Once home to the Macarthur family, today you can turn back time and experience Hambledon Cottage in all its glory as the cottage remains as one of Parramatta's preserved historical buildings.

Even in this thriving city of close to a quarter of a million people, Parramatta has a rather unique ability to take you back into its history.

More than 60,000 years of Indigenous history make up present day Parramatta’s city and surrounds.

As the second oldest city in Australia, Parramatta’s history runs deep. Take a walk through the well-preserved historic sites and step back in time through the pre-settlement and early colonial years of the nation.

Discover UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Government House, the oldest surviving public building in Australia right here in Parramatta.

Learn about Burramatta culture – from Arrunga Bardo garden, where a wealth of bush food grows, to Third Settlement Reserve, where legendary warrior Pemulwuy battled against colonisation.

With over 85 hectares of grasslands, mature trees, gardens and river frontage Parramatta Park provides a leafy, idyllic escape from the CBD.

We take a look at the rich and significant history of the Parramatta Female Factory.

Discover some of the significant pieces of Australian history housed in Parramatta.

Discover the story of James Ruse’s transformation from convict to pioneering man of the land, the stuff of Australian legend.

Discover the history and how you can spend time in, on, above or beside the centrepiece of Parramatta.

A remarkable piece of Australia’s early European history sits modestly among the houses and flats of suburban Parramatta. Elizabeth Farm was the residence of wool pioneer John Macarthur and his family from 1793.