Unlike today, Sydney’s early colonists preferred living far from the harbour. With the sandy soils around Sydney Cove proving difficult to farm, government looked upstream to the headwaters of Parramatta River. Here they found fertile pasture and cropping lands capable of bolstering the colony’s dwindling food supplies.

Parramatta was founded in November 1788, taking its name from the local Burramattagal people. Settlement quickly expanded and by 1792 Parramatta was home to 1,970 people compared to the 1,170 remaining on the coast. Government House at Parramatta became the colony’s seat of power for decades to come. Today Parramatta remains as the geographical heart of Sydney.

Sites marking the earliest efforts to grow wheat and wool, to weave cloth and grind corn are dotted throughout historic Parramatta. At the same time, an astonishing diversity of cultures and communities are colourfully expressed in Parramatta’s vibrant business, restaurant, shopping and recreational life.