Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930), Sunday 13 June 1909, page 8

HistoricTowns of N.S. Wales

Written by

Mary Salmon

GOULBURN
For the
account ofa trip over the Goulburn Plains,
'and found the Bradleyfamilymost kind
travellers.
'Sunday Times' in their attentions to the weary
Goulburn, surveyed by
Our horseswere stabled, and we were
Sir Thomas made to feel at home in the country
Mitchell
in 1833, did not exist as a town mansion, which hospitably
was so opened
untilwell into the forties, the old settle-
to us.'
Sydney-road The name of Goulburn was first given
ment along the being begun
military police, when to the Plainsafter the Colonial Secretary
in the days of the
commanding to the Colony,Mr. Frederick Goulburn,
CaptainZouch was the chief Goulburn Street,Sydney,being also
officer. There
named
still remain traces of the
after him. The first official appointment
military quarters
first houses and the in made was that of Mr. Lachlan Macalister,

whilst Goulburn, resident magistrate

what is now North in in 1829, as of the
the first cemeterynear by are
laid to rest Countyof Argylle,Goulburn Plains,in
the 'fathers of the district,'
many of days when the town was not even sur-
whose descendants are scattered round, veyed.Dr. Lang speaksrather dispara-
still keeping up the creditof the original
gingly of Mr. Frederick Goulburn and
unpopular
lamentsthat the name of an
settlers names.In 1834 there were living official should
within a radius of a few miles of what
have been given to the
district.
present town, which was He says 'that with all the beau-
is the then laid tiful and
distinctive
nativenames at hand
extensive
out at the north end of the choose,it showedlittle
from which to
GoulburnPlains, Mr. Thomas Allen, of taste to select
Barkshire,
thatof a man who did
Kearne Park, Thomas Lieut. little for the colony. But as
Barrington,
R.N., John Baxter, Felix faculty falling
Dr. Lang
had a for foulwiththose in
Brown,MichaelBurgherof Bywong,B.
V. authority,
his opinionhad littlevalue,and
Byrnes,Luke Caldwell, John Dight, Cap- the name remained unchanged.The
tain A. Edwards, C. B.. Elston,James
Kinghorne, Francis McArthur, Captain Ed- EARLY STORY OF GOULBURN
ward Salmon,WilliamShelley, and others. says littleabout troublewith the natives;
Some idea of the land grantsaroundthe Indeed,exceptin one solitary instance,
boundaries gathered absence
of the town may be there seems to have been an
from the fact that in the early days Mr. of the trials which marked the first settle-
Bathurst,
F. N. Rossiwas ment of and calledforth the
settlers
GRANTED 2560 ACRES
bandingof the marauders with the military
flocksand
at the place he called Rossiville, where it to keepdown on the
newcomers.
Wollondilly. herds of the
meets the It was a beauti- settlers Goulburn
The of Plains were
ful estate, worked entirelyby convict circumspect
natives,
and kindlyto the who
labor in the early days, havingthe usual responded amicably. A stocksman,
suggestion of a village,with bakery,
how-
butchering ever, was foolish enough
smithyand on the estate.Mr.
Chas. Thomson had 480 acres adjoining TO STEAL A NATIVE WOMAN
Rossiville. Then came Mr. J. Thorn's from her tribe,and thus incurred the
410 acres, and other large estateswere natives, murdered
anger of the who him
considered
similargrants.Mr. W. Bradleypossessed in revenge.
It was that no
2000 acres, his fine home, Lansdowne efforts should be made to avenge the deed
violence, deserved
of since the man his
groundswas built,some years after Mr. fate.
property, attempt, at
Bradleyleft the an The present-day
Goulburn possesses
a JewishSynagogue, by Mr. Philips, also
many handsome buildings, some
being
transformed
a Goulburnpioneer, who a quite metropolitan
in and ap- character
Summer-house
into a temporary church. pearance.
confraternity
This does not only imply com-
There the Hebrew had ser- mercial prosperity,
but is due to the fact
vice, this being the first Synagogue most that this is a centre for government
the
probably erectedout of Sydneyin New entiresouthern district, and that a land
South Wales.There were at one time so court as well as a civil and circuit court
many Hebrews in the town that it was is held in the town. There has therefore
called in jest 'LittleJerusalem'; now, been expended
more publicmoney in build-
strange scarcely
to say, there are any of ingsherethanin any other townin the
the old Jewishfamilies remaining in the State.The
magnificent
pile used as a
district. Lansdowne House was a land Court House,which is by far the hand-
travellers crossing
mark, and old speak of somest building
used for the same purpose
hospitable metropolis,
the plainsand reaching the outsideof
homestead,
the was openedby
where,in those days, the kind Sir Frederick Darley,October15, 1887. It
host entertained wayfarers, who brought erect,and cost
respectability
had taken three years to
credentials of £30,000. When
their along, the Chief Justicepresided
generously assizes
most and kindly. at the first heldin the new build-
'We reached Lansdowne House at sun-
ing, he said, 'This erection ranks Majesty's
among
set,' writesDr. GeorgeBennettin his the best court housesin Her
account of Goulburn Plains,
a trip over the dominions.'

