Parramatta #1 Old Gov. House
Parramatta was founded in 1788, the same year as Sydney. The British Colony, which had arrived in January 1788 in the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, had only enough food to support itself for a short time and the soil around Sydney Cove proved too poor to grow the amount of food that 1,000 convicts, soldiers and administrators needed to survive. During 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip had reconnoitred several places before choosing Parramatta as the most likely place for a successful large farm. Parramatta was the furthest navigable point inland on the Parramatta River (i.e. furthest from the thin, sandy coastal soil) and also the point at which the river became freshwater and therefore useful for farming.
Standing within 200 acres of parkland overlooking historic Parramatta, Old Government House is Australia's oldest public building. For seven decades it was the 'country' residence of the first 10 Governors of the colony, including Governor and Mrs Macquarie who, from 1810 to 1821, preferred the clean air and space of rural Parramatta to the unsanitary and crime ridden streets of Sydney Town.
The central block of the house was built in 1799 by Governor John Hunter, however the appearance of the house today is largely thanks to Governor and Mrs Macquarie. Their 1815 extensions, designed by Macquarie’s Aide, Lieutenant John Watts, transformed the house into an elegant Palladian style residence.
Parramatta #1 Old Gov. House
Parramatta was founded in 1788, the same year as Sydney. The British Colony, which had arrived in January 1788 in the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, had only enough food to support itself for a short time and the soil around Sydney Cove proved too poor to grow the amount of food that 1,000 convicts, soldiers and administrators needed to survive. During 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip had reconnoitred several places before choosing Parramatta as the most likely place for a successful large farm. Parramatta was the furthest navigable point inland on the Parramatta River (i.e. furthest from the thin, sandy coastal soil) and also the point at which the river became freshwater and therefore useful for farming.
Standing within 200 acres of parkland overlooking historic Parramatta, Old Government House is Australia's oldest public building. For seven decades it was the 'country' residence of the first 10 Governors of the colony, including Governor and Mrs Macquarie who, from 1810 to 1821, preferred the clean air and space of rural Parramatta to the unsanitary and crime ridden streets of Sydney Town.
The central block of the house was built in 1799 by Governor John Hunter, however the appearance of the house today is largely thanks to Governor and Mrs Macquarie. Their 1815 extensions, designed by Macquarie’s Aide, Lieutenant John Watts, transformed the house into an elegant Palladian style residence.