Capital Country is renowned as a region rich in Australia’s history and heritage. Sometimes history is on display, sometimes you have to do a little searching…whichever the case, in Capital Country there is something new to uncover at every turn.
Hear tales of bushrangers who terrorised towns in the Gold Rush days, reminisce Australia’s traditions at old pubs and breweries, and take a trip to yesteryear wandering historic cottages and gracious old buildings. Shop for your own piece of history at one of many delightful antique and book stores and meander through museums devoted to trains, cars, folklore and sports.
Start your trip in Bowral to discover where Sir Donald Bradman made his first century in 1926, quench your thirst at the oldest continuously licensed inn in Australia at historic Berrima, and spend some time in Goulburn – Australia’s first inland city and a place that tells the stories of those who went before us. From the explorer William Hovell, to the Durack family, many have been laid to rest in Goulburn.
Drive through Braidwood’s beautiful main street and you’ll see at a glance why the whole town is heritage listed. And take a trip further afield through some of the region’s towns and villages, including Bungendore, Hall and Murrrumbateman. Then it’s on to the charismatic village of Binalong – where you can hear tales of Banjo Paterson, who went to school there, and of bushrangers who harried the district in the 1860s.
Discover Boorowa’s rich Irish heritage on the Shamrock Trail before finishing in Young, where you can discover the impact of the Gold Rush on the area while indulging in cherries and other delicious stone fruit.
The first Europeans to travel the Capital Country roads did so with bullock drays and horse-drawn carriages. You can enjoy a much more comfortable ride as you discover old coaching inns, homesteads built by convict labour, and bank buildings that date back to the gold rush.
So go on…explore the history and heritage of Capital Country. It’s one trip down memory lane you won’t forget.
