Goulburn removals – You found Us!

Goulburn (/ˈɡoʊlbərn/ GOHL-bərn) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately 195 kilometres (121 mi) south-west of Sydney, and 90 kilometres (56 mi) north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia’s first inland city through letters patent by Queen Victoria in 1863. Goulburn had a population of 23,835 at June 2018.^[1] Goulburn is the seat of Goulburn Mulwaree Council.

Goulburn is a railhead on the Main Southern line, regional health and government services centre, supporting the surrounding pastoral industry as well as being a stopover for travellers on the Hume Highway. It has a central historic park and many historic and listed buildings. It is also home to the monument the Big Merino, a sculpture that is the world’s largest concrete-constructed sheep.

History

Goulburn was named by surveyor James Meehan after Henry Goulburn, Under-Secretary for War and the Colonies, and the name was ratified by Governor Lachlan Macquarie.

The colonial government made land grants to free settlers such as Hamilton Hume in the Goulburn area from the opening of the area to settlement in about 1820. Land was later sold to settlers within the Nineteen Counties, including Argyle County (the Goulburn area). The process displaced the local indigenous Mulwaree population and the introduction of exotic livestock drove out a large part of the Aboriginal peoples’ food supply.^[2]

Indigenous history

The Mulwaree People lived throughout the area covering Goulburn, Crookwell and Yass and belong to the Ngunawal language group. To the north of Goulburn Gundungurra was spoken within the lands of the Dharawal People. This was due to Gundungurra people of the Blue Mountains being driven south from their traditional land due to Governor Macquarie’s parties sent to massacre the Dharawal^[3] and Gundungurra^[4] People.

Their neighbours were the Dharawal to their north and Dharug surrounding Sydney, Darkinung, Wiradjuri Ngunawal and Thurrawal, (eastwards) peoples.

Population

According to the 2021 census of population, there were 24,565 people in Goulburn.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 5.3% of the population.
• 83.3% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 1.9%, New Zealand 1.0%, India 0.9% and Philippines 0.7%.
• 85.6% of people spoke only English at home.
• The most common responses for religion were No Religion 30.6%, Catholic 25.3%, and Anglican 20.8%.^[36]

Geography

Goulburn is located a small distance east of the peak ridge of the Great Dividing Range and is 690 metres (2,264 ft) above sea level. It is intersected by the Wollondilly River and the Mulwaree River, and the confluence of these two rivers is also located here. The Wollondilly then flows north-east, into Lake Burragorang (Warragamba Dam) and eventually into the Tasman Sea via the Hawkesbury River. The city is located within the Southern Tablelands Temperate Grassland.

Climate

Owing to its elevation, Goulburn has an oceanic climate (Cfb) with warm summers and cool winters; with a high diurnal range. Its climate is variable much of the year, though generally dry with maximum temperatures ranging from 11.8 °C (53.2 °F) in July to 28.3 °C (82.9 °F) in January. Rainfall is distributed evenly throughout the year, with an annual average of 542.8 mm (21.4 in). Snow occasionally falls,^[37] although rarely in significant quantities due to the rainshadow brought about by the hills to the west-northwest of Goulburn (around Crookwell). Temperature extremes have ranged from −10.9 to 42.8 °C (12.4 to 109.0 °F).

Transport

Goulburn is approximately two hours’ drive from Sydney via the Hume Highway, or a one-hour drive from Canberra via the Federal and Hume Highways. Goulburn benefited from the 1992 Hume Highway bypass, prompting significant civic rejuvenation and removing 23,000 cars from the city each day.^[47] Goulburn’s city centre was populated by a notable number of eateries owned and operated by Greek migrants,^[48] as part of a broader trend of Greek cafes and milk bars in regional Australia.^[49][50] Years after the bypass, the main street featured numerous neon signs advertising businesses that had since gone out of business some of which are preserved today. ^[51]

Goulburn railway station is the southern terminus of the Southern Highlands Line which reaches from the Sydney suburb Campbelltown and is part of the NSW TrainLink intercity passenger train system. Most services for Goulburn operate to Moss Vale, some 65 km (40 mi) north-east, while their are also daily direct express Sydney Central services all covered by Sydney’s suburban Opal fare card. The station is also served by the long distance Southern XPT and Xplorer trains between Sydney and Griffith, Canberra and Melbourne Southern Cross railway station. All services are operated by NSW TrainLink.

Goulburn also has eight direct return NSW Trainlink buses to Canberra per week giving access to Canberra Airport, city and hospitals.

Goulburn Airport is approximately 7 km (4 mi) south of Goulburn and services light aircraft.

Public transport within Goulburn consists of the local taxi service that operates twenty-seven taxis, Goulburn Radio Cabs.^[52] A bus service is operated by PBC Goulburn.

Goulburn Tourist Information Centre has a Tesla Motors Supercharger station.^[53]

External links

• • Goulburn Mulwaree Council
  • Goulburn Visitor Information Centre
  • “Goulburn”. Climate Averages for Australian Sites. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 29 November 2006.
  • “Goulburn-Mulwaree election results” (PDF). Results of election. New South Wales Electoral Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  • VisitNSW.com – Goulburn Area