Goulburn is a solid country city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, about 200 km southwest of Sydney on the main road and rail line to Canberra. It bills itself as Australia's first inland city and has a well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian streetscape that makes it more visually interesting than many inland NSW towns. The Rocky Hill War Memorial and its observation tower gives good views over the surrounding pastoral country.
Goulburn is famous — to Australians at least — for the Big Merino, a giant concrete sheep on the edge of town that has become an unlikely icon. The wool industry shaped this region, and the Goulburn Pumping Station Museum preserves surviving examples of industrial heritage. St Saviour's Cathedral, designed by colonial architect Edmund Blacket, is the architectural highlight of the city centre. The city is a comfortable overnight stop between Sydney and Canberra, and the Old Goulburn Brewery restaurant is the best place to eat.