Fast facts
- First entire town to be listed on the NSW State Heritage register
- Georgian buildings in a rural landscape, halfway between Canberra and the coast
- 290 km south of Sydney with a population of 1,500
Why go there
Braidwood offers historic Georgian buildings, beautiful old stone churches, 100-year-old oak trees and craft and antique shops. The town is an artistic hub, with the studios of artists, potters, ironworkers, craftspeople and fashion designers all based in the town’s historic buildings.
History
Braidwood was named after surgeon and pioneer Dr Thomas Braidwood Wilson to commemorate his work in improving conditions for convicts. The town was first settled in the 1820s, but it grew dramatically with the discovery of gold in the area in 1851–52. The gold rush attracted bushrangers, who regularly held up gold consignments as they were carted out of town. Braidwood prospered for two decades, but the alluvial gold soon ran out and the population dwindled rapidly. Larger enterprises extracted gold commercially until around 1910.
Things to do
- Tour the town on a self-guided Heritage Walk, and see dozens of historic buildings dating from the gold rush days.
- Taste local organic foods and browse through galleries, antique shops and craft stores.
- Discover waterfalls, bushwalking trails, caves and native flora and fauna in the surrounding Deua, Budawang and Monga national parks.
Events
- Airing of the Quilts is an annual quilt festival held in November, when quilts hang from the balconies in Wallace St.
- The Braidwood Cup Race Meeting in February, an authentic country picnic race day.
Don’t miss
- Learning about Braidwood and the gold rush at the Braidwood Museum.
- Browsing in Bedervale Historic Homestead, one of the finest colonial houses in NSW.
- Sipping beer at the Royal Mail Hotel, featured in the movie "Ned Kelly".
- Riding a carriage around the historic town with Carriages by Cupid.
- Exploring walking tracks, picnic areas and a restored water wheel at Lowden Forest Park.