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Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930), Sunday 13 June 1909, page 8 (2)

dominions.' literary visitor, "gaols and lunatic

The first 'temple of justice'was a asylums
are poked away in a corner,
re-
humble building at the north end of the mote from publicgaze, but in Australia

Mr. Francis All-

city beyond the river,magistrate, they literally
shout at one from the hill
man being first police and his tops."
clerk was Mr. ThomasPope Bernard. In especially Goulburn,
This is the case in
1834 Mr. GeorgeStewarttook office,Mr. as one's firstviewof the cityis the Ken-
Andrew Gibson,Mr. James Kinghorne, Mr.
F. N. Rossi, and Mr. F. C. L. Thompson more Asylum,then comes the extensive
magistrates. gaol, and on either side are large ceme-
Goulburn,
also being early teries.Stretching on the other side of
although elevated,
so was the train line is a great bleak highland
SUBJECT TO FLOODS, plain,which remindsme of the 'blasted
'Macbeth.'
and the court house had twice to be heath' mentioned in But as
shifted.
It is very likelythat when Mr. the city is entered
the aspect changes, and
delighted
Robert Lowe (afterwards Chancellor
of the one cannot fail to
be with the
laying-out
Exchequer) visited
this town in his capa- of the town, which is said to
city of lawyer,
he pleaded
in the court have been done by one of the three sur-
Melbourne,
which,duringthe forties, had been shifted veyorswho laid out as in that
to Dr. Cartwright's
house in Margaret- city, the river flanksthe town and a
thoroughfare
wide follows its course.
There is a centralsquareand wide
streetsrunningat right angles.The square
street.Mr. Riley,the veteranjournalist in Goulburn, intended originally
as a
of the city,whose connection with the marketplace,has been beautifully planted
local newspaper has extendedover fifty and adorned, and combines the features
years, remembers as a boy seeing Mr. botanicand zoological garden.
wonderful
of a There
Lowe and hearinghis fluent are monkeysand nativebears in houses,
speeches in the Goulburn Courthouse. peacocks
on the lawn, and black and white
It was a long and journey difficult
from swans,wild duck, and other aquaticbirds
Goulburn cassowary,
Sydney to in thosedays,when in the ponds. The emu,
kangaroo, wallaby,
Mr. Lowe and his wife used to drive to and opossummay be
the assizes in a private vehicle from their
seen.
Bronte, Nelson's
home at Bay, via the Lady Belmoreis said to have plantedthe
first tree—a handsome oak, still flourish-
Illawarra.
The penciland brush of this
clever lady depicted many scenes by the ing in the centre of the square, which is
way; and Mr. Lowe,many years after- in miniature a most picturesque
recrea-
wards, when the zenith of
in his fame, ex- band-stand, fountains,
tion garden, with
pressed regret that he would never see and statues, and is a very great acquisi-
again the prettylittletownship, of which
letter written friend
tion to the town.
says,
he in a to a in Goulburnabounds in churches. In
Australia,
'I knew every stone and had Bourkestreetthere are three withina
