Braidwood a historic little town

What better thing to do on a rainy day than be a tourist in town.  With the ‘Historic Braidwood Town Walk map’  firmly in my grasp  and the rain lightly falling I wandered the streets for a few hours and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

It’s not often I can take time out to ‘smell the roses’ and I have to say the roses are particularly beautiful at this time of year. The gardens look so much prettier in the rain; the leaden sky sheds a lovely diffused light making everything look softer, while the droplets of rain lying gently on the petals cleanse and refresh the blooms.

Braidwood was the first NSW rural town to be heritage listed in 2006, following a period of unpleasant dispute between those who wanted to preserve the town’s character and charm and those wishing to develop it.

The village was established in 1837 being named after Dr. Thomas Braidwood Wilson who had been granted land here in 1826.  Dr. Wilson was the surgeon superintendent on several convict ships to NSW from 1822.

When gold was discovered 1851 in nearby Araluen Valley and other surrounding areas the population of Braidwood swelled to over 10,000, this was when many of the substantial buildings were constructed.

Welcome to my town - Braidwood NSW.

 Wallace Street Braidwood - park end

Still on the main street

This house in Elrington Street dates to the 1840’s being the oldest dwelling in town. 

The old Maternity Hospital circa 1860’s was run by a sister of the notorious Clarke Brothers, the bushrangers who ran riot during the gold rush in this area. The building is now an antique store.  The owners have a bizarre sense of humour, note the mannequin holding the baby in the top dormer window!

All country towns have at least one pub.  Braidwood has two but at the height of the gold rush eleven hotels had been built to entertain the predominantly male population.

The Braidwood Hotel (formerly the Commercial Hotel) built 1859 is the oldest in Braidwood and still licensed.

The Royal  Hotel rebuilt in 1890 on the site of an earlier ‘Royal Hotel’.  The original name was changed to the Royal Mail Hotel in 1969 when scenes were filmed there for the movie “Ned Kelly’ starring Mick Jagger. I always thought Mick J was an odd choice to play our infamous bushranger.

The owners of the Royal Mail Hotel and some guests will tell you the pub is haunted. Room 14 in particular features lots of strange activity.  Well darn when I stayed there I wasn’t visited by any ghostly apparitions but then I wasn’t lodged in room 14, I always miss out on the fun, but if I had known about the pub being haunted I don’t think I would have slept very well, constantly checking there wasn’t a spook at the end of my bed.

Ryrie Park.  Dr. Wilson and prominent settlers provided exotic plants and flowers for the grounds. It’s a bit like a botanical garden with the trees labelled with their exotic unpronounceable names.  Markets are held in the park once a month. It is a lovely place to sit for awhile.

The Post Masters residence 1865

Workers cottages from 1860 have survived in nearly original condition and yes they are lived in. How cute are they! 

This is the old Wesleyan Church. It is now a private residence. I do wonder about its occupants.  There is a creepy baby mannequin suspended from the ceiling, sort of flying in front of the left window.

What town is complete without a few churches.  St Bedes Catholic Church and St Andrew’s Anglican Church are both built of local granite.

St Andrew's Anglican Church

St Bede's Catholic Church

I love this cute quirky building. It houses the Braidwood Times newspaper.

The ‘Villa” circa 1850’s.

The Granite Store 1870

The Commercial Banking Company built in 1888 as a bank and managers residence certainly reflects the prosperity of the gold mining era.

The Albion Hotel 1872 was the most luxurious hotel in Braidwood and had a reputation for excellent food it is now a cafe on the lower level.

  Braidwood’s first bank The Joint Stock Bank built about 1855 . 

Tidmarsh was an Inn built circa 1856.  It appears today exactly as it did in 1862, complete with shingled roof.

Built as another hotel in 1845 of local granite this building now houses the Braidwood museum.

If you guessed another Hotel you are right!  The Criterion Hotel 1870.  A feature of this hotel was a long stool on the Wallace Street footpath on which patrons sat to watch the 

passing parade. 

This court house was built 1900 on the site of the earliest courthouse of 1837.

If you are ever passing through town do visit the Dojo Bread shop. The yummiest bread is made from this rustic little shop.

There are so many lovely cottages and just as many beautiful gardens.

I hope you enjoyed your tour of Braidwood as much as I did!