Tour of Parbury Ruins and Arthur Payne's House

This tour looks at the hidden histories that new developments have unearthed. With the outbreak of bubonic plague in The Rocks in 1900, the government demolished 900 homes and other buildings, forever changing the face of this historic precinct. However, as the city is rebuilt, we continue to dig up pieces of the past.

Parbury Ruins was unearthed in 2000 during the construction of a residential apartment block in Millers Point. The excavation revealed the footings of a two-bedroom cottage from the 1820s, as well as the remains of a stone kitchen with a fireplace and a sink. Next to the one-room dwelling are remnants of a verandah and a well.

Down the road from Parbury Ruins lies the site of the former house of Arthur Payne, the first person in Sydney to catch bubonic plague. The sandstone foundations of his demolished 19th-century house are now a preserved archaeology site.

Guided by the MHNSW Learning team, visitors can explore the archaeological site beneath the Parbury apartment building and see many fragments of household items that were discovered at the site. Visitors are also taken to the site of Arthur Payne’s house on Ferry Lane to further explore the people and homes of the past.

Members get more: Members enjoy presale access and a 20% discount on tickets.