The story of this place
Parramatta Park's 85 hectares have witnessed more Australian history than almost anywhere else. The Burramattagal people lived here for at least 40,000 years before Europeans arrived, gathering food along the Parramatta River. In 1788, Governor Phillip established a cattle station here—the colony's first farm. The park became the Governor's Domain, surrounding Old Government House. In 1858, it was declared a public park, one of Australia's first. Today, you can picnic where governors hosted colonial society, walk among trees planted by Macquarie himself, and see evidence of both Aboriginal and European occupation across the landscape.