The Australiana Pioneer Village
On the banks of the Hawkesbury river in Wilberforce sits the Australiana Pioneer village offering people the opportunity to step back in time to a completely different era.
Best described as an “open air museum”, the village consists of a collection of buildings built in the late 1890’s with a strong connection to the Hawkesbury and Hills region that were relocated to the village when it was established in the late 1960’s.
The buildings are arranged to reassemble a 19th century streetscape and includes a post-office, police station, bank, barber, saddlery, shearing shed, stable, church, a railway station, school and many more.
The village is completely run by volunteers, dressed in period costume, who entertain and educate the community on the pioneering era on open days as well as look after and improve the village when it is closed. Each building tells a story and it was incredible to explore each one and to look at the artefacts from the past. Each building generated much discussion and for girls it was hard to imagine a world without the technology and the comforts that we enjoy today.
On site there is also the opportunity to ride the pioneer express train at the Kurrajong goods station and explore more of the Village. The Kurrajong goods station was transported to the Village following the closure. There is also the miniature Village Express Train which moves quickly as well as tractor rides to enjoy.
The Village also has farm animals including cows, horses, sheep and chickens which the kids can pat and feed. On top of this there are free games like Jenga scattered through the village, old car and farming machinery displays, a chance to ride a penny farthing, street theatre, musicians and the chance to churn butter and watch a real blacksmith at work!
On site there is plenty of free BBQs and picnic areas to enjoy lunch and afternoon tea or you can pop into the Damper camp and enjoy traditional colonial treats such as Devonshire Tea, Damper and Cocky’s Joy and Ploughman lunches. If you are looking for more modern meals, the Oxboro Inn offers burgers, toasted sandwiches, wraps, hot chips and much more.
There is literally something for everyone to enjoy at the Village and if you really want to further immerse yourself in the past, for a small fee you can dress up and enjoy the village in clothes from the colonial days! For us it was a wonderful and educational day out in Hawkesbury and we certainly can’t wait to visit again soon.
The Village is open every Sunday 10am to 4pm, Public Holidays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the school holidays. All funds raised from ticket sales, food and souvenir sales goes straight back into preserving and maintaining the Village.
Make sure you visit when you can, you will not be disappointed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_image image=”69913″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
