Bathurst
City in New South Wales
Description
Bathurst is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Bathurst is about 200 Kilometres west-northwest of Sydney and is the seat of the Bathurst Regional Council. Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in Australia and had a population of 37,191 at June 2019.
Attractions & Tours
The stories of regional Australia start here.
Home to a variety of world-class museums, as well as countless iconic attractions that display the history and charm of the region, you can easily spend a week or more exploring Bathurst and its surrounding towns and still only scratch the surface.
Bathurst Rail Museum
Opened in 2020 inside the converted Railway Institute Building, the Bathurst Rail Museum brings the fascinating social history of Bathurst and our story as a railway town to life with personal recollections and interesting artefacts. As well as the largest public HO model railway in the Southern Hemisphere.
Bathurst Explorer Bus
Hop on, hop off. See the best of Bathurst with a 48 hour Explorer Bus Pass. Starting daily at 10 am from the Visitor Information Centre, the bus will take you to all the iconic attractions in Bathurst, with some local history, as well as shopping and dining tips
along the way.
Bathurst Wine Explorer
Introducing this brand new tour featuring a tasting at 2 of Bathurst’s hidden vineyards plus a set course lunch at the iconic Abercrombie House. No designated driver required, just hop on the bus and enjoy the scenery.
Held on the third weekend of each month.
Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum
Home to Australia’s largest collection of fossils and minerals, donated by Warren Somerville AM. See sparkling gemstones up close, learn about the geology and science behind how our world came to be, and marvel at the model T-Rex skeleton. All housed in the beautiful, historic former Bathurst Public School building.
Download the Bathurst ‘Step Beyond’ App
Enjoy personal tours of some of the region’s greatest attractions voiced by local celebrities.
Search ‘Bathurst Step Beyond’ in the App Store or Google Play.
Barcoo’s Farmstays
Experience all the activities on a working farm just outside Bathurst. Feed the chooks, lambs and meet Georgie Pig or take a pony ride.
History Hill Museum
A huge display of gold-rush era artefacts that tell the history of Hill End. Explore the underground mine and try your hand at gold-panning.
Jenolan Caves
The world’s oldest caves are yours to explore. From total novice to experienced caver there are breathtaking tours for everyone.
Mini-Golf
Try the new gold-rush themed mini-golf course at NRMA Bathurst Panorama Holiday Park. Open to both guests
and visitors.
Simmo’s Offroad Tours
Let experienced local guide, Greg Simpson guide you to some of the lesser known parts of our beautiful region on fishing, camping or wine tours.
Rockley Mill & Stables Museum
Built in 1862, this former working flour mill displays much of the grain refining machinery of the time, as well as the rich history of the area with a range of commercial and household goods on display throughout its three storeys.
National Motor Racing Museum
Located at the foot of the famous Mount Panorama Racing circuit, this museum celebrates Bathurst’s history as a proud location on the national motor sporting calendar. See a huge collection of bikes, cars and the Immersive Room for a virtual hot lap.
Abercrombie House
A grand Scottish baronial mansion built in the 1870s, and now the private home of the Morgan family, Abercrombie House opens its doors and garden to the public year-round for tours, high tea, jazz and theatrical performances and night tours.
Bathurst District Historical Society Museum
This museum is overflowing with historical artefacts that tell the story of Bathurst, from Wiradjuri land to bustling regional centre and everything in between. Family records and archives are also available to print for a small fee.
Mayfield Garden
Detour Adventures
Explore Bathurst and her surrounding villages on a one to four day tour through the rugged landscapes you’ll only see off the beaten track.
Bathurst Tours
Bathurst Tours will take you anywhere you fancy in absolute style. With a local guide to give you all the best tips for an enjoyable trip.
Bathurst Soaring Club
Try the ‘Air Experience Flight’ where you can sit back and enjoy the amazing Central West scenery while gliding through the sky.
Country Food Trails – Orange
Country Food Trails offer thoughtfully planned, intimate food and wine tours in the Orange District and surrounds.
Ash’s Speedway Museum
Quite possibly a contender for Australia’s Most Impressive Man Cave, browse this amazing collection of all things motor sport.
Bathurst Goldfields
Learn the art of gold panning at this iconic attraction on Mount Panorama. Gold panning demonstrations are run Monday to Friday from 1 pm to 3 pm during New South Wales school holiday periods.
Bathurst Thoroughbred Racing
The historic Tyers Park is the key racing centre for the Central Districts region. Major annual meetings include the Bathurst Cup (February) and Soldier’s Saddle (ANZAC Day).
Bathurst Harness Racing Club
One of Australia’s most successful provincial race clubs. The club conducts 58 thrilling race meetings a year including the highly popular Gold Crown Carnival each autumn.
Miss Traill’s House & Garden
A delightful heritage house museum, this Victorian-era bungalow was left to the National Trust in 1976 and the collection it holds features pieces that once belonged to the region’s original settlers.
Memorial Walk
Since 1977 Bathurst RSL Club has displayed service-related memorabilia dating from the Boer War to Afghanistan.
Heritage Park
Situated on former military training grounds the park now operates as an educational centre and petting zoo.
Cobb & Co Coach
See this amazing restored coach up close at Bathurst Visitor Information Centre.
Old Government Cottage
Said to have been built in 1817, Old Government Cottage is one of the oldest brick buildings in Australia!
Gunther’s Lane
Experience the latest in consumer technology at Gunther’s Lane like Virtual Reality and 3D printing.
Metro 5 Cinema
Five big screens to watch all the latest blockbusters and family flicks, plus a fully stocked snack bar.
Hill End Heritage Centre
Located right in the centre of Hill End Historic Site, this interactive museum is the ideal starting point for your Hill End experience. Step into the beautifully restored 1950s Rural Fire Service shed, and enjoy the displays at your own pace.
St Joseph’s Heritage Centre
Situated among the picturesque hills of Perthville, St Joseph’s Heritage and Conference Centre provides a beautiful space where people are welcome to pray, stay or participate in workshops that soothe the spirit.
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
Golden Memories Millthorpe Museum
Located in the historical village of Millthorpe, this Rural museum housing social and rural artefacts throughout a large complex of 8 buildings. Open 11am to 2pm weekends and public and school holidays. A Craft Cottage operates on the grounds during opening hours. Entry fees of $8 Adult, $5 child, $20 family.
Chifley Home
Former home of Australia’s 16th Prime Minster sealed in time. An intimate display of Australian life during the early to mid 20th century.
T.Arts Gallery
The Tablelands Artists Co-operative Gallery, also known as t.arts Gallery, is a not-for-profit, artist run, community co-operative that showcases the creative talents of its members living in the Tablelands region. The Gallery is ever changing due to regular exhibitions displaying the varied works of local artists.