Bega. The Town museum began life as the Family Hotel in 1859. Most of what you can see is a Federation era extension erected in 1900.
Bega.
Once squatters were able to legally take up land on the Monaro High Plains from 1836 they had a need for a port from which to export their wool. The Imlay brothers for example took up a wool run of 65,000 acres at what was to become Bega in 1834 whilst they continued to operate as whalers. The Monaro pastoralists also took out runs near Bega. A small government town was surveyed at Bega in the early 1840s but it was moved after a big flood in 1851 to the present site. The first town allotments in the new town were sold in 1854. The town grew quickly especially after the 1861 Land Acts which encouraged small scale properties resulting in dairy farms overtaking cattle runs. The Bega Dairy Cooperative was established in the early 1890s. Most of the old structures in Bega were erected in the 1880s when the town boomed or thereabouts. They include the Bega Courthouse 1881; the School 1882 and 1892; the former Commercial Bank of Sydney 1865; the Family hotel, now the Museum 1900; former Bank of NSW now the Tourist Information Centre 1875 etc.
Bega. The Town museum began life as the Family Hotel in 1859. Most of what you can see is a Federation era extension erected in 1900.
Bega.
Once squatters were able to legally take up land on the Monaro High Plains from 1836 they had a need for a port from which to export their wool. The Imlay brothers for example took up a wool run of 65,000 acres at what was to become Bega in 1834 whilst they continued to operate as whalers. The Monaro pastoralists also took out runs near Bega. A small government town was surveyed at Bega in the early 1840s but it was moved after a big flood in 1851 to the present site. The first town allotments in the new town were sold in 1854. The town grew quickly especially after the 1861 Land Acts which encouraged small scale properties resulting in dairy farms overtaking cattle runs. The Bega Dairy Cooperative was established in the early 1890s. Most of the old structures in Bega were erected in the 1880s when the town boomed or thereabouts. They include the Bega Courthouse 1881; the School 1882 and 1892; the former Commercial Bank of Sydney 1865; the Family hotel, now the Museum 1900; former Bank of NSW now the Tourist Information Centre 1875 etc.