The city of Bathurst is very fortunate to have 3 unique historic homes located within its boundaries.  These homes are open to the public at various times of the year creating another experience for your visit to the Bathurst Region.

Each of the houses offers an insight into life of a different era, providing the visitor with a sample of what life was like in Bathurst at different times.  The three homes included in the Historic Home pass are Abercrombie House, Chifley Home and Miss Traill's House and Garden.

Abercrombie House  Nested on the outskirts of Bathurst, Abercrombie House is widley known for its imposing and beautiful Gothic/Scottish Baronial architecture and is the largest private home in the Central West.

Construction of Abercrombie House started in 1870, taking eight years to build this 52 room home which includes: 7 staircases, 30 fireplaces and a ballroom with an 8.6m high ceiling.

Today the home is owned by the Morgan family who purchased the house in a derelict state in 1969 and ever since have embarked on their continual programme of restoration and redecoration.  In 2009, the Morgans and Abercrombie House celebrated 40 years of being in tourism, running public tours through the house and today invite you to come and view this magnificent building they call home.

Chifley Home  Located at 10 Busby Street in the working class railway district of Bathurst, Chifley Home was the only married home of Prime Minister Ben Chifley and his wife, Elizabeth.  Today, this modest semi-detached terrace still contains its original collection of household furnishings and personal effects dating back to when the Chifleys first occupied the house in 1914. 

Ben and Elizabeth's home is a testament to the frugalness of the times when the hardships of the Great Depression, followed by wartime rationing and austerity measures, dictated how people led their ordinary lives.  The collection also contains an assortment of ceremonial gifts presented to Chifley in his roles as Prime Minister and Treasurer.

Now owned and managed by Bathurst Regional Council, Chifley Home is a tribute to a great Prime Minister and time capsule for an era in Bathurst's history.

Miss Traill's House and Garden  This colonial georgian bungalow was built in 1845 soon after land became available in the Bathurst area.  Miss Traill's House and Garden is named after Ida Traill, a socially prominent, independently wealthy resident, who lived here from 1930 until her death at 87 in 1976.

Ida Traill was a descendant of early settlers in the region.  Her great grandfathers, pioneering freeholders, were amongst 10 men selected by Governor Macquarie to explore and settle the Kelso area.

The home was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1976 to ensure it would not be demolished to make way for 'progress' and is today an elegant house museum containing Ida Traill's significant collection of artifacts relating to four generations of the Lee and Kite families.  Miss Traill's tasteful furniture, intriguing horse racing memorabilia, paintings and ceramics, are all linked to the house and the early history of Bathurst.

To help you enjoy these three house museums we have created the Historic Homes Pass.  This pass provide you with special entry prices for visiting all three homes. 

Adult pass $21.00  Concession pass $16.00