Second Edition
A Heritage Field Guide
The Hawkesbury Valley is a unique heritage resource close to Sydney. The natural beauty of the winding reaches, rocky bluffs and forested slopes combines with the human impact on this environment to create complex pleasures. The effect of European farming and grazing, with its attendant buildings, began in the earliest years of the colony and accelerated for seventy years. The peculiar flavour of the Hawkesbury is due to the relative stagnation of the area after its agrarian prosperity collapsed in the 1860s. As a result the valley contains a remarkable number of early buildings and presents a colonial scene not available elsewhere.
This book examines each major site from Richmond to Wisemans Ferry, in its historic context, supported by 100 photographs illustrating the sites. Maps and route descriptions make the valley's hidden resources more accessible and comprehensible than ever before.
