Fast facts
- A sleepy, attractive wool-growing centre with a friendly rural atmosphere
- On the grassy plains of the Southern Tablelands
- 244 km south-west of Sydney, population 550
Why go there
Gunning is about an hour from Canberra but a million miles from the city hustle and bustle. Here you can spend the night in a historic homestead or pub-style accommodation, browse the rural shops and enjoy country fare at a local restaurant.
History
The colonial explorer Hamilton Hume established a sheep property near Gunning in 1821.
In 1824, with William Hovell, Hume set off from his property on a ground-breaking expedition to Port Phillip Bay in Victoria. A column by the roadside at Fish River, 5 km east of Gunning, marks their departure point.
Following the arrival of the railway in 1875, Gunning became a busy rail terminus. For many years the Hume Highway from Sydney to Canberra ran right through the centre of town; however, Gunning returned to its sleepy ways in 1993, after a bypass was built.
Things to do
- Wander around historic stone buildings that date back to the 1830s, such as Pye Cottage where you can experience how the early settlers lived.
- Browse the town's antique collections and arts and crafts shops.
- Visit the Gunning Cemetery to see headstones and monuments to early European pioneers and settlers.
- Go cycling along pretty country roads around town.
Events
- Collector Village Pumpkin Festival in May.
- Fireworks Expo, in September, when visitors are treated to an explosive display.
Don’t miss
- Walking at least some of the 440-km Hume and Hovell Walking Track, which follows the route of Hume and Hovell's celebrated journey.
- The town’s oldest surviving building, the former police barracks, erected in 1842.
- Stepping into the ancient past by viewing the fossil leaf deposit next to Oolong Creek in nearby Dalton.
