Parramatta Park - Part 3

Gate House

Gatehouses are part of the evolution of the Park from Governor’s Domain to Parramatta Park. There are 6 gatehouses in Parramatta Park:

• George Street  Gatehouse - Tudor Gatehouse – Grand entrance
• Ross Street Gatehouse
• Park Road Gatehouse
• Macquarie Street  Gatehouse - Tea Room – Gothic-style
• Great Western Hwy Gatehouse  – Mays Hill
• Queens Road Gatehouse

Bath House

The bath house was built in 1823. The Governors Bath House has intricate exposed timber work within the internal roof structure and large sandstone paving under foot. Due to his war wounds, Governor Brisbane wanted a private place with warm baths. This Bath House is convict built heating and pumping system. In 1886, Parramatta Park Trustees converted the Bath House  to Pavilion.

William Hart Memorial

William Edward Hart was born on 20 April 1885 at Parramatta. He was first Australian to fly a plane and first qualified pilot in Australia. On 29 June, 1911  Billy won Australia's first air race when he defeated the American A. B. Stone from Botany to Parramatta Park.

Dairy Cottage

The Dairy Cottage is one of Australia’s oldest surviving colonial buildings and offers a glimpse back into Australia’s past. Dairy Cottage was constructed between 1798 and 1805 by ex-convict George Salter. In 1811 – 1815 Governor Macquarie purchased George Salter’s land and converted this cottage to Diary. Dairy Cottage is rare intact structure of European settlement. Dairy Cottage remains unchanged since c1820. 

Boer War Memorial

Boer War Memorial was erected in 1904. This is in memory of first Australian troops to arrive in Africa in 1899 from Lancer Barracks Parramatta to take part in Boer War. This was the first overseas military engagement in which troops were representing Australia. 

Lady Fitzroy Memorial

Memorial erected near the site of the carriage accident on 7 December 1847 which took the life of Lady Mary Fitzroy, wife of the Governor and aide de camp Lieutenant Charles Masters. A commemorative Oak tree was planted to mark the site of the accident. The current oak tree is the third tree to be planted on the site in c1996.

Government House

Governor Phillip laid out the area of Domain in 1790 as part of the settlement of Rose Hill and constructed a small timber cottage for the Governor’s residence. Nine years later, Governor Hunter replaced the cottage with two stories Georgian House. This convict built Old Government House is the oldest surviving public buildings in Australia and is a World Heritage site. It was the country residence for the first ten governors of NSW.

The Crescent

Natural ridgeline which once framed a small billabong on the bank of the Parramatta River. First Government House in Parramatta was built for Governor Phillip in 1790 on the ascending hill of The Crescent. Now the Crescent is used as an event space. This year Tropfest Jr will be held at The Crescent.

Observatory Transit Stones

Observatory was built by Governor Macquarie in 1822. Two marker trees were planted to the south of the of the transit stones with two additional in the southern domain. All four trees marked as a north-south alignment across the Governor’s Domain. This was the third observatory built in Australia. It was at this observatory, first extensive and systematic cataloguing of Southern Skies were carried out astronomers. The observatory building was demolished in 1848 with only the transit stones on their plinth left standing. A 16 inch repeating circle and the 5 foot 6 inch transit telescope are now on display at the Powerhouse Museum.