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The Dairy and Rangers cottages
The Dairy and Rangers cottages
The site captures the transition from First Nations land use to colonial survival, and from private estate to public park
About the building
The Dairy and Rangers cottages at Parramatta Park sit within a deeply layered cultural landscape that reflects thousands of years of human use, as well as colonial history and evolving public values. Together, they tell a story of continuous adaptation, social change, and evolving relationships between people, land and place.
The Dairy Cottage, built between 1796 and 1805, began as the home of George Salter, an emancipated convict who was granted land and successfully farmed the area. His modest cottage was later expanded and repurposed by Governor Macquarie as part of the Old Government House estate. Under Macquarie, the site became a working dairy within a carefully designed ‘picturesque’ English landscape, symbolising the ambition to re-create a gentleman’s estate in the colony. Over time, the Dairy shifted from a productive farm building to a support structure within a broader estate, and later into a heritage building. Its physical fragility, including early construction techniques like lath and plaster, makes it a rare and valuable example of early colonial architecture. Today, it is one of the oldest intact cottages still standing in Australia.
The Rangers Cottage, built around 1870–75, represents a later phase when Parramatta Park transitioned into a public ‘people’s park’. The ranger and their family lived on-site, managing visitors, maintenance and the grounds. This shift marks a broader social change from private colonial estate to publicly accessible space for recreation and community use.
Talks, tours and more
Built
Dairy Cottage: 1796–1805; Rangers Cottage: 1870–75
Architect
Dairy Cottage: built by George Salter
Rangers Cottage: no clearly attributable architect or builder
Acknowledgements
The participation of the Dairy and Rangers cottages made possible by Greater Sydney Parklands
Find out more about this building here
The Dairy and Rangers cottages
Long Avenue, Parramatta Park
Entry details
Attendees will have access to the Dairy and Rangers cottages, both of which are normally only open for private tours
10am–4pm
3.45pm
Talks, tours and more
Need to know
Accessible featuresThere is ramp or level (step-free) entry
Toilets availableAccessible toilets, Baby-changing facilities/parents room
Photography allowedNo flash photography
Food and drink availableGood George, Misc Parramatta
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