www.Macquarie2010.nsw.gov.au
www.discoverparramatta.com
A Message from the Premier
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the celebrations of
ParraMac 2010.
The most cursory look at the landscape, the towns, or even
simply a map of NSW, shows us the incredible influence of
Governor Lachlan Macquarie in shaping the State of NSW.
While his name and his legacy can be found across our great State, the home of his legacy was, and
is, Parramatta.
This year marks the bicentenary of Lachlan Macquarie’s Governorship of NSW and it is right that the
focal point of our celebrations of this anniversary should be here in Parramatta, with ParraMac 2010.
This festival of commemorative, cultural and educational events in the Parramatta area is a collaboration
between State and local governments, as well and cultural and community groups.
It is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate the prosperous, secure and culturally diverse life that we
enjoy here in NSW, a society that continues to be a testament to the vision of Lachlan Macquarie and to
his key role in the building of our State.
Premier of NSW, Kristina Keneally
A Message from the Lord Mayor
It is my great privilege, as Lord Mayor of Parramatta, to
welcome you to our celebrations of the bicentenary of
Lachlan Macquarie’s Governorship of NSW – ParraMac.
Governor Macquarie played an important role in Australia’s
nation building history and, as the original seat of Macquarie’s
Governorship; Parramatta is the ideal and fitting place to
celebrate his legacy. Old Government House in Parramatta
Park is the oldest surviving public building in Australia and
was completed by Governor Macquarie in 1818.
The range of unique cultural events and activities that have
been organised to mark this important anniversary reflect the innovative vision that Governor Macquarie
and his wife Elizabeth had for their new country. The Luminary Parade and light installations will literally
highlight many of our historic buildings, while the fun art installation First Flush honours Elizabeth for
being the first person in NSW to install a modern flushing toilet!
I am particularly proud that as part of the celebrations Parramatta will host the Governor’s Dinner. This
confirms our status as the “Cradle City” of Australia but also shows that Parramatta continues to have a
significant role to play today and in the future.
Parramatta has a thriving and vibrant cultural scene which attracts residents and visitors to the city
throughout the year, and I am sure ParraMac will attract many more. This brochure gives you details on
the entire program and will help you plan which events to attend.
So whether you are visiting Parramatta for the first time during ParraMac or are a regular attendee at one
of our many events, I look forward to welcoming you to our city and sharing this unique celebration!
Cr Paul Garrard
Lord Mayor
Parramatta City Council
A Message from the Creative Director
History with a twist was always in our minds as we
assembled these diverse events commemorating Lachlan
Macquarie and his influence over Parramatta and the
West of Sydney. While the festival has two main aims – to
encourage people to re-engage with the fifth Governor
of NSW (and his extraordinary wife Elizabeth) and to reengage with the City of Parramatta itself – we wanted it
to happen in an unorthodox way, suggesting the novel,
innovative spin Macquarie put on governing New South
Wales.
Become a Luminary and take a stroll with us at night along
Church and Phillip Streets. In the company of illuminated
creatures and icons, we will light up five of Parra’s historical buildings with the images and words of
Macquarie’s life and legacy. Or come to Riverside to see a modern take on Alex Buzo’s classic play,
Macquarie, in which all is not as it seems in Macquarie’s Kingdom and Big Mac’s celebrated ‘liberalism’
is shown in a surprising new light. Or spend a day with us in one of Parra’s great assets, Parramatta
Park, the former Governor’s Domain. It’s the Park’s Open Day, filled with Colonial Kids and the spirit of
the man and the woman who transformed an entire society.
Elsewhere there are words, bibles, iphones and an art exhibition that has not so much a twist as
an S-bend, something for everyone who is keen, curious and, like the Macquaries, seeking a bit of
enlightenment.
Wayne Harrison, Creative Director
ParraMac 2010
LUMINARY
Art and Light Installations & Street Parade
In the first of its kind for Western Sydney, Luminary will be a
spectacular five-day theatrical light display on Parramatta’s
landmark buildings celebrating the magnificence of
Macquarie’s vision for Parramatta. Luminary will encompass
the transformation of building facades along George Street
into an active story board that traces Macquarie’s legacy. This
extraordinary event takes shape on the Westpac Bank building,
Lachlan Macquarie Chambers, Brislington House, the Clock
Tower of the Commonwealth Law Courts and Old Government
House.
Be part of the opening night celebrations of Luminary as the ParraMac Parade takes over the city
streets for one magical night. This street parade will light up Parramatta’s streets with bands, historic
vehicles, the Illuminati of Circus Solarus, puppet figures,lanterns, floats and local personalities - all
illuminated. We invite residents and visitors alike to participate in this very special event and join
the parade as it makes it way through the city, celebrating Lachlan Macquarie’s legacy to the ‘cradle
city’ of Parramatta, and the Nation.
