Old Government House, Sydney

Old Government House, Sydney

Surrounded by 260 acres of parkland, the Old Government House commands sweeping views of the Parramatta River and is an undisturbed natural reserve amid Australia’s biggest metropolitan area.

The house itself was built in 1799 and is Australia’s oldest public building. For seventy years, it served as the governor’s rural residence. The colony's first 10 governors resided here.

Governor Macquarie and his wife, who lived here from 1810 to 1821, are responsible for the majority of extensions and renovations made to the property, turning the originally small and rather simple structure into a Palladian-style English mansion.

Recently restored, the building's interior features typical Anglo- and Indian-style furnishing, sandstone flags, and a large hand-cut glass chandelier once common in fashionable houses during the 1820s.

The property occupies Darug land that was home to the Burramatta Tribe. Some of the trees surrounding the house still bear scars of the bark stripped to make canoes by the Aborigines. The Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales managing the Old Government House operates tours including a “haunted house” tour of the property.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Sydney. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Old Government House on Map

Sight Name: Old Government House
Sight Location: Sydney, Australia (See walking tours in Sydney)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Sydney, Australia

Create Your Own Walk in Sydney

Create Your Own Walk in Sydney

Creating your own self-guided walk in Sydney is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Food Tour in Sydney

Food Tour in Sydney

Sydney is a melting pot, and the local food culture is a sure testament to that. The inflow of immigrants from Europe and Asia over the years has turned the city into a much coveted foodie destination. This tour offers an introduction to the multifaceted and diverse food & brewery experience to be had here.

Start with Gateway Sydney, an upscale food court with WiFi and just about any kind...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Sydney's Historical Churches

Sydney's Historical Churches

Over the years, Sydney's historical churches have aroused a sense of admiration in many beholders. Some of these buildings have even become iconic symbols of Sydney, well worth going a good way to see as vivid examples of both historical and architectural value.

The impressive Early English-style of architecture seen in Saint Mary's Cathedral is said to have inspired the American...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
The Rocks Walking Tour

The Rocks Walking Tour

The Rocks is a historic area and the oldest neighborhood in downtown Sydney. It was the site where on 26 January 1788 a Union flag was raised to announce the establishment of the first British penal colony in New South Wales. Many of the old stone buildings are made of quarry stones hand-chipped by early convicts, which gave the area its name.

Today's Rocks is a thriving locality packed...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles
Historic Buildings Walking Tour

Historic Buildings Walking Tour

One of the Australia’s largest cities, Sydney is also the country's oldest metropolis. It has no shortage of impressive historical buildings, some dating back as far as the early 19th century. Many of the local landmarks, such as Sydney Town Hall, Queen Victoria Building (QVB), Hyde Park Barracks and others, are wonders in their own right and fit to delight any history buff.

One can...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Newtown Street Murals Walking Tour

Newtown Street Murals Walking Tour

Whenever you think of street art in Sydney, one suburb immediately springs to mind and that is Newtown. Largely regarded as Sydney’s coolest neighborhood, this is a ground zero of the city's mural art scene.

Ever since the early 1990s, with the appearance of the famous “I Have a Dream” Mural on King Street, a powerful depiction of Martin Luther King Junior's iconic speech, this...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles
Sydney Introduction Walking Tour

Sydney Introduction Walking Tour

Sydney was found in 1788 when a fleet of eleven British ships arrived at where Sydney Cove is today. Onboard those pioneer vessels were 759 convicts plus sailors and marines to guard them. The city was named after Lord Sydney, the British Secretary of State who recommended the British government to establish a penal colony in Australia.

Human activity in the area that would later become Sydney...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip


Top 15 Aussie Souvenirs to Bring Home from Sydney

Top 15 Aussie Souvenirs to Bring Home from Sydney

"You haven't been anywhere if you haven't been to Australia," they say, and you'd definitely want something tangible in hand to remind you of the g'days spent Down Under. In Sydney, you will find tonnes of distinctly Oz products that would serve this purpose...