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Where to glimpse the history and mystery of bygone eras

From one of the earliest buildings surviving from the colonial settlement in Sydney Cove to mysterious prison ruins and wild and solitary lighthouses, the ghosts of the past live on in the historic sites and places preserved by NSW national parks and reserves.

Walk in the footsteps of bushrangers to the Hartley courthouse, or take in the gallery of artwork inspired by the vibrant goldrush village and Australian landscape at Hill End. Explore the tunnels and forts of Sydney's military past. Or stay in the grand old Yarrangobilly Caves House for a touch of early 1900s charm.

Trial Bay Gaol - Arakoon State Conservation Area

Enjoy the ambience of the ruins of Trial Bay Gaol on the spectacular shores of Arakoon State Conservation Area. Established as a public works prison in the 1870s, Trial Bay Gaol was later used as an internment camp for 'enemy sympathisers' during WWI.

Today, the gaol is a solitary, picturesque ruin with an atmosphere of timelessness and mystery. In the gaol museum you can see an extensive photographic record of the area's use as an internment camp - a unique insight into this period of Australia's history.

Where: Trial Bay Gaol is 3km east of South West Rocks on the mid-north coast.
More info: Arakoon State Conservation Area

The Lighthouses of the national parks of NSW

Shining across the sea in all weathers, lighthouses protect ships and sailors from dangerous shoals, headlands, bars and reefs.

Without them, our early trade and shipping - the backbone of 19th-century Australia - could not have developed. With shipwreck numbers on the rise, colonial authorities wanted to light the NSW coast 'like a street with lamps' and so the coastline of NSW is dotted with these beacons.

NPWS manages 10 historic lighthouses, stretching from Cape Byron in the north to Green Cape on the far south coast. You can even stay in the restored lightkeeper's cottages at several of the lighthouses.

Where: Various locations along the NSW coast
More info: Take a tour of the lighthouses

Yarrangobilly Caves House - Kosciuszko National Park

Experience the comfortable isolation of picturesque Yarrangobilly Valley in your own carefully restored self-contained wing of historic Caves House.

Caves House captures the atmosphere of that bygone era - parts of Caves House date back to 1901 and the building is comfortably furnished in a style that reflects the period.

Enjoy a range of nearby activities, including guided and self-guided tours of Yarrangobilly Caves and the natural thermal bathing pool.

Where: Yarrangobilly Caves House is 77km south of Tumut in the Snowy Mountains.
More info: Yarrangobilly Caves House

Hill End Historic Site

Hill End is a living village, featuring intact goldrush streetscapes and buildings dating back to the 1860s. Preserved much as it was in its heyday, it's the perfect place to relive the early goldmining days of 19th-century NSW.

Hill End's landscape also played a significant role in Australian art, inspiring artists such as Russell Drysdale and Brett Whiteley.

Where: Hill End Historic Site is 85km north of Bathurst, in Central NSW.
More info: Hill End Historic Site

Hartley Historic Site

This quiet site is a reminder of the thriving village that flourished here in the 1800s, serving the travellers and settlers west of the Blue Mountains.

Today, the site has a special ambience, with its well-preserved sandstone courthouse. It was here that absconding convicts, petty thieves and highway robbers were once brought before the magistracy.

You can join a tour of the courthouse, and the small, elegant sandstone church provides a charming venue for weddings.

Where: Hartley Historic Site is 120km west of Sydney.
More info: Hartley Historic Site

Yuranigh's Aboriginal Grave Historic Site

Yuranigh was an Aboriginal guide for surveyor Thomas Mitchell between 1845 and 1846, and the site of his grave is a unique combination of Aboriginal and European burial customs.

Where: Yuranigh's Aboriginal Grave Historic Site is 5km south of Molong in Central NSW.
More info: Yuranigh's Aboriginal Grave Historic Site

The fortifications of Sydney Harbour National Park

More than 150 years of military technology and history are scattered through the bushland of Sydney Harbour National Park, defending the harbour from enemies real and imagined throughout the early years of the Sydney settlement.

You can tour several of these fascinating battlements and fortifications, including the island of Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour with its rare circular Martello Tower, and Middle Head with its impressive gun placements, tunnels, observation posts and other defensive structures.

Where: Sydney Harbour National Park is scattered around Sydney Harbour and includes the harbour islands.
More info: Exploring the cultural heritage of Sydney Harbour National Park

The Old Great North Road - Dharug & Yengo national parks

Walk in the chained footsteps of the 720-odd convicts who toiled in vain on the construction of the Great North Road in the 1820s and 30s.

The Great North Road was a 264km route linking Sydney and the early settlements of the Hunter Valley. Part of this historic route, which was practically abandoned before it was even used, features the oldest surviving stone bridges on mainland Australia. The road also has beautifully preserved buttresses, culverts and twelve metre high retaining walls.

Where: The Old Great North Road runs from Wisemans Ferry to Mount Manning near Bucketty, north of Sydney.
More info: The Old Great North Road

Cadmans Cottage

Cadmans Cottage is the third-oldest of the buildings surviving from the settlement of Sydney Cove, after the Rum Hospital (now part of Parliament House) and the National Trust Centre on Observatory Hill.

Cadmans Cottage has seen a variety of occupants and has been used for many different purposes since it was built in 1816. Today it houses a small museum and the Sydney Harbour National Park Information Centre.
Where: Cadmans Cottage is in The Rocks in Sydney.
More info: Cadmans Cottage Historic Site