Windsor Heritage Walking Tour: Echoes of Green Hills

Take a step back in time and explore Windsor, one of Australia’s oldest and most charming towns, which was once known as Green Hills.

In 1794, a handful of settlers staked their claims along the banks of the Hawkesbury River, drawn by its fertile floodplains and the promise of a fresh start. By 1810, Governor Lachlan Macquarie recognised the town's potential. He envisaged a grand, well-planned town that would be safe from floods and full of life, laid out with precision and purpose.

Working under his personal direction, the surveyors designed the town with broad streets, stately buildings and open squares, all centred around St Matthew’s Church and McQuade Park. The result was a thriving colonial town that balanced practicality with elegance and ambition with charm.

Today, Macquarie’s vision is still palpable in Windsor’s heritage buildings, leafy streets and riverside vistas. This walk invites you to uncover the stories, secrets, and spirit that shaped one of Australia’s first planned towns, from the colonial grandeur of St Matthew’s to the cobbled grace of Thompson Square.

So lace up your walking shoes, follow the echoes of the past, and discover Windsor, where history, architecture and the river converge.