Goulburn

City in New South Wales, Australia, 196 km/122 mi southwest of Sydney and 90 km/56 mi northeast of Canberra; population (1991) 21,500. The city lies in the Southern Tablelands at the confluence of the Wollondilly and Mulwaree Rivers. It is the centre for a sheep- and lamb-raising region, it has abattoirs, and manufactures bricks, tiles, and pottery. A silver, lead, and zinc mine opened at nearby Woodtown in 1997. Industries also include railway workshops, tanning, textiles, and clothing.

Goulburn was established in 1833 as a garrison and penal settlement and became a city in 1864. There are transport links to Sydney by rail and the Hume Highway. Goulburn is the home of Goulburn College of Advanced Education and has both Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals.

Goulburn

River in eastern Victoria, Australia; length, 580 km/360 mi. The Goulburn rises near Emerald Hill in the Australian Alps, about 130 km/80 mi northeast of Melbourne, and flows northwest before joining the River Murray about 16 km/10 mi above Echuca. The waters of the Goulburn have been used to irrigate farmland in Victoria since 1893. Eildon Weir was completed in 1955, forming Lake Eildon (138 sq km/52 sq mi)l; it is Victoria's water storage lake, situated about 140 km/87 mi northeast of Melbourne and holding around six times the amount held in Sydney Harbour.

Lake Eildon is a tourist destination, popular for boating and fishing. The river is named after Henry Goulburn (1784–1856), under-secretary for the Colonies 1812–21.