Goulburn

The Big Merino, one of Australia's Big Things and a reminder of Goulburn's agricultural history Goulburn [15] is a small regional city 200 km (120 miles) south-west of Sydney, Australia. With a population of 24,000, Goulburn is one of the largest cities in the region and a rural hub for surrounding agriculture. Goulburn lays claim to be Australia's first inland city to be settled. Understand Situated at the confluence of the Wollondilly and Mulwaree Rivers, the fertile lands which surround the area of Goulburn were for centuries the home a number of the local Aboriginal populations. White settlers discovered the area in the late 1700s, and the first land grant was made in 1825. The city grew as a result of its location, being located on the road south from Sydney (now the Hume Highway) and in the 19th century it became the administrative centre for the "Argyle County" district. Goulburn gained a great deal of its prosperity during the Gold Rush (when many of its main buildings were constructed) and the coming of the Main South Railway Line between Sydney and Melbourne in 1869 (which is still in operation). In particular, the area became known for its merino wool which was sent from Goulburn around Australia and overseas. The city had the unique distinction of being granted city status twice - once in 1853 by Queen Victoria (which established the city as a "cathedral city" and allowed its cathedral, St Saviour's, to be constructed), then officially again in 1885. In the twentieth century, the city's importance declined as a result of the growth of coastal cities in Australia, as well as Goulburn's proximity to the new national capital Canberra. These factors led to many government bodies and institutions who had established branches in Goulburn departing the city for Canberra or Sydney, and leaving Goulburn to rely on its wool trade and its place as a service centre on the highway. The city was finally bypassed by the Hume Highway in the 1990s and the wool trade has declined, but Goulburn is still considered the major "city" between Sydney and Canberra and visitors still take the turn off the highway to visit. Importantly, the city has retained its heritage and remains an important part of Australia's early history. Though it might be considered quiet compared to the bustling Sydney two hours up the road, the Goulburn area still has a surprisingly large amount of things to do and see, and it remains a good stop-off point in between Sydney, Canberra, the Southern Highlands and the South Coast. Climate Goulburn has a climate unlike most of its neighbouring towns due to its location at the bottom of a valley: summers tend to be relatively hot and dry and winters cold. The summer temperature range is 10-40°C (50-104°F) and winter's is -5-18°C (23-64°F). Be sure to bring layers in winter as it can get quite windy and very cold. Goulburn Visitor Information Centre, 201 Sloane Street (opposite Belmore Park in the centre of town), ☎ +61248234492 (fax: +61248222692), [1]. Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat, Sun & P.H. 1000-1600. Get in Goulburn's position as a service centre between two major cities gives a visitor plenty of options to choose from when visiting. By car Goulburn is located just off the Hume Highway, approximately 90km from Canberra and 195km from Sydney. From Canberra, take the Federal Highway (Northbourne Ave) and then the Hume Highway North. From Sydney, take the M5 Motorway and then the Hume Motorway/Highway (M31). There are two exits to Goulburn from the freeway. An alternative, and more scenic route from Canberra is to take the Kings Highway (B52) east to Bungendore, then follow Tarago and Braidwood Roads north into the city. This route is slightly longer than the freeway and takes just under 2 hours. If coming from the Blue Mountains, Bathurst or the Central West, a quicker way to get to Goulburn than to drive through Sydney is to drive to Oberon and take the Taralga Road which comes into Goulburn from the north. By train NSW TrainLink [16] runs: 5 regional Xplorer or XPT services per day from Central Station in Sydney to Goulburn on the way to Melbourne and Canberra (from $34 one-way, $45 first class). A train from Sydney will take just over two and a half hours to reach Goulburn. Goulburn's historic railway station is located in the centre of town on Sloane Street. Regional trains need to be booked in