From NYC pace to Bathurst calm
From the fast‑paced corporate world of New York City to the slow, grounding rhythm of a Bathurst farm, Mez Keith chose calm over chaos, family over frenzy, and a life that finally feels like her own. Today, Mez runs Wilga Station, a luxury farm stay that has become one of the region’s most loved escapes – but the path that led her here is anything but predictable.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I go by “Mez” – it’s easier than Mary‑Ann and feels more like me.
I grew up in Sydney, living a very typical suburban life, and I loved everything about being a city girl. I thrived on the pace, the energy, the corporate world. I studied at Sydney University and, while completing my Masters in International Relations, I was offered an internship at the UN in New York City.
So my fiancé, Hamish, and I took the money we’d saved for our honeymoon and spent six months living in NYC instead. We absolutely loved it. After returning home to get married, we put all our energy into getting jobs back in the US – and we did. We moved to New York permanently in 2012.
How long have you been in the Central West, and what brought you here?
We lived in NYC for five years and had both our daughters there. When our youngest, Asha, was born, we knew it was time to come home – to be closer to family and give our girls the Aussie upbringing we’d had.
Tiny apartment living with a toddler and a newborn was tough. We wanted space, a backyard, a slower rhythm. Hamish grew up in Bathurst, and his parents were still here, so we made the move. The cost of living was a fraction of Sydney, and life instantly felt easier.
We lived in town for about seven years before taking over Hamish’s family farm. It’s now our home and our work – opening Wilga Station in 2020 and building a luxury farm accommodation business we’re incredibly proud of.
“My life now is good for the soul – calm, steady and finally my own.”
Wilga Station – how did it come to be?
Wilga Station is Hamish’s family farm – it’s been in the Keith family for generations. When we moved back to Bathurst, we weren’t planning on running accommodation. We were just trying to find our feet again after New York, raise our girls, and settle into a slower life.
But over time, we realised the farm had something special. The landscape, the quiet, the space – people responded to it straight away.
We actually started with The Farmers Hut. It came post‑COVID and was our first step into accommodation – a small, off‑grid, grass‑roofed hut for two that felt romantic, private and distinctly Australian. It was simple and tucked away, and it showed us what was possible.
From there, things grew naturally. We then converted the old shearing shed into The Shearers Hall, keeping as much of its original character as we could. It became a place for groups to slow down together and enjoy the farm experience.
And once Wilga Station was established, we took on a project in town: The Wool Store. It’s an historic warehouse in Bathurst’s CBD that we restored and turned into luxury serviced apartments, with a subtle New York loft influence drawn from our years overseas. It felt like a nice way to bring a little of our old life into our new one.
None of it happened all at once. It unfolded gradually, as our life did, and always with the hope of creating places that feel calm, welcoming and connected to where we live.
How would you describe your life in the region right now, in one honest sentence?
My life now is good for the soul. It’s calm, steady and flexible in a way I’ve never experienced before. I finally feel like my life is my own, not owned by my job.
Photos: Wilga Station
What surprised you most when you first arrived?
How beautifully slow and easy everything was. With two little kids, regional life was a gift – no traffic, no peak hour, free parking, and everything five minutes away. It made a hard stage of life infinitely easier. I couldn’t believe how simple life could be.
Where did you find your people, and how long did it take to feel like you belonged?
We were lucky. Soon after moving to Bathurst, we ran into one of Hamish’s old school friends who had also returned after living overseas. He introduced us to his circle – all people who had recently moved back from big cities, all with young kids, all in the same stage of life.
We quickly formed a fabulous friendship group. Having that circle made the transition to country life not just easier, but genuinely fun.
What do you want women in this region to know about you that they might not see from the outside?
I talk a lot about living a calm, simple life – but it took years of chaos to get here.
Corporate jobs, long hours, being a working mum… I lived in a frenzied pace for so long that burnout eventually forced me to stop and rethink everything. I couldn’t see how unhealthy it was while I was in it. But now that I’m out, it’s so clear how much I was trying to do and be everything.
Choosing a slower life wasn’t a luxury – it was necessary.
“I couldn’t see how chaotic life had become until I stepped out of it – now the calm feels obvious.”
Anything else you want to share that feels part of your story?
The early chapters of my life were the ones that shaped everything. The pace, the corporate world, becoming a mum in New York, and eventually hitting burnout – all of that pushed me toward a slower, steadier way of living. Wilga Station came later, once life had shifted and we were ready for something different. The farm wasn’t the start of my story – it’s the life we’ve built, and it feels like the right place for us.
Mez and Hamish continue to shape Wilga Station into one of the region’s most loved escapes, built around what matters most to them.
