Cadmans Cottage Historical Site

Address: Cadmans Cottage, 110-114 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000

Website: https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/explore/facilities/cadmans-cottage

Hours: Exterior visible daily; interior access limited (check City of Sydney listings)

Admission: Free (exterior); access via NSW National Parks & Wildlife or City of Sydney for events

Cadmans Cottage is an early colonial sandstone building located at the western edge of Circular Quay in Sydney, Australia. It is among the city’s oldest surviving residences and government buildings and retains its simple Georgian form.

Historically the building served as accommodation for government boatmen and later had varied official uses; it has been conserved and interpreted as a historic structure. The cottage sits beside the waterfront near the Overseas Passenger Terminal and close to the Royal Botanic Garden.

Its compact footprint and original sandstone walls make it a visible relic of Sydney’s early 19th-century harbour-edge development, and it is frequently noted on walking routes around Circular Quay.

• Age and construction: One of Sydney’s oldest surviving structures, constructed in 1816 from local sandstone and preserved as an early colonial government building.

Located in The Rocks at the foot of George Street near Circular Quay. Walk from Circular Quay station (5-10 minutes) or take any ferry to Circular Quay and follow the waterfront promenade south to Cadmans Cottage.

• Stand on the stone threshold and notice the burnished wear of the steps-that polished surface is nineteenth-century footfall.
• Visit early afternoon for the best light on the sandstone; the cottage faces the harbor so the light changes dramatically through the day.
• Check City of Sydney or local heritage listings for limited interior tours-most visits are exterior views only.