Enderle sister's triple celebration for historic St Helena on May 19

The ex-students from St Joesph's College, Lochinvar will host a special gathering for their 60^th high school reunion and to celebrate the 63rd anniversary of their family's arrival at the estate and 150 years since the first vines were planted on the property.

It will be quite an occasion which will be celebrated on Sunday, May 19.

The event coincides with an open day for ex-students at St Joseph's College Lochinvar where guests will be able to see renovations that have been made to the school.

"We will be hosting a luncheon for some of the ex-students and our classmates who are coming from far and wide to mark this special occasion," Marika said. "There will be a lot of reminiscing and we are looking forward to a wonderful catch-up."

The sisters said they formed some very special bonds with their school buddies over the years and have always remained in touch. "St Joseph's College and Lochinvar in general mean a lot to our family - so much in fact that on our passports our last name is Lochinvar-Enderle which our mother had changed many years ago," Marika said.

While the St Helena Estate was originally 25 acres, some of the land has been sold and sub-divided, leaving two and a half acres of the original property on which the family home was established in 1869.

Once a renowned boutique Hungarian and Austrian restaurant and bed and breakfast accommodation, St Helena was recognised in 2008 with a tourism award.

Marika and Elizabeth were applauded for carrying on their father's legacy and were honoured with an award for the most outstanding contribution to tourism in the Hunter at the Newcastle Regional Tourism Awards.

St Helena was built in 1869 by Philibert Terrier, a famous French winemaker believed to be the first vigneron to bring grapes to the Hunter. The Enderle family has owned the estate since 1956, when it was transformed into a restaurant and art gallery.