The Braidwood Museum
Come and visit a building that has played
many roles in the life of Braidwood. This was the first significant
hotel in Braidwood, built in the 1840s as the Royal Hotel, of
local granite with a shingle roof. James Larmer, the well-known
early colonial surveyor had the licence and lived there in the
latter part of his life.
Later, in 1870, the hotel was sold to the Grand United Order
of Oddfellows – Young Australia Branch No. 2012 NSW. The
Oddfellows made additions to the building: they built in brick
a large rectangular hall on the lower floor, joining the separate
kitchen to the main building. Another hall was built upstairs
above the lower one, and concerts and dances were held in this
upper hall.
For many years, the building was empty and later it was converted
into flats. However, it was fortunate that the building was
in good condition when the Historical Society purchased it in
1970. Over the intervening years, we have created a museum to
preserve artifacts and photos that will tell the story of the
people who have lived in the Braidwood district, and of significant
events in Braidwood’s history. The building itself is
part of that story.
