About the region

The Southern Highlands of New South Wales is a collection of towns and villages, just 90 minutes south of Sydney, and has both natural beauty and historic significance by the bucket load. Rolling hills in shades of lush green, and English-style villages with their quirky shops, pretty gardens and grand homesteads are big drawcards.

In addition to that, there are seven stunning but less explored national parks, including Morton, Budderoo and Macquarie Pass, dozens of vineyards and a vibrant food scene. 

This is Gundungarra and Tharawal (or Dharawal) land, which extends from Camden to Goulburn. At one time, the Gundungarra people were referred to as the Bong Bong tribe. So if you have ever wondered how Bong Bong Street in Bowral came to be, now you know!

Wingecarribee, Burradoo, Mittagong, Bong Bong, Bowral, Bundanoon and Nattai are Indigenous Australians words.

By the time the first settlers arrived, records suggest less than 100 indigenous people had lived in the region. Some worked with the colonials as guides and translators, while others moved further south.

In 1802, the explorer Francis Barrallier met the Gundungara people. He noted in his journal that the Gundungara "themselves build huts for the strangers they wish to receive as friends."

It was not until the 1880s that the highlands became a popular place for city dwellers to escape the summer temps. With a landscape reminiscent of England, elegant retreats appeared shortly after the railway line opened. Inns and public houses appeared in number, and became popular with Sydney's elite coming to stay.

Wingecarribee Shire covers an area of 2700 square km, has an estimated population of 51,000 and is also known as the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.

The Shire is an important catchment area for water supply to Sydney, Wollongong and the Northern Shoalhaven. Much of the Shire is located at or above 640 m above sea level, with the main towns being Bowral, Moss Vale and Mittagong.

The Southern Highlands is located 110 kilometres south west of Sydney, 160 kilometres North-East of Canberra, 70 kilometres from Wollongong, and an hour to the beach. The region is well connected via Motorways/Hume Highway, Illawarra Highway and the Main Southern Railway. 

The Shire is predominantly rural in character with agricultural lands separating towns and villages, characterised by unique landscape and aesthetic appeal. 

With four distinct seasons, the Southern Highlands is renowned for many European-style gardens. With a land area almost as big as Sydney, the region contains many micro-climates. Average rainfall is approximately 1000 mL per annum where summers are comfortable and partly cloudy and the winters are short, cold, and mostly clear. The average temperature for January is 25 °C and 12 °C for July.