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Parramatta Heritage Rides

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25.01.2022 The Parramatta Light Rail forges its destructive path through the Cumberland Hospital precinct.

23.01.2022 A splendid day greeted us for today's Vintage edition of the Parramatta Heritage Ride (in association with Camwest). 11 riders took in more than 30 sites during our 3.25 hour, 17km saunter. Sydney Spring Cycle was in full swing also but we managed to remain disentangled! Some of the places we visited: Female Factory Precinct (from 1818), Brislington (1821), Elizabeth Farm (1793), Experiment Farm (1830s), Dairy Cottage (1798), Old Government House (1799), Hambledon Cottage (18...24), Parramatta's Park's former Observatory, Bath House, Boer War Memorial, site of the 1788 redoubt, Tudor Gatehouse, Mays Hill Gatehouse, Glengarrif House, the Lennox Bridge (1839), St Johns Church (1850s with towers from 1820s), Female Orphan School (1818), Jamie Eastwood's Burramattagal Pathway, the Baludarri wetlands path, the former Hospital Precinct, Centenary Square, the original Kings School (1832), the 2nd Kings School (1836), Billy Hart's commemorative marker (Australia's first aviator), St Johns Cemetery (1790), home to the oldest in-situ marked grave in Australia, that of Henry Edward Dodd, Superintendent of the Government Farm at Parramatta, who died in 1791. And believe it or not, that wasn't all! Our next ride will be the Ponts of Parramatta again! Don't miss it! See more

22.01.2022 Elizabeth Farrelly's splendid article about Parramatta and its heritage. Come and weep with us as we explore some of the buildings slated for demolition at our "Bulldozer" themed ride on Sun 21 June.

21.01.2022 Please help save Willow Grove and St George's Terrace... tell the state government to preserve these buildings...

20.01.2022 It's finally warm enough for summer riding gear here in Limoux in the south of France! A Limoux Heritage Ride is in its embryonic stages.... maybe a Carcassonne one too???

19.01.2022 TYPO! The next Heritage Ride is on 21 May, not 21 June. Sorry for any confusion!

19.01.2022 This is the last day to protest the latest plan to rebuild Willow Grove somewhere else. Parramatta's heritage deserves better. Willow Grove is the last of its kind in the CBD. Make your voice count.

19.01.2022 This looks good. It's on Sat 18 May. The building in the photo is the recently restored former Roman Catholic Orphanage (1844), which later became the notorious Parramatta Girls Home. Next door is the site of the old Female Factory. https://www.facebook.com/events/657882817987939/

18.01.2022 I headed out to Liverpool along the Prospect Canal and T-way paths. Some strong Parramatta connections: - near Hoxton T-way stop there's a storyboard of Maria Lock, daughter of Yarramundi, who, was granted land in the area 10 years after marrying a convict, Robert Lock, at St John's church Parramatta in 1824, aged 16. Marrying a convict entitled a woman to a cow and grant of land. (Layers of bitter irony here). But Maria had to battle with successive governors and a duplicit...ous local minister Cartwright (the nearby Cartwright St no doubt named after him) before her eventual success. Maria was also a very bright student, being the first enrolled in the Parramatta Native Institution at age 6 in 1814, established by Governor Macquarie to 'educate' and 'civilise' the local Darug tribes. (This Institution is regarded as the first instance of Stolen Generations). Maria had a prior marriage to Bennelong's son Dickey, though he died shortly afterwards. Maria and Robert Lock had 10 children. She later moved to an Aboriginal settlement near Blacktown, and died in 1878. She is buried at St Bartholomew's church at Prospect. A small park in Parramatta is named in Maria's honour. It's at the corner of Barney and Castle St. A remarkable woman indeed. . - St Luke's church at Liverpool was designed by Francis Greenway. Construction commenced in 1817 and completed in 1824. It's very similar to St James Church in the city - also designed by Greenway - though without a spire. The clock is one of a set granted by King George III in the 1820's. Parramatta's St John's cathedral also sports one, as does James Barnet's 1887 building on the site of the old Female Factory. The clock had originally hung on the archway of the entrance to the Female Factory. The clocks were made in London by Thwaites and Reed, whose most famous clock is Big Ben See more

18.01.2022 Bathurst turned on a sparkling day for our Heritage Ride today. The Bathurst Show was on, the sun was shining, the autumn colours vibrant. Not too brisk either as our group of 12 headed out to explore Bathurst's European and Indigenous history and heritage. Great to have 5 people drive out from Sydney for the ride, and old friends Mick and Kerrie Cooper from Dubbo, and a few Bathurst locals as well. Here's a little of what we found. We're looking forward to coming back again next year...

