Fast facts
- Best preserved Georgian village on the Australian mainland
- A delightful destination in the Southern Highlands
- 122 km south-west of Sydney, population 876
Why go there
Berrima has a unique collection of unspoilt Georgian sandstone homes and important public buildings from the 19th century. There are craft galleries, coffee shops and tea houses, making it a great place to stop for a break and discover much about the early days of European settlement in Australia.
History
Berrima was settled during the 1830s as graziers sought out fresh pastures for their herds and the Great South Road was surveyed. By 1840 Berrima had a courthouse and gaol and was the administration centre for the southern districts. The Village prospered, and there were 13 inns by the 1860s.
The fortunes of the village ebbed and flowed, and by 1914 there were around 80 residents with just one inn still operating - The Surveyor General. By the late 1900s many of Berrima's heritage buildings had been sensitively restored, making the town a great tourist destination in its own right.
Things to do
- Take a self-guided walk around the village to visit the many historic buildings open to the public.
- Browse through the many craft shops, galleries and antique shops.
- Treat yourself to some traditional sweets, displayed in large jars in several stores.
Don’t miss
- Courthouse Museum, for the multimedia presentation of infamous trials that took place there.
- Lunch at the White Horse Inn or a Guinness at the Surveyor General Inn, Australia's oldest continually licensed inn.
- Berkelouw Book Barn's 200,000 books, 3 km from Berrima.
- Berrima District Historical Society Museum in Market Street is open weekends.
