Elizabeth Farm
Hands on history
A restful homestead with a restless history. Dharug 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.
Memorable learning experiences at Elizabeth Farm
At Museums of History NSW, we strive to create memorable and meaningful experiences for school students – bringing history to life in the places where it happened
Artwork
Healing land, remembering Country
A powerful work by Kuku Yalanji artist Tony Albert
Stories
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A turbulent past
With its deep, shady verandahs and elegant symmetry, Elizabeth Farm is an iconic early colonial bungalow
Elizabeth Farm museum at 40
This year Elizabeth Farm celebrates 40 years open to the public as a house museum!
Furnishing the house museum
Explore the process of rediscovering lost and forgotten skills, along with some very modern techniques
Elizabeth Farm, Parramatta: a history and a guide
Exploring the history of the Macarthur family and with a room-by-room guide to the house as experienced by visitors, this guidebook was first published in 1984 to coincide with the opening of the museum
On paper – measured drawings of Elizabeth Farm
As part of the restoration works at Elizabeth Farm in the 1980s, a set of hand-drawn measured drawings were produced of the house and service buildings
Learning programs
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Colonial Life at Elizabeth Farm
As they explore the Macarthur family home, 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
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