17.01.2022 A great day celebrating the Burramattagal culture and traditions on NAIDOC Day. We toured the river pathway, decorated by Jamie Eastwood's fascinating interpretation of the Burramattagal history, including Baludarri and Pemulwuy. Then into Parramatta Park and a tour of Old Government House. Finally to Centenary Square, the site of the Aboriginal Feasts inaugurated by Gov. Macquarie in December 1814. Also close by was the Native Institution whose first enrolment was Maria Lock, daughter of Yarramundi. She later become the first Aboriginal to officially wed a European, marrying convict Robert Lock. Thanks to City of Parramatta Council for hosting the event, to the National Trust for the free tour, and to all those who came along on our Burramattagal Heritage Rides!

17.01.2022 Up in Bathurst for a quick reconnaissance mission. A glorious autumn day, with autumn colours aplenty. Here's a sample of what's in store on Sat/Sun 4 & 5 May. Rides are free but please book in at parramattaheritagerides.net! . And don't forget your bike and helmet :-)

17.01.2022 Here's our program for the rest of 2020. Hope you can join us for some of our free rides, and discover Parramatta's incredible heritage. Places are limited so please book in at the website parramattaheritagerides.net

16.01.2022 Our 2019 rides program has drawn to a close, a little earlier than advertised. Paul, the ride leader, is off to his other world (Mathematics), selling his own Mathematicalendars to all comers, even Heritage Riders! Might see you at a market somewhere over the next few months. Our rides will resume in late January/ early February. Thanks to everyone who joined us this year, and especially to Peter, tail rider extraordinaire for the past 16 years, who has relocated to the Canberra environs. Looking forward to seeing you again next year.

15.01.2022 Here are some photos of the places we'll be visiting on the Bulldozer edition on 21 June. Book at parramattaheritagerides.net

14.01.2022 Time is running out. The deadline to lodge an objection to the Powerhouse Museum EIS is in 2 days time. Please lodge your objection now, and help preserve Parramatta's Heritage, in particular Willow Grove and St George's Terrace. Our heritage is our history and our story. Governments should be protecting it, not bulldozing it. Thank you. See the clip from Channel 10 news earlier this week (fast forward to 3:21). https://www.facebook.com/10NewsFirstSyd/videos/604491983816801/...?t=201 . To make an objection: - start your submission I object to the Parramatta Powerhouse because .... - declare if you have, or have not made any reportable political donations - request if you wish you name to be withheld from being published with your submission. Lodge your submission via - https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects//26576 or Contact Planner, Marcus Jennejohn email: [email protected]. or call 8289 6798

14.01.2022 Owing to bad weather our Bulldozer edition ride has been moved to next Sunday 28 June. Please book in via the link and help us to preserve our Heritage.

14.01.2022 Join our next free ride on Sunday, 21 May, as we impart chapters of Parramatta's history by lettings its beautiful sandstone do the talking. (Well most of it, anyway!). Bridges, churches, orphanages, schools, churches, walls, houses, cemeteries and even kerbs feature in this great collection. The ride starts at 9am and will take about 2.5 hours. And we'll throw in a free coffee for you at the end! It's an easy pace and no real hills. Please book in at parramattaheritagerides.net so we know you're coming!

14.01.2022 Join our next free ride on Sunday, 21 June, as we let Parramatta's beautiful sandstone do the talking impart Parramatta's compelling history. Orphanages, schools, churches, houses and cemeteries, feature in this great collection. Starts at 9am and will take about 2.5 hours. And we'll throw in a free coffee for you at the end! Please book in at parramattaheritagerides.net so we know you're coming!

13.01.2022 One of Parramatta's jewels, the Wistaria Gardens, have been left fallow this year owing to bureaucratic bungling. Please visit it to show your support over the next 4 Saturdays, starting today. It mustn't happen again... https://www.facebook.com/events/208426439869724/?ti=as

12.01.2022 Our next ride, Bridges and Boundary Stones, is on Sun 26 May. Join us as we explore this little-known story, and visit the 7 extant boundary stones, 170 years after they were first positioned.

