Agricultural heritage · Agriculture · Agriculture history · Attachment to place · Belgenny Farm · Built Heritage · Colonial Australia · Colonialism · Cowpastures · Cowpastures district · Cultural Heritage · Cultural icon · culture · Farming · Farming history · History · Landscape · Landscape aesthetics · Living History · Local History · Place · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place

Exploring Belgenny Farm: Australia’s Oldest Farm Complex

Belgenny Farm, located in Camden, NSW, is Australia’s oldest surviving group of farm buildings, dating back to the 1820s. This historical site includes significant structures like stables, a coach house, and a community hall. It holds cultural importance through its association with the Macarthur family and continues to serve educational purposes.

Agricultural heritage · Agriculture · Agriculture history · Australian History · Belonging · Camden Story · Chinese Market Gardeners · Community work · Cultural Heritage · History · Local History · Local Studies · Place · Place making · Placemaking · Settler colonialism · Settler Society · Social History · Stories · Storytelling · Uncategorized

Community Recognition Morning Tea for Camden Recipients at NSW Parliament

The NSW Parliament allows Members to submit Community Recognition Statements acknowledging community achievements, charity work, and other contributions since 2017. On May 28, 2025, Mrs. Sally Quinnell MP hosted a morning tea to honor Camden recipients, including Dr. Ian Willis, joint-author of 'A History of Camden Chinese Market Gardeners 1899-1993' published by the Camden Historical Society.

Agricultural heritage · Agriculture · Agriculture history · Artists · Belgenny Farm · Camden Park Estate · Camden Story · Colonial Camden · Cultural and Heritage Tourism · Dairying · Farming · Farming history · Heritage Walking Tours · History · History Festival · Leisure · Living History · Local History · Macarthur · Macarthur family · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place · Settler colonialism · Settler Society · Social History · Stories · Storytelling

Explore History with Friends of Belgenny Farm Events

On a cloudy day in late May 2025, the Friends of Belgenny Farm held an open day attracting over 285 visitors interested in early Australian history. The event featured various stalls, historical displays, and guided tours of the historic site, which holds national significance and showcases Australia's earliest colonial farm buildings.

19th Century · 20th century · Adaptive Re-use · Adaptive Reuse · Agricultural heritage · Agricultural modernism · Agriculture · Agriculture history · Architectural History · Architecture · Artefacts · Attachment to place · Belgenny Farm · Belonging · British colonialism · Built Heritage · Business History · Camden Park Estate · Camden Park House and Garden · Camden Story · Carpentry · Collective Memory · Colonial Australia · Colonial Camden · Colonial frontier · Community Engagement · Community identity · Cultural and Heritage Tourism · Cultural Heritage · Dairying · Farming · Farming history · History · History Festival · Living History · Local History · Local Studies · Lost trades · Macarthur family · Place making · Placemaking · Sense of place · Settler Society · Stories · Storytelling

Explore Belgenny Farm: A Journey Through Time 2024

The 2024 Back to Belgenny festival showcased living history at Belgenny Farm, featuring reenactments, traditional trades, and various activities such as sheepdog trials and guided tours. The event included a demonstration by Governor Macquarie’s regiment and highlighted the farm's historical significance, providing visitors with an immersive glimpse into colonial agricultural life.

Adaptive Re-use · Adaptive Reuse · Aesthetics · Agricultural heritage · Agricultural modernism · Agriculture · Agriculture history · Architecture · Artists · Belgenny Farm · Camden Park Estate · Camden Story · Carpentry · Colonial Camden · Colonialism · Commemoration · Cowpastures · Cowpastures Estates · Cowpastures Gentry · Crafts · Cultural Heritage · Dairying · Elizabeth Macarthur · Entertainment · Farming · History of a building · Landscape · Landscape aesthetics · Living History · Local History · Local Studies · Macarthur · Macarthur family · Memorial · Monuments · Nationalism · Place making · Placemaking · Ruralism · Sense of place · Settler Society · Small town · Stories · Storytelling · Traditional Trades · Village

Back to Belgenny 2024, a festival of living history

The 2024 Back to Belgenny festival at Belgenny Farm in South Camden showcased living history with reenactments, traditional trades, and stalls selling arts and crafts of the past. Activities included sheepdog trials, live music, vintage cars, and guided history tours of the site. The farm represents the settler society through the generations of the Macarthur family and their workers.

Agriculture · Agriculture history · Attachment to place · Book · Camden Story · Chinese Market Gardeners · Community · Country town · Cultural Heritage · Farming · Horticulture · Local History · Local Studies · Lost Camden · Memory · Place making · Sense of place · Social History · Storytelling · Uncategorized

Who were the Camden Chinese market gardeners, a new book reveals the story

The book "A History of Camden Chinese Market Gardeners 1899-1993" edited by Ian Willis & Julie Wrigley tells the story of Chinese market gardeners in Camden. They faced challenges such as the White Australia Policy and local ostracism but demonstrated resilience. The book sheds light on their history and is recommended for those interested in local studies and the Chinese diaspora.

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Camden Show 2023

The Camden Show is on again after floods and Covid stopped it in recent years. The show is back with all the bells and whistles of the past with some new innovations. A must see is the 2023 Camden Show.

1920s · Agricultural heritage · Agriculture · Agriculture history · Attachment to place · Belonging · Business · Business History · Camden · Camden Story · Cultural Heritage · Cultural plantings · Economy · Family history · Fergusons Australian Nurseries · Gardening · Heritage · History · Horticulture · Local History · Local Studies · Nepean River · Nursery · Place making · Placemaking · Plant Nursery · Retailing · rural-urban fringe · Sense of place · Storytelling · Sydney · Sydney's rural-urban fringe · The Great South Road · Uncategorized · Urban growth · Urban history · Urban Planning · urban sprawl · Urbanism

Ferguson’s Australian Nurseries on the urban fringe

The 20th-century story of Ferguson’s Australian Nurseries is about their location within Sydney’s rural-urban fringe.

Agricultural heritage · Agriculture · Agriculture history · Business · Business History · Camden · Camden Story · Campbelltown · Colonial Camden · Colonialism · Community identity · Cowpastures · Cultural Heritage · Cultural icon · Cultural plantings · Economy · England · Family history · Farming · Fergusons Australian Nurseries · Gardening · Heritage · Horticulture · Landscape · Landscape aesthetics · Local History · Local Studies · Memory · Nepean River · Nursery · Place making · Plant Nursery · Sense of place · Storytelling · Trees · Uncategorized · Urban growth · Urban history

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.

Agricultural heritage · Agriculture · Attachment to place · Camden · Camden Show · Camden Showgirl · Camden Story · Colonial Camden · Community identity · Cultural Heritage · Education · Entertainment · Farming · Heritage · Historical consciousness · Historical thinking · History · Lifestyle · Living History · Local History · Local Studies · Memory · Miss Showgirl · Modernism · Myths · Place making · Ruralism · Sense of place · Showgirl competition · Storytelling · Tourism · Transport · Volunteering · Young Woman Competition

A country show comes to town

The 2018 Camden Show is the 132nd event of this festival celebrating local rural life. In 2019 over 40,000 attended the annual festival.