Badly damaged by fire in 2016, the Mittagong Maltings is no longer accessible by the public. We discovered this when we visited and found it surrounded by a security fence with “Danger Keep Out Signs”. Now dangerous inside and containing asbestos, the owners have wisely taken site security seriously.
Despite the damage, the owners intend to refurbish the buildings into a multi-use facility, which will be a great use of the historic buildings.
Originally built in 1899 and operated by Tooth and Co. from 1901, the Maltings operated until 1980.
This was a very quick stop, as there is not much to see apart from the burnt out ruins.
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One of the Australian Capital Territories’ main tourist attractions, the National Dinosaur Museum explains evolution through the use of fossils and interactive displays. Animatronics and recreated landscapes bring the displays to life, adding a lot of fun to the museum.
Outside the museum, a dinosaur-themed playground keeps the kids entertained, a life size Triceratops greets you at the entrance.
Life Size Triceratops outside the National Dinosaur Museum
Laid out chronologically, the displays take you though the evolution of life. Starting with invertebrates, displays of trilobites and giant scorpions explain some of the earlier life forms. Many of the displays are casts (these are clearly marked), but some are original. Even so, there is a great range of them.
Invertebrates
TrilobiteGiant Scorpion
Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Reptiles
The main focus of the museum is dinosaurs, with this section being the largest. Life-size recreations of pterodactyls fly overhead as you go up the stairs. Displays of life size models and skeletons follow, including T-Rex and carnotaurus. Many of these are surrounded by dioramas, giving more context to the display, rather than simply sitting on a display stand.
The stegosaurus display includes a side-by-side comparison of the skeleton and recreated model. This is great because many museums show only one or the other and not both.
Following the dinosaurs, displays of mammals include a giant sloth, sabre tooth tiger and a mammoth skeleton. It was surprising to see how large the sloth was, having never seen one of these before.
Giant Sloth Mammoth and Geodes
Evolution of Mankind
The final fossil section traced the evolution of our own species from “Lucy” and homo habilis to the Neanderthals.
The final area of the museum contains amethyst geodes. These are huge, making a great display around the mammoth.
A gift shop sells all sorts of dinosaur related merchandise, including models, fridge magnets and books. Especially interesting, were the fossils and gemstones for sale.
So, if you have an interest in dinosaurs, or have kids, this is a great visit. As Australia does not have many dinosaur fossils of its own (most are in Queensland), many are casts, but they are still a great display.
Amethyst Geode
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Located at Marsden Weir on the Wollondilly River, Goulburn Waterworks is another great attraction to visit in Goulburn. One of four pump-houses built at the same time, the Goulburn Waterworks is the only one with its original pumps. Unfortunately, the other three were sold for scrap
Intending to simply walk around the beautiful building, a volunteer was there, who took us through the interior. Not only is the original pump still there, but it is fully functioning. Lovingly restored and maintained by a group of volunteers, the pump looks brand new.
Built in 1883, the Appleby beam pump moved water from the Wollondilly River to a holding tank where it was around Goulburn. This enabled the town to expand, because previously a consistent water supply was not available. In time, demand outstripped the pump’s capacity newer technology replaced it. Fortunately, it avoided scrapping and we can still see it today.
Located in another section of the building is a Hick Hargreaves horizontal engine. This type of engine was a successor to the beam engine as they are more efficient and able to produce significantly more power on a smaller design. Although not originally part of the waterworks, it was still interesting to see.
The electric pumps that replaced the beam engine remain on site, so we were able to see them as well. Located in a sump, enclosed and painted grey they do not have the elegance of the original.
This was a fun visit, especially as were did not expect to go inside and see the pumping machinery.
Pump HouseOne of the Pump House’s FurnacesFlywheelAppleby Beam EngineThe Beam Engine’s GovernorAppleby Bros. Name PlateHick Hargreaves Horizontal EngineHick Hargreaves Horizontal EngineOld TelephoneElectric Pumps Marsden Weir on the Wollondilly River
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.