The parade begins at Parramatta Town Hall and will make its way along Church and George streets.
As the parade passes, be among the first to witness the brilliance of the Luminary Art and Light
Installations, as words and visions of past and present light up some of Parramatta’s most treasured
buildings.
The parade culminates in a dazzling son-et-lumiére and fireworks display at Old Government
House.
Supported by the NSW State Government and The Electric Canvas
Production and Design by AGB Events - Anthony Bastic
Luminary
Date: 30 Jun – 4 July
Time: From 6pm along Church and George Sts and
into Parramatta Park
Street Parade
Date: 30 Jun 7pm
Location: Starts at Parramatta Town Hall
Information: Parramatta City Council
02 9806 5000
www.discoverparramatta.com
Riverside Theatres and The Alex Buzo Company present
Alex Buzo’s
MACQUARIE
Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s epitaph reads “The Father of Australia”. His visionary leadership from
1810-1821 transformed the colony of New South Wales, setting it on the path from chaotic goal to
a prosperous, free society. Yet he was forced to resign as Governor and died struggling to clear his
name.
Alex Buzo’s dynamic and provocative play provides powerful insight into the fate of this remarkable
man whose foresight and enlightened policies gave Sydney some of its finest buildings and whose
humanitarian policies dared to give ex-convicts ‘a fair go’. Macquarie’s story is also one of the struggle
against the power brokers who thought they should run the colony, John Macarthur and ‘the flogging
parson’, the Reverend Samuel Marsden.
Internationally renowned director Wayne Harrison (former Director of Sydney Theatre Company and
City of Sydney’s New Year’s Eve Celebrations) brings a contemporary interpretation to Buzo’s awardwinning play, highlighting the timelessness of Sydney’s obsession with land, politics and power.
Macquarie Group, Riverside Theatres and The Alex Buzo Company are proud to present Alex Buzo’s
Macquarie, the flagship performing arts event of the Macquarie Bicentenary.
Director Wayne Harrison, Designer Mark Thompson
Producer Emma Buzo, Lighting Designer Martin Kinnane
Cast Jack Campbell, Kaeng Chan, Megan Drury, Alan Dukes, Graham Harvey, Chantelle Jamieson,
Craig Menaud, Russell Smith, Tom Webb, David Whitney
Dates: 15-31 July
Location: Riverside Theatres
Cnr Church & Market Sts
Parramatta
Bookings: 02 8839 3399
www.riversideparramatta.com.au
Tickets:
Evenings & Saturday Matinee
Adult $52 Conc $47
30 & under $39
Weekday Matinees
Adult / Conc $30
Students $20
THE GOVERNOR’S DINNER
On Saturday 24 July, The Lord Mayor of Parramatta will host a sumptuous three-course 1800’s
style banquet on the main stage of Riverside Theatres. The dinner is the centerpiece of the State’s
Macquarie 2010 Bicentenary Commemorations and is an official function in the presence of Her
Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales.
The evening is a tribute to Macquarie, the man who re-imagined Parramatta, who redesigned and
renamed its streets, who gave it a designated marketplace and connected it to the port city of Sydney
by constructing the great Parramatta Road. Parramatta, with its vast domain and Palladian-inspired
buildings, was the place he and his wife Elizabeth preferred to live and Macquarie made Parramatta
the seat of his government, royally entertaining visiting dignitaries, emancipists and free-settlers alike
in the rebuilt Government House.
Head chef for The Governor’s Dinner, Tony Bilson, has designed a menu in keeping with the
fashionable high dining of Regency England and France. During the course of evening expect a series
of spectacular performances, set within the context of Macquarie’s time but with a contemporary twist!
Get in the mood for this very special dinner and book in for the 4.30pm performance of Alex’s Buzo’s
Macquarie on Saturday 24 July. Dinner and performance packages are available.
Don’t miss the landmark bicentenary event, book your seats or table of ten now.
Date: Sat 24 July 6.30pm for
7pm
Location:
Riverside Theatres
Cnr Church & Market Sts
Parramatta
Booking and information:
02 8839 3389
Cost:
Dinner $200pp
Dinner & Show $230pp
Dress: Lounge Suits
DIGIMACQ
The Spirit of Macquarie in Parramatta
Let an App be your map and explore 19th century Parramatta with 21st century technology with DigiMacq,
a new downloadable iTunes application that takes you on a fantastic multi-media adventure through the
streets of Parramatta 200 years ago.
