| On the field of Kings |  |
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Our new home places the Heritage Council and Heritage Office in the heart of heritage in NSW. The former Kings School is one of Parramatta's historic gems and has been adapted for life as a 21st century office space with minimal disruption to its character and significance.
An impressive Georgian building overlooking a sweeping curve of the Parramatta River, the former Kings School dates from the early days of the NSW colony. The site was first used as an experimental farm to grow exotic fruit trees. In 1834 it was handed to the Anglican Church to establish the Kings School, the first large public boarding school providing secondary education in Australia. The two earliest buildings on the site have been conserved and adapted for use by the Heritage Council and Heritage Office. The original school building and the headmaster's residence, both dating from 1836, are reminders of the status of the institution during the 19th century. The Old King's School group is listed on the State Heritage Register. The original school is a striking stone building with a Greek Doric style portico. The stonework was done by highly skilled Scottish artisans who came to the colony in the 1820s and 1830s following a depression in the British building industry. The original two-storey building with single-storey wings was designed by Colonial Architect, Ambrose Hallen, and completed in 1836. A sympathetically designed third storey was added in 1925. Over the years the school buildings were enlarged and remodelled and service buildings added. After the relocation of the King's School in 1968 to Pennant Hills Road, the site was sold to the NSW Government and became the Marsden Rehabilitation Centre. During this period the interiors of the 1830s buildings were modified substantially. With a new use as the home of the Heritage Office, the major internal spaces have now been returned to their early form. The way these historic buildings are sited on sloping land overlooking the Parramatta River shows how important the picturesque setting was for 19th century gentry. Other major public institutions were also impressively sited in Parramatta's landscape, but now the only other example to remain is the former Female Orphan School (now Rydalmere Psychiatric Hospital). The old Kings School site includes a number of remnant trees from the School gardens, some over a 100 years old and rare in Sydney, such as the carob bean tree, Ceratonia siliqua. We are very proud of our new heritage premises. The Heritage Council and Heritage Office believe the transformation of these historic buildings will set an excellent example for the adaptive re-use of heritage properties in the State. We hope you will be able to join us on our open day on Sunday 13th April during the Heritage Festival or on Monday 10th March during Seniors Week to see the work done to convert the former Kings School into 21st century office accommodation.
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