6. The Governor’s Domain

Parramatta Park is a popular site for recreation for the people of Parramatta. It is also an important natural and historic place due to its history as the Governor’s Domain. From the 1790s til the late 1840s, Parramatta was the seat of colonial government. The first house was built here in 1791 for Governor Arthur Phillip and was home to successive governors. In Governor Macquarie’s time the land surrounding Old Government House was exclusively the Governor’s Domain and he built a fence built to keep the common folk out.