Parramatta / Outer West, Sydney - Region Information

Parramatta was founded just after Sydney itself in 1788 as a place to graze animals and grow food for the fledgling colony. The area around Sydney town was hilly, heavily timbered, lacking in fresh water and useless for farming. The river at Parramatta was beyond the tidal boundary and fresh.

Parramatta, though considered a 'suburb', is a city in its own right and actually the geographic centre of the Sydney Metropolitan Area. It is a large business centre with a smattering of historically very important buildings.

It was the site of the first experimental farm in the colony. Experiment Farm Cottage (Ruse Street), built in 1834 and furnished in the style of the 1830s, is open daily.

Built between 1799 and 1816, Old Government House is the oldest remaining public building in Australia in the grounds of Parramatta Park. St Johns Cathedral, built in 1803, is the oldest church in Parramatta right in its main street, Church Street.

The Lancer Barracks (Smith Street) built in 1820 by Governor Macquarie includes a regimental museum. The barracks are open daily but the museum only on Sundays. There are several old cottages which have been transformed into small museums.

The JetCat is by far the best way to visit Parramatta, which is on Sydney's very busy main road west. There are train services from the city, but they are not scenic.

Parramatta Accommodation - A city in its own right and a specific holiday destination too. With a scattering of historical buildings, Parramatta is easy to reach by JetCat and accommodation is easy to find. Book accommodation and tours now.