Boorowa, New South Wales: Travel guide and things to do

Boorowa is located on the edge of the Southern Tablelands and can be reached either via Bathurst and Cowra (a distance of 388 km via the Great Western and Mid Western Highways) or Goulburn and Yass (a distance of 338 km via the Hume Highway).

The town is surrounded by rich pasturelands and has been a centre for wool and wheat production since it was first settled by Europeans in the 1840s.

The town came into existence in 1850. No one knows exactly where the name comes from but it is thought to be a Wiradjuri word for 'turkey'. The Wiradjuri lived and moved through the area prior to European settlement.

In the 1860s it became infamous as part of the area where the bushranger Ben Hall and his gang went on a robbing spree. Hall and his gang ranged from Young (Lambing Flats) across to Jugiong and Gundagai. At the time the town was known as Burrowa.

Today the town is a quiet rural community which, because it is not on a main road, has a special kind of untouched olde world charm.

Things to see

Court House
Located on the corner of Marsden and Queen Streets in Boorowa, this symmetrical building was designed by the Colonial Architect and completed in 1884. It has a distinctive double-height court room and Roman arches. It is an imposing and vital element in Boorowa's main street.

St Patricks Catholic Church
This was the first Roman Catholic Church to be built west of the Great Dividing Range. It was completed in 1875. Of particular interest are the church's excellent stained glass windows and its fine altar which was made from imported Italian marble.