Georgeous scenery, glorious history
The Southern Highlands is perched high on a plateau that straddles the Great Dividing Range. It’s a beautiful part of the world where just over 52,000 Australians live in peace and tranquillity. People come here to enjoy the scenery and bushwalks, restaurants and vineyards, stunning waterfalls and more antique shops than you can shake a stick at.
When you dig a little deeper, however, it gets a lot more interesting…
The Southern Highlands used to be underwater for a start.
Then volcanoes erupted spewing minerals that allowed the most tangled rainforest imaginable to grow, leaving much of it virtually impenetrable for years. There’s a little remnant of that forest remaining today, and you’ll find it with the help of the map…
Then people arrived. The Gandagara and Dharawal first of all, and thousands of years later the European explorers and settlers, the notorious bushrangers, diamond hunters, prospectors and prisoners.
Adventurous folks trying to build a life on the frontier, and they all left traces of their lives, right here. Little windows to the past that you’re on the verge of discovering right now. Lucky you, and good luck.