advance. Local trains to and from Goulburn on their Southern Highlands Line. Unfortunately the Government cut the local day trains some years ago and services are geared more around getting travellers from Goulburn to and from Sydney, meaning that unless you plan on travelling when the commuters do, you will need to catch a bus and be prepared to spend up to 4.5 hours with two train connections and a bus to get there. The upside is that tickets are cheap ($8.40 adult/$4.20 child one way) and MyMulti3 tickets can be used on the Goulburn services. Take note that most Southern Highlands Line services don't travel into Sydney, for most you will need to catch a suburban train to Campbelltown Station on Sydney's outskirts and change to a Southern Highlands Line train there. By bus Greyhound, ☎ 1300 473 946 from within Australia (fax: +61746382178), [2]. Goulburn is a request stop on its GF230 service between Sydney and Melbourne. The coach leaves Sydney's Central Station at 09:00, Goulburn 12:30, Canberra 13:30, arriving in Melbourne's Southern Cross Station at 23:00. The reverse Melbourne-Sydney service leaves Melbourne's Southern Cross Station at 07:15, Canberra 16:30, Goulburn 18:30 arriving at Sydney Central 21:25. Fares to Goulburn are from $32.40 from Sydney. Firefly [17] also advertise this route but it is codeshared with Greyhound. Murray's, ☎ +61132251 (reservations@murrays.com.au), [3]. run a daily service between Canberra and Wollongong which stops at Goulburn (from $20.30). The Canberra-Wollongong service leaves Goulburn at 18:00 and arrives 19:10 each day. The reverse service leaves Goulburn at 12:30pm (14:30 on Sundays), arriving Canberra at 13:40 (15:40pm on Sundays). Murray's Sydney-Canberra express buses do not stop in Goulburn. By plane Goulburn Airport is a general aviation airfield approximately 7km south of the city. If you have your own aicraft you may be able to land here - contact the Goulburn Flight Training Centre, Airport Road, Goulburn, ☎ +61403368933 (fax: +61248226150), [4]. , who appear to own the airport, for details. The nearest commercial airport with scheduled passenger services is Canberra Airport, approximately one hour away. Get around By foot The main street of Goulburn is short enough to be easily walkable and most of the older buildings and attractions are close to the centre of town. By bus PBC Goulburn [18] operate local bus services from the city centre to the surrounding suburbs, including as far north as Kenmore. Fares range from $2.10-$5.20 (children $1.00-$2.60) depending on distance travelled. By car If you are staying outside of the centre of the city or wish to see some of the other sights, the only practical method of transport is by car or taxi. Car hire is available from: Avis, 19 Goldsmith Street, ☎ +6148215566, [5]. M-F 8:00-17:00, Sat 8:30-12:30. Hertz, 129 Lagoon Street, ☎ +6148210288, [6]. M-F 7:30-17:30, Sat-Sun 8:00-17:30. See St Saviour's Cathedral dominates Goulburn's skyline In town The Big Merino, Cnr Hume & Sowerby Streets (Just off the southern exit from the Freeway in the service centre), ☎ +61 2 4822 8013 (fax: +61 2 4822 9369), [7]. Mon-Sat 0830-1730, Sun 0900-1730. Possibly Goulburn's most well-known tourist attraction. Being a rural hub, the 15 m (49 ft) tall concrete Merino sheep symbolises the town's importance to the local farming industry. Stairs ascend inside the structure past mildly interesting displays on wool and merinos (Australia's most common sheep breed). Originally located in the centre of the town, when the freeway bypass meant that the merino lost visitors, in 2007 the owners put it on a truck and moved it 800m up the road. The lookout at the top of the stairs has now been renovated to allow visitors to see out the top again. The base of the concrete ovine houses a tourist gift shop. Goulburn War Memorial (Rocky Hill War Memorial & Museum), Memorial Road (Follow Tourist Route 8 towards Bungonia and Bungendore, turn off onto Memorial Road at the Landsdowne Park sign), (museums@goulburn.nsw.gov.au), [8]. Museum open 1000 - 1600 weekends, public holidays and school holidays all year round. Gates to Rocky Hill lookout open 0900 – 1700 daily. The War Memorial Tower on Rocky Hill was built in 1924 in memory of the people who died during World War 1. While the tower has great views, even the lookout has an unparalleled view of the town, so it is worth visiting even when the museum is closed. The old caretaker's cottage contains a museum describing the city's involvement in the two world wars. Free. Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre, 12 Braidwood Road, ☎ +61 2 4822 1210. Tue-Sun 1000-1530. A working roundhouse with heritage steam and diesel locomotives and displays on the history of rail in Goulburn. St Saviour's Cathedral, Bourke Street, ☎ +61 2 4821 2206. 10AM-4PM. The Gothic-style cathedral of the Anglican Church Diocese of Goulburn & Canberra, designed by noted Australian architect Edmund Blacket. The cathedral is one of Australia's most beautiful regional cathedrals. Free. Goulburn Court House and Residence 1881. 4 Montague Street facing Belmore Park. The imposing Victorian monument designed by James Barnet is still in use. Riversdale, Twynam Drive (end of Maud Street) 2km north of the town centre. 02) 4821 4741. This little gem of a Colonial Georgian cottage, with it's outbuildings, was originally built as an inn in 1831, and is surrounded by the original paddocks and lovely flowering gardens. It contains a collection of fine Australian Colonial furniture and Arts & Crafts. National Trust entry is $6/$4 Open Mon, Tues, Thurs & Sun 1000 - 1400. Goulburn Historic Waterworks [19], Marsden Weir, off Fitzroy Street, 2km north. Phone: +61 (2) 4823 4462 (Email: museums@goulburn.nsw.gov.au, Fax: +61 (2) 4822 0977), Still intact with a pumphouse and working steam beam engine from when it first brought piped water to Goulburn in 1886. The steam engines operate once a month. Open Mon & Tues 1000 -1400, Sun 1000 - 1600. Entry by donation. Bradley Grange & Brewery 1836, 23 Bungonia Road on the banks of the Mulwaree River. The oldest surviving brewery and industrial complex in Australia, its style is reminiscent of famous colonial architect Francis Greenway, who may have designed it. Open with guided tours, from 1000 Fri, Sat, Sun. Taste real ales made with traditional top fermentation, in open top vessels. A craft market is held here on the 4th Saturday of the month. url="http://goulburnbrewery.servebeer.com/" Lansdowne Park 1825, 35 Bungonia Road near the Brewery. (02) 4821 8653 'Historic Lansdowne Park Farm Stay And Vineyard' features Goulburn’s oldest homestead and earliest farming complex. The Cobb & Co Coach House and Stables have appeared in several advertisements and in the mini series of Bryce Courtney's The Potato Factory. The restored convict built servants quarters are now self-contained holiday accommodation. Historic Sloane Street a row of old victorian buildings which remain very much as they once were in Goulburn's heyday. Australian Domestic Architecture Being the oldest inland city in NSW, Goulburn has a wide variety of housing styles dating back to 1830. Walking tours show you round. Sculptures in honour of leading Australian blues musicians are just outside the Information Centre. Belmore Park, in the centre of town off Auburn Street is the hub of most community events, including a monthly fair. Victoria Park has a beautiful rose garden. In the area Garroorigang Historic Home 209 Braidwood Road 2km south of Goulburn, just past the underpass of the M31 freeway. (02) 4822 1912 ‎Historic homestead built in 1857, now a Bed & Breakfast. Open daily 1000 - 1430 and 1400 -1630 except Wednesday and Sunday morning. $10 entrance fee to house and grounds. Morton National Park starts at Bungonia about 20km from the town. In its upper reaches the Park is dry, and carries the Shoalhaven river over the escarpment on its way to Nowra. Walking trails are available from Bungonia. Wombeyan Caves [20] 77 km north and an 1hr 40min drive north up the Goulburn-Taralga-Oberon Road. A series of limestone caves in a lovely bushland setting with abundant almost tame wildlife. Victoria Arch, is the most popular because it is closest to the camping grounds. Fig Tree Cave is more spectacular. Other caves include Wollondilly, Mulwaree and Kooringa caves. A further 90 min. from the caves is an extremely scenic but slow drive to Mittagong providing access to the Southern Highlands. The road east of the caves is very rough but passable by 2 wheel drive but is rewarded by spectacular views. Do Events Australian Blues Music Festival, [9]. Generally around the 2nd weekend of February. See the website for yearly times. Ghoul-burn Ghost Tours, [10]. Ghoul-burn Ghost Tours offers tours on scheduled tour dates and on-demand. Tours are fun and