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Goulburn New South Wales Australia

Goulburn Courthouse

Goulburn New South Wales Australia

Established in 1833, Goulburn New South Wales is 195 km south-west of Sydney and 90 km north-east of Canberra. It was declared Australia’s first inland city in 1863.

To get to Goulburn, you can travel by train on NSW CountryLink services or by coach. It is approximately two hour’s drive from Sydney. We drove from Mittagong, as part of a larger road trip to Newnes Industrial Ruins in the Wollemi National Park via Orange and Bathurst.

We were only in Goulburn for one day, before heading off to Wombeyan Caves. However, we saw some great sights while there.

Rocky Hill War Memorial and Museum

This impressive tower and museum overlook the town and is a must see when visiting. For more information, see our full story here.

Goulburn Historic Water Works

This beautifully restored pump house still contains the original pumps from its operating days. For the full story of our visit, click here.

Pump House
Pump House

Big Marino

The Big Marino is hard to miss as you drive through tow, Click here for our visit.

The Big Marino
The Big Marino

Interesting Buildings in Goulburn

Elmslea Chambers

Located in Montague St in the centre of town Elmslea Chambers has its façade beautifully decorated. Built in 1933, it was one of the first buildings in Australia to use coloured polychrome terracotta in its façade which features birds, flowers, leaves and Art Deco sunbursts under the windows.

Although worth visiting the street just for this building, it’s also the location of the historic Fire station and not far from Cathedral Church of St Saviour.

Elmslea Chambers 17 Montague St Goulburn
Elmslea Chambers 17 Montague St Goulburn

Fire Station

Only a few doors down from Elmslea Chambers and also in Montague street, the historic Fire Station and the building next to it are interesting to see because of their interesting architecture.

Goulburn Fire Station
Fire Station

Goulburn Courthouse

At the far end of Montague Street and opposite Belmore Park, the courthouse is a large, beautiful building. Built in 1887  in the Federation Free Classical style based on original designs by Colonial Architect, James Barnet it is still an operating court.

Goulburn Courthouse
Courthouse

Railway Station

Completed in 1869, the Railway Station is another beautiful building in Goulburn.

Goulburn Railway Station
Goulburn Railway Station

Cathedral Church of St Saviour

Bourke Street has several beautiful churches including the Cathedral Church of St Saviour. Designed by Edmund Blacket, it was completed in 1884.

Unfortunately the other large church, St Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral was undergoing a major restoration and was covered in scaffolding.

Cathedral Church of St Saviour
Cathedral Church of St Saviour
Cathedral Church of St Saviour
Cathedral Church of St Saviour

Belmore Park

War Memorial in Belmore Park
War Memorial in Belmore Park

St. John’s Orphanage

Destroyed in a suspicious fire, the St. John’s Orphanage in Mundy Street caught our eye because of its sinister appearance. Access is not permuted with the whole area sealed off, so we could only view it from the street.

St. John's Orphanage Goulburn
St. John’s Orphanage

What Did We Think?

Goulbourn was only a quick stop for us, but we enjoyed it and would like to spend more time here. The history and old buildings were great to see, especially the Water Works and War Memorial.

Rocky Hill War Memorial and Museum

German 150mm Field Gun

Rocky Hill War Memorial and Museum

Perched on top of a hill, the Rocky Hill War Memorial and its associated Museum is very different from most memorials we have seen around Australia. Overlooking Goulburn in New South Wales, this 10.5m tall tower was opening in 1925 to commemorate all those who served in the First World War.

War Memorial

On entering the tower, you see a large marble memorial engraved with the names of service personnel from the Goulburn region who served in World War One. A spiral staircase decorated with photos from the war leads up to the viewing platform. We loved the way the photos told a story of the war and what the soldiers endured.

