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This walk covers some
ten kilometres and needs
three hours, or considerably
longer if one wishes
to visit any of the historical
sites en route. First
get to Parramatta either
by ferry or by train.
The latter takes half
an hour from the city
centre by the fastest
trains. The ferry takes
nearly an hour but is
an enjoyable scenic journey.
If you arrive by train,
exit on the north side
of the station, noting,
almost opposite, the
Lancers
Barracks and Linden House Museum.
The Barracks were built
in 1818 and formerly
housed the New South
Wales Lancers, the first
cavalry regiment in Australia.
The history of the regiment
is on display inside
the Linden House Museum,
a building originally
constructed in 1828,
but moved here from a
site in Macquarie Street
about 500 metres away.
It is open only on Sundays
between 11am and 4pm.
Now turn right into Station
Street, immediately left
into Hassall Street and
left into Charles Street,
which will lead to the
Parramatta River and
the ferry terminal. Turn
left, or, for ferry passengers,
proceed in the direction
in which you were travelling
along the river.
You can walk on either
side of the river, but
eventually you will want
to be on the other side,
so cross over a bridge
of your choice on the
way. This is Riverside
Walk, designed to give
an aboriginal interpretation
of the river, as you
will see from the patterns
on the footpaths. Just
before Lennox Bridge,
built by convict labour
in 1836 to 1839 and over
which Church Street runs,
you will find the Parramatta
Heritage Centre and Visitors
Information Centre on
the northern (far) side.
It combines art, craft
and history exhibitions
with the dispensation
of tourist information
and has a copy of an
1844 map of the city
laid into the floor.
Admission is free.
After your visit there,
come back along Church
Street over the sandstone
Lennox Bridge, the oldest
bridge in Parramatta,
and turn right into Phillip
Street, then left into
Marsden Street. On the
next corner is Brislington,
the oldest residence
in central Parramatta,
built in 1821 by an ex-convict
named John Hodges. It
was operated by the members
of a single family as
a doctor’s surgery
for almost a century,
but now it is a hospital
museum, open only on
the first and third Sunday
in the month and the
second and last Thursday,
in both cases from 10.30
until 3.30. Turn right
into George Street and
you will see the George
Street Gatehouse at the
entrance to Parramatta
Park. This has been the
principal entrance to
the park since 1788,
but the gate itself,
known because of its
design as Tudor Gate,
was constructed in 1885.
Just inside the park,
you will find Old Government
House. Governor Phillip
built a cottage here
in 1790, only two years
after the arrival of
the first European settlers.
The foundations of this
building can be seen,
but the present edifice
was constructed between
1799 and 1818 and inhabited
by Governors Hunter and
Macquarie. Now it contains
an outstanding collection
of colonial furniture.
It is open from 10:00
(11:00 at weekends) until
4pm daily. Continue
beside the river through
the park, much of which
was originally farming
land, and, before that,
the home of the Burramatta
aborigines. You will
reach Dairy Cottage,
built between 1798 and
1806 and one of Australia’s
oldest buildings. It
was converted into a
dairy by Governor Macquarie.
Dairy Cottage is open
from 10:00 until 15:00
daily. A little further
on is the Burramatta
Visitors Centre, also
open from 10am until
4pm daily, with free
admission. Walk round
the park and return this
time to the Macquarie
Street Gatehouse which
dates from 1887 and has
the appearance of a rural
cottage.
Walk ahead for one block
and then turn right into
O’Connell Street.
Soon after crossing over
the railway, you will
come to St. John’s
Cemetery on your right.
This is the oldest Christian
graveyard in Australia
and it contains the country’s
oldest marked grave,
that of Henry Dodd, a
servant of Governor Phillip,
who was interred here
in 1791. Leaving the
cemetery, walk almost
straight ahead along
Aird Street, and then
turn left into Marsden
Street and back across
the railway. On your
right now is St. John’s
Cathedral, in Hunter
Street. This has been
used as a church site
since 1803. The two spires
were built by convict
labour and date from
1819. They are the oldest
church spires in Australia.
The cathedral owns a
bible printed in 1599
and an embroidery of
a service in the first
church here in the 1840s.
The font has Maori carvings.
The cathedral
is open every day and offers guided tours on Thursdays and Fridays. Walk now
to Church Street, which is for pedestrians only at this point, and continue
north to George Street, where turn right. Soon you will reach the Spanish style
Village Roxy Theatre, which has been in operation as a cinema since 1930, at
which time it was one of the most modern of picture palaces. It no longer has
that distinction, but its ornate architecture merits a look inside. Continue
down George Street to Harris Street, then turn right. On reaching Ruse Street,
turn left.
On your right at 9,
Ruse Street is Experiment
Farm Cottage. The street
was named after James
Ruse, an ex-convict granted
land here in 1791, who
created Australia’s
first private farm. Experiment
Farm Cottage has an exhibition
on his life. The cottage
itself was built in 1834
by the Colonial Surgeon,
John Harris, and now
contains furniture from
the 1830s. It is open
on Sundays, Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays
from 10am (11am on Sundays)
until 4pm, admission
charges apply.
Retrace your steps for
a short distance to Harris
Street and turn right
into Parkes Street, which
runs into Hassall Street.
On your right is Hambledon
Cottage, the former abode
of Penelope Lucas, governess
to the daughters of John
and Elizabeth Macarthur,
the owners of Elizabeth
Farm, our next stop.
Hambledon Cottage, at
63, Hassall Street, was
built in 1824 and is
open on Wednesdays, Thursdays
and weekends from 11:00
until 16:00. Admission
costs $3. Continue just
a short distance along
Hassall Street and then
turn right into Gregory
Place, at the end of
which there is a path
connecting to Alfred
Street. Turn right and
then immediately left
into Alice Street, where,
at no. 70, you can find
Elizabeth Farm, the home
of John and Elizabeth
Macarthur, Australia’s
first pastoralists. Parts
of the building date
from 1793, making these
parts the oldest European
construction remaining
in the country. There
is also what is claimed
to be the oldest olive
tree in Australia, a
tree which produced its
first fruit in 1805.
Elizabeth Farm is open
from 10:00 until 17:00
and admission charges
apply, or the Ticket
Through Time can be used,
covering eleven museums.
From here,
continue to the end of
Alice Street, turn right
into Arthur Street and
left into Weston Street.
Ahead is Rosehill Station,
with the Rosehill Racecourse
on the other side. Trains
run from here one station
south to Clyde, from
where there is a frequent
service back to the city.
Click here for the Parramatta
Map.
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