Phillip Adams, Late Night Live, ABC RN

“Lusciously illustrated, nicely written and a bloody good read”

Elizabeth Farrelly, Spectrum SMH 10-11 July 2010

“Rosen has upset the applecart ...  [she] has undertaken exhaustive analysis that seems generally to point back to the 1790s construction date."

Adam Piper, Journal of Australian Colonial History, Vol 13. 2011.

"Debates, divisions and internal wrangling amongst individuals and groups that have responsibility for the conservation and interpretation of built heritage are,regrettably, the norm. Disparity in opinion and differences in the interpretation of evidence have (and continue to) plague heritage conservation.

"In this extremely well written, well structured and well researched work Sue Rosen draws ourattention to one such debate and its consequences — whether Experiment Farm Cottage, now owned, conserved and managed by the National Trust of Australia(NSW), was built c.1795 or c.1835. This is not just a moot point but rather 'a matter of historical and cultural importance' (p. 9). ... Rosen has crafted an exceedingly readable narrative fully rooted in archivalevidence which remedies this omission.

"As with the whole of this work, Rosen demonstrates high professional standards in her analysis of both primary and secondary sources... the book is a timely reminder of the importance of excellence in conservation planning and management given the current assault on built heritage conservation by all sides of politics ... The work is well written and edited ...

"Australia's Oldest House makes an important contribution to our understanding of the social, economic and political world of early-colonial New South Wales."