The Henry Parkes government decided to establish a Department of Agriculture in 1890. Among a number of its assigned duties was to set up a scheme of farm schools and experimental farms.

Mr R.W. Peacock was employed as the first manager of the farm and Mr H.J. Ferguson as the orchardist. The farm's orchard was some 30 acres in extent.

Mr Peacock planned and designed the experimental plots for vegetables as he knew the science of cultivation. He felt that with the farm's work being more widely known and appreciated, the number of students was expected to increase and more accommodation would be required. Later, the NSW Minister for Agriculture, Mr J. Kidd, helped promote Bathurst and other establishments in the state such as Wagga.

The idea to supply accommodation for students who were sons of farmers and others was a good one. Kidd once described it as "the object of affording young men intending to embark in agricultural pursuits, facilities for acquiring a practical training in all branches of farming, fruit growing, dairying and allied industries."

Bathurst was selected as a site for the teaching of the higher branches of agricultural education, so an agricultural college was established, but the building used for the purpose, "Logan Brae", the property of the late Dr Busby, was rented.

There were initially only five students in the college in March 1897. For the first five years of operation, the farm could only accommodate 13 students and had no permanent academic staff.

A second experimental location was added on the Macquarie River flat near the Denison Bridge, which was irrigated by an up-to-date centrifugal pump from the river.

The water was put on the land by gravitation, after which, as soon as the soil would bear the weight of a horse, it was cultivated. Tobacco trials and other experiments took place here, along with celery drills.

The orchardist, Mr H.J. Ferguson, intended to grow a number of English fruits hoping to show what perfection could be grown in the district.

Students were instructed in pruning and in the culture of orchards, with treatment of the various pests and diseases to which fruit trees may become subject. The production of orchard crops were to be for fresh eating, canning, preserving and jam-making.

Stockbreeding on the farm was confined to dairy cattle and sheep, primarily for mutton purposes. The dairy was under the supervision of Mr O'Callaghan, the government dairy expert, who was at the time experimenting with Kerry cattle - small dairy cattle which he considered adaptable to the light soil of the Bathurst farm.

Fat lambs for export formed one of the principal experiments on the farm. The breeding stock comprised the merino ewe, which would be joined with the Lincolns, English Leicester, Border Leicester, Romney Marsh and Shropshire rams.

The experiments would be carried out under the general supervision of Mr Bruce, the chief inspector of stock, who was interested in breeding lambs for export.

A number of permanent teaching staff were employed between 1902 and 1913.

Finally, accommodation was constructed for 34 resident students, with some extra students attending who boarded off site or lived on their parents' local farm.

Under arrangements with the Technical Education Department in William Street, special instruction in agriculture, chemistry and botany was provided.

Teaching was suspended In August 1941 because of the Second World War. The Defence Department took over the farm and accommodation, using the site as an Ordnance Department until 1946.