Hartley Historic Site is the well-preserved remains of one of the first rural settlements west of the Blue Mountains. The settlement of this area in the 1830s was significant for the development of inland Australia. In the village there are 17 buildings of historic interest, including the he Greek Revival Courthouse (1837), now a museum with guided tours. It was the scene of many convict trials.

Set among pastures, orchards, native plants and nineteenth and twentieth-century cottage gardens, the village���s lovely sandstone buildings preserve an important piece of history: the settlement of inland Australia. Seventeen buildings tell the story of the village, from the 1837 Greek Revival courthouse to Corneys Garage, built in 1945 of timber and iron. Explore the artefacts and family histories, find out about the region���s past at the visitor centre, or enjoy a picnic in the absolute serenity of historic Hartley.

Hartley's sister villages, Little Hartley and Hartley Vale, still survive as residential villages with a heritage of their own. Little Hartley, situated 4 kilometres south-east of Hartley, is the site of the historic home Rosedale. Hartley Vale, situated 6 kilometres east of Hartley, is the site of the Comet Inn, Collits Inn and Hartley Vale cemetery. There is also a network of historic walking tracks between Hartley Vale and Mount York, administered by the Lands Department of New South Wales.

Hartley Historic Site Visitor Centre is open from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4.20pm. (02) 6355 2117

Where is it?: 127 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district; 10 kilometres west of Mount Victoria and 12 kilometres south of Lithgow. It is open to the public every day (except Christmas Day and Easter Sunday). From Mt Victoria, ravel west along the Great Western Highway; turn left into the village 4km after Little Hartley.