Things to do in Parramatta, NSW: Best attractions & activities

The best attractions in Parramatta are heritage buildings such as Dairy Cottage and Elizabeth Farm. But Church Street is one of the most enjoyable restaurant strips in Australia.

The best things to do in Parramatta

The best things to do in Parramatta are…

• Dining on Church Street.
• Walking along the Parramatta River.
• Getting a history lesson at Government Farm.
• Visiting Elizabeth Farm – Australia’s oldest house.

Why visit Parramatta?

It’d be a lie to pretend that the entirety of Western Sydney is fascinatingly tourist friendly. It’s not – much of the sprawl is residential and humdrum. But cherry-pick the highlights, and there are some wonderful surprises.

Perhaps the biggest reversal of expectation comes in Parramatta. Regarded as Sydney’s second city, Parramatta is a business and cultural hub in itself. What visiting tourists don’t expect was how lively it is.

Best things to do in Parramatta: Church Street

Church Street is Parramatta’s pulse, and is arguably one of the most likeable streets in Australia, let alone Sydney. Terraced restaurants flank either side and there’s a tangible buzz in the air.

The street leads to a bridge crossing the Parramatta River, surrounded by parklands. You can walk through the parks to the headwaters of the river. At the other end, it becomes Sydney Harbour. At its origin, it’s little more than a pool. But the walk, on a hot sunny day with a merciful breeze, is about as blissful as it’s possible to get.

On the south bank of the river, a series of sites hint at the role Parramatta played in Australia’s history. The remains of Dairy Cottage are where convicted smuggler George Salter set up a farm. This was in 1800, just 12 years after Australia was settled by the British.

Best things to do in Parramatta: Government Farm

Further along is the site of Government Farm, which in 1789 provided the new colony with its first wheat and barley harvest.

It was more than a harvest, though – it was a sign that living independently out here was possible.

Attractions in Parramatta: Elizabeth Farm

A couple of the colony’s first agricultural experiments are now open as tourist attractions, and Elizabeth Farm is one of them. The olive tree standing outside the main house is supposedly the oldest in Australia – and those olives helped set owner John MacArthur on the road to riches.

The displays inside Australia’s oldest house tell of one of early colonial Australia’s most fascinating characters. He was a leading figure in the plot to overthrow Governor Bligh in 1808. He was the principal promoter of Australia’s wool industry – the country’s largest industry for many years. MacArthur also introduced European crops and livestock. He sailed back to England to be court-martialled for taking part in a duel. And he later got committed to a lunatic asylum.

The Parramatta weather is usually a couple of degrees hotter than Sydney’s – avoid visiting on a really hot day.

Parramatta works best as a gateway to Western Sydney. Other attractions and activities in Western Sydney include jetpack flying in Penrith, gantry tours at the Olympic Stadium in Homebush and hand-feeding kangaroos at Featherdale Wildlife Park in Doonside. You’ve also got walks in the Cumberland State Forest or Bidjigal Reserve in West Pennant Hills.

The nicest way to get to Parramatta is on the Parramatta ferry from Circular Quay, although you can try driving along the Great Western Highway if you really like traffic.

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