Campbelltown City 

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Campbelltown is a destination that entices you to walk in the steps of pioneers past while enjoying many modern day attractions and events. From horse riding to first class restaurants, sporting attractions, Mount Annan Botanic Garden, a significant regional Art Gallery and the Festival of Fisher’s Ghost, there are major attractions and hidden secrets to uncover in Campbelltown.

It is also the ideal destination for travellers to Sydney. You can stay at one of the friendly accommodation venues and enjoy the local charm, while being under an hour by road or rail from Sydney CBD and Airport. Wollongong and Sydney’s famous South Coast beaches are within half an hour travel, and Campbelltown is on the major highway from Melbourne and Canberra to Sydney. It’s no wonder Campbelltown and the Macarthur region is considered treasures on Sydney’s veranda.

Campbelltown and the Macarthur region are rich in Aboriginal and European history. The original inhabitants of the land were the Dharawal people, whose territory covered the area from Botany Bay to the Shoalhaven River and inland to Campbelltown and Camden. Today Campbelltown has one of Sydney’s largest populations of people identifying as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.

The legend of the Cowpastures explains how early European settlers stumbled on the region’s fertile farming land. In July 1788, just six months after European arrival, the early settlers lost two bulls and four cows. Almost two years later, the cattle were sighted in the Menangle area. Local Aboriginal people saw the strange animals and sketched them on the walls of sandstone shelters along the Georges River, including in a cave now known as ‘Bull Cave’.

Campbelltown is an energetic, lively city offering a unique combination of city opportunities with a country atmosphere. Just 10 minutes from the heart of Campbelltown, you can find secluded bushland along the Georges River, nature reserves and abundant wildlife including a local koala colony.

Campbelltown is home to people from all parts of the world - in fact almost a quarter of our total population was born outside Australia. Visitors to Campbelltown benefit from the cultural diversity that is celebrated through festivals, events, cuisine and art.

History

In December 1820, Governor Lachlan Macquarie named Campbell-Town in honour of his wife, Elizabeth Campbell. The region has become known as Sydney’s ‘Living Heritage’ precinct, being home to an impressive portfolio of heritage listed buildings, sites and pioneer cemeteries. There are Aboriginal heritage items, buildings dating back to the early 1800s and a fascinating war history.

Campbelltown and the Macarthur region were pivotal to the start of Australian agriculture. The man known as Australia’s first farmer, James Ruse, produced wheat in the area, while John Macarthur built his famous Merino wool empire in nearby Camden. You can trace our past along the ‘Pioneer Walks’ through Campbelltown’s Heritage Precincts.