Windsor is a township in New South Wales on the north-western outskirts of Sydney (60 km), located on the Hawkesbury River. Founded in 1811 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, the town Windsor retains a great deal of its colonial heritage.

Understand

The Windsor area represents the third-oldest area of European settlement in New South Wales (after Sydney and Parramatta). Originally known as "Green Hills", settlers first arrived here in 1791. The town itself was inaugurated in a drive by Governor Macquarie to build cities worthy of the thriving new colony - it was named after Windsor in England, site of a royal castle.

The expansion of Sydney means that an almost continuous urban spread now exists out to Windsor - as a result, the town is mostly thought of today as an outlying suburb of Sydney.

Windsor can make an interesting trip into Sydney's history, well off the beaten path for most visitors. You can find graveyards and sandstone among the car-yards and supermarkets.

Get in

By train

The Richmond line has train services from central Sydney to Windsor every 30 minutes.

See

• Hawkesbury Museum and Tourist Centre, 7 Thompson Square

• St Matthew's Church - completed in 1816 and designed by the convict architect Francis Greenway

• Macquarie Arms Hotel, George Street - built in 1815

• Windsor Court House, Macquarie Street - completed in 1822

• John Tebbut Observatory

Sleep

• Windsor Motor Inn, 54 George Street, Windsor NSW 2756, ☏ +02 4577 3626, fax: +(02)4577 2708. A budget hotel offering comfortable accommodations conveniently situated in the heart of historic Windsor. Best rates on official website start at AU$72. 

• The Sebel Resort & Spa Hawkesbury Valley, 61 Hawkesbury Valley Way, ☏ +61 2 4577 4222. Hawkesbury accommodation located 45 minutes from Sydney and only 50 minutes from Sydney airport. Windsor hotel offering contemporary accommodation and home to the largest day spa in the Sydney region, Villa Thalgo.