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A guide to the South Coast’s historic sites
Photography by MHDS Blog
Despite being known for its stunning natural beauty and popular coastal towns, the South Coast is filled with a fascinating line-up of heritage sites that offer a window into its rich and storied past. Whether you’re a history buff eager to step back in time and explore the region’s cultural tapestry or simply looking for a fun and interesting day out with loved ones, be sure to add these spots to your autumn to-do list.
Moruya Historic Courthouse
A visit to the Moruya Historic Courthouse is like stepping back in time to the days when justice was served in this stately sandstone building. Dating back to 1881, the heritagelisted courthouse is a fine example of Victorian Italianate classical architecture, featuring an imposing façade with verandah, painted and rendered brickwork, timber balustrades and columns, corrugated metal and concrete tile roofing, and a well-preserved interior. While it no longer serves as a working courthouse, the building is sometimes open to the public and can be enjoyed while experiencing the 1.5km Moruya Heritage Walk through the town.
Bawley Point
The coastal village of Bawley Point, just 30 minutes north of Batemans Bay, is peppered with historic gems that reflect the area’s thriving past, including old fishing settlements, heritage-listed cottages, and evidence of the Indigenous people who occupied the land for thousands of years. Learn about the area’s Indigenous heritage at the Murramarang Aboriginal Area, a reserve that protects the largest midden on the South Coast and contains millions of stone artefacts, along with dense deposits of mammal, fish, and bird bones, as well as shells.
More recently, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area was known for its bustling timber milling industry with a large sawmill, a blacksmith shop, a post office, several workers’ cottages and a jetty and derrick to load the timber on ships bound for Sydney. Tucked into the southern corner of Bawley Beach is the Gantry, one of the last remaining structures from the timber milling days. It burnt down in 1922, and the old structure was washed away by storms in 2016, but a new one was built a few years ago, keeping this piece of history alive.
The area’s sawmill first opened in 1891, burnt down in the early 1900s, was rebuilt, but unfortunately destroyed by fire, in 1922 and never rebuilt. Some of the concrete blocks of the sawmill remain here and can be found near the Gantry. Today, visitors can explore these sites via several walking trails that weave around the coastline.
Batemans Bay Heritage Museum
The Batemans Bay Heritage Museum, formerly a courthouse, police station and residence, opened in 1985 and is a treasure trove of local history. The museum’s vast collection has grown considerably over the last 40 years and includes a broad mix of permanent, temporary and travelling exhibitions. Highlights include historic photographs, antique machinery and tools, rural technology, costume, dolls, and memorabilia spanning maritime, military, education, geology, crime, gold, timber, domestic life, and the local community history.
All Saints Anglican Church And Rectory Garden
All Saints Anglican Church in Bodalla is one of the most splendidly apportioned churches in rural NSW, offering sweeping views of the coastal hinterland from its tower. The church opened in 1881 and features oak woodwork, stained glass windows, chancel tiles and a pipe organ brought from England, UK. Adjacent to the church is the awardwinning Rectory Garden, a privately owned garden open to the public throughout the year. There are 12 unique gardens featuring approximately 1,000 plants and trees across the three-acre property on the site of the church’s old parish residence. The garden’s design blends formal elements with naturalistic landscapes, featuring manicured lawns, meandering pathways, and secluded alcoves. Both garden and church are wellpreserved parts of the region’s history and a testament to Bodalla’s rich heritage.
Moruya Museum
The Moruya Museum, situated in the heritage-listed Emmott House, is home to a fascinating collection of furniture, books, artefacts and memorabilia that pay homage to the people and history of the local Moruya region, from its early Indigenous inhabitants to the arrival of European settlers. Many of the eclectic items on display in this charming 19th-century building were donated by local families, with highlights that include a large collection of photographs of the pioneers who developed the area, an insight into the granite quarrying industry, which supplied the stone for many monuments in Sydney, including the pylons of Sydney Harbour Bridge, as well as displays on the role Moruya played during World War II. At the rear of the museum is the Genealogy Research Room, which houses a large archive for those who are interested in researching their family history.
