Above: For a century-and-a-half, Goulburn was one of the largest fine wool producing regions in the country, so much so that it was dubbed the “Wool Capital” of Australia. The Big Merino, a popular tourist landmark, reflects this aspect of Goulburn’s history.
Fifteen metres high and eighteen metres long, the Big Merino is a three storey structure housing a gift and souvenir shop, an educational display depicting the history of wool growing and the wool industry in Australia, and a platform where visitors can peer through the giant ram's eyes!
Above: The Cathedral Church of St. Saviour.
Designed by architect Edmund Blackett, St. Saviour’s Cathedral was built between 1874 and 1888. It is one of the finest examples of Blackett’s work, and one of the last great cathedrals of its style ever built.
The seat of the Anglican Bishop of Canberra/Goulburn, St. Saviour’s interior is one of the most richly decorated and finely finished churches in Australia.
The tower, with its 8 bells, was completed to Blackett’s design in 1988.
For my first four years in Goulburn I lived just behind St. Saviour's – on, appropriately enough, Church Street!
Goulburn is renowned for its numerous and well preserved historical buildings. The city displays a range of architectural styles – from the 1830s and ‘40s, through to the early-late Victorian period and the early twentieth century.
Pictured above is Goulburn’s majestic Court House, while below is the little cottage in Clifford Street that I lived in during the last two years in Goulburn (1992-1993).
Above and below: As Australia’s oldest inland city, Goulburn boasts many buildings that reflect the architecture and style of Australia’s colonial past. The building above is the Southern Star Inn, built in 1860.
Above: The Old Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Goulburn’s Catholic cathedral is termed “old” because it is no longer the residence of a bishop. With the establishment of the Archdiocese of Canberra/Goulburn in the 1920s, the new archbishop’s residence was moved to Canberra.
Above: Perhaps Goulburn's most famous (and certainly most visible) landmark – the War Memorial atop Rocky Hill.
Built by public subscription in 1924 as a memorial to the men of Goulburn and district who served in the First World War, the stone tower that comprises the Goulburn War Memorial can be seen from miles around. At night, a powerful beacon of light from the top of the tower, sweeps through the darkness.
Raising 20 metres from its position atop Rocky Hill, the lookout gallery at the top of the tower offers panoramic views of Goulburn and the surrounding area.
A nearby museum houses a collection of military artifacts and personal items used by soldiers in the two world wars, and documents Goulburn’s association with and contributions to these conflicts.
See also the previous Wild Reed post:
Goulburn Revisited
No comments:
Post a Comment