Innes Ruins Historic Site guided tour

When

Tours run on the first Wednesday of the month:

Wednesday 5 March, 2 April, 7 May, 4 June, 2 July, 6 August, 3 September and 1 October 2025.

Extra school holiday tours:

Wednesday 16 April, 23 April and 9 July 2025.

Tour time:

10am to 12.15pm. Meet at the gate at 9.45am. The gate is locked at 10am when tour departs.

Where

Innes Ruins, Innes Ruins Historic Site

Accessibility

Medium

Grade

Easy. Suitable for adults and children 5 years and over. You’ll walk 1km. Visitors enter the Ruins site via an unsealed path with a slight incline and there are some raised boardwalks.

Price

Adult $20 per person. Children (5 to 16 years) $10 per person. Family $50 for 2 adults and 2 children.

Meeting point

Locked gate at the entrance to Innes Ruins Historic Site (intersection of The Point Drive and end of The Ruins Way).

Bookings

Bookings required. Phone 1300 072 757 for more information or book online.

Perched above serene Lake Innes (Burrawan), Innes Ruins are a significant reminder of early colonial history on the mid-north coast of NSW. These extensive ruins are some of the oldest surviving brick structures in northern New South Wales. The site offers a window into the early colonisation of NSW, convict labour and colonial life in the 1800s.

The house was built by Major Archibald Clunes Innes, but the economic crash of the 1840s led to his financial downfall, and the closure of Port Macquarie as a penal colony meant he lost access to convict labour. After Innes' departure, the house was occupied for several more decades, but by the early 1900s it was abandoned.

During this guided tour, you’ll hear excerpts from the personal diary of Innes’ niece, Annabella Boswell, offering a fascinating glimpse into life on the Innes Peninsula during the 1830s.

Learn surprising Australian firsts you never expected, while reflecting on the deep and lasting impacts of colonisation on this land and its people.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info