Sydney’s first European settlement in 1788 was along the waterways, starting from Sydney Harbour, then the Parramatta River and soon after along the river systems of the Hawkesbury Nepean Rivers.

This App examines the earliest colonial settlements along these river systems and spans the local government areas of Hawkesbury, Penrith, Liverpool and Camden Councils.

This combined area has been named “HoWS” being an abbreviation of “Heritage of Western Sydney”.

The overall HoWS area retains the largest group of early Colonial European heritage assets in Australia and include buildings, farmhouses, churches, cemeteries, roads, bridges, public squares, landscapes as well as many other heritage items.

The HoWS App enables you to explore these wonderful hidden treasures of our Colonial past, whether by motor vehicle, or by bike or by foot. It can range from a short few hours, a full day or even a whole weekend tour.

You may also care to explore the HoWS area in a number of ways, including thematically as the App allows you to wonder and discover via the different tour themes.