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15 Best Things to Do in Goulburn (Australia)

Some of the world’s finest wool comes from this small city up in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales .

And to celebrate that fact there’s a giant merino ram to meet you from the side of the Hume Highway.

Goulburn was declared Australia’s first inland city by Queen Victoria in 1863, and a few years later was hooked up to the railway system to great fanfare.

Something special about Goulburn is just how much of its Victorian heritage is still here, be it a Gothic Revival cathedral, a grand courthouse, a working pump station, a railway roundhouse or the fine old estates on the edge of town.

1. Belmore Park

Goulburn’s genteel central park abounds with mature trees, neat lawns, flowerbeds and little monuments.

This space used to be the city’s marketplace, and was named in honour of NSW Governor Lord Belmore on the arrival of the railway in Goulburn in 1869. At the end of the century the plaza had become a park, and the cute band rotunda here dates from that conversion in 1899. On an amble around Belmore Park you’ll also find a mosaic of little gardens, war memorials, a fountain and a glasshouse conservatory.

You can download a guide for this heritage or pick up a leaflet at the Goulburn Visitor Centre, a few steps away at the bottom of Montague Street.

For a picnic in a refined spot, you can grab something to take away from the many eateries along Auburn Street and Market Street, on the park’s north side.

2. St Saviour’s Cathedral

At the head of Montague Street stands what is thought to be one of Australia’s finest provincial cathedrals.

St Saviour’s Cathedral is in a Gothic Revival style and was ready in 1884 after ten years of construction.

The monument is built from Bundanoon sandstone, and is noted for the delicate tracery throughout, but especially on the stunning east window.

There’s also a clerestory over the nave, while the buttressed tower is actually a recent addition, erected according to the original plans as a Bicentennial project in 1988. Inside, check out the hammerbeam roof, Early English-style clustered columns with foliate capitals, the organ by Foster & Andrews of Hull (1884), the ornate chancel arch and the detailed carving on the cathedra (bishop’s throne).

3. Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre

As soon as the railway reached Goulburn in 1869 it was joined by a depot in the town’s southern outskirts.

A 42-road roundhouse opened here in 1918 and this remarkable piece of heritage continues to function, representing a perfect snapshot of the transition between the steam and diesel eras.

Lined up around the turntable is a riveting collection of goods and passenger locomotives, going back to a Vulcan Foundry tank engine from 1884. There are steam engines from the Everleigh Railway Workshops and Baldwin Locomotive Works, as well as all sorts of other rolling stock ready to be boarded and explored from top to bottom.

For the inside track on the collection take a free guided tour with one of the expert volunteer guides.

4. Goulburn Historic Waterworks

In 1885 Goulburn’s first reticulated water supply came from a pumping station next to the Wollondilly River at Marsden Weir.

Now listed on the National Trust and State Heritage registers, the site is intact both inside and out, making it the only facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Within, the Appleby Bros. beam engine pump and its W&J Galloway & Sons Boilers are all in working order.

You can visit the waterworks Saturday to Tuesdays, and watch that beam engine in action on select Sundays throughout the year.

Also relocated to the waterworks is a stationary steam engine built by Bolton-based Hick, Hargreaves & Co in 1866. Every October the station is taken over by the Steampunk Victoriana Fair, with live music, dance and tons of activities and games from tea to carriage and penny farthing rides.

5. Rocky Hill War Memorial and Museum

One Goulburn landmark visible from far and wide is the hilltop war memorial, completed in 1925 to commemorate those who served in the First World War.

This tower is 20 metres tall and has a lookout at the top for spellbinding panoramas of Goulburn and mountains on the horizon to the east.

Needless to say, the sunsets are pretty special up here.

Gouldburn received a large collection of German war trophies in the 1920s, and these were put on show, first in the tower’s basement and then in the caretaker’s cottage beside it.

In 2020 a new, cutting-edge museum building doubled the exhibition space.

Among the many interesting pieces on display are a WWI German telephone switchboard, anti-tank rifles, a grenade thrower, medical pouches, a field telephone and myriad other pieces of specialised equipment.

6. The Big Merino

Australia is littered with giant objects known as “Big Things”, the first of which appeared in the 1960s.

These are minor tourist attractions, normally celebrating a local industry or piece of heritage.

So it’s apt that in a historically pastoral place like Goulburn, the Big Thing should be a humungous merino ram.

