Young is a country town in the Hilltops region of New South Wales, about two hours by road from Canberra. It calls itself Australia's Cherry Capital, and for once the slogan is not empty: orchards, cool-climate vineyards, and the December cherry season give the town a real reason to exist for travellers.
The older story is darker. Young began as Lambing Flat, a goldfield where anti-Chinese riots broke out in 1860 and 1861. The Young Historical Museum holds the "Roll Up No Chinese" banner from that period, while the Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Gardens south of town are a quiet counterpoint to the violence.
Young is not a major destination, but it makes a good spare day if you are already moving between Canberra, Cowra, Gundagai, or the Central West. Time it for cherry season if you can, visit an orchard such as Ballinaclash, and leave time for the old civic buildings around the town centre.