John Oxley Cottage is built on land that was originally part of the grant made by Governor Lachlan Macquarie to John Oxley, 1000 acres in 1815 - Kirkham and 850 acres in 1816 - Ellerslie. No record has been found of its original builder but it is a typical "workman's cottage" thought to have been built in the 1890s as part of a row of similar cottages along the road into Camden.
The cottage is built from bricks most likely to have been made at the brick works in the town of Camden. The original roof of wooden shingles can be seen under the eaves of the back verandah. There were separate outbuildings located beside a brick well.
It is believed that the cost of connecting electricity to the cottage was paid for by Miss Faithfull-Anderson of "Camelot", known for her generosity done quietly and without public attention.
The house was known for some time as "Curry's Cottage" and was once owned by the Curry family (although not the main farmhouse) after whom the adjoining reserve is named. The Cottage houses Camden Visitor Information Centre. Open 7 days.
