Elizabeth Farm

Elizabeth Farm

Post
Subscribe

Posted 2018-06-24 by awhimsylifefollow
History

begun in 1793 by John and Elizabeth Macarthur, pioneers of the Australian wool industry.

was extended and modified over the years and changed hands to the Swann family. In 1960, the house was listed as a historic site and opened as a museum in 1984.



is part of the Sydney Living Museums, a group of 12 museums, houses and gardens that will take you on a remarkable journey through time and place to experience a whole other life.

It's a great opportunity for adults and kids to see and learn a bit about Australian history. A photograph showing the extent of the property in what is now known as Parramatta.



**Visiting Elizabeth Farm
**
is a barrier-free museum. This means that there are no locked doors or fragile pieces of furniture, so you can wander freely through the house as if it were your own and it's great for kids.

We took a free tour of to help get a feel for the place. We found the guide knowledgeable and friendly and he tried to get the kids in the tour group involved. There were a few old-school games for kids like coits and a hoop game, where you try and push a hoop along with a cane.

**Tours
**
Tours depart from the tearoom. From Wednesday to Friday, tours run at 11am and 2pm. On weekends, general tours are at 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm with a Highlights Tour at 3pm. Tours take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Self-guided iPad tours are also available.

Outside

The front door of does not face the street (the kitchen and the servant's quarters face the street). The doorbell is ornate and set into the wall and before you get to the porch, they have permanent shoe cleaners!





The gardens are simple and contain a lot of history. For example, there is what is believed to be the oldest olive tree in Australia! Planted in either 1805 or 1817.



Historical roof

If you get the right light and angle, you can see the original roof line of the house.



Kitchen

While it's not the original kitchen (it was burnt down), it still gives you a sense of the past. The museum had the stove going which provided welcome warmth on a cold day.



Interesting things around the house

The bed was quite high up (you needed a stool to get to it) and the mattress was made of three layers: hay (you can burn this layer), horse hair and duck feathers for comfort.

We were stumped with what this was until we got told it was a birthing stool...



You could see the bell pulls in most of the rooms in the house so it was interesting to see how the servants were able to see and hear who needed what where.



Food

The Tearoom offers coffee, cakes, devonshire teas, sandwiches and light lunches. Gluten-free options available.

Saturday and Sunday, 10am–4pm
(last service 3.30pm)

Visit

You can visit what remains of at 70 Alice Street, Rosehill, NSW 2142

For more information head to the website https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/elizabeth-farm/visit

Cost for admission:

Adult  | $12
Concession  | $8
Family  | $30
Members  | Free of charge
Children under 5 years  | Free of charge

Open Wednesday to Sunday
10am–4pm

#architecture
#child_friendly
#fun_for_children
#historic_houses
#history
#museums
#rouse_hill
#things_to_see
#tourist_attractions
#tours
#west
%wnsydney
211423 - 2023-06-16 06:36:44

Tags

Free
Outdoor
Festivals
Music
Markets
Nightlife
Fundraisers
Family_friendly
Community
Arts_culture
Food_drink
Educational
Random
Theatre_shows
Holiday
Copyright 2024 OatLabs ABN 18113479226