Cadman's Cottage

Sydney's oldest house: an 1816 sandstone cottage in the historic Rocks neighbourhood, telling the story of colonial life and the early harbour.

Cadman's Cottage is the oldest surviving residential building in Sydney and a quiet testament to Australia's early colonial era. The modest sandstone house was built in 1816 in the neighbourhood of The Rocks — originally at the water's edge, now surrounded by modern wharves. John Cadman, government coxswain and freed convict, lived here for decades with his family, using the building as headquarters for the colonial boat fleet. Through the 19th century it served as sailors' quarters and later as a Water Police station. Today it houses a small National Parks visitor centre offering insights into The Rocks and Sydney's formative years.