald Prize winner Ben Quilty, have had studios there. The floors are still spattered with his paint.
One of the strangest stories is about the fish 'n' chip shop the lasted three weeks in early 2018 before the shop's owner was charged with assault and impersonating a police officer.
The land the shed was built on has had some notorious owners; Dr Herman John Tarrant, an esteemed surgeon, member for Kiama and Grand Master of the NSW Freemasons, purchased the land from the Crown in 1874. He went bankrupt however when he started advertising in 1898 that he could cure illnesses and ailments.
Three partners purchased the land in 1910. One of them, Edward Humphries, 74, was arrested along with his brother Thomas, 64, in 1929 for making illegal moonshine.
The brothers told police they were not selling the illegal grog. It was for their own use. The sceptical magistrate said they were 'going to have a pretty good beans then'. They were fined 150 pounds each and 'immediately produced 100 pounds to pay as a deposit, the Daily telegraph Pictorial reported.
The iconic Big Potato was officially named Australia's worst big thing in 2022. Scores of tourists stop there each day for a photo and a giggle.
