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.
Big Marino
The Big Marino is hard to miss as you drive through tow, Click here for our visit.
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.
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 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.
Railway Station
Completed in 1869, the Railway Station is another beautiful building in Goulburn.
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.
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.
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.
