Gundaroo

The beautifully preserved village of Gundaroo has become a significant and unique tourist attraction in recent years.  Lying in a fertile valley of rich grazing land on the upper reaches of the Yass River, Gundaroo retains all the elements of a typical 19th century Australian township.
First explored by Charles Throsby in the early 1820s, white settlement soon followed and by the end of the 1830s most of the better land in the district, particularly that fronting the Yass river, was occupied.
The origin of Gundaroo’s name is unclear.  One theory suggests that it came from the Aboriginal name for the Yass River, Boongaroon or Gondoroo, while another, traces it back to another Aboriginal name Canderiro. 
Among Gundaroo’s major attractions are a number of historic buildings still in use today.  Most of the older buildings were constructed during the period 1860-1890 and are generally in good condition, displaying a range of building styles and materials including slab huts, wattle and daub, stone and locally fired brick.
The Royal Hotel (built 1865) now houses the multi awarding-winning Grazing Restaurant, while the old Commercial Hotel (1872) now trades as the Gundaroo Colonial Inn.  Fully restored and recognised as one of the country’s best historic hotels, this establishment has remained in continuous operation, holding its colonial wine licence for the past 130 years. 
Other notable buildings include the Police Station (1852), Gundaroo’s oldest building now housing arts and crafts, and the police stables and lock up (1870),now the  Cork St Café.
Gundaroo is a popular destination for tourists, who come in droves to enjoy the town’s various bush festivals, particularly the famous Gundaroo Bush Festival Races.
In recent years, the village of Gundaroo and surrounding rural areas have become popular with people who work in Canberra, who are seeking the lifestyle of an established rural community, within commuting distance to work.