11.01.2022 One of the Parramatta Boundary Stones, laid in 1839, 181 years ago, to help the local constabulary to the boundaries to mark out their beat. This well-preserved one is in the Burlington Memorial Reserve, cnr Balfour and Boundary Sts Northmead. The inscription reads: . PARRAMATTA Kt Geo Gipps GOVERNOR... 1839 . Governor Gipps, who commissioned the project, was the 9th Governor of NSW. The stones were fabricated by David Lennox, the famed bridge builder. There were 9 in total, of which 7 remain, most in their original position. All bore the same inscription, though not all are legible now. . Parramatta Heritage Rides will be running a free tour of the Boundary Stones, and many other important heritage en route), on Sun 25 Oct. You can book in at parramattaheritagerides.net. You'll need your own bicycle in good working order. See more

11.01.2022 A perfect Spring day in August for our Vintage heritage ride that passed by the best of Parramatta's wealth of Heritage, including the old Observatory, Female Factory Precinct, Hambledon Cottage, Old Kings Schools Marks I and II, Elizabeth Farm, Dairy Cottage, Experiment Farm, St John's Church, Willow Grove, Female Orphan School, Indigenous River pathway. Do you know them? Together they weave a fantastic story of Parramatta's myriad of heritage. A unicycle added a little colour, as did our delightful array of participants! Our next ride is on Sun 15 September and explores the first, longest, oldest....! Book in at parramattaheritagerides.net.

10.01.2022 It's not too late to join tomorrow's ride around Parramatta's ancient boundaries (well 1839 anyway!). Starting from the Tudor Gatehouse at Parramatta Park at 9am. Please book via parramattaheritagerides.net. It's free, takes around 3 hours and is about 20km long.

10.01.2022 A splendid day for our River Bridges ride. There are a lot more of them than you might think! A full house in attendance, including bridge engineer Brendan who designed a couple of Parramatta's bridges and was able to add some interesting perspectives.

10.01.2022 Sunday. What a delightful day to tour the 20+ river bridges of Parramatta! Which we completed at a lazy pace in only 2.5 hours. The Lennox, Button, Rings, Gasworks, all looking splendid on a beautiful spring morning. As were all our riders. We might have to run another of these before the year is out....

10.01.2022 *** STOP PRESS: This ride is BOOKED OUT *** Please check the website for other rides. =====================================... Parramatta Heritage Rides are proud to announce that we've joined up with Bike North. Our next ride is next Sunday, 23 August - the Churches and Cemeteries ride. Still a few places left on this free, 3 hour tour. Covid provisions apply and you'll need your own bicycle. Bookings essential at parramattaheritagerides.net.

10.01.2022 A disastrous year for Parramatta's Heritage. The 1830s Royal Oak Hotel will be torn down next month for the Light Rail. Willow Grove (1870s) and St George's Terrace (1880s) will be next, making way for the new Powerhouse Museum. These buildings are the last of their kind in the Parramatta CBD. They are part of our identity. They tell our history. And they could easily have been saved, but against the Berejiklian government's rapacious development agenda, and Parramatta's weak local member Geoff Lee, they stand no chance. There's no money to save Heritage here. Governments are supposed to protect Heritage, but this government is a Heritage vandal. Shame.

09.01.2022 More imminent heritage destruction courtesy of our State Government' s LIght Rail project. This time it's the Royal Oak Hotel, possibly the oldest hotel building remaining in Parramatta. There is no heritage protection against this rapacious government, with more losses coming soon at Willow Grove and St Georges Terrace. Our heritage is our history and is part of who we are. We can't afford to lose it. The rules need to be changed.

08.01.2022 Parramatta has more heritage than most people realise! Australia’s 3 oldest European buildings are located here. Also located here is the longest continuously used church site (St Johns), military site (Lancer Barracks) the pub with the oldest licence (Woolpack), the site of first successful crops (Government Farm), the oldest in-situ marked grave and oldest surviving cemetery (Henry Dodd’s grave and St Johns Cemetery), the first mathematically-designed dam in Australia (Lake... Parramatta), the oldest 3-storey brick building in Australia (Female Orphan School), the oldest Independent school (Kings), the first bridge (to Government Farm), the first observatory. It's also the site of the first Aboriginal feasts, the Native Institution, the first European land grant... is that enough to raise your interest? Then join the next Parramatta Heritage Ride on Sun 15 September and discover them all with us! You’ll leave with an unforgettable impression of Parramatta’s European and Indigenous history. The ride is about 20km and will take around 2.5 hours. Paul, our ride leader, also speaks French. The ride is also free, but please book in via our website at parramattaheritagerides.net END

08.01.2022 A splendid outing today exploring the Churches and Cemeteries of Parramatta, and our first time as a @bikenorth ride. Thanks to the Bike North folk for coming today and welcoming Parramatta Heritage Rides into the fold.

