Goulburn Crookwell Railway

 

Brief History of Goulburn

 

Explorer John Wilson and two companions were the first white people to see the area near Goulburn, this being in 1798. They reached Mount Towrang, east of the present site of the city, which overlooked the Goulburn Plains.

 

Many years elapsed and in 1818 Hamilton Hume and John Meehan passed through the site of the future city, followed by Governor Macquarie in 1820 and John Oxley two days later. Meehan named the Goulburn Plains after the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

 

In 1828 a few allotments were surveyed for the township and the following year a more extensive subdivision was approved.
Governor Bourke selected another site in 1832 and the new township of Goulburn was gazetted in 1833. However, building had already begun on the original site, which was to become North Goulburn.  Goulburn was a garrison town for many years, and a convict road gang, based at the Towrang Stockade built the south road.

 

In the early 1820’s wheat was grown in the area but decreased in importance as more productive wheat areas further west developed. Stock and wool are now important activities having taken over in the 1860’s.

 

The town developed with the free settlers and Goulburn produce supplied the needs of developing places further south and became the main market for their produce. The railway arrived in 1869 and the town was the southern terminus until 1875.

 

The population had risen to about 23,000 people by 1978. Goulburn is 2074 feet above sea level and the annual rainfall is about 25 inches.

 

 

 

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