The town is located on the edge of an elevated plateau (the Illawarra escarpment) about 35 km (22 mi) from the coast.

It was previously covered by an extensive temperate rainforest, most of which has been cleared for farming though remnants such as Robertson Nature Reserve still exist.

[4] Though the date varies, the Robertson Show is often held between February and April on a Friday and Saturday of each year.

There are many games and showcases during the two days it is held, with "The Great Australian Potato Race" occurring on Saturday, alongside the demolition derby and fireworks show at night.

It had a nine-hole golf course, two tennis courts, croquet, lawn bowls, billiards, fishing, hunting, horse riding, and an onsite mechanic who looked after guests' cars during their stay.

[citation needed] The hotel was built to draw some of the Sydneysiders, who in the past retreated to the cool climate of the Southern Highlands to escape the heat of a Sydney summer and enjoy the beauty of the countryside.

[citation needed] The building sold again in 1947 and became St Anthony's College, a Franciscan friary and seminary; it was also used as a school and accommodation house run by the monks.

[citation needed] In 1972 the monks moved to smaller premises in Campbelltown and the building returned to its original use as a hotel, named Ranelagh House.

[citation needed] The hotel was sold again in late 2007, and was renamed Fountaindale Grand Manor and Ranelagh Gardens, undergoing major renovations and refurbishments.

Over time they raised funds to erect picnic benches, and local nurseries pitched in with donations of plants and their labour.

[10] The parents of playwright and journalist Melanie Tait, who grew up in Robertson, bought the land and the potato, as it lay adjacent to their supermarket.

[9] It has been dubbed "big turd" by some, and in 2010 vandals created a face on it by sticking on eyes, nose, and mouth made out of papier-mâché.

East Coast Heritage Rail operates its Cockatoo Run train on a monthly basis across the line from Sydney to Moss Vale and return (via Wollongong).

Despite some Illawarra and Highland residents strongly supporting an improvement to the link between Robertson and Albion Park, no government has shown any interest in such a project.

The Robertson Rural Fire Brigade has been officially active since 5 February 1939, but is believed to have been formed by local people on 14 January, in response to catastrophic bushfires at that time.