The Southern Highlands has a rich history which began with the traditional owners of the land, the Gundungurra and Dharawal people. Europeans first explored the area in 1798 and settlement began just before 1820. The region is recognised for its impressive early buildings and streetscapes nestling in a landscape of great beauty. Properties such as Throsby Park at Moss Vale, Oldbury at Sutton Forest, Vine Lodge at Exeter and Wingecarribee at Bowral have buildings dating back to the early and mid 19th Century.
Bong Bong near Moss Vale was the first official settlement in the area. Chosen by Governor Macquarie in 1820 it was superseded by Berrima in the 1830s. Today the Bong Bong Common is an archaeological site. (For more information click on the hot link). Berrima which itself was superseded in importance by later towns survives as the last remaining, largely intact, Georgian-period town on mainland Australia.
The 1860s saw rapid development through the advent of the Main Southern Railway Line. Mittagong, Bowral and Moss Vale grew quickly. A number of settlements across the Shire sprung up in the late 19th century including Bundanoon, Exeter and Burrawang. The shale oil mining town of Joadja was important between the 1880s and 1920s, however only remnants of it remain today.
The countryside has played an important part in the development of the area for farming as well as quarrying. Cooler climates, reliable rainfalls and good soils attracted many farmers whose clearing has resulted in today’s landscape mix of open paddocks and bushland areas.
Currently 330 heritage items are protected by Wingecarribee Shire including 16 conservation areas and 44 items of State or National Significance. www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/development/heritage
The sites of national significance include the village of Berrima, Bradman Museum and the NSW Railway Museum now known as Trainworks. (For more information click on the hot links)
