| Historical notes: | Aboriginal land
Gundungurra or Gandangarra people lived in the Southern Highlands area, which includes Mittagong, for many thousands of years. People who spoke the Gundungurra language lived in the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and the Goulburn Plains. They lived in small groups of extended family members, attached to particular areas of country. After Anglo-European settlers caused displacement of Gundungurra people, they often worked on farms or grazing properties within and adjacent to their traditional land (Di Johnson: 2004 in SHR database 5045486).
Gundungurra groups left archaeological evidence of occupation throughout their traditional lands, including scarred trees where bark was removed for use as a boat or other object, grinding grooves on rocks where axes were ground, and occupation sites which include middens. Well-worn Gundungurra pathways on ridge tops were often the routes used as the first roads by colonists (Di Johnson 2004). Possibly this could have been the origin of the Old South Road. (SHR database 5045486).
The area is home to the Tharawal and Gungungurra people (Robinson, 2008).
Colonisation of Berrima:
Berrima is the second oldest (European) settlement in Wingecarribee Shire and its oldest continuing settlement. The first town settlement in the district was in 1821 at Bong Bong, 8km south-east of Berrima on the Wingecarribee River (Webb 2008: 9).
The site was selected by Surveyor General Sir Thomas Mitchell in 1829 on a visit planning a new road alignment from Sydney to replace the old Argyle Road, which had proven unsatisfactory due to a steep hill climb over the Mittagong Range and river crossing at Bong Bong. In 1830 Mitchell instructed Robert Hoddle to mark out the town based on a plan Mitchell's office prepared, along the lines of a traditional English village (with central market place and as many blocks as possible facing the Wingecarribee River), using the local Aboriginal name. The new line of road came through it (Allman Johnston 2007). It was to be the commercial and administrative centre for the County of Camden.
Following Governor Bourke's approval in 1831, 1824 to 1841 saw significant development as mail coaches changed route to the new line of road. Early town lots sold in 1833, predominantly to inn keepers and around Market Square, including the first town lot sales to Bryan McMahon (Webb 2008: 9).
The first town land sale saw Bryan McMahon (occasionally recorded as MacMahon) granted title to the (Coach & Horses Inn) property (Lot 1 Section 2) in 1832, in conjuction with neighbouring property (Lot 2 Section 2) containing the Berrima Inn, also known as McMahon's Inn. Both are at the corner of Bryan and Jellore Streets. McMahon was an innkeeper of Sutton Forest (Allman Johnston 2007). The Berrima Inn was one of the first to operate in Berrima, along with the Surveyor-General and Mail Coach Inns (Webb 2008: 5, 10, 34).
By 1834 McMahon had erected a purpose built inn of simple face brick with hipped roof and verandah facing the street. This was issued Berrima's first Inn licence in 1834, which continued until 1848, when it became the residence for McMahon and family, two years before he died. (Webb 2008: 34).
The neighbouring property, Lot 3 Section 2, was sold in 12/1834 to Michael Doyle, a sale condition requiring a 'dwelling house, store or other permanent structure to be built to a value of (pounds) 20 or more within 2 years'. The land was sold to John Ireland in 7/1837. The same month Doyle was granted a liquor licence for the Mail Coach Inn (on Lot 2 Section 2) in Jellore Street. (Webb 2008: 10).
By the 1840s there were four licenced premises including Berrima Inn, Surveyor General Inn, Mail Coach Inn and Crown Inn. Prior to the coming of the railway to the Moss Vale area, there were 13 hotels in Berrima. Seven of its early hotels remain today with the oldest (surviving) being the Surveyor General Inn. The Breen family, who later bought McMahon's and the Coach & Horses Inns, were involved with two other hotels (Webb 2008: 9).
Governor Bourke designated Berrima as a place for a courthouse and gaol to serve the southern part of the state (Webb, 2008, 9). With construction of the Jail from 1835-9 and Court House in 1838, the town flourished into the 1840s as mail coaches called, public buildings including churches (1849 and 1851), many hotels and coaching houses to service local residents and passing trades, and commercial travellers. Its 1841 population was 249 with 37 houses completed and 7 in construction. Research indicates there were some 13 hotels or grog houses in Berrima at the one time before the coming of the Southern Railway to Moss Vale, which by-passed Berrima (Allman Johnston, 2005 & 2007).
The 1851 census showed the number of buildings remained the same but the population had dropped to 192. During the 1850s Berrima experienced another boom period after the discovery of gold (Webb 2008: 10).
Berrima is Bypassed by the Great Southern Railway:
When the Great Southern Railway bypassed Berrima in 1867 the town again began to decline as Mittagong, Moss Vale and Bowral developed. Berrima remained virtually unchanged for the next 100 years, preserving it as an almost intact colonial village (Webb 2008: 10).
1867 was a momentous year. In December, the newly completed railway opened and in anticipation for an influx of people, the owners of large estates began subdividing, with the first town plots sold in 1863. When Moss Vale station opened, the town had a store, postal service and hotel, mainly for needs of railway workers and families. Their small tent communities sprang up all along the line south to Goulburn. Lewis Levy from Berrima opened Moss Vale's first store, having anticipated the decline in business in Berrima once bypassed. Business people of Sutton Forest saw its potential as future centre of the district and many first land buyers were Sutton Forest and Berrima people (Emery, 2001: 82).
The 1860s opening up of Yarrawa Brush (rainforest, cleared for farming) in the Robertson, Burrawang and Wilde's Meadow area, added to the importance of the rail head at Moss Vale, which became the district centre for sending produce and other freight to the Sydney market (Emery 2001: 82).
As a result the once bustling Berrima rapidly declined. By the turn of the century its population was 80 and many of its buildings abandoned.
Bryan Patrick McMahon (son of Bryan) inherited Lots 1 & 2 Section 2 and in 1862 sold both, containing the original Berrima Inn and the stone and brick building to Francis Breen (Webb, 2008, 11) from the Commercial Inn (ibid, 34). Governor Bourke executed the inn's land grant in 1862, transferring it to Breen. Breen had owned Breen's Commercial Hotel in Berrima from 1840 (Allman Johnston, 2007, 13)(since renamed Colonial Inn)(Webb 2008: 11).
In 1948 Berrima Training Centre, a minimum security correctional centre opened at Berrima Gaol. In the 1960s the National Trust of Australia (NSW) started to classify and seek to protect heritage properties. Since its classification of a number of buildings in Berrima in the 1960s, Berrima's popularity has increased, particularly as a tourist destination. Recent developments have seen the emergence of bed and breakfast accomodation, reflecting early years of the town's development (Webb 2008: 10, 22).
In 1992 the Sydney to Canberra Freeway (F5) bypassed Berrima (Webb 2008: 22).
The Berrima Inn remained a private residence until the 1990s when it became a retail outlet for crafts. Since 1990 it has oscillated between a commercial restaurant / cafe and private residence.
In 2005 it was converted from the Bantam Cafe to a private residence. The original Inn building and a simple two car garage are the only buildings on this site. The property retains its relationship with Jellore Street and the Wingecarribee River to the north (Webb, 2008, 34). |