Type

Historic buildings/places

Where

47 Old Great Western Highway, Hartley, NSW, 2790 - in Hartley Historic Site in Sydney and surrounds

Accessibility

Medium

Price

$8.80 for adults or $6.60 for concession (including students, seniors and pensioners). Children under 5 are free.

Opening times

Former St Bernards Church is:

• Open for pre-booked tours.
• Please contact Hartley Historic Site on (02) 6355 2117 or email for further information.

Hire this venue

Former St Bernards Church is available for events and function hire.

Please note

• The church no longer functions as a Catholic church as of 1 November 2024. 
• For tours, please book ahead on (02) 6355 2117.

The beautiful pale sandstone Former St Bernards Church was built by local stonemason Alexander Binning, probably from a Gothic prototype. Before it was built, services had to be held in Hartley Courthouse, with the first priest arriving from Ireland in 1838. The stonework was completed in 1846, but the windows and altar came later.

St Bernards remained the parish church until the mid-1880s when services transferred to Lithgow, but it hosted the occasional service until 1963. Careful renovations have kept the building in a beautiful condition. It's a well-preserved and pretty church that's well worth a look around. You can also take great photographs in the grounds for any occasion, even just a day trip.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

Aboriginal meeting place

Hartley Historic Village is set in a landscape of great and continuing importance to Aboriginal people who have lived on and passed through this land for thousands of years.

A tor, or cluster of granite rocks known as Kew-Y-Ahn to local Aboriginal people, is said to have been a meeting place for the Wiradjuri People from the west and Gundungurra People from the east.

Excellent bushwalking on historic roads

The Hartley area is great for bushwalking. Kew-Y-Ahn Bells Rock Heritage Walking Track is a 600m return walk to a striking granite tor with valley views. Rowsons River walk is a 1km loop by the river and Rowsons Hut remains.

Outside the village, you may like to set out on Lawson's Long Alley, Lockyer's Pass or Berghofer's Pass. Hartley’s rural setting is welcoming and peaceful – perfect for a picnic or a satisfying stroll.

The story of settlement

This exceptionally well-maintained village is of national historical significance as a substantial early nineteenth-century settlement. It tells modern visitors a great deal about the expansion of European development in inland Australia and the beautiful old buildings illustrate the changing role and fortunes of Hartley from first settlement of the inland to the beginning of the motor transport era. Discover more interesting facts at the visitor centre or buy a ticket for a self-guided tour. Large groups can book in advance on (02) 6355 2117.