informative and take in Goulburn's history against which the spooky and haunted events occur. Guests are encouraged to take photographs and the website boasts a collection of spooky shots taken by guests. Some tours include meals or drinks, and tours offer coach or driving options. Lilac Festival, [11]. Annual festival in early October. Floral displays, markets, parades. Attractions The Public Swimming Pool is on the top side of Victoria Park Wakefield Park Motor Racing Track (Wakefield Park), 4770 Braidwood Rd (in Tirrannaville - 10km south of Goulburn), ☎ +61 2 4822 2811, [12]. Open 7 days a week (8AM - 5PM). Wakefield Park runs public 'No Speed Limit' days (check the website for details) in which the public is allowed to drive to their hearts content. Rides in V8 supercars are also available for race fans wanting a thrill ride. Buy Eat Goulburn plenty of cheap and quick food open all hours. in town and at the highway services. There are two exits from the freeway from at Goulburn, and the the southernmost exit (the furthest from Sydney, and closed to Canberra) has highway service area by the Big Merino, with a bakery and choice of fast food chains. If you take small diversion through Goulburn there are other fast food options, including another McDonalds. Tamnak Thai [21] is a thai cafe / restaurant located at the northern end of the main road. 380 Auburn Street. Telephone: +61 2 4821-3388. info@tamnakthai.com.au Our Place Bistro @ Tully Park Tavern 33 Taralgo Road. American Style barbecued ribs, steaks, seafood and pizza. Family owned and operated. +61 2 4822-1258 Drink Essentially all the clubs and pubs in Goulburn are located around the central part of town up and down the main street and along perpendicular streets. All are within easy walking distance of each other. Goulburn Club, Market St (located opposite Belmore Park on the top floor of the Goulburn Club building), Phone: +61 (2) 4821 2043. Open Thur-Sat from 5PM onwards. Relaxed old English gentlemens club feel with sofas and chairs. Constantly changing art exhibits line the walls and live bands (generally jazz or blues) can be found irregularly. Flamingos Worker's Club, McKell Place, Phone: +61 (2) 4821 3355. Soldier's Club 15 Market Street, Phone: +61 (2) 4821 3300. Sleep Coming off the freeway from Sydney, the road into Goulburn is lined with a range of convenient motels. Goulburn Gateway Backpackers, Old Hume Highway & Common Street, Phone: +61 (2) 4821 9811 (Fax: +61 (2) 4821-2055) Lilac City Motor Inn 126-128 Lagoon Street - Goulburn, NSW 2580 Australia | Ph: 61 2 4821 5000 | Fax: 61 2 4821 8074 | Toll free 1800 654 12476 This motel located on the north side of town and you enter Goulburn from Sydney. Has quiet and comfortable rooms, a fully licensed Steakhouse Restaurant and all the features you would expect of a well run accommodation - great for business travelers and families on holiday. [22] Member of Golden Chain Motels Tattersalls Hotel 76 Auburn Street, Phone: +61 (2) 4821 3088. This hotel is right in the middle of town on the main street, and if you are unlucky enough to be in town at the end of the week or a public holiday expect lots of noise all night long. Mandelsons Guest House, 160 Sloane Street (Cnr Sloane St & Clinton St), Phone: +61 (2) 4821 0707 (Email: reception@mandelsons.com.au, Fax: +61 (2) 4821 0225), $140-205 (Packages available). [23] Alpine Heritage Motel, 248 Sloane Street, ☎ +61 2 4821 2930, [13]. Budget Rooms: single $59, double $69, Queen $74 family $100. Deluxe Rooms: Small (queen bed) $89, Large (king bed plus 3 single) $129. (from $59,) Pelican Sheep Station, Braidwood Road, ☎ (02) 4821 4668, [14]. Prices start from $45 per person in a bunkhouse to $125 per person in a 5-bedroom house. And there are farm tours complete with sheep shearing too. Contact All mobile networks have good coverage in Goulburn. The visitors centre offers free Internet. Get out Goulburn is approximately 50 minutes from Bowral, Mittagong the Southern Highlands. Sydneysiders tend to think of Goulburn as being half way to Canberra from Sydney, but it less than an hour to drive to Canberra from Goulburn, on fast, good quality roads. Sydney and Wollongong are both around 2 hours drive away; and day trips to Sydney are available by train from Goulburn as well. Routes through Goulburn Sydney ← Southern Highlands ←  N  S  → Junction → Yass → Albury WikiPedia:Goulburn, New South Wales