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Elizabeth Farm
Elizabeth Farm
Australia’s oldest surviving homestead
About the building
Built in 1793 for colonists John and Elizabeth Macarthur and their growing family, Elizabeth Farm is the earliest surviving colonial homestead in Australia.
It began as a large but simple dwelling that resembled countless farmhouses seen in southern England. Set on 600 acres of scrub, pastures, orchards and prime riverfront land, the original cottage did not show any of the elegance or sophistication that – following a series of alterations and extensions – would later define it as an iconic example of colonial domestic architecture.
The house was enlarged and improved over 35 years as the family’s wealth and influence increased. With a personal interest in architecture, John Macarthur was determined to build a residence worthy of his family’s position in colonial society and directed the constant alterations himself. The late 1820s saw the greatest activity, as a suite of elegant, interconnected formal rooms was created, windows were replaced by French doors, floors were lowered to provide extra ceiling height, and deep verandahs with delicate latticework were added.
The home stayed in the family until 1881, after which it led a chequered, precarious life. The land was subdivided and the house resold and leased to tenants, one of whom even used the servants’ quarters as a glue factory.
In 1904, Elizabeth Farm’s future was assured when it was purchased for £600 by local schoolteacher William Swann and his wife Elizabeth, who saved the house from demolition and made it a comfortable family home once more.
In 1960, the house was listed as a historic site, and in 1968 the three surviving Swann sisters, Edith, Nona and Ruth, found a sympathetic buyer in the newly formed Elizabeth Farm Museum Trust. The property was eventually transferred to the NSW Government and is now managed by Museums of History NSW. Set within a re-created 1830s garden, today it is an access-all-areas museum.
Built
1793
Architect
Originally designed by John Macarthur, with later additions by Henry Kitchen and John Verge
Find out more about this building here
Elizabeth Farm
70 Alice Street, Rosehill
Entry details
Attendees will have access to Elizabeth Farm and the surrounding gardens
10am–4pm
3.45pm
Need to know
Accessible featuresThe house is a one-storey building but there are some single steps and uneven surfaces. There is wheelchair access at the rear of the house and into the servants quarters, but not the colonial kitchen
Toilets availablePhotography allowedNo tripods or stands
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Mid-century modern
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