Elizabeth Farm

So another museum we went to was a place called Elizabeth Farm. Here's some brief history on the house.  John Macarthur, an ambitious young lieutenant in the NSW Corps, his wife Elizabeth, and young son Edward, arrived in Sydney in 1790.  The simple cottage was built in 1793 on a grant of 100 acres near the headwaters of the river at Parramatta.

John Macarthur was a principal promoter of the Australian wool industry and experimented with the introduction of European livestock and crops to the new climate and environment.  He lucked into the wool industry--he was back in England for a court martial for dueling.  While he was there, he ran into people wondering about the wool industry in Australia.  He said they could make it work.  

He was apparently declared a lunatic in 1833 and died in 1834.  Elizabeth continued to live at the Farm until 1850.

Elizabeth Farm was own by the Swann family from 1903-1968 and they fixed up the place.  They had 12 children and they worked to fix the house up.  Of their nine daughters, eight remained in the house through their adult lives.  Educated, philanthropic and socially aware, the sisters followed careers from postmistress to dentists, music teacher to headmistress.  

After 1968, the house was sold, it was again repaired by Elizabeth Farm Museum Trust and then to the Historic Houses Trust in 1983.  The most significant items in the house are copies of furniture, toys and portraits known to have belonged to John and Elizabeth Macarthur.  

Verandah 

Entry way

Aram learning about the house via iPad tour

Inside courtyard

Kitchen

Short ceiling in the cellar

Overall this was an interesting house. It was surprising how pretty much only 2 families lived here and the structure was saved.  

Another adventure was done.  

xoxo, Ann & Aram