Untouched history

Home to six generations of one family through good times and the bad, Rouse Hill Estate and its stories still draw people to its doors. Each generation has added another layer of belongings, improvements and memories, and today, every object and addition, every tear, stain and repair, has a story to tell. The estate also features the restored 1888 Rouse Hill schoolhouse, a section of the original Windsor Road turnpike proclaimed by Governor Macquarie in 1813, and the site of the doomed 1804 ‘Vinegar Hill’ convict rebellion.

356 Annangrove Road, Rouse Hill NSW 2155

Rouse Hill Estate

Dharug Country

356 Annangrove Road, Rouse Hill NSW 2155
  • Wheelchair accessible
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Stories

The Schoolroom, Rouse Hill House & Farm, June 2004
Museum stories

Talk of the town

Six generations of Rouse and Terry families occupied Rouse Hill Estate from its construction in the early 1800s until the late 1990s, when it opened as a museum

The exterior of the service wing of the main house and the arcade

Rouse Hill conservation works October 2024 – May 2025

After detailed condition inspections of the state heritage–listed Rouse Hill Estate, MHNSW’s Capital Works and Heritage teams have begun a large-scale conservation project that will sensitively address a range of identified issues at the site

Jar of jam / preserve with spoon and rustic bread on wooden board in kitchen at Vaucluse House

History with flavour

Good food and generous hospitality were part of the rhythms of domestic life at Rouse Hill House. A collection of cookbooks and handwritten recipes accumulated over more than a hundred years remains in the house, and provides a taste of the family’s culinary repertoire through times of boom and bust

Chenille curtain sunburst design

Furnishing textiles in Australia: 1850-1920

The Caroline Simpson Library holds numerous examples of textile furnishings provenanced to NSW homes dating back to the 1850s

Tents in bush setting.

When masks were compulsory

When thinking about the impact of COVID-19, it’s timely to reflect on an earlier pandemic that affected every aspect of life, including at our places

Learning programs

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A student feeds the chickens as part of the Early to Rise program at Rouse Hill Estate
Onsite

Early to Rise

This Stage 1 History program gives students the opportunity to explore the working areas of the former farm, and investigate what life would have been like for children living there 120 years ago

Children and adults dressed in period costume holding ribbons attached to pole.
Onsite

Lessons from the Past

Integrating outcomes from History, PDHPE and Creative Arts, this program gives students the opportunity to learn firsthand about what school life was like in the late 19th century

Annual Giving: Sharing our stories

Your support will help us to preserve and share the stories of NSW through our places, collections, archives and programs

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