Innes Ruins Historic Site guided tour
Innes Ruins Historic Site
Overview
Join us for a walk through Innes Ruins, near Port Macquarie, and discover what it was like to live in this fascinating place during its prime. This exclusive experience is only available through a guided tour.
- When
Wednesday 2 April, 16 April, 23 April, 7 May, 4 June, 2 July, 9 July, 6 August, 3 September and 1 October 2025.
Tour on Wednesday 5 March cancelled due to weather.
Tour time: 10am to 12.15pm.
Meet at the gate at 9.45am. The gate is locked at 10am when tour departs.
- 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.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://prd.nswparks.cloud/things-to-do/guided-tours/innes-ruins-historic-site-guided-tour/local-alerts
Bookings
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Operated by
- NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Park info
- in Innes Ruins Historic Site in the North Coast region
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Innes Ruins Historic Site guided tour .
Getting there and parking
Innes Ruins Historic Site’s public access gate is 8km west of Port Macquarie town centre:
- From the Oxley Highway take the John Oxley Drive roundabout exit and turn left onto The Ruins Way.
- Follow The Ruins Way to the southern end, turn right onto The Point Drive, and meet the ranger at the locked gate on the left.
Access to the site is through 2 locked gates. After meeting the NPWS guide at the gate, vehicles will travel to the Innes Ruins carpark in convoy.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
There is free parking in the Innes Ruins carpark.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - medium
The boardwalk has gentle grades and no steps, and is accessible for wheelchairs, prams and visitors with limited mobility. You may require a little assistance to get around in some areas, such as grassy surfaces.