Elizabeth Farm is a historic estate located at 70 Alice Street, Rosehill, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

[3] The estate was commenced in 1793 on a slight hill overlooking the upper reaches of Parramatta River, 23 kilometres (14 mi) west of Sydney Cove.

The small, solid three-roomed brick cottage in the Australian Old Colonial style was transformed, by the late 1820s, into a smart country house, surrounded by "pleasure grounds", orchards and almost 400 hectares (1,000 acres) of semi-cleared land.

Enveloped within later extensions, the early cottage remains intact, making it Australia's oldest surviving European dwelling.

The Macarthurs occupied and continually extended the house grant as their family increased to nine children and their financial position grew.

[1] In his last twelve years, Macarthur consulted pattern books and various architects and builders such as Henry Cooper and James Smith to prepare building plans.

Although George Suttor had introduced olives to Australia earlier, in 1800 among a collection of plants from Sir Joseph Banks, these appear not to have survived.

John, in exile in London over his involvement with the overthrow of Governor William Bligh, sensed the mood of the British administration – who were encouraged by Suttor's reports that New South Wales had potential for horticulture due to the local climate.

Macarthur set off in 1815 on a tour of France and Switzerland to study "the whole practice of the culture of the vine and the olive, and the making of the wine and the oil."

[1] Five years later Macarthur made an equally favourable impression on Commissioner John Bigge who was in NSW to investigate all aspects of colonial administration, including the development of agriculture and trade.

From 1852 Elizabeth Farm was occupied by various tenants and agents, including William Billyard, Crown Solicitor of NSW from 1875 until 1883.

The family became an institution in Parramatta, their house-based activities including music, education, a secretarial school and dental surgery.

Between 1978 and 1983 the Public Works Department and the Heritage Council of NSW restored the buildings, which were considered important as a record of the oldest surviving examples of colonial construction techniques in Australia.

[4] Since then the Friends of the Historic Houses Trust has raised funds to allow entry display refurbishment, lighting and iPad interpretation ($38,000), soft-furnishings ($33,000) and reproduction of Elizabeth Macarthur's ivory workbox ($8000) as well as organising and supporting the successful annual Festival of the Oliv Elizabeth Farm House is a single-storey late 18th century English vernacular cottage with a pair of sash windows either side of the front door and four box-like rooms.

Extensions since the initial building phase have increased the number of rooms The walls are hand pressed clay bricks rendered and coursed to simulate stone.

The Macarthur's garden of native and exotic ornamentals, fruit trees and vegetables has been recreated around original plantings and archaeological features dating to the early 19th century.

[14] Avoiding the use of rope barriers and screens, an innovative 'hands on' approach encourages visitors to explore and interact with this evocative historical environment: sitting in chairs, leafing through letters, playing the piano or pulling up beside an open fire.

[16][1] The property forms the core of a major historic farm estate which was highly influential in the development of the wool industry in Australia, the introduction and acclimatisation of plants and economic crops such as olives and vines.