Commanding service station by a roundabout just off the Hume Highway, the Big Merino was completed in 1985 and stands 15.2 metres tall.

There’s a gift shop stocked with local fine merino knitwear on the ground floor of this concrete structure and a display for the local wool industry above.

Also upstairs you can look over Goulburn through the ram’s eyes, which light up at night.

The Big Merino was relocated to its current site in 2007 after Goulburn was bypassed by the Hume Highway in the 1990s, and the complex lost out on tourist traffic.

7. Riversdale

The first of a handful of charming old properties to be visited in Goulburn is this Georgian homestead that started out in the 1830s as an inn.

The property later became a school and then a residence, and was bought in 1875 by the Twynam family who would remain until Riversdale was acquired by the National Trust in 1967. Emily Twynam (1845-1910), who lived here with her husband Edward, was a talented artist and woodcarver, and Riversdale is still decorated with her picture frames, embroidery and furniture, and retains many of her wildlife drawings.

You can come to tour the main house, outbuildings and gardens, and drop by for a special Devonshire tea on the third Sunday of the month.

8. Goulburn Court House

Along the stately Montague Street opposite Belmore Park you’ll come to one of the finest court buildings in the state.

The work of government architect James Barnet (1827-1904), the Goulburn Court House was raised from 1885 to 1887 in the Victorian Free Classical style.

Composed of a mixture of brick and sandstone, the building’s most striking details are its copper dome and the handsome arched porch at the main entrance, flanked by loggias.

This continues to be a working court, so entrance is restricted, but you can go through the gates to wander the grounds.

9. Wollondilly River Walkway

The Goulburn Mulwaree Council has taken a lot of care to open the beautiful green banks of the Wollondilly River up to the public.

There’s a bike-friendly paved track along four kilometres of the riverbank in Goulburn, between Marsden Weir in the west and the Tarlo Street Bridge in the east.

There are plenty of places to take a break and enjoy the peace, and forget you’re just a few moments from the city centre.

The vegetation has been cleared for picnic areas, while native plants have been reintroduced and exercise stations have been installed so you can make the walkway part of your daily workout.

10. Lansdowne Park

The oldest European property in Goulburn is the heritage-listed Lansdowne Park, a homestead constructed between 1822 and 1825. On the estate is a single-storey Colonial house, a ballroom, coach house, stables, convict-built servants’ quarters, a synagogue, a convict gaol and three little cottages.

Although smaller than it was two centuries ago, the estate is still used for agriculture, and the synagogue stands in the middle of a vineyard.

Lansdowne Park has been faithfully restored, and as of 2020 was on the market, but still open for farms stays and tours.

11. Garroorigang Historic Home

More than 160 years of history is preserved at this homestead a little way past the Rail Heritage Centre.

Garroorigang Historic Home is no museum, but rather a private residence opened to the public by the Hume family, which can trace its lineage back to the 19th-century explorer Hamilton Hume.

Initially an inn on the way to the goldfields, the property served as a posh boarding school up to 1883. Garroorigang has held onto its exquisite Colonial furnishings and is replete with interesting historical objects, from old student textbooks to 19th-century cooking utensils and antique sports equipment.

The grounds are gorgeous, particularly the dainty rose garden with a gazebo.

12. Goulburn Regional Art Gallery

As a regional city, Goulburn has an institution devoted to developing contemporary art in this corner of New South Wales.

This is the most important gallery in a 100-kilometre radius, and it moved into its current purpose-built home at the Civic Centre in 1990. You can take the pulse of the region’s art scene at a multidisciplinary lineup of exhibitions each year, a portion of which have had an environmental theme which resonates with local audiences.

Since the 2000s, many of these exhibitions have gone on to find a larger audience on national tours, while locally the gallery is engaged in workshops and programs for schools and for adults with disabilities.

13. Bungonia National Park

For a convenient day trip there’s a national park with a landscape of limestone gorges, caves, sinkholes and peaks in the Great Dividing Range, only half an hour east of Goulburn.

For tens of thousands of years, these ridges were travel routes for the Ngunnawal indigenous people.

There’s evidence of Aboriginal campsites in the park, and the limestone sinkholes contain edible plants consumed by the Ngunnawal for millennia.

The park has around 200 caves, many of which can be explored by experienced cavers.

Some of these are open only seasonally as they’re inhabited by the large bent-wing bat, a vulnerable species.

