Braidwood, New South Wales
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Braidwood (postcode: 2622, Template:Coor dm) is a small town in New South Wales, Australia. The population of Braidwood was about 2,800 at the time of the 2000 census.
BraidwoodCourthouseMay2005.JPG
Braidwood is located on the Kings Highway linking Canberra to Batemans Bay on the coast. It is about 200 kilometers south west of Sydney and about 60 kilometers inland from the coast. It is located in a highland area near the headwaters of the Shoalhaven River.
European explorers reached the district in 1822 (Kearns, Marsh and Packer). The area was first settled by Europeans in the 1820s but the town was surveyed in 1839. Gold was discovered in 1851 and for the next two decades the district's population grew to about 10,000.
The town was named after Dr Thomas Braidwood Wilson. He had been a Surgeon Superintendent of ships taking convicts to NSW and Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania). He was first granted land in Van Diemen's Land in 1824, which he exchanged for land near Lake George in 1825. In addition he was given 2560 acres which he selected in the 'new country' on 2 tributaries of the Shoalhaven, Monkittee and Flood creeks. In 1833 the western end of Wilson's grant was resumed and reserved for a future village and a similar area added to the eastern end in compensation. Wilson settled in the district in late 1836 with his wife and family. He became a community leader and amongst other things contracted to build the first courthouse in 1837-38. In 1840 Wilson petitioned the government to build a road from Braidwood to Huskisson to enable faster and cheaper shipping of the wool clip to Sydney and, with Col John Mackenzie, supplied the materials and labour for the Braidwood to Nerriga section. In 1841 Braidwood Farm had 141 residents. Wilson was sent bankrupt due to a drought in the late 1830s and the subsequent depression. He died in November 1843. His land was sold to John Coghill for £2,000 who now owned all the land on the south, east and north of the town. However, before his death, Wilson had purchased the block immediately to the north of Braidwood. He was buried on this block, high on the hill overlooking the town. A memorial and large pine tree clearly mark the site, from which there are superb views of the town.
As a former gold-rush town with prosperity lasting for several years bank and hotel buildings were substantial and the surviving heritage attracts visitors. The main activities in the region are raising sheep and cattle. Formerly some mining and forestry occurred. Braidwood was formerly the seat of the Tallaganda local government area. However, following restructuring of local government areas by the New South Wales Government, it is now part of the Palerang council and the eastern office of the council is located in the town.
External links
- NSW Heritage listing for Braidwood (http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/07_subnav_02_2.cfm?itemid=5054706)
- Heritage information about various buildings in Braidwood (http://www.braidwood-tourism.com.au/trail.html)
- Information about Braidwood (http://www.argylecounty.com.au/towns/braidwood.html)
- Palerang council website (note as at June 2005 web address still incorporated Tallaganda in name) (http://www.tallaganda.nsw.gov.au/)Template:Australia-geo-stub