Burrawang: Heritage, Village Life and Landscapes

Burrawang brings together tangible traces of its history, views of the landscape and community events. There are several ways to shape your travel plans: you can take an interest in the historic buildings, focus on the views from two locations described here, or plan to attend the open Community Morning Tea.

Buildings and local history

The village of Burrawang was first settled in 1862. The Old Village Store on the main street was built in 1867. These two dates provide a timeframe for the early history of the place: settlement is dated to 1862, and construction of this store to 1867. There are also other buildings with their own significance and specific addresses that you can explore if you are interested in local heritage.

The Old Burrawang School House at 33 Church Street is heritage-listed locally. Range Villa at 14–16 Crown Street has the same designation. The Burrawang Cafe, the former General Store at 11 Hoddle Street, is also heritage-listed locally. These three names and addresses provide specific points of reference for exploring Burrawang’s built heritage. The cafe and the Old Village Store are different places; the former name “General Store” refers to the cafe on Hoddle Street.

A restored 19th-century sandstone schoolhouse is also located in Burrawang. Its description as a sandstone schoolhouse and its restoration give this building its own historical significance. Together with the heritage-listed buildings mentioned above and the Old Village Store, this offers a thematic focus on buildings and local history, without conflating the different details about construction dates, restoration and heritage listing.

Landscapes and different perspectives

The terrace of the Burrawang Village Hotel offers a view of the landscape. Another view opens up from the upper end of Region Street. These two perspectives described here may interest you if you would like to take in the surroundings as well as the historic buildings. The information points to different locations; it describes neither a shared route nor a specific distance between them.

Burrawang therefore offers different points of interest: its buildings and their history are particularly appealing to visitors interested in culture, while the two viewpoints mentioned look out over the landscape. If you are planning a family trip, you can weigh these interests when choosing what to do. The key question is whether you would rather focus on the names of places and buildings or put the views of the landscape first.

Community and local food connections

An open Community Morning Tea is held every Friday from 9:30 am at the Burrawang School of Arts. The School of Arts is also frequently used as a venue for weddings, lectures, community events and memorial services. These are two distinct aspects of the building: a regular weekly event and its broader use as a venue. For your plans, the Morning Tea is the specific event; the other occasions describe the School of Arts’ frequent use.

The Burrawang General Store is a food destination for locals and visitors to the Southern Highlands; the store is currently closed. Keep this current status in mind when exploring local food connections. The store should not be confused with the Burrawang Cafe on Hoddle Street: “former General Store” refers to the building’s past use and its local heritage listing, while the closure applies to the Burrawang General Store.

Choose which of these aspects interests you most during your stay. If you would like to explore more places, you can find Werai, Canyonleigh, Berrima, Balmoral, Bundanoon and Bowral here.

For the broader travel overview: Wingecarribee Shire Council.