Old Sydney Town was an Australian open-air museum and theme park which operated from 1975 until 2003 in Somersby on the New South Wales Central Coast.

Robert Hughes, author of The Fatal Shore called the site "the only theme park in the world devoted to punishment and repression."

Fox viewed the Somersby site as an ideal location as the rocks, creek and terrain reminded him of early prints of Sydney Cove.

[4] Robert Irving, a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) was also recruited to head up the site's permanent four-person research team.

[5] The UNSW Student Union Council condemned the Faculty of Architecture's use of unpaid labour for a private commercial enterprise.

[12][13] Whitlam and his wife were given a tour of the site and its re-enactments aboard a century-old barouche previously owned by the Maharaja of Mysore.

[15] Other recreation efforts included soldiers circulating through the town following London Bobby principles[3] and several staff assumed the roles of colonial figures like Samuel Marsden,[16]Lt. William Dawes[17] and Elizabeth Rafferty.

[21] None of the currently investing parties were willing to give the park more funds and admissions were unable to generate enough income to cover the site's debts.

Mike Hendrickson, who operated the workshop, said the biggest losses were his tools and a prized horse-drawn double-decker bus they had been rebuilding.

In 1998, NSW's Work Safety Authority fined the site $35,000 after three workers suffered burns and lacerations in a cannon firing accident.

[34] State MP Arthur Chesterfield-Evans opposed the privatisation and accused Warwick Amusements of running down the site to reduce the sales price.

Warwick Amusements general manager, Paul Kiley, defended the site saying "It's meant to be buildings and constructions from the 1788-1810 period, so it's not Disneyland.

[36] Warwick Amusement partly blamed the park's closure on a lack of youth engagement with the site due to temptations of new technologies.

[36] Former MP Barry Cohen, called for an inquiry into the conditions of lease and sale of the site as Warwick Amusement had never progressed with their three-phase development plan.

Proposed plans for the site include tourism, residential and environmental conservation areas alongside a smaller refurbished old Sydney Town.

The proposal focuses on diverse attractions such as adventure tourism, cultural showcases, and sustainable living while preserving historical structures to honor its heritage.

Public consultations and feedback have been integral in shaping the development proposal, which is currently awaiting approval from the Central Coast Council.

Once endorsed, the project will proceed to further public engagement stages as per the NSW Government’s Gateway process.Source: WCTV Official Website The site featured a range of historical buildings, that included but was not limited to:[45] Throughout its life and since closing, the park has been hired for film and television productions.