Goulburn: History, Art and Walking Trails

Explore Goulburn through a range of themes: the history of its water supply, places of remembrance, art and trails along the rivers. If you’re planning a stay and looking for a hotel in Goulburn, first consider what interests you most. That way, you can spend your time visiting historic sites, exploring the arts or following trails around the city.

Engineering, remembrance and railway history

On the banks of the Wollondilly River near Marsden Weir is the Goulburn Historic Waterworks Museum. It preserves the original Appleby Bros. Beam Engine, pumps and Galloway boilers from Goulburn’s first central water supply.

The Historic Waterworks hosts the Steampunk Victoriana Fair every year on the third weekend in October. If you’d like to include this event in your travel plans, check the date with the organisers in advance.

The Rocky Hill War Memorial opened in 1925 as a memorial to the people of Goulburn who served in the First World War. A new museum building opened beside the memorial in June 2020. The Rocky Hill War Memorial Lookout offers views across the region, interpretive panels and seating. The memorial, the neighbouring museum building and the lookout represent different aspects of the site: remembrance, a museum and a vantage point for taking in the region.

The Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre is a museum in heritage-listed former railway workshops on the Main Southern Line in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia. It adds railway history to the themes of water engineering and remembrance. Those interested in historic sites will find different perspectives on the city’s development in Goulburn.

Art and historic sites

Riversdale is a 1830s-era homestead in Goulburn, known for its flowering gardens and art collections. Garroorigang Historic Home preserves original colonial and Victorian furnishings. St Saviour’s Cemetery is also part of the city’s history: it was Goulburn’s first cemetery.

Since 1982, the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery’s public art program has included murals, interventions and sculptures around the city. You can also take a self-guided historic tour in Belmore Park. There are both individual historic sites and public art to explore Goulburn’s past.

Trails, parks and events

The Wollondilly River Walkway starts at Marsden Weir and runs for more than four kilometres to Tarlo Street Bridge. The Mulwaree River Walkway follows a shared trail network around Goulburn Golf Course and the Goulburn Wetlands; the entire network is approximately 20 kilometres long.

The rose gardens in Victoria Park feature the City of Goulburn Rose and are a highlight of the annual Rose Festival in March. Along with the riverside trails, they offer another reason to include Goulburn’s parks and open spaces in your travel plans. The festival takes place in a different month from the Steampunk Victoriana Fair; if either event is a deciding factor for your stay, check the dates with the organisers in advance.

The Riverside Park Pump Track is designed for BMX, mountain bikes, skateboards, scooters and roller skates, and is intended for people of all ages and abilities. Sporting activities therefore complement historic tours and walking trails as another way to spend time in Goulburn.

For the broader travel overview: Goulburn Mulwaree Council.