Southern Highlands Area Attractions Directory : Historical Sites and Heritage Locations
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The Berrima Courthouse is the centrepiece of the historic village of Berrima, which was established in the 1830s during an era of great exploration, as the expansive state of New South Wales underwent massive change from a penal colony to a rural settlement.
You can take a guided tour through this magnificent building, to see the seven square metre quilt that was stitched to commemorate the 175th birthday of Berrima and more than 200 black and white photos of the village, dating back to the 18...
The Berrima District Historical Society Museum and Information Centre is housed in an historic weatherboard cottage. The museum's collection includes an array of artifacts from the Southern Highlands.
See the remains of the German built canoe and the work of internees of Berrima Gaol, when it was used to house prisoners of war during 1914-18 war.
This fine Georgian House was built in 1834 by James Harper, first licensee of the Surveyor General. The Roman Catholic Church bought the house in 1853, using it as a presbytery until 1898. It is now owned by the National Trust, but is not open to the public. You can take in this magnificent mansion on the Berrima Heritage Walk.
The village of Berrima, situated on the Old Hume Highway 14 kilometres south of Mittagong, is considered the best remaining example of a small Australian town of the 1830's.
Berrima is small enough to be inspected on foot so leave your car and take a pleasant 2.5 kilometres stroll through Australia's colourful past. There are many historic buildings still to be seen and the two foot tour brochure gives a detailed description of them.
The Museum is located in Donald Bradman’s childhood home town of Bowral, alongside Bradman Oval where his remarkable cricketing career began. The Museum and its entire collection, Sir Donald’s second home at 20 Glebe Street and Bradman Oval are all heritage listed sites.
With five galleries, a hundred seat theatre, special exhibitions plus a wonderful collection of memorabilia, rare archival film footage and photographs the Museum provides many hours of entertainment for all ages.
Hillview was the country retreat for the governors of NSW between 1882 and 1958, having originally been built in the 1850s. In 1986, after spending some time in private hands, Hillview was again purchased by the Government. Set in over 60 hectares, Hillview is an eclectic mix of architectural styles, creating a very unusual house. It is now open occasionally to the public, the Southern Highlands Visitors' Centre can give you more information.
A short, spectacular drive from Sydney, Canberra or Wollongong will bring you to a hidden valley where you'll find the Wombeyan Caves. You can explore the Figtree, Wollondilly, Junction, Kooringa and Mulwaree caves on a variety of guided and self-guided tours. Heritage theme tours are also available, taking you back to the 1800s and the Figtree Cave is regarded as the state's premier self-guided cave experience. The cave is accessed via a token-operated door after a short walk from the visitors...