The Braidwood Museum has completed the conservation of an extraordinary gift, announced last June. The Major's Creek gold exploration company Cortona Resources acquired the horse drawn Gold Escort coach which is believed to have been used to transfer gold and cash between Araluen, Major's Creek and Braidwood between about 1865 and 1885, and has generously gifted it to the Braidwood Museum where it will become a central part of our new exhibits.
Click here for more.

Local Gold Exploration company Cortona Resources has added to their generous gift of the Braidwood Gold Escort carriage  featured below with the acquisition of a very rare 1850s Gold Bullion transport case of the type used in the Escort Carriage in the 1850s and 1860s. The Bullion case will be installed in the new interactive exhibit which will shortly be assembled around the carriage in the Museum's main hall. The original gold transfer case from our carriage is now in the collection of the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.

On April 23rd at 7pm Dr David Sutherland will speak at the museum on the subject of collecting and handling rare books. Mrs Jenny Sutherland will discuss the history of the early settlement of Bourke. The evening, set in the Museum's main hall, will be followed by light refreshments by the open fire. All members and their guests are most welcome to attend. There is no charge.

The next Committee Meeting of the Historical Society is on Monday 3rd May at 7pm. General Members are invited to attend. The meetings are reasonably informal and general members may interact and join in the discussions although not vote. Committee meetings generally run for 2 hours.

The NSW Government announced in December 2009 that the Braidwood Historical Society had been awarded a grant to assist in the reconstruction of the two storied verandah that graced the building from about 1875 to about 1925. The original 1840s Georgian facade of the building had a single story verandah but during the second half of the 19th century an elaborate parapet and an impressive tower were added, as as these elements have been preserved our committee and heritage advisers decided to reinstate the two story verandah and the mansard roof which was fitted to the top of the tower. Important maintenance is also being carried out on the parapet, flagstone porch and roof guttering.

Members of the Braidwood & District Historical Society gathered at Dransfield's Steam Flour Mills  at Jembaicumbene on 11th December to celebrate Christmas. The party featured lots of good food (provided by Olive Royds and Ros Maddrell, with a little help from our guests), wine and excellent company, a lovely Christmas tree, a sleigh and a timely birth near the stable of a beautiful baby Alpaca, Noah, capably delivered by our local Doctor David Sutherland!    We wish a very Merry Christmas to one and all!

The Braidwood Museum's new exhibition about the Gold Rush is open, featuring new display panels, lighting and sound effects, and a fascinating group of Gold Rush period artefacts from our collection. Highlights include the 1860s Braidwood Gold Escort carriage which was held up by Ben Hall and the Clarke Brothers, Mr Blatchford's telescope, used to watch progress at his gold mine in Araluen, and early gold prospecting equipment including a cradle, pans and fossiker's tools.

The Braidwood Historical Society was given the privilege of using a magnificent 1914 Republic chain driven truck currently at Millpond Farm for the 2014 Parade, in which it carried the members of the Braidwood Cantors and the Jembaicumbene Brass Band who performed up and down the main street on the day. The truck is very similar to one used in Braidwood between 1914 and 1930 by Garnett Maddrell, which also often featured in Braidwood's street parades. The cash prize of $100 has gone towards exhibition works at the Museum.