Tour one of Australia’s most remarkable heritage buildings

Step inside the Female Orphan School: Australia’s oldest surviving three-storey building, and explore more than 200 years of history, resilience and reform.

In 2025, we are open every Wednesday and Thursday, as well as Saturday, 4 October.

Originally founded in 1813 as a refuge for young girls in colonial Sydney, this extraordinary building has lived many lives, from an orphanage to a psychiatric hospital, before being lovingly restored as the home of the Whitlam Institute.

🏛️ Your guided tour includes:
• The Gough Whitlam Prime Ministerial Museum
• The Margaret Whitlam Galleries
• Powerful stories of care, injustice, and social change that shaped this national landmark

🎟️ Free guided tour — Bookings essential

Getting here
♿ Fully wheelchair accessible
🚗 Free parking for ticket holders in the Heritage Circle (opposite the main entrance). Please display your tour ticket on the dashboard.
🅿️ Other campus parking is paid and only in blue-lined bays
🚊 Parramatta Light Rail offers easy access. Yallamundi Station is an easy 10 minute walk away.

🔗 Learn more at www.whitlam.org

Contact the host of Heritage Tours | Female Orphan School, Parramatta