Hands on history

A restful homestead with a restless history. Darug dispossession. Convict rebellion. The toppling of governors. Family turmoil. Built in 1793 for the young military couple John and Elizabeth Macarthur and their growing family, Elizabeth Farm today is an ‘access all areas’ museum. There are no barriers, locked doors or delicate furnishings. Set within a re-created 1830s garden, Australia’s oldest homestead is now our most immersive house museum.

Stories from Elizabeth Farm

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Joseph Lycett, 'The residence of John McArthur Esq. near Parramatta, New South Wales'. Aquatint. Published London, John Souter, 1825. Elizabeth Farm collection, Museums of History New South Wales.
Museum

A turbulent past

With its deep, shady verandahs and elegant symmetry, Elizabeth Farm is an iconic early colonial bungalow

70 Alice Street, Rosehill NSW 2142. Phone +61 2 9635 9488

Elizabeth Farm

70 Alice Street, Rosehill NSW 2142. Phone +61 2 9635 9488
  • Wheelchair accessible
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Learning programs

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Some kitchen items on the table in front of the fireplace
Onsite

Colonial life at Elizabeth Farm

As they explore the home of the Macarthur family, which dates from 1793, students learn about the lives of the family and their convict servants and the impact of colonisation on the traditional owners of the Parramatta area

Students dressed up in stone courtyard with washing buckets and laundry.
Onsite

Now and then

As students are guided through the property, they discover that the household lived without the benefits of running water, bathrooms, electricity, appliances or paved roads

2023 Annual Appeal

Help us preserve our past. All funds raised will allow us to accelerate our work to digitise the significant collections in our care.

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