Self-guided cultural and historical driving tour

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Self-guided
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cultural and historical driving tour
of Sloane–Grafton Streets & Mulwarree Chain of Ponds
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Goulburn’s Belmore Park echoes the Belmore Park outside
Central Station in Sydney. Each marks the terminus of the first
steam railway in Australia: the Goulburn–Sydney line. The English
Oak in the centre of the Park commemorates the completion of the
line in 1869.
10 A publican’s general license was granted for the Star Hotel here in
1860. Note the mural of bullock teams on historic Grafton Street by
local artist Rhonda Garner (2008) on toilet block opposite.
11 Although now defunct, the (11a) Crookwell railway line (1900)
can be seen from this vantage point.
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This weighbridge dates to a bygone era but is still in working order.
See information panel for details.
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Now the Police Station, a convict hospital stood here, then a
general hospital (built by public subscription) operated here from
1843 to 1889.
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The first Public Swimming Baths in Goulburn were designed by
Goulburn architect E.C. Manfred and built by local contractor Wilkie
Bros at a cost of £2000. The baths opened in 1892 with a swimming
and diving exhibition. They boasted modern facilities, including year
round swimming (indoors), with gas lighting and a smokers’ room in
the tower. In 1906 they were sold to William Connolly of the Argyle
Flour Mills, who converted the building to a modern flourmill. It was
“one of the largest and most modernly equipped units on the
southern line” driven by electricity from the municipal power station.
A leisure centre and other businesses have occupied the premises
since the mill closed in the early 1970s. However, the swimming
baths still exist under the floorboards of the building.
5
R.J. Sidney Craig Undertakers was established in 1837 and is
Australia’s oldest firm of undertakers. The cellar and attic remain in
this 1858 building which was originally an Inn.
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St Clair was built by James Sinclair for his family in 1843 and is
typical of early provincial colonial villas (see sign for additional
details). It is now home to a folk museum and archives.
13 The Goulburn Golf Club was formed in 1898 with 80 members.
The first golf match was played on the present links in 1899 against
a Sydney team including Australian champion, Hugh MacNeil.
Some of the greatest names in golf: Bruce Devlin, Steve Elkington
and Brett Ogle all cut their teeth on Goulburn’s fairways.
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Grafton Street was one of Goulburn’s earlier streets. The
peppercorn trees along the centre median strip are reminiscent of
the days when bullock teams lined the streets. These were chosen
because the bark of the peppercorn tree is bitter so it would not be
ringbarked by the bullocks. There are many notable buildings along
this street (both sides). Descriptive plaques were erected in front of
many of them as a bicentennial project and an information panel on
Grafton Street is located near each end.
8
The red cast iron letter box dating from 1859 is one of two
installed in Goulburn at that time. It has been in continuous use
since.
9
These rose gardens commemorate Mary McKillop who in 1866
co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph, an order dedicated to the
education of poor children that spread widely from its origins in
South Australia, including a convent and college here in Goulburn.
www.igoulburn.com
1800 353 646
There is a good view from here of the (11b) viaduct (1869) on the
main line. The piers of the original single line viaduct spanning
Mulwarree Ponds are skewed to minimise obstruction that would
have been caused by floating debris during floods. In 1867
floodwaters peaked at 1.2 metres below the pier tops.
In 1922 it was decided to erect a memorial to those who served and
fell in the Great War (1914–1918). The tower can be seen
overlooking the city on nearby (11c) Rocky Hill. This memorial was
funded by local subscription after W.J. Bartlett donated the land.
Goulburn citizens carried many of the stones used in the lookout
tower to the site. A museum of war artefacts and memorabilia is
housed in the old caretaker’s cottage. Rocky Hill is also significant
for the Aboriginal bora ring and ceremonial site that is now occupied
by the car park.
12 The Gate House Gallery — Margaret Wilson Art Centre in the
historic 1860s gate keeper’s cottage is the home of the Goulburn
Art Society.
14 The Mulwarree Chain of Ponds and Wollondilly River are highly
significant to the City of Goulburn. The fertile riverine plain at the
confluence of the two rivers helped bring about European settlement
in 1828. Almost 20km of river corridor encircles the City.
These river flats were once an Aboriginal corroboree site. In
1846/47 an influenza epidemic occurred in the district that almost
wiped out the Aboriginal population. In 1848 the Bench of
Magistrates estimated the local population at only 25.
15 Originally built as a tannery by William Teece & Co in 1850, Henry
Baxter purchased these premises and established the Baxter
Boots factory in 1885 assisted by his seven sons. The business
has been continued by five generations of bootmakers.
16 The first railway tricycles made in NSW were manufactured in 1895
in these original Per Way Workshops now occupied by a produce
merchant.
17 Wool stores became important depots for receiving and
dispatching wool from district graziers onto rail. Nowadays most
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This tour is a composite of highlights from several
themed self-guided tours available from the
Visitor Information Centre and is designed
to complement existing signs on site.