You can go on an unforgettable canyoning adventure along Jerrara and Bungonia Creek, and above the latter is the magnificent Lookdown Lookout.

The majestic Bungonia Slot Canyon can be viewed in all its glory from Adams Lookout, while for an easy introductory hike to the park’s environment of rainforest and gorges take the Green Track.

14. Goulburn Wetlands

On the Mulwaree River, next to the war memorial is a wetland site that has been restored over the last few years.

You can cross this 13.5-hectare site via two walking tracks, both set up with interpretive signs about the natural diversity in this space.

The wetlands attract a wealth of water birds, from ducks to herons and spoonbills, as well as passerines and non-passerines like goshawks, falcons, kites and parrots.

Bring a pair of binoculars or a camera with a zoom lens and you’ll be able to observe this colourful birdlife from one of the hides.

Also hopping around the site is a troop of eastern grey kangaroos.

15. Goulburn Visitor Information Centre

The building clad with photovoltaic cells at the bottom of Montague Street is several things rolled into one.

If you’re in need of a souvenir the visitor information centre is a no-brainer, with a shop packed with wool and sheep-oriented mementoes, but also posh treats and wine from the region.

You can use the free Wi-Fi and there’s a space to take a breather and drink something cold, while you’ll be able to camp in the garden around the back (remembering that the railway runs next to the centre!). And apart from that you can make use of a goldmine of printed information and firsthand advice from the centre’s staff, who will be able to arrange accommodation and book tours for you.

15 Best Things to Do in Goulburn (Australia):

• Belmore Park
• St Saviour's Cathedral
• Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre
• Goulburn Historic Waterworks
• Rocky Hill War Memorial and Museum
• The Big Merino
• Goulburn Court House
• Wollondilly River Walkway
• Lansdowne Park
• Garroorigang Historic Home
• Goulburn Regional Art Gallery
• Bungonia National Park
• Goulburn Wetlands
• Goulburn Visitor Information Centre

• Tours and Tickets
• Book a Space
• School Holidays
• Meeting spaces
• Get Out Escape Rooms
• Battlezone Playlive Laser Tag
• Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival
• How to Get Here
• FAQ’s
• Gift Vouchers
• Accessibility
• Snitch’s Spot
• Goodies for Grownups
• Private Tours
• General History
• Share your stories
• Family Research
• Other Justice Museums
• Conservation Works
• Maitland Gaol Development Plan
• Maitland Gaol Tower Experience
• Site Information
• @MaitlandGaol Social Media House Rules

MAITLAND GAOL TO CLOSE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Maitland City Council has announced the immediate closure of Maitland Gaol following an independent safety review of the site including the fire and electrical systems.

The Gaol, which is managed by Council on behalf of the NSW Government, will be closed until further notice while an assessment of required repair work and associated costs takes place. All tours and planned events have been cancelled and refunds will be provided.

Maitland Council is working with businesses and community groups who use Gaol facilities and will assist where possible in finding alternate arrangements.

General Manager Jeff Smith says ‘this decision has not been taken lightly but the safety of Council staff, visitors and the Maitland community is of the utmost importance.’

‘As a 170 year old heritage site, Maitland Gaol has always required ongoing specialist maintenance but it has now become clear that the safety issues pose a risk to staff and visitors leaving me no choice but to close the site,’ Mr Smith says.

Maitland Council will provide regular public updates about the status of repair work and ongoing communication with community stakeholders.

For more information regarding event cancellation or obtaining refunds for booked tours, please contact [email protected]

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER GREAT ATTRACTIONS IN MAITLAND, PLEASE VISIT MYMAITLAND.COM.AU

Goulburn, NSW

Historic service centre and main city in the Southern Tablelands.

When Goulburn was finally bypassed in 1992 many people felt that the town's economy, which for so long had been driven by the through traffic on the Hume Highway, would be adversely affected. So many petrol stations, motels, cafes and associated businesses relied on the traffic through the town. But Goulburn, one the earliest inland settlements in New South Wales and the dominant town in the Southern Tablelands, was much more than just a tourist stopover. It was a major service centre for the surrounding pastoral land with huge stockyards and meat processing; it had an engineering and industrial base; it was an important railway town; its location had ensured that it became a significant warehousing and distribution centre; it was a centre for a number of important government agencies; it had always had a strong educational base which had been enhanced by the establishment in 1984 of the NSW Police Academy; and, most of all, it was a thriving centre with a beautiful park, Belmore Park, in the city centre and a large number of elegant public buildings.

