Some of Australia’s most historic Georgian towns stand on the verdant, fertile countryside lining the Hawkesbury River. This vital colonial waterway flows past coves, picnic dells, gracious old townships and scenic national parks on its way to the sea just 30 kilometres north of Sydney.

Gracious old Richmond
Richmond on the upper Hawkesbury, with its antique shops and 19th-century buildings, is the site of an agricultural college (now part of the University of Western Sydney) and a giant air-force base. View settlers’ dwellings, colonial architecture and St Peter’s brick-and-timber church (1837-41).

A fine colonial town
Colonial Windsor, about an hour from Sydney by road or rail, is the most notable of five towns established by Governor Lachlan Macquarie on the upper Hawkesbury River in the early 1800s. It’s built around a square on the English Georgian model. A venerable local pub claims to be Australia’s oldest.

Early days at Ebeneezer
Historic Ebeneezer on the Hawkesbury River boasts Australia’s oldest existing church and school building. The little settlement was founded by a group of free settlers who arrived on the sailing ship Coromandel in 1802. An early photograph collection, colonial graveyard and shop add to its charm.

The smuggling ferryman
A free, 24-hour winch ferry is the only way of crossing the Hawkesbury at Wisemans Ferry. This tranquil settlement is named after Solomon Wiseman, who in 1806 was seized in British waters while smuggling spirits, cigars – and French spies. Transported to Australia, Wiseman founded the ferry in 1829.