All Saints Church (1878)

 

Marulan (including Tallong and Bungonia)
Quiet township now by-passed by the Hume Highway
Located 164 km southwest of Sydney via the Hume Highway, Marulan has been by-passed not once or twice but three times. In fact there can be few towns in Australia whose future has been thrown in doubt so many times as a result of changed transportation routes.

The original township of Marulan was established as a private village in the 1820s at the junction of Bungonia Road and the Great Southern Road and it was initially known as Mooroowoolen. The settlement was notable for its unusual characters. Bob Fitzsimmons, a famous bare knuckle prize fighter, owned the local blacksmith¹s shop. Joseph Peters, one of the first ticket-of-leave men to be granted land in the district, settled on land between Marulan and Goulburn and opened an inn.

However, this town did not last long. When Major Mitchell surveyed the area and laid out a new street plan the town was moved. Joseph Peters, realising that his inn would be valueless if the whole town moved, managed to hold up the development until he moved his inn to a new site.

In the 1860s, when the railway line was being built through the area, the settlement became a railway camp and was relocated to its present site around the train station. On 1 September 1878 the name of the town was changed from Mooroowoolen to Marulan.

With the arrival of the railway the settlement became a moderately important transport node and a number of buildings, most of which are still standing, were constructed.

Only a few years ago the main street of Marulan suffered from the almost continuous roar of trucks travelling along the Hume Highway. The highway now by-passes the town, new service stations have been established on the by-pass, and the town has returned to the sleepy place it must have been around the turn of the century.

The Marulan Country Fair is held in April.

Things to see:  

 

The Royal Hotel (now closed)

 

Walking around the Town
Although many of the buildings in the town are now closed and boarded up, it is still interesting to walk down the main street and look at the houses and shops which were built during the 'boom' after the arrival of the railway.

The railway station and the station master's residence were completed in 1868. They are both good examples of Victorian public architecture. If you walk back to the main street you will notice a very fine Georgian-style Police Station which was completed a few years later. On the other side of the road is the tiny box-like St Stephens Uniting Church which was built in 1875. On the same side of the road, just a couple of doors down, is the Coronation Store (now closed) which is a good example of a nineteenth century shop with an attached residence. Over the road is the Marulan Post Office and next to the service station in the centre of town is Wattle Glen cottage. The Royal Hotel, which was built and expanded between 1870-80, is a fine example of a Victorian hotel. It is now closed and boarded up.

All Saints Church (1878) and Rectory (1886) are an interesting blend of Victorian and Colonial architectural styles.

All of these buildings, with the exception of the railway station, are located on the main street.

 

The Old Pavlova Factory
Just to the south of Marulan are the remains of the 'famous' Moccador Pavlova Factory which was built in the shape of a large pink and white pavlova. The factory used to manufacture pavlovas, handmade chocolates and cheesecakes and offer devonshire teas to travellers but it was a casualty of the town's by-pass. It closed in 1991.

 

Glenrock
Two buildings of major interest in the district are 'Glenrock' on Bundanoon Road which was built in the 1840s by George Barber. This magnificent colonial building, with its mature gardens, eighteen fluted columns and cedar joinery, is regarded as one of the most impressive buildings in the Southern Highlands. Unfortunately it is now privately owned and cannot be seen from the road.

 

Plumb's Inn
Ten kilometres south of Marulan on the Hume Highway is Plumb's Inn, now called 'Wandi', an example of early colonial architecture which, although now a private dwelling (there is no access to the house) includes a kitchen with an open fire and ovens. It is claimed that when recent residents removed the wallpaper in one of the rooms they found that the walls had been covered with newspapers which dated back to the 1860s.

Plumb's Inn was the scene of one of Ben Hall's more notable failures. In late 1864 Hall and his gang moved into the area between Goulburn and Gundagai where they held up a number of travellers and mail coaches. On 19 December they were working the Goulburn-Sydney road when they made the mistake of holding up some travellers when the MP for Murrumbidgee, William Macleay, caught and fired on them with his new Tranter revolving rifle. The bushrangers fled but, annoyed that they had been outgunned, attacked Macleay as he approached Plumb's Inn. Macleay took up a position on the verandah, returned their fire, and forced the bushrangers, once again, to retreat. It is strange to stand outside Plumb's Inn and imagine these events occurring 130 years ago.

 

Tallong and Lookouts
7 km east of Marulan is the tiny village of Tallong where you can but apples fresh from the orchard and sheepskin products (rugs, car seat covers and boots) straight from the factory. Beyond is a remarkable gorge bisected by the Shoalhaven River. There are fine views of the gorge available from Badgery's Lookout and Long Point Lookout. Badgery's is 7.1 km along Coura Ridge Rd which heads out of Tallong. To access Long Point, head west of Tallong for 2.1 km, back towards Marulan, then turn left into Long Point Rd and drive for another 5.8 km to the carpark and picnic area. A walking trail will take you from the lookout to the Shoalhaven River 500 m below (90 minutes return). An information sheet is available from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, tel: (02) 4887 7270.

 

Bungonia
Bungonia was located on the original course of the Great South Rd and so was initially a more important centre than Goulburn. However, when a new route was designed in the 1830s it went into decline.

To get there follow the Hume Highway westwards from Marulan for 4 km then turn left onto the road signposted for Bungonia. After about 13 km there is a T-intersection. Turn left (signposted for the Bungonia State Recreation Area) and you will soon pass straight through Bungonia. Two blocks from the post office is St Michael's, arguably the oldest Catholic Church in mainland Australia. This cement-rendered random-rubble structure was erected between 1839 and 1847. Some early bluestone homes with sandstone buttresses also remain.

 

Bungonia State Recreation Area
From Bungonia follow the signposts to Lookdown Rd which will take you past a series of carparks. At the end of the road is the office (usually staffed on weekends but not weekdays), a carpark, a container with information brochures, a large information board replete with maps outlining the various walks to a series of exceptional viewing areas (some wheelchair accessible) that survey the precipitous gorge from on-high.

The five deepest caves on the Australian mainland are located here but they are only for experienced speleologists. Adventure sports can be pursued and camping is available with hot showers, toilets and a community kitchen. Bookings are advisable and fees apply both for campers and day visitors. For guiding leaflets and information about longer walks

 

 

 

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Marulan