Goulburn is located where the Mulwaree and Wollondilly Rivers meet, 640 m above sea level and 196 km south-west of Sydney via the M5 Motorway and Hume Freeway.

Origin of Name

When, in 1818, an expedition led by Hamilton Hume, Charles Throsby and James Meehan passed through the area, Meehan named the broad flat plains to the south of the present city, the Goulburn Plains after Henry Goulburn, who, at the time, was the British Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.

Things to See and Do

Goulburn has a vast number of significant historic buildings. The most sensible approach to exploring the city's fine historic heritage is to collect one, or more, of the many historic walk brochures from the Visitor Information Centre. The self-guided tours (there are guided tours available as well) include an Historical Walking Tour, Architectural, Miles Franklin, Roses, Public Art, Rail Heritage, Belmore Park, Historic Cemeteries, Watering Holes and Geocaching Tours. Many of these can be downloaded as PDFs. Check out http://www.igoulburn.com/site/files/ul/data_text12/2449172.pdf . There are a number of important and interesting buildings and destinations around the town which should not be missed. These include:

Post Office Located in Auburn Street, and dominating the central part of the city, the Post Office, as the National Estate records, is: "A large Victorian Classical building of stuccoed brick built to a symmetrical design from the Office of the Colonial Architect, James Barnet, in 1880-1881. The dominant central clock tower is joined on each side by two-storey colonnaded offices to three-storey wings. The ground floor colonnades have four arches each with Doric pilasters and entablature and a moulded keystone in each arch. An outstanding landmark in Goulburn."

Town Hall Located in Auburn Street, the Town Hall building is a Classical Revival red-brick structure with a small curved iron-lace balcony and Dutch gable, built in 1887-88 to a design by architects E.C. Manfred & Son and used by the council until 1990. It complements the Post Office and the Court House and is listed on the National Estate.

St Peter and St Paul's Catholic Cathedral Located on the corner of Bourke and Verner Streets, St Peter and St Paul's Roman Catholic Cathedral was originally a brick church completed in 1848. In 1871, after Goulburn had been created a diocese with a bishop, the building of the first stage of the current cathedral commenced. It was erected around the original church which was taken out through the western doors. The second stage was completed between 1887-1890. It  is an impressive Gothic Revival structure built of greenstone with sandstone tracery, slender moulded columns, a marble sanctuary and an organ that dates from 1890. In 1948 Goulburn was raised to an Archdiocese and the Archbishop moved to Canberra making this church the "Old Cathedral".

St Saviour's Anglican Cathedral Located at 170 Bourke Street, St Saviour's Anglican Cathedral (1874-84) is known as the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. This elegant Gothic sandstone building was designed by noted colonial architect Edmund Blacket (famous for the Quadrangle at Sydney University) who considered it one of his finest works. It was begun in 1874, dedicated in 1884 and built largely from stone from Bundanoon. Highlights of the cathedral's rich interior include "elaborate stone tracery in the aisle and transcept windows and in the altar", the stained-glass windows, wood and stone carvings, the font, hammer-beam roof, luxurious and ornate sanctuary, the chancel with its remarkable Bishop's Throne, the pulpit with its alabaster columns, the bas-relief copy of Leonardo's Last Supper above the altar, and the magnificent 1884 organ with its 2,252 pipes, tel: (02) 4821 2206.

Grafton Street Self-Guided Walk The Grafton Street Self-Guided Walk identifies 19 places of interest in the street including the Coach & Horses Inn built in 1840 at 25-29 Grafton Street; Grafton House at 51 Grafton Street which was believed to be an inn; and the Exchange Hotel on the corner of Bradley and Grafton Street which is reputedly one of the oldest hotels in Goulburn. All these inns are hardly surprising as Grafton Street was originally the Great South Road from Sydney and had eleven hotels in its heyday. Its width was to permit bullock drays and horse carts to turn around. Most of the buildings in the street date from the nineteenth century. They are described in great detail in the Grafton Street Walk brochure which can be downloaded at http://www.igoulburn.com/site/files/ul/data_text12/2449172.pdf

St Clair At 318 Sloane Street is St Clair,  an early brick and stucco colonial townhouse  built by James Sinclair in 1845. It features the original cedar panelling and stringybark floors and a veranda with fluted sandstone columns capped by a Classical stone entablature. The building is now home to the St Clair Cottage Folk Museum and Archives which runs social history exhibitions, tel: (02) 4823 4448.