Join Governor Lachlan Macquarie and experience his vision through the eyes and voices of the soldiers,
scoundrels, convicts, clergy and free settlers who roamed the streets of Parramatta in colonial times.
Get to know the man determined to lead the remote penal colony to a virtuous and prosperous future,
on this fun and informative interactive tour.
The DigiMacq App is free and can be downloaded from the Apple iTunes store.
DigiMacq enabled iTouches will be available for hire between 7-28 July. Bookings are essential and
conditions apply.
Information: Parramatta Heritage and Visitor Information Centre
02 8839 3311
www.discoverparramatta.com
Bookings: Riverside Theatres
02 8839 3399
www.riversideparramatta.com.au
THE GRAND MACQUARIE FEAST
Forums to make you think, reflect and laugh
The Whitlam Institute and Riverside Theatres present a three course banquet of erudition and revelry
bound to feed your hunger for vintage Macquarie and titillate your taste for contemporary debate.
FIRST COURSE
From Bread and Dripping to Beef: The Crook’s Emancipation
A forum on crime & punishment in NSW from Macquarie to today with Nicholas Cowdery AM QC, NSW
Director of Public Prosecutions and Associate Professor Carol Liston, University of Western Sydney
historian; plus other special guests.
Date: Thu 22 Jul 7pm
Cost: $15
SECOND COURSE
A Dog’s Breakfast or a Moveable Feast? Should Parramatta be torn
down and redeveloped from scratch?
A lively forum on the future of Greater Sydney’s urban design and planning, starting with Parramatta.
Featuring Bob Meyer, Director of Planning, Cox Richardson Architects and Planners, and Elizabeth
Farrelly, author and Sydney Morning Herald columnist; plus other special guests.
Date: Wed 28 Jul 7pm
Cost: $15
THIRD COURSE
We Get Our Just Desserts: Thank God It’s Friday
History gets hysterical as Richard Glover and his corps of comedians, Jean Kittson, Anthony Ackroyd,
Wendy Harmer and Tommy Dean answer curly questions such as: “Should rum still be our currency?”
and “Is Australian life just another rum do?” A “definitely not for broadcast“ event full of laughter, wit
and plain good fun.
Presented in collaboration with ABC 702
Date: Sat 7 Aug 8pm
Cost: $36 Adults /$32 Conc
Location: Riverside Theatres
Cnr Church & Market Sts, Parramatta
Bookings: 02 8839 3399
www.riversideparramatta.com.au
EXHIBITION
Meet the Macquaries at Parramatta
Peer into the personal lives of this intriguing First Family, their relationships, their dreams for
Australian society and their profound belief in a “fair go” for all.
Curated by the Parramatta Heritage and Information Centre, this exhibition explores the
Macquaries’ unique vision for the new country of Australia and their contributions to the life and
landscape that is Parramatta.
Exhibition dates:19 Jun – 7 Nov
Launch event: 24 June 6pm
Location: Parramatta Heritage & Visitor Information Centre
Open 9am - 5pm daily
02 8839 3311
TALKS AND WALKS
Meet the Macquaries at Parramatta
Presented by the Parramatta Heritage & Visitor
Information Centre, Talks and Walks will amaze
you with the volume of history just sitting on our
doorstep. All Talks and Walks start with a guided
tour of the Meet the Macquaries exhibition
Walking through time
Take a Macquarie-focused archaeological walk
through Parramatta’s streets.
Date: 8 Sept 10am-1pm
Lachlan Macquarie:
Visionary or despot?
A thought-provoking discussion on Macquarie
and the lives he influenced, his vision, life with
Elizabeth, the emancipist/exclusivist debate
and the legacy.
Date: 9 Sept 10am-1pm
Places and Faces
Ever heard of the Parramatta Female Factory?
Discover the people and the place in an
exploration of this Macquarie building highlight.
Date: 10 Sept 10am-1pm Tours commence at the Parramatta Heritage
and Visitor Information Centre
Tours are free but bookings required.
Bookings: 02 8839 3311
PARRAMATTA PARK
OPEN DAY IN THE GOVERNOR’S DOMAIN
Join in the fun and activities of the Parramatta Park Open Day on September 12, celebrating the history
of Governor Macquarie’s Domain. Come along to the park and picnic in the relaxing and picturesque
parklands, take in the Wisteria Gardens and enjoy the atmosphere of this fun-filled day.
Guided tours and activities will demonstrate the legacy of Governor and Mrs Macquarie and show how
Parramatta Park Trust is conserving this important landscape.
