Vaucluse House
One of Sydney’s only surviving 19th-century harbourside estates
10am–5pm
About the building
Building information
Vaucluse House is a large, picturesque estate and harbourside retreat with public access to the foreshore.
In 1805, Sir Henry Browne Hayes, an eccentric Irish knight banished to the colony, built a single-storey stone cottage. He named the property Vaucluse. In 1827, William Charles Wentworth bought the cottage for himself and his future wife, Sarah Cox, and what would be a family of ten children. Over five decades, William and Sarah transformed the cottage into a Gothic Revival–style mansion surrounded by a sprawling estate.
Vaucluse House comprises the Wentworths’ house, kitchen wing, stables and outbuildings surrounded by 10 hectares of formal gardens and grounds. Visitors can explore the lavish entertaining rooms that convey the social aspirations and lifestyles of the Wentworths, as well as the functional areas for the servants who lived and worked there. The interiors include original pieces owned by the Wentworths, along with other furniture, furnishings and collections from the early to mid-19th century. Visitors can also wander around the secluded grounds.
1805, 1830s–60s
ArchitectUnknown
AlterationsMortimer Lewis, 1840s
Find out more about this building here
Vaucluse House
Wentworth Road, Vaucluse
Entry details
Vaucluse House and grounds
10am–5pm
Members hour: MHNSW Members receive exclusive access from 9am–10am
4.30pm
Need to Know
The ground floor of Vaucluse House is accessible by wheelchair. The first and second floors can only be accessed by stairs. The cellar is down a flight of steep stone stairs. Due to the uneven ground, much of the gardens can be difficult to access for those with limited mobility
Baby changing facilities
No flash photography is permitted
Tearooms: Estate Vaucluse House. Members get 10% off food and drink
Talks, tours and more
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