Hawkesbury River Towns Heritage Highlights Self Guided Walk
Highlights
- Pick up your free Heritage Highlights booklet at the Hawkesbury Regional Museum to guide your exploration of historic towns.
- Wander through the charming streets of Windsor, where early colonial architecture tells stories of Australia's past.
- Discover the rich agricultural history of the Hawkesbury River, once vital for fruit and vegetable farming.
- Visit iconic sites in Wilberforce and Ebenezer, where fine old buildings reveal the region's heritage and character.
When the early European settlement at Botany Bay faced food shortages, Captain Arthur Phillip sailed north in search of land to support agriculture. He sighted the mouth of a river, which he named the Hawkesbury River and explored upstream towards the current day town of Windsor. Seeing arable land he noted that it would be a good area for growing fruit and vegetables and for grazing livestock.
By 1794 there were 22 families farming the area, with more regularly arriving. In 1810 Governor Lachlan Macquarie arrived in Sydney and gave instructions to establish townships in various parts of the district.
Today you can visit the towns of Wilberforce, Ebenezer, Pitt Town and Wisemans Ferry and enjoy the many old fine buildings that still stand to provide insight into early colonisation.
The historic charm of Hawkesbury’s River Towns can be explored when you pick up your free Heritage Highlights booklet available from the Hawkesbury Regional Museum or from the Hawkesbury Visitor Information Centre. Phone for a copy of the Heritage Walks to be posted to you!
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