Back old government house Parramatta
Standing within 260 acres of Parramatta Park, Old Government House is Australia’s oldest public building. For seven decades it was the ‘country’ residence of 12 early 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 in the English manner. Visitors to the property today can step straight into the fashions of 1821, with their Anglo and Indian influences and strong emphasis on colour. A meticulously researched ‘soft furnishings’ program has transformed the main rooms of the house to recreate the tastes and styles of Mrs Macquarie, influenced as they were by distance and a climate very different to ‘home’. Rooms are furnished with pieces from the National Trust’s collection of early colonial furniture; the largest collection in Australia.
Old Government House was built on Darug land, home to the Burramatta tribe. There is evidence of their occupation on the site; the firestick management of land and trees which still bear the scars of bark stripped to build canoes. In Old Government House, you can see how shells from Aboriginal middens were used to strengthen household mortar. The property is considered both a European and Aboriginal archaeological resource of national significance and is a unique and rare demonstration of the evolution of New South Wales and Australian society since 1788.
Stepping into the surrounds of Old Government House is richly evocative of a past of individual craftsmanship, from thick slabs of sandstone flag, to recessed doorways two foot wide and a stunning hand cut crystal chandelier. The house and garrison buildings are set within the lush parklands of the former Governor's Domain, now Parramatta Park, with sweeping views overlooking the Parramatta River.
www.oldgovernmenthouse.com.au/
Back old government house Parramatta
Standing within 260 acres of Parramatta Park, Old Government House is Australia’s oldest public building. For seven decades it was the ‘country’ residence of 12 early 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 in the English manner. Visitors to the property today can step straight into the fashions of 1821, with their Anglo and Indian influences and strong emphasis on colour. A meticulously researched ‘soft furnishings’ program has transformed the main rooms of the house to recreate the tastes and styles of Mrs Macquarie, influenced as they were by distance and a climate very different to ‘home’. Rooms are furnished with pieces from the National Trust’s collection of early colonial furniture; the largest collection in Australia.
Old Government House was built on Darug land, home to the Burramatta tribe. There is evidence of their occupation on the site; the firestick management of land and trees which still bear the scars of bark stripped to build canoes. In Old Government House, you can see how shells from Aboriginal middens were used to strengthen household mortar. The property is considered both a European and Aboriginal archaeological resource of national significance and is a unique and rare demonstration of the evolution of New South Wales and Australian society since 1788.
Stepping into the surrounds of Old Government House is richly evocative of a past of individual craftsmanship, from thick slabs of sandstone flag, to recessed doorways two foot wide and a stunning hand cut crystal chandelier. The house and garrison buildings are set within the lush parklands of the former Governor's Domain, now Parramatta Park, with sweeping views overlooking the Parramatta River.
www.oldgovernmenthouse.com.au/