The Southern Highlands is a geographical area in New South Wales, Australia, southwest of Sydney. The term specifically refers to the Southern Villages area of Sutton Forest, Exeter, Bundanoon, Penrose, Wingello, Tallong and Marulan, but it is often used more broadly to describe an area that includes parts of the Southern Tablelands as well as the Highlands, and extends from the town of Mittagong to the city of Goulburn. The region takes in the southern part of Wingecarribee Shire and the former Mulwaree Shire, which is now combined with Goulburn as part of the Greater Argyle Council. The area is included with the Southern Tablelands in the tourism district that is known as Capital Country. Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... Sydney Harbour looking south from the vicinity of the Sydney Harbour Bridge towards the CBD skyline; the Opera House is visible in the background on the left. ... Bundanoon is a small town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. ... Tallong is a tiny village in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. ... The Southern Tablelands is a geographic area of the State of New South Wales, Australia. ... Mittagong is a small town with a population of approximately 4000 in the Southern Highlands, New South Wales, Australia. ... The most famous landmark in Goulburn, the Big Merino Sheep Goulburn (34°44′ S 149°44′ E) is a provincial cathedral city in New South Wales, Australia characterised by a particularly long main street. ... Goulburn-Mulwaree Council is a Local Government Area (LGA) of New South Wales, Australia. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Beaches make popular tourist resorts. ... Capital Country is the name of one of the 16 regions of New South Wales, Australia. ...

Economy

While bustling little towns in the northern highlands like Mittagong, Bowral and Moss Vale are well known tourist spots and the weekend havens of affluent Sydneyites, the Southern Villages have had a boom-and-bust economic cycle. Bundanoon, for example, became a well-known tourist destination early in the 20th Century; its picturesque nature and the exquisite scenery of what is now Morton National Park, combined with being a stop on the CityRail line, made it a pleasant and convenient holiday area for city dwellers who could not afford the upscale accommodation at the popular Blue Mountains resort area. By the 1950s, however, changes in lifestyle, particularly the affordability of the motor car, gave city folk many more options for weekend getaways, and Bundanoon declined. Mittagong is a small town with a population of approximately 4000 in the Southern Highlands, New South Wales, Australia. ... Bowral is where i live. ... Moss Vale is the first major town when coming in the Southern Highlands from the South, on the main Southern Railway with direct access to the South Coast via the Illawarra Highway. ... Sydneyite, or Sydneysider, is the term used to refer to residents of Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia. ... Morton is a national park in New South Wales (Australia), 170 km southwest of Sydney. ... CityRail is the name of the extensive system of urban, suburban and interurban passenger railways based on metropolitan Sydney, the capital city of the State of New South Wales, Australia. ... Blue Mountains of New South Wales The Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, roughly 100 kilometres west of Sydney, are a range of sandstone mountains that reach to 1111 metres above sea level at their highest, One Tree Hill, and form part of the Great Dividing Range that runs... // Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the height of the baby-boom from returning... Car redirects here. ...

Similarly, Marulan, once thriving, had its economy crushed when the Hume Highway was built and bypassed the village. The Hume Highway (also known as the Hume Freeway) is one of the most important roads in Australia, linking the countrys two largest cities - Sydney and Melbourne. ...

Recently, an ever-expanding Sydney with record high real estate prices has renewed interest in the Southern Highlands, and the area is undergoing a resurgence. Mulwaree Shire was, until its dissolution early in 2004, the fastest growing Shire in NSW outside of Sydney itself. Tallong, an otherwise insignificant village known only for having the oldest continuous one-teacher schoolhouse in Australia, and for a devastating bushfire in 1965 that crippled its economy, has seen a dramatic increase in real estate prices over the last five years, with the price of vacant land almost tripling in areas close to the village. Backburning in Townsville, Australia to prevent bushfires. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... Real estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. ...

The Southern Highlands is within commuting distance of Sydney, Goulburn and Canberra, the nation’s capital, and this may account for its renewed popularity. Canberra is the capital of the Commonwealth of Australia and, with a population of just over 323,000, is also Australias largest inland city. ...

Local attitudes towards the encroachment of civilization are varied, with citizens apparently desiring to have the conveniences of modern life, while living somewhat removed from it. The recent decision by Michael Costa, the Transportation Minister, for example, to reduce service on CityRail’s Southern Highlands Line, aroused a storm of protest from indignant commuters. A proposal for an internet café in Marulan was received enthusiastically by its villagers. By contrast, an announced proposal for the building of Sydney’s second airport near the village of Sutton Forest met with strong opposition. Many small businesses and single proprietors in the area welcomed the proposal, with its promise of increased trade, but other individuals, fearing the noise, pollution and increased congestion that an airport would bring, organized a citizens committee against the proposed scheme. For the Italian-English conductor, see Michael Costa (conductor) Michael Costa is an Australian politician. ...

Local attractions

The villages attract visitors who travel considerable distances for a few special events. In April, it’s the annual Brigadoon Festival in Bundanoon, which is also home to the spring Garden Ramble; Tallong holds a popular Trail Ride in aid of the Rural Fire Brigade each April, and Wingello hosts Sled Dog Trials in June. DVD cover Brigadoon is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, first produced in 1947. ... A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of nature. ... Trail riding is riding on trails as opposed to riding on roads or courses. ... Firefighter with an axe A firefighter, sometimes still called a fireman though women have increasingly joined firefighting units, is a person who is trained and equipped to put out fires, rescue people and in some areas provide emergency medical services. ... Dogsled racing is a winter dog sport involving the timed competition of teams of sleddogs that pull a sled, on the runners of which the dog driver or musher stands. ...

External links

• Official tourism website for the Southern Highlands.