Sloane Street Self-Guided Walk You can download a self-guided walk of approximately 2.2 km along Sloane  Street which includes a total of ten buildings including the former hotel, built in 1858, which is now home to R.J. Sidney Craig undertakers who started arranging funerals in Goulburn in 1837, making them the longest-established undertakers in New South Wales; the police station at 274 Sloane Street which was built as a convict hospital but operated as a general hospital from 1843-1889; the Classical Revival railway station (1869) and the stationmaster's residence (1869) with its steep gables and charming fretwork porch; the Coolavin Hotel at 167 Sloane Street which started out as a bank in the late 1850s and retains a veranda which is supported on cast-iron columns with unusual sea horse-patterned ironwork; and the Visitors' Centre at 201 Sloane Street. Download a more detailed description of the street at http://www.igoulburn.com/site/files/ul/data_text12/2449172.pdf

The Self-Guided Heritage Walking Tour This 1.6 km walk, which includes 27 places of interest, starts at the town's fourth Court House in Montague Street which was designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet, opened in 1887, and is a Classical Revival polychrome brick structure with a copper dome, colonnaded facade and richly decorated interior. It is surrounded by attractive gardens and enclosed by an iron pike fence. The keystone over the central arch depicts Queen Victoria. The tour also includes the previously mentioned Post Office and Town Hall; the Dimmeys Building on the corner of Montague and Auburn Streets which was built in 1853 in Victorian Italianate style with towers, battlements and arched windows; the previously mentioned Anglican and Catholic Churches; Belmore Park and other notable and prominent buildings. It can be downloaded at http://www.igoulburn.com/site/files/ul/data_text12/2449172.pdf . This walking tour from the Court House to Belmore Park is only seven blocks: a reminder of just how rich the town's architectural history is.

Belmore Park Located in the centre of town and edged by Auburn, Market, Sloane and Montague Streets, Belmore Park was dedicated in 1869 by Lady Belmore in the same year her husband Lord Belmore (Governor of New South Wales - 1868-1872) opened the railway. At the time it was named Belmore Square. By the beginning of the twentieth century it had reached its present form with a band rotunda (1897), drinking fountain, obelisk, flower beds and extensive planting of European trees. It is located on the site of the original market place. The Classical stone archway opposite the park, in Market Street, was built in 1847 as the gateway to the Bull and Woodward Stores. The National Estate notes its importance as a reflection of the wealth of a prosperous rural township in the 1860s.

Riversdale Located at 1 Maud Street, Riversdale is a single-storey colonial Georgian cottage built of sandstock brick in 1840. It was originally built as a coaching inn complete with stables which probably date from 1833. Set in fine gardens (there are plum trees which date from 1865) it is furnished in period style. It has a stone-flagged enclosed veranda with carved-timber supports, a courtyard, timber floors and cedar joinery. It is the only surviving building from the original Goulburn townsite which existed from 1828 until Governor Bourke relocated it in 1832. In 1872 it became the private residence of NSW Surveyor General, Edward Twynam. Many pieces of furniture originally owned by the Twynams still are on display in the house including a remarkable chair carved by one of the women in the family. The Twynam family remained in the property until 1967 when it was sold to the National Trust who now open it Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10.00 am - 2.00 pm, Sunday from 10.00 am - 3.00 pm, tel: (02) 4821 4741. For more details check out http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/nsw/Riversdale

The Old Goulburn Brewery Located at 23 Bungonia Road and now part of Bradley Grange which includes the Brewery and the Steam Mill Restaurant, the Old Goulburn Brewery is reputedly the oldest working industrial complex in the country and is a rare example of a group of nineteenth century industrial buildings. The three-storey flour mill was built in 1836, the castellated brewing tower and malt houses in 1840, and the stables and a brewer's cottage were added later. In 1900 a two-storey wing completed the complex. It was designed by the famous convict-architect Francis Greenway for Jonas, Thomas and William Bradley.  Today it offers real ale and stout made on the premises, B&B accommodation, the Steam Mill Restaurant and a function centre. There are self-guided tours of the complex which retains much of the original brewing equipment. It is open daily from 11.00 am, tel: (02) 4821 6071. Check http://users.tpg.com.au/adslcy22/Brewery/Welcome.html for details.