Colonial Kids Down at the Dairy
The whole family will be entertained with Colonial Kids Down at the Dairy. You can help out with chores
like churning butter and making scarecrows, play games like tug-o-war and hangman, check out the
sheep shearing, whip cracking and dance to a bush band. Like the old time convicts you can earn your
freedom with a ticket-of-leave, or tag along with Governor Macquarie’s 73rd regiment as they set up
camp and go though their practice drill. Join in this free family day in the Park where you can get right
into the fun of colonial times.
Parramatta Park Open Day will be a car-free event.
Date: Sun 12 Sept 11am – 4pm
Information: Parramatta Park Trust
www.ppt.nsw.gov.au
02 8833 5000
OLD GOVERNMENT HOUSE
Standing within Parramatta Park, Old Government House is Australia’s oldest surviving public building.
For seven decades it was the ‘country’ residence of the first 10 Governors of the colony, including
Governor and Mrs Macquarie who, from 1810 to 1821, preferred the clean air and space of rural
Parramatta to the unsanitary and crime ridden streets of Sydney Town.
The central block of the house was built in 1799 by Governor John Hunter. However, the appearance
of the house today is largely due to Governor and Mrs Macquarie. Their 1815 extensions, designed
by Macquarie’s aide, Lieutenant John Watts, transformed the house into an elegant Palladian style
residence in the English manner. Visitors to the property today can step straight into the fashions of
1821, with their Anglo and Indian influences and strong emphasis on colour. A meticulously researched
‘soft furnishings’ program has transformed the main rooms of the house to recreate the tastes and styles
of Mrs Macquarie, influenced as they were by distance and a climate very different to ‘home’. Rooms are
furnished with pieces from the National Trust’s collection of early colonial furniture; the largest collection
in Australia.
After undergoing extensive refurbishment, Old Government House officially re-opens at the Parramatta
Park Open Day on 12 September in the presence of Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, AC CVO,
Governor of New South Wales. There will be a “housewarming” for the people of Parramatta on 6
August.
Location:
Old Government House
Parramatta Park
02 9635 8149
www.oldgovernmenthouse.com.au
Hours: Tue to Fri 10am - 4.30pm
Weekends and Public Holidays
10.30am - 4pm
Admission:
Adults $9, Concession $6
Families $24, Groups $6pp
National Trust members free
FEMALE ORPHAN SCHOOL TOURS
University of Western Sydney Open Day
The University of Western Sydney’s Parramatta campus will come alive on Sunday 29 August for its
annual Open Day, giving prospective students and their families an opportunity to find out more about
the university. As part of UWS Open Day, UWS will be opening the doors to the historic Female Orphan
School – the oldest three-storey brick building in Australia.
In 1813 Governor Lachlan Macquarie laid the foundation stone of the Female Orphan School – the first
purpose built orphanage in the colony of New South Wales. The building was conceived and designed by
Mrs Macquarie, and was modelled after Mrs Macquarie’s family home ’Airds’ in Scotland. The school’s
first pupils arrived in 1818 and by 1829 there were 152 girls in a building designed for 100. Boys attended
the school from 1850. By the 1880s Government policy favoured placing orphaned children with families
and the School closed in 1887. Between 1888-1985 the building was used as a Psychiatric Hospital.
As custodian of this magnificent heritage building, which predates Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney and
the Female Factory in Parramatta, UWS has committed over $5 million over the past ten years to the
conservation of the external fabric of the whole complex, and the conservation and adaptive re-use of the
interiors of the original three-storey central building. The central building was re-opened in 2003, with the
conservation and adaptation work receiving a UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award Honourable mention
in 2004.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to tour this amazing, historical site as part of UWS Open Day 2010.
Date: 29 August 10am – 3pm
Location: Female Orphan School Parramatta Campus
University of Western Sydney
Cnr Victoria Road and James Ruse Drive
Information: UWS 1300 897 669 www.uws.edu.au
.
FIRST FLUSH
Exploring Lachlan Macquarie’s Legacy of the First Flushing Toilet
Thirteen established and emerging local artists have been commissioned by Parramatta Artists Studios
to use a porcelain toilet bowl as the physical basis of their works for the First Flush exhibition, which
investigates and celebrates this novel but important contribution the Macquaries made to modern
Australia.
Chamber pot to WC - Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie were the first in NSW to import and install a
flushing toilet into their then residence, Old Government House, Parramatta.
