At the tail-end of the 1970s, Eva Clarke, an arts patron to Brett Whiteley, John Olsen and others, decided to create a unique hideaway in the bush. She engaged the artisan builder Halifax Hayes (the builder of Margaret Olley's Sydney studio) who she knew through the artist Charles Blackman. Blackman had a studio just north of St Albans on the Macdonald River and the pair of friends – the diminutive Blackman and the tall bear-like Hayes  – were an incongruous sight in the 'Forgotten Valley' of the Hawkesbury. In fact, Charles Blackman's old wood burner now resides in the bedroom of Halifax, providing extra heat for winter nights.

Halifax was known locally as an artist, a sculptor, and the owner of a house which had a natural sandstone waterfall in its living room! He set about finding a suitable site for Eva's house on acres of land she had purchased on
St Albans Road. He chose a high site out of the morning sun, facing the evening light, on rocks to save it from bushfires, but in true Halifax style it was a hugely difficult site. He wanted to create a eyrie, a house seemingly floating high in the treetops. It was only after building the house, a project that took over two years, that Halifax turned his attention to creating the 160 huge stone steps to the lofty retreat.