Parramatta is a great suburb that’s home to more history than most Sydney communities. With 28 heritage-listed sites, here you’ll discover some of Australia’s classic and oldest buildings and earliest European farms. And if you’re a history junkie, you might be interested to know that this is the place where the Battle of Parramatta took place when resistance leader, Pemulwuy, ambushed Government Farm, backed by a 100-powerful group of Bidjigal warriors in 1797.
Parramatta is filled with rich history and stories of the past. Their history is beautiful and sometimes dark too. If you’re planning to visit on the weekend and surround yourself with their historical stories, architecture, and artworks, then here are the best place to get you started.
1. DAIRY COTTAGE
If you’re looking for a pretty spot in the Parramatta Park, an 85-hectare getaway of greenery on the river, look no further at the Dairy Cottage. This cottage was built in 1798 and is recognized as one of Australia’s earliest houses.
Interestingly, the very first person to resider here was a convict of the Second Fleet who transformed the surrounding land into a farm. Later on, it turned into a dairy to meet the cheese and milk needs of the Governor. If you can’t go there physically, they offer an online tour via virtual reality, of course, credits to Google Arts and Culture.
But if you’re staying in a Parramatta hotel, you can go visit the park and get yourself a self-guided or professional tour.
2. ELIZABETH FARM
Want to go back in time? Then head to Elizabeth Farm. Constructed in 1793 for wool farmer John Macarthur and his partner Elizabeth, this retreat place is definitely one of the oldest houses in Australia. Now, it has been turned into an active museum where you can enjoy access to all areas. This means that you can touch and feel the furnishings and make yourself at home.
The farm also has an old-school tea room that offers sandwiches, baked treats, and Devonshire tea. The best part is, you’re also welcome to do a picnic with your family and friends. They also let you borrow some picnic blankets so you can relax in their lovely garden surrounded by roses, lilies, roses, eucalypts and veggies.
Once you’re done eating, you can head to a closeby cottages, the Experiment Farm Cottage and Hambledon Cottage which belong to the same precinct. Just make sure that you double-check their opening hours and tour information prior to going there.
3. OLD GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Of course, we can’t complete the list without the Old Government House. Just a short walk from Macquarie Street, you can see this amazing UNESCO World Heritage-listed building on the long-established lands of the Burramatta Darug people. The place is built by convicts and it was the country residence of the first ten Governors of Australia like Governor Lachlan Macquarie and his wife Elizabeth.
Don’t forget to stop by at Lachlan’s restaurant to enjoy a delicious meal. Also, you may visit some different exhibitions at the museum to experience the year of the oldest surviving public building in Australia.
4. ST. JOHN’S CATHEDRAL
Since Parramatta is home to plenty of historic churches, make sure that you check out the St. John’s Anglican Cathedral which is a heritage-listed place in Australia. The cathedral is quite near to Parramatta station and has been in continuous use as a place of worship since 1803 and was the only church that was colonized until 1809.
You may also visit the St. John’s Cemetery to see the final resting place of many of Parramatta’s former residents, situated through a lynch-gate in O’Connell Street in Parramatta.
5. NEWINGTON ARMORY
Last on our list is the Newington Armory which is definitely a hub of culture, art, and history. This place is built on the traditional lands of the Wann clan, also called the Wann-gal. Newington Armory was built for military purposes in the late 1800s.
There are plenty of activities that you can do in the Armory including going for a ride on the historic railway that was once utilized to move missiles and torpedoes, visiting the Armory Gallery art exhibitions, riding a bike or a Segway, going to BirdLife Discovery Centre or play Disc Golf. If you have the kids with you, there are tunnel slides and a water feature nearby Blaxland Riverside Park.
There is also an Armory Cafe where you can refuel your energy with fresh seasonal food and picturesque riverside views.