The First Flush exhibition will be installed in locations around Parramatta CBD. Look out for the works
of Anna Watts, Jodie Whalen, John Spiteri, Linda Brescia, Frances Bickle (aka Heath Franco and Jodie
Whalen), Kay Armstrong, Lada Dedic, Anne Gaulton, Alli Sebastian Wolf, Daniel Kotja, David Capra,
Jason Wing and Kerrie Kenton in Parramatta from 30 June.
Dates: 30 Jun – 25 Jul
Location: Various Parramatta locations
Information: Parramatta Artist Studios
www.discoverparramatta.com 02 9687 6090
NSW HERITAGE BIBLE DISPLAY
St John’s Anglican Cathedral, Parramatta
Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie played a significant role in meeting the spiritual needs of the new
colony. NSW Colonial Chaplain William Cowper, together with Elizabeth Macquarie and Rev Samuel
Marsden, formed the Colonial Auxiliary Bible Society of New South Wales which was placed under the
patronage of Governor Macquarie in 1817. The Benevolent Society was formed in the same year to
manage the humanitarian needs of the colony.
Elizabeth organised a lending library of Bibles in several languages which now form part of the Heritage
Bible collection curated by the Bible Society. These Bibles will be on display at the recently renovated
St John’s Anglican Cathedral, heritage-listed and still in posession of it’s two Macquarie towers. Several
Bibles from that original library, inscribed in Elizabeth and Governor Macquarie’s own hand, will be on
display at the exhibition.
Included in the exhibition will be early Australian Bibles brought out by the First Fleet, a Geneva Bible,
reputedly owned by William Shakespeare, a Tyndale New Testament and an original 1611 KJV. Rare
and valuable copies of Chinese Bibles from the Gold Rush as well as the first Aboriginal and Asia Pacific
language scriptures will also be on display.
The Exhibition will be opened on Monday 19 July by Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, AC CVO,
Governor of New South Wales.
Exhibition Dates: 19 – 24 July
Launch : 19 July 1pm
Bible Display Tour presented by Reverend Dr John Harris
The Reverend Dr John Harris, translation consultant and historian will present a tour of the Bible
exhibition and share the colourful, intriguing stories surrounding the collection.
Date: 19 Jul 6.30pm
Location: Corner of Hunter
Street and Church Street
Parramatta
Information:
Bible Society NSW
Phone: 02 9888 6588
www.biblesocietynsw.com.au
ELIZABETH FARM
Unlikely Dinner Guests at Elizabeth Farm
This program for school students sets up Elizabeth Farm as the stage for a dramatic recreation of
the citizens of the early colony. Become a free settler, a convict, a member of the Military Guard.
Learn to make informed and humane decisions about the colony while empathising with all sectors of
the community. Through the program students will understand the difficult role played by Governor
Macquarie and the impact on others including the Aboriginal community. Developed for students of
Stage 3 HSIE program.
Dates: Available Term 3
Cost: $8 per student
Duration: 90 mins
Maximum children per session: 30
Location:
Elizabeth Farm
70 Alice Street
Rosehill
Bookings: 02 96359488
Information:
Historic Houses Trust of NSW
Phone 02 82392293
www.hht.net.au
VICE-REGAL QUARTERS:
THE AGE OF MACQUARIE
Join two of Australia’s leading Macquarie specialists, Dr Mary Casey and Dr James Broadbent, for a
unique study day. Visiting the site of First Government House (at the Museum of Sydney), Government
House stables and Domain (Conservatorium of Music) and Old Government House, Parramatta, they
will examine the architectural and social history of these buildings and the landscapes in which they
were built.
Location:
Commences at Museum of Sydney
37 Phillip St Sydney
02 9251 5988
Date:
Wed 11 August
Time:
9.30am – 5pm
Cost:
General $100 / Conc $90 includes coach transfers and lunch
Bookings: 02 8239 2211 or tickets.hht.net.au
HISTORY DAY
HAMBLEDON COTTAGE
Kids of all ages will love History Day at Hambledon Cottage. Celebrating Governor Macquarie’s role
in the establishment of Parramatta, the day gives children a chance to step back in time with role
playing, music & dance. This is a great opportunity for local schools to get involved in the ParraMac
celebrations.
Date:
Wed 8 Sept 11am
Location:
Hambledon Cottage
Corner Hassall Street & Gregory
Place Harris Park
Information:
Parramatta & District Historical
Society
02 9869 1895
PARRAMAC HERITAGE RIDES
These easy 20km rides, run by Camwest, take in Parramatta’s wonderful historic sites with many links to
Governor Macquarie. A short tour of Old Government House is also included. Cost is $10 which includes
entry fees.
Dates:
13 Jun 8am & 29 Aug 8am
Bookings and Information:
Camwest
0438 856 880
camwest.pps.com.au