About
Hawkesbury Regional Museum is located in one of our country’s oldest settlements - the third on mainland Australia after Sydney and Parramatta. Museum entry is free, with a small fee for group guided tours.
Here you can see things you won’t find anywhere else, from the celestial globe that belonged to John Tebbutt, an internationally-renowned astronomer who lived his whole life in the Hawkesbury, to the diary kept by a member of HMAS Hawkesbury during World War II and recording the Japanese surrender. Not to mention that uniquely Hawkesbury creation, the Flabbit.
The Museum is made up of a purpose-built building and historic Howe House. This Georgian house has been fitted out with furnishings and displays that reflect its many uses over more than 200 years of history. It is open for guided tours, which can be booked by contacting our Creative Programs Coordinator on 4560 4434 or by emailing david.ryan@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au
Since opening in 2008, the Hawkesbury Regional Museum has received a number of awards:
- NSW Government Volunteer Heritage Award (2008)
- Local Government award for best Cultural Infrastructure (2009)
- Greater Sydney Tourism Award for best cultural and heritage attraction, (2010 and 2011)
- IMAGEine Award (highly commended) for Collection Management (2011)
- Finalist, cultural and heritage, NSW Tourism Awards (2011)
- Greater Sydney Tourism Highly Commended Award for cultural and heritage attraction, (2012)
- IMAGinE award for Best Exhibition (Exhibition Projects - Museums; 3-10 Paid Staff) 2015
Click PDF for the a history of the Museum site.
Museum Site History (671 KB)
The Museum shop specialises in historical publications, films and carefully selected souvenirs and gifts. Book titles include Hawkesbury history, early settlement and colonial history as well as Indigenous history and cultural themes. If you would like to see a list of books on offer we can email it to you with a brief synopsis.
Our souvenirs include post cards and Flabbit merchandise, celebrating that uniquely Hawkesbury phenomenon, the flying rabbit!
With children in mind, we also stock vintage toys, tiddlywinks, marbles and dinosaur and archaeology activities, all designed to give young people a glimpse of life as it was lived in days gone by.
We welcome applications for products that showcase and promote the Hawkesbury region. If you have a product that is of high quality, competitively priced and appeals to a creative and historically minded audience, please contact the Museum.
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