Many memorials and monuments across the Cowpastures landscape commemorate its history and sense of place, with a recent nostalgic turn focusing on the pioneers and European settlement. War memorials are a ubiquitous form of memorialization in the Macarthur region, and public art, historical sites, and cultural heritage also play significant roles. These commemorations can be controversial, especially considering Australia's dark history, and evoke different memories for different people. Additionally, the landscape of the Cowpastures is interpreted in various ways, including as a colonial frontier, government reserve, and English-style landscape. Various memorials, artworks, and historic sites dot the region, contributing to its identity and history.
Category: Colonialism
A Camden connection to the first railway line in New South Wales
26 September 1855 A forgotten anniversary of Sydney’s Central Railway Station On 26 September 1855, the first train left the Sydney terminus, a ‘tin shed’, with great pomp and ceremony and thus began the great railways of New South Wales. The ‘tin shed’ was replaced by two further buildings, one opened in 1874, and the current grand Victorian edifice of brick and sandstone in 1906.
Governor Hunter, a Cowpastures memorial at Mount Annan
The statue of Governor Hunter in the Governors Green Park at Mount Annan is another celebration of the history of the Cowpastures.
Rachel, a great yarn of the bush from colonial New South Wales
Jeff McGill's Rachel is a ripping yarn about the colonial frontier and the role of women in colonial New South Wales.
The Cowpastures’ English-styled-gentry and their private villages
A certain type of self-styled-English gentry created a landscape in their own vision in the Cowpastures.
Making Camden History
Making Camden History tells the story of how the history of the Camden District has been written from the 19th century. It is the history of the history of the local area.
Ferguson’s Australian Nurseries, a century of horticulture
Ferguson's Australian Nursery was part of the horticulture industry in the Camden area for over 100 years. Francis Ferguson established a nursery opposite Macquarie Grove on the Nepean River.
Cowpastures memorial, Oran Park
The story of the Cowpastures can be told in many ways including through public art. At Oran Park an art installation of a herd of bronze cows is one approach to storytelling.
Cowpastures: artwork at Harrington Park Lake
The public art installation called 'Cowpastures' at Harrington Park Lakeside walkway is an example of wayfinding, placemaking, memorialisation and urban development.
Cowpastures Memorial, Picton
The Picton Cowpastures Memorial mural is the first memorial to the historic Cowpastures and its Wild Cattle in the Macarthur region.