Rocky Hill War Memorial and Museum The best view of Goulburn is from the Rocky Hill War Memorial, a handsome 20 m tower located at the end of Memorial Drive on Rocky Hill. The memorial was built in 1925 with funds raised by public subscription. The memorial honours the local service personnel who fought and died in World War I. Floodlit at night, it is open from dawn to dusk daily. The Tower and the Museum, which is located in a cottage nearby, are open for inspection from 10.00 am - 4.00 pm on weekends and public holidays. The Museum contains weapons, personal items used by local soldiers, and memorabilia, tel: (02) 4823 4463. Check http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/org/1190/about/ for more details.

The Big Merino In the hierarchy of Australian 'big things' the 'Big Merino', a huge and accurate replica of a Merino ram which is 15.2 m high, 18 m long and weighs 98 tonnes, is one of the town's more overt tourist attractions. It was the brainchild of Louis and Attila Mokany who had also been responsible for the Big Oyster at Taree and the Big Prawn at Ballina. It was modelled on a local stud ram named Rambo from the Bullamallita Stud and constructed as a giant steel frame covered with wire mesh and sprayed with reinforced concrete by Adelaide sculptor Silvio Apponyi. It took six months to build and, in the first six months, it attracted 1.2 million visitors. It was formally opened in 1985 at 88 Hume Street. When the town was bypassed it was moved further up the road where it is now part of a complex at the southern end of town which includes service stations and fast food outlets.

The Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre If you are interested in rolling stock, railways and an impressive locomotive roundhouse then the Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre on Braidwood Road houses both steam and diesel locomotives, a heritage workshop and the roundhouse which operated from 1918-1986. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 am to 3.30 pm. Most of the guides are former railway employees with a commitment and interest in rail history. Check out http://www.igoulburn.com/Attractions/GoulburnRailHeritageCentre.aspx for more details.

Other Attractions in the Area

Goulburn Historic Waterworks Museum Once known as the Goulburn Steam Museum, the Goulburn Historic Waterworks Museum is located at Marsden Weir, off Fitzroy Street, on a bend in the Wollondilly River. It is now recognised as "the only complete operational steam powered municipal water supply in its original location in the Southern Hemisphere." The machinery on display includes an Appleby Beam Engine which worked the pumps for the town's water supply from 1883 to 1918 and a corliss valve horizontal engine built in 1866. The steam engines operate once a month and the museum is open Sunday 10.00 am - 4.00 pm and Monday & Tuesday 10.00 am - 2.00 pm, tel: (02) 4823 4448. Check http://www.goulburnwaterworks.com.au for details of the times when the machinery is operational.

Garroorigang Garroorigang is a remarkable private home which is a rare opportunity to step inside a residence, still being lived in, which is largely unchanged from the middle 19th century. It was built of stuccoed brick and rubble in 1857 as a Teamsters (i.e. Bullockies) Inn. Later it became a boys' boarding school for the "sons of gentlemen" (1868-1883) while at the same time becoming the private residence of Samuel Harborne Belcher. The Victorian drawing room, extensive historic furniture, and the school room can still be inspected. It is located at 209 Braidwood Road at the southern end of town. Garroorigang is open to the public daily except on Sunday mornings and on Wednesdays. Visiting hours are from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.00 pm to 4.30 pm (other times by arrangement). Guided tours are provided by a member of the family who will explain the history of the homestead and the lives of its past and present owners, tel: (02) 4822 1912. Check http://www.argylecounty.com.au/garroorigang/ for details.

* Prior to European settlement the area was inhabited by the Gundungurra Aborigines.

* An ex-convict, John Wilson, was the first European to see the Goulburn Plains when he led an expedition into the area in 1798. The plan, devised by Governor Hunter, was to explore the area and provide a very negative report. At the time convicts were escaping and heading south in the mistaken belief that China was only 150 miles away.

* In 1818 Hamilton Hume and James Meehan crossed the plains and named them after Henry Goulburn, who, at the time, was the British Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.

* In 1819 Governor Lachlan Macquarie ordered the construction of a Great South Road from Picton to the Goulburn Plains. The following year Macquarie travelled to the plains and wrote that he found "a noble, extensive, rich meadow near a fine large pond of fresh water, the cattle being up to their bellies in as fine, long sweet grass as I have seen anywhere". He also noted the suitability of the area for grazing and crops.