development.
greatfaithin its I ex- stone'sthrow of one another.
The beauti-
pect now that it will quite have grown
recognition.'
ful St. Saviour'sCathedralis at the corner
out of Bourkeand Montague streets.
of The old
When the Police Act extendedto Goul- Anglican Church occupied a portionof
burn in 1848, a change in the locality of the ground, being built as early as 1839,
courthouse
the was again made to the when the Very Rev. Dean Sowerby was in
building Previously
now used as a lands and survey charge of the parish. the
office,
as then the circuit court was first Rev. RobertCartwright, who was loca-
held there,and all the legal business of ted at Liverpool,
used to visit Goulburn
the south districts was transacted
in the periodically
and hold services in private
houses, building
town.
or
courthouse,
in somepublic as the
A NOTABLE TRIAL which important edifice served
here, as other centres, for a variety
was that of ThomasMundy,alias Collins, purposes,
inlicensing of christen-
who was executed in Goulburn gaol in from
baby,
a pub trying
to civil
1868 for the murderof five persons at ing a as well as for and
Conroy's criminal cases. Dean Sowerbywas a
Gap. He rose in the night and
genial,warm-hearted man, a friendto
killedhis bed mate. He then murdered rich
together
Mr. and Mrs. Conroyand two other per- and poor. He drew the people
in common causes.He promoted the
sons who tried to come to their rescue. establishment benevolent institu-
The motive of the crime was said to be of all
tions,
revenge. Anothernotablecase was that and in the early dayskept a col-
of Mrs. Brownlow, who killedher husband, legewhere someof the leading men of
district received
execution having taken the a portionof their
her place under education. afterwards
His daughters were
peculiarly distressing circumstances. Sir
marriedto Sir WilliamManning, Q.C., an-
Henry Parkesreverted to it when he
wishedto have a generalleniency shown other to Mr. Rossi (who afterwards had
to women criminals.
Mrs. Monk, another the title of Count), and the third to Mr.
well-known Queensland squatter.
husband-murderer,
was tried in Goulburn. Gray, a
Old-timers
She killedher spousewhilsthe was in- speak of seeingDean Sowerby
walkingdown Goulburn arm
toxicated
and burnedhis body. The last in arm with
man who was publicly hangedin Goulburn the Rev. FatherWalsh,district.
the first Roman
Catholic priest
was Talbot, who killedhis rival in love. in
Goulburn
the (The Dean
almost centre died in 1875, aged 76). A well-
The old gaolwas in the of
the town, where for many years it stood, known curateof his was the Rev. Charles
MarsdenBetts,who
a defacing spectacle,
at the rear of the was drownedin the
Wollondilly Marsden's Crossing, when
presentcourthouse. Now it is a large at
flood. Right
and prominent building, which proudly it was in In 1863the Rev.
appointed
proclaims
its presence
to all peopleas Mesac Thomas was
they approachGoulburn by train from FIRST BISHOP GF GOULBURN,
Sydney."In European centres,"
said a 1872, the
foundation
stone of
and, in the
literary visitor, "gaols and lunatic