07.01.2022 Last Sunday's Churches and Cemeteries ride took us to 6 churches and 5 cemeteries. Did you know we had so many in Parramatta? We also have the oldest continuous church site, the oldest in-situ marked grave, and the list goes on. Perhaps it's time you joined us for a Parramatta Heritage Ride. Our next ride is the Vintage Edition, on Sun 18 Aug, which will take you to the 3 oldest European buildings in Australia, the Indigenous river pathway which encapsulates our unique indigenous history, and many more captivating buildings, locations and stories. Book in at parramattaheritagerides.net. Our rides are free too!

07.01.2022 Parramatta's Heritage is under threat. The planned move of the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta will mean the removal of 8 of our treasured heritage items, including the beautiful Willow Grove (1876) in Phillip St and nearby St George's Terrace (1881). They're part of the fabric of our city. It's time our State Government and our own Parramatta City Council started treating our heritage the way it should be - sacrosanct! Please sign the petition in the accompanying post and help fight this. https://nprag.us10.list-manage.com/track/click

07.01.2022 Lake Parramatta, formed by the dam on Hunts Creek in 1856. Its purpose was to provide clean water to Parramatta, though it took another 25 years to achieve this, due to bureaucratic and landholder complexities. Its height was increased by 3.3m in the 1890s to its current 15m. It provided water to Parramatta for 28 years until 1909. It became a popular swimming hole in the 1930s and a cairn was erected to mark its official opening by Sir Philip Game in 1932. Pollution caused its later closure but it reopened for swimming in 2015. The water fountain in the northwest corner of Prince Alfred Square (opposite St Patrick's Cathedral) is the last of 9 funded by Dr Matthew Anderson to celebrate the connection of the water supply to Parramatta in 1881. It originally stood in Parramatta Square.

07.01.2022 A few photos from today's Style ride.

06.01.2022 This is exciting news....

06.01.2022 The revised "Powerhouse" design still demolishes Willow Grove and St Georges Terrace, the last 2 of their kind in the Parramatta CBD. Why? Alternative sites exist. Parramatta's heritage isn't getting the recognition it deserves. Governments should protect heritage, not demolish it.

03.01.2022 Our Churches and Cemeteries ride on Sunday is full, but here's the route should you wish to check it out yourself sometime! 6 churches and 5 cemeteries, plus a lot of incidental heritage en route. Headstones and sandstone in abundant supply!

03.01.2022 At last! Here's our ride program for 2019! Hope you can join us for one of our themed tours and discover the wonderful heritage, European and Indigenous, of Australia's 2nd European settlement.

03.01.2022 The Woolpack and the clock tower in this picture from @theoldparramattan are on the itinerary of this Sunday's Parramatta Heritage Ride. See how they look 121 years later... Still a few places left at parramattaheritagerides.net

03.01.2022 Parramatta is indeed a great place to ride, and getting better all the time!! Thanks to @visitparramatta for the shout out!

02.01.2022 The Burramattagal Heritage Rides are now fully booked.Thanks if you've booked in, and sorry if you've missed out! Our next ride, "Style" is on Sun 30 July. A separate post will appear shortly!

02.01.2022 A delightful group of 16 riders experienced a little known aspect of Parramatta on today's free Heritage Ride - its collection of boundary stones, ordered by Governor George Gipps, the 9th Governor of NSW, designed by David Lennox, the famed bridge builder, and engraved by William Weston, back in 1839! 180 years ago! 7 of them still exist, some are quite legible. We also discovered first Railway St in the west, remnants of the old rail line to the orchards at Rogans Hill, ro...de through David Lennox's famous bridge, saw his old house, and visited his final resting place in St John's Cemetery. And many other amazing sites and edifices. If you would like to learn your history, join one of our rides. The next one, on Sun 23 Jun 2019 at 9am, will take in the more than 20 bridges between the head of the Parramatta River and Silverwater. It's free too, but please book in at parramattaheritagerides.net. Looking forward to seeing you there! See more

02.01.2022 Another spectacular day for today's Heritage Ride, exploring the first, last, oldest of Parramatta's heritage building and sites, including Elizabeth Farm, Experiment Farm, the Female Orphan School, the Female Factory Precinct, the Wistaria Gardens, Lake Parramatta, the Indigenous River Pathway, and more!

01.01.2022 Happy New Year everyone! Parramatta Heritage Rides is taking a long break as we seek out a bit of European Heritage riding! See you in November!

01.01.2022 Please lodge a submission to support the draft Parramatta Bike Plan, in particular the proposed separated cycle lanes on George St and Marsden Sts. Submissions are due by this Monday, 8 May, 2017. A summary of the highlights is attached (2 jpegs). Submissions to [email protected]. ... View the full Draft Bike Plan at https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au//o/draft-bike-plan Thank you!