Rocky Hill War Memorial
Rocky Hill War Memorial
Memorial to the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Flying Corps Rocky Hill War Memorial and Museum
Memorial to the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Flying Corps

Museum

Outside the museum, two 150mm German Field Guns stand guard. Donated to the town following the war and installed here following the new museum’s completion 2020. This new state of the art museum replaced an older one in the old caretaker’s cottage.

The displays inside the museum are very good, included some World War one body armour, which we had not seen before. An impressive collection of rifles from different armies and trench warfare weaponry are also worth seeing.

Illustrated in a poster is a sombre reminder of the cost of World War One with the number of dead and wounded Australians shown in relation to the size of the countries’ population. Interestingly, this poster also shows how the war trophies were divided up to the towns and cities depending on their population.

This was a great place to visit, both for the memorial and museum showing the impact of the war so far away from the local community.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Australian War Memorial Canberra

One of the Walls of Remembrance covered in poppies Australian War Memorial

Australian War Memorial

Canberra’s most popular attraction, the Australian War Memorial is an outstanding tribute to the men and women who have served in the Australian Defence Forces since federation. Access to some galleries is currently limited (2022) because the Memorial is undertaking a major renovation. During this period some exhibits are in storage. However, there is still a lot to see here, and a visit is highly recommended.

Outside and the Sculpture Garden

We arrived before opening time, so took the opportunity to look around the Sculpture Garden. There are two distinct areas. a grassed area with memorials and an area closer to the buildings with large military equipment on display.

Armoured vehicles used by the Australian Army on display include a Centurion tank from the Vietnam War, a Bushmaster and LAV armoured personnel carrier. Captured German guns from World War One are nearby.

Not far from here the old bridge of HMAS Brisbane is visible, along with its deck gun. The bridge can be accessed inside the memorial, where you can walk around the interior.

The sculpture garden has memorials to all branches of the Australian Defence Force from most conflicts. There are even memorials to the animals used by the armed forces. One is a memorial to all animals, having hoof and paw prints while another memorialises explosive detection dogs. Located near Poppies Restaurant this last one was our favourite.

Shrine of Remembrance

Central to the whole memorial is the Shrine of Remembrance containing the eternal flame and tomb of the unknown soldier. The cloisters leading to the shrine contain panels engraved with the names of all those who have died fighting for Australia. This is a very sombre area, especially when you realise how many names are there. During our visit many had poppy flowers pinned to them.

Inside the shrine, beautiful stain glass windows represent the fallen, while the eternal flame burns in the pool of reflection.

Inside Australian War Memorial

World War One

From Gallipoli, the North African Desert and the Western Front, the displays here cover them all. A landing boat from the Gallipoli Campaign still filled with bullet holes greets you on entry, highlighting the dangers they faced.

Along with weapons and uniforms, dioramas bring the battlefields to life, showing what they looked like.

World War Two

Australians fought in many theatres of the Second World War, each of which is represented here. From Bomber command, where flight crews manned several bomber squadrons, to North Africa, the Atlantic and Pacific.

Captured German and Italian equipment, including a German BMW sidecar and an Italian tankette are on display here. Unfortunately, the larger displays such as the Lancaster bomber and Japanese mini-submarine that attacked Sydney Harbour are currently in storage. However, a Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighter is there, hanging from the ceiling.

The Hall of Valour

Displayed in the Hall of Valour, the medals of many Australians tell a story of their bravery. Accompanied by a story and photo, each set shows what the servicemen endured and accomplished. Many of the Victoria Cross (Australia’s highest military award) recipients have their medals here. Many of these were donated by families wishing to have their deeds remembered.

Conflicts 1945 to the Present

These galleries are only open at limited time, which unfortunately did not match our time in Canberra, Having seen some of them before, they are worth visiting if you are there at opening times.

What Did We Think?

Visiting here is a very moving and sombre experience. The Memorial shows the human side of war and how it affects both combatants and civilians. The human toll of war is emphasised rather than glorifying warfare. An amazing experience and rightfully the number one attraction in Canberra.

For other places to visit in the Australian Capital Territory click here