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Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930), Sunday 13 June 1909, page 8 (3)
foundation
and, in 1872, the stone of the rough country, opening
new cathedral was laid, and the ivy-
overthe
railway
the
Marulan,
of the
coveredchurch,so dear to early timers, as far as
regarded
6, 1868,
Mayfestival.
partially demolished.
being as a great The
was closedand In
cathedral, cost of the station in Goul-
Sloane-street,

1884 BishopBarry openedthe burn,was reckoned

at £6000, therebeing
difficulties
there being some legal regard-
consecration.
10,000 people
in the city for the opening.
ing its use and The late Amongearly lawyers whosename still
Soares, recently
Canon who died in Syd- live in
Goulburn,
was Mr. Charles Hamil-
ney, was in charge of Christ Church, West
Goulburn,
for many years.The first Ro- ton Walsh, who also was the firstMayor
man Catholic services were held in a small of the town. Daniel Henry
cottage, which stood in
Sloane-street.

To- DENIEHY PRACTISED LAW IN

handsomest bluestone
day, one of the GOULBURN
cathedrals Australia brothers
in stands in Bourke for sometime.The Teecewere
street,Goulburn, testifying to the zeal natives district,
theirfather being
shown by
denomination
under the first
of the
that amongthe early settlers.
Mr. Wm. Teece
represented Parliament
Argyle in
for some
time.'He
district
went straightfor what
always
needed,'
Roman Catholic Bishop, Dr. Lanigan, to the most said an old-
maintain the services of the church in a timer, 'and generally hammered away successful.'
suitablemanner. The name of the Rev. untilhe well-known
was Mr. CecilTeece
brilliant
Dr. Ross cannot be
forgotten
in the annals was
speaker;
in Sydney
Richard
as a
of Goulburn. From 1847 until his death and Mr. Teecestillre-
Presbyterian
in 1868 he worked for the presents the A.M.P. Society.identified
Faithful family are
Church
and for all good causes in the The with
squatting interests district,
town, especiallyin regard to founding the
in the also
Chisholms
Mechanics' Institute and the district the
Francis
and the Gibsons. Sir
hospital.
The Rev. W. Hamilton was the Murphy was an earlyresidentof
arrived
first Presbyterianminister
in the town. note.He
Surgeon
in 1836,
Chairman
was Colonial
ministers Argyle
He was one of four young who
Goulburn
Bench.In
for and for the
came out from the Old Country under Dr. 1847he leftNew
Lang's auspices. But Mr. unfortunately, SouthWalesand became interestedin
Melbourne
the
history
Hamilton began to have 'doubts.' and in of settlement. in the early days of
'46 he went to Victoria,
wherehe founded
Presbyterian
its
burnltes
The regret of addresses
the Goul-
a church outside of the was
presentations
shown by the and
denomination.
Dr. Waugh, Mr. James whichweregivento him on
Chisholme, Kippalaw, Mr. Kinghorne,
of
Dr. Richardson,
and
instrumental
Mr. James Macfar- his
Goulburn Institute
departure.
Mechanic's
lane were in getting the fine early had a1853,
the when
the
as
re-
meeting townspeople Commercial

Hotel
Presbyterian
Church erected in the town. as a of at committee
In earlydays the hostelriesoccupied
an
sulted strong
in a beingformed,
president,
even more important
place in the chief withDr. Rossas and Mr. Chas.
vice-president,
Paterson
Dibdin as
centres
than they do now, and theirhosts secretary,
Mr. D.Marsden
trea-
not only made fortunes, but were import- was and Mr. J.
surer. The buildingwas opened 1860,in
ant men in the towns.Along the Old permanent edifice entirelydevoted
Sydney-road
were many hotels; the Com- a finished after, to its
mercial having
the place of honor as that use, the hall being the year
intervening library
wherethe coaches made a start. The but during thecollectedyears a Institute
largepavedyard yet remains,where, the had been and the had
coachesloadedup and turned,before had temporary quarters.
strong official city,
well being
DASHING OUT OF THE GREAT As
Goulburn
as a favourite
always resi-
WIDE GATES. dential
place
will
those be adesire cooler

Then the horn blew and gaily, travellers

inland climate than
for who Riverinaa
sesses. Families
the pos-
were fairly on theirway. In the large are being more and more
cedar wainscoted dining-room there have everyyear sent high plains to the
boarding-houses for
been many banquets given.
One, on the oc- change,and and visitors.
hotels
Summer
casion
of the opening of the railway to the all do wellwithwhich The
excellent colleges
town, was a notable event;whilst, the schools
din-
concluded
many and
ner afterthe Circuit Courthad Goulburnpossess
are all acquiring
well-filled,
for,
its sittings was also a function
of con- with everyfacilityfor know-
splendid, bracing climate,
ledge, there is
siderable
At the opening of
importance.
the railway Sir which appears
a ordinarily
healthy especiallyto suit the
TerenceAubrey Murray (memberof
Argyle)
and to impart vigor to
Goulburn
spokeof the many changes that the young.
had already seen and the de-
velopment during
fifties,
the gold days of the
when it may have been said to
received
have its firstgreatimpetus.Mrs.
Steer,who was the firstwhitechild born
in the district,was present on the occa-
sion,and Sir Terence remarkedthat he
remembered
the time when the firstwhite
Berrima,
womancame to fiftymilesaway,
all the young men on the Goulburn
and proposed
Plains special visit
to makea to
thattownin order to see her.The first
team to Goulburn brought up a party of
cricketers,
the Warrick May 26, 1869,to
againsta Goulburn
play team of men.
considerable engineering
There
difficulties
had been
in carryingthe railway line
overthe rough country, the opening
of the

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Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930), Sunday 13 June 1909, page 8 (4)

TOWN HALL AND POST OFFICE,GOULBURN.

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