Braidwood is an historic goldmining town surrounded by open country characterized by large groups of granite boulders scattered about. Braidwood is a service town for the surrounding region which is based on sheep and cattle grazing and forestry operations.

Where is it?: Braidwood is 200 km south west of Sydney and about 60 km inland from the coast. It is located on the busy Kings Highway linking Canberra (87 km) to Batemans Bay (61 km) on the coast.

Through much of the 20th century, Braidwood was essentially in rural recession. Amongst other consequences, very little building work was carried out, and as a result the town entered the 21st century with much of its original streetscape and architecture intact. The whole town is now listed heritage listed.

The town has several times been used for film locations, including Ned Kelly (1970), The Year My Voice Broke (1987), On Our Selection (1995), Finding Joy (2003) and The Discontinuity (2009).

Things To See and Do


The entire town is classified by the National Trust and Braidwood is the first complete town to be listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. Braidwood also boasts about the fact that we still retain most of the Georgian town plan, one of the last left in Australia. The rural life and charm of the town is carried on against many fine examples of 19th century architecture.

Beautiful churches, pubs, cafes, galleries, craft and antique shops all operate in sensitively restored old buildings which have served the town since the frantic gold rush days of the 1850s.

Braidwood has a number of sites that are worth investigating if you are interested in the bushranging history of the area. Braidwood Goal was the scene of a daring escape by the bushranger, Tom Clarke. It has been suggested that he was assisted by a warder when on 3rd October 1865 he clambered over the Braidwood goal walls and ran to a racehorse which and been tethered nearby. He managed to successfully escape and subsequently organised the Jingera mob who became a well organised and well known gang of bushrangers in the local area.

The ruins of the Braidwood goal can be seen at the very northern end of Wallace Street once you have crossed the Gillamatong Creek on the way to Goulburn and Canberra.

Surrounding Area


Areluen is one of the most famous goldmining boom towns in NSW. Today it is little more than a few buildings in a beautiful valley noted for its orchards (especially peaches) and picturesque valley location.