#Parramatta

Sitting imposingly on the shores of Parramatta River is Rivendell. Often thought by Sydney locals to be a private residence, this has always been known as a hospital. Over time it has grown from a specialsed home for war veterans to become a key component for the care of mentally ill young persons across New…

Sydney’s asylums are haunting monuments to a shameful chapter in our criminal and medical history. Shut away from a public that was fearful of the “wild-eyed lunatic”, the city’s poorly-funded asylums became a dragnet that would catch the forgot, the poor, the criminal and, of course, the mentally ill. There were plenty of success stories,…

Located in front of the Western Sydney University building in central Parramatta is a piece of pulci art with quite an incredible story behind it. This work of art is a statue of a boy, so lifelike that he seems about to step down from his low pedestal and stride off into the distance. His…

Looking like something, you might see in Medieval Europe, but the Greystanes Aqueduct is instead one of Western Sydney’s best kept secrets. The stunning aqueduct was completed in 1888 and can be found just minutes from Parramatta and less than 45 minutes from Sydney’s CBD. The Aqueduct was originally constructed to bring water over a…

The Female Orphan School was first set built in 1801 on the corner of George and Bridge streets in Sydney. This establishment was driven by the zeal of Reverend Samuel Marsden, who wanted to replace the informal boarding out system to deal with orphaned and abandoned children in the colony. Marsden’s family would go on…