* By the mid-1820s farmers were growing wheat and grazing sheep on the Goulburn Plains. Andrew Allan, who arrived in 1825, was reputedly the first settler in the area.

* By the 1830s Goulburn had an established reputation as a producer and exporter of fine merino wool.

* A town plan was drawn up in 1828 and a few allotments were taken up by discharged soldiers. However Governor Bourke considered the site (now Goulburn North) flood-prone and in 1832 a second townsite was surveyed on higher ground. The new site was gazetted in 1833.

* The importance of the settlement increased dramatically in the 1830s when the Great South Road from Picton to the Goulburn Plains was re-routed by Surveyor General Thomas Mitchell and Goulburn became an important stopover point.

* A lock-up was built in 1830 and a gallows/flogging post was constructed in 1832.

* In 1836 a stockade was built at Towrang, 15 km north-east of the town to house convicts involved in the construction of the Great South Road. It continued to operate until 1842. The stockade was the main penal establishment south-west of Sydney. At its peak it held over 250 convicts often with 10 men to a cell.

* The first school and church in Goulburn were opened in 1839.

* In 1848 the Goulburn Herald , one of Australia's first country newspapers, was established in the town.

* Goulburn was gazetted as a municipality in 1859 and became the first inland Australian city in 1863.

* Ben Hall and his  gang operated the area in the mid-1860s, raiding homesteads and holding up coaches and individuals on the Great South Road.

* The railway arrived in 1869 and the town remained the southern railhead until 1875.

* With the arrival of the railway came industries such as coach-building, iron foundries and saddlery-making which saw the town prosper through the 1870s and 1880s..

* In 1884 the gaol at North Goulburn was completed. It is now a maximum-security prison housing such infamous criminals as Ivan Milat, the Belanglo Forest serial killer.

* The novelist Miles Franklin lived on a property south of the Federal Highway near Thornford from 1889 to 1903. Her first prose piece was published in the Goulburn Evening Penny Post in 1896.

* In 1901 a dairy factory was established.

* In 1922 woollen mills began operating in the city.

* A major wool sales centre was established in the city in 1930.

* In 2021 the Big Ram was declared No.2 in a national competition of Big Things. It was beaten by the Big Lobster in Kingston S.E., South Australia.

* Today Goulburn is the thriving centre of a prosperous agricultural district. Given the windy nature of the area it has become a popular region to locate windfarms.

Visitor Information

Goulburn Visitors Information Centre, 201 Sloane Street, tel: (02) 4823 4492 or 1800 353 646.

Useful Websites

The town has its own, very detailed website: http://www.igoulburn.com

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6 suggestions

Hi there. Would be good to include information about prominent artists in Goulburn. I have been trying to find information about Philip Henry Nourse who came out from Birmingham and did much of the stone mason work in St Saviours. Would be good to honour this aspect of Golburn as well. Would be grateful to be directed to any source of information about Mr Nourse.

Would like history/information on Inveralochy 1835 to 1845. I have an ancestor born in Inveralochy, Goulburn in 1838.

Nothing about indigenous history. Shame on you

Given that I have written books about First Nation history, I think this is a bit tough. But I do take your point and, as I say every time someone raises this issue, point me in the direction of a good account of the local First Nation history and I will very happily include the information. Bruce Elder

I always drop in to see Tony at the Argyle Emporium. Such a fascinating place. https://www.travel-news-photos-stories.com/2021/11/argyle-emporium-haunted-old-goulburn.html

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Mount Gambier, SA

Address: Margaret St, Mount Gambier SA 5290

• 08 8723 0032
• http://www.jailbackpackers.com
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About Old Gaol

Book Direct with the Owner at Old Gaol with Goulburn Accommodation in Mount Gambier, for all your Attraction and travel needs.

Stroll at your leisure behind the walls of The Jail in a self guided tour, use the phone at the front entrance to contact the manager, prior to you entering. Built in 1866, the former Mount Gambier Gaol was used up to 1995 and is now also available for budget accommodation with a difference.

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Crumlin Road Gaol Experience, Events, Weddings & Venue Hire

Visitor Attraction Northern Ireland

CRUMLIN ROAD GAOL TOURS

Guided Gaol Experience

The Crumlin Road Gaol dates back to 1845, and closed its doors as a working prison after 150 years in service in 1996. The Gaol has re-opened as a visitor attraction after extensive renovations and today you can take a guided tour of the prison.