It is an introduction to the many
fascinating stories to be
discovered throughout
Australia’s first
inland city.
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wool is
M
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sold by
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sample,
ain of Ponds
rather than by
inspection of the full
bales; so large wool stores are no longer required. Built in
1936 by Ray Bladwell & Co., this is the last of Goulburn’s original
woolstores. It was converted to a shopping complex in the late
1990s.
18 First established as an Inn in 1839, this was home of the first
telegraph station in town. In its heyday, Mandelson’s Hotel was
considered to be the best hotel in Goulburn and was reported to be
the first building to be lit by gas from the Goulburn Gas Company.
It was here that William Bradley (founder of the Goulburn Brewery
and first Member of Parliament for County of Argyle) met with other
local businessmen to found the Sydney Railway Co. Further details
can be found on the sign out the front.
19 These terrace buildings date from the early 1840s and were built
as shops with residences above. The studio gallery of local artist
Ernest Twist is now located here alongside an antique dealer.
20 The Coolavin Hotel building dates from the late 1850s and was
known as Clifford’s Hotel, Henry Gordon’s Railway Hotel in 1876
and later the Southern Railway Hotel. The existing facade dates
from the 1880s. The balcony across the pavement is one of the few
early verandahs remaining in Goulburn. The lace ironwork featuring
moulded sea horses at the end of each section is unique. Note the
stained glass windows installed in 1971, rescued from the demolition
of the Bank of NSW Head Office.
21 The Stationmaster’s Residence is a gothic style cottage erected
by local builder Frederick Horn c1869. The position of Station
Master at Goulburn was a prestigious appointment by Royal Letters
Patent granted to Goulburn by Queen Victoria. Goulburn was
unique within Australia in this regard.
22 Outside the Goulburn Station is a rose garden with monuments
commemorating the centenary and 150 years of rail in NSW. The
first steam railway in Australia was conceived in Goulburn and built
by a private company of mainly Goulburn businessmen. Goulburn
was already a thriving township of considerable size and importance
when the Sydney-Goulburn Railway Company was formed in 1849.
The foundation stone for the station was laid in 1868 and the first
train from Sydney travelled to Goulburn before the station was
completed in 1869. The land upon which the station stands is a
significant site for the Gundungurra and Ngunawal Aboriginal
people. It was the site for corroborees and special ceremonies that
were held with neighbouring and visiting Aboriginal nations. See the
sign for more information.
23 Gallery on Track is the (temporary) exhibition space and shop of
the Goulburn & District Arts & Crafts group. Located at the rear of
the community college, entrance is from the station driveway.
24 These terraces were built by Charles Rogers around 1880, as an
addition to his Great Arcade. They are more widely remembered as
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the Coffee House Palaces. Coffee
Palaces sprang up along the railway
lines in important centres as part of the
temperance movement. The accommodation
wing of the original Goulburn Coffee Palace still
survives as the Alpine Heritage Motel.
25 This Courthouse was designed in 1847 in the office of
Government architect Mortimer Lewis and served as Goulburn’s
second courthouse from 1849 to 1885 with numerous additions,
alterations and repairs, leaving the building generally in its present
form. With the growth of Goulburn, the Courthouse became
inadequate and in 1887 became redundant with the opening of the
present courthouse in Montague Street. This building was taken
over by the Lands Office until 1959. In 2001 the building was
extensively damaged by fire, subsequent repairs and renovations
were completed in 2002. It is now home to the Grevillea Gallery
Art Centre.
In 1888 a new building designed in the office of Government
architect James Barnet was constructed beside the old courthouse
to house other government offices. In 1907, this new building
became the Police Station, and was in use until 1976. Prison cells
with original steel doors may still be found at the rear of the building
along with the original exercise yard and washroom. The building
now houses a book emporium and one of the cells has been
converted to a history room displaying photos, newspapers and
books on Goulburn.
26 Outside the Goulburn Visitor Information Centre you’ll find rose
gardens featuring the apricot coloured ‘City of Goulburn’ rose
and the Blues Hall of Fame sculpture garden. Inside, there is a
Blues Wall of Fame autographed by musicians performing at the
National Festival of Australian Blues Music held in Goulburn each
February and an Australian wildlife mural by Rhonda Garner
2003.
Information sourced from the following free brochures: Goulburn
Heritage Bicycle Rides; Goulburn Walking Trails: Wollondilly River Walking
Trail & Governor Macquarie Historic Walking Trail; Self-Guided Heritage
Walking Tours; Goulburn’s Self-Guided Rail Heritage Tour; Art in Public
Places — A Guide to Public Art in Goulburn; Miles Franklin’s Goulburn
— A Self-Guided Walking Tour; Guide to Belmore Park; and Goulburn City
of Roses. Local histories sold at the Goulburn Visitor Information Centre.
Self-guided Driving Tour
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