About the Tour Discover over 150 years of history and follow in the footsteps of over 25,000 prisoners as you make the journey through Northern Ireland’s only remaining Victorian Era prison. The guided tour will allow you to explore the building’s colourful past and gain a unique and memorable insight into the daily lives and routines of both prisoners and prison officers over the Gaol’s existence. Your tour guide will inform you about the Gaol’s history including when women and children were imprisoned, the executions that were carried out, its more recent history and learn about why the decision was taken to close the prison.

The will cover all aspects of the Gaol from the Tunnel linking the courthouse on the other side of the Crumlin Road to the Hanging Cell, the Historic Holding Cells, Centre Circle, C-Wing and Graveyard. Guided Tours will give you access to all areas included on the self-guided Crumlin Road Gaol Experience, you will also have exclusive access to additional areas not included on the self-guided tour. Tours are conducted by one of our expert guides.

Information & Terms

• Suitable warm clothing and flat shoes must be worn.
• The main entrance to the Gaol is via the Gate House on the Crumlin Road.
• Coaches & Cars may enter the site via the Summer Street entrance and follow the appropriate traffic management signs.
• Admission tickets can be purchased on the day but we advise pre-booking to avoid disappointment.
• We recommend that you arrive at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to the tour time, to enable tickets to be checked or to be purchased (non-groups) .
• Please note there are no senior, student or child tickets available for the guided tours.

For groups of 15 people or more, please email our group booking team at  [email protected]  or contact their office on 02890741500

Please note all tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable 

Guided City Tour Enquiry

Thank you for your enquiry into booking a Guided City Tour. A member of our team will be in contact shortly to go through your details submitted on the form below.

We look forward to welcoming you to beautiful, historic Goulburn, Australia’s first inland city.

For any further questions in regards to your enquiry, please contact us or the friendly staff at the Goulburn Visitor Information Centre.

• Tour Group Name *
• Contact Person *
• Phone Number *
• Proposed Tour Date * DD dash MM dash YYYY
• Proposed Tour Time * : Hours Minutes AM PM AM/PM
• Number of passengers
• Will the coach have a microphone? Unsure Yes No
• Method of Payment Cheque Credit Card Eftpos Council accepts all major credit cards, EFTPOS & cheque. Receipts can be provided on request.
• Tours are not confirmed until a reservation is received, approved and signed by Council’s Administration and Filming Officer.
• Tours will not commence until they are paid in full - as arranged at time of reservation.
• Prices are subject to change each financial year and will be guaranteed once paid in full.
• A minimum of 7 days’ notice in writing is required for cancellations, to be eligible to receive a full refund on a confirmed booking.
• Cancellation by Council at short notice (due to unforseen/unavoidable circumstances) will receive a full refund or credit.
• Not losing or leaving behind any member of the group
• Ensuring passenger property is secure
• Avoiding risk of accidents inside and outside the coach, including entering and exiting the coach.
• Health and safety of all passengers
• Having appropriate procedures in place and carrying appropriate equipment to respond to any emergency situations, including medical incidents.
• The Coach Driver is responsible for observing and adhering to all road rules and holding appropriate licensing and insurance. In the case of a motor vehicle accident, the responsibility for taking appropriate action lies with the Coach Driver and/or Tour Manager.
• The Tour Guide is to be picked up from the rear of the Visitor Information Centre, 201 Sloane Street, Goulburn.
• The reservation time is final. Although we endeavour to be flexible in unforeseen circumstances, a tour will finish 90 minutes after the stipulated start time on this reservation form. There can be no guarantee that a tour that arrives late will run for the full 90 minutes. This is due to Guide availability/staffing, and scheduling commitments at the Visitor Information Centre.
• Tours will not commence if a coach does not have a microphone or if a microphone is not provided to the Guide.
• I have checked that the tour details entered are correct
• I have read and agreed to the terms and conditions above

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Our Visitor Information Centre

• LOCATED : 201 Sloane Street, Goulburn, NSW, 2580
• OPEN : Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays 10am - 4pm.
• CLOSED : Christmas Day only.
• PHONE : (02) 4823 4492 or FREE CALL 1800 353 646
• EMAIL : [email protected]
• POSTAL : Locked bag 22, Goulburn NSW 2580
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