Young is a quiet little country town in the Hilltop Regions of New South Wales. If you’re planning a visit, I’m here to help with my guide to the best things to do in Young.
If I’m honest, Young was never a destination that made it on to my wife and I’s must-visit list of places in New South Wales but this country town in the Hilltops Region surprised us. We spent a few weeks in the town thanks to Trusted Housesitters where we looked after a little poodle called Lucy, spent warm evenings on the veranda and enjoyed exploring by day.
Young is located around two hours drive north-east of Canberra and around four hours west of Sydney. This is a typically Australian heritage town but with a difference; cherries are a big thing here so much so that there’s a festival dedicated to them every December. Interestingly, Young was apparently the first place in the entire British Empire to have electricity supply. The history of Young is really interesting so, if you need more information, just head over to the official website for the town.
Let’s dive right into this then. These are my thoughts on the best things to do in Young, New South Wales.
THINGS TO DO IN YOUNG, NEW SOUTH WALES
THE BIG CHERRIES
The first place to visit in Young, top of everyone’s list, has to be the iconic Big Cherries. Just outside the Young & Hilltops Region Information Centre in the Victorian railway station, you have to visit the Big Cherries simply to take a photo and appreciate what makes this town so popular. They’re not the biggest of big things in Australia (here’s looking at you, Big Merino and Big Prawn) but seeing them allows you to tick it off your list if you’re counting!
LAMBING FLAT CHINESE TRIBUTE GARDEN
Four kilometres from the centre of Young, lies the Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Garden, a tranquil and relaxing garden built in 1992 to recognise the contribution that the Chinese community made to Young in the 1860’s. See, Young has a little bit of a dark history. As with many remote towns in Australia, the discovery of gold saw an influx of miners, from different ethnicities, all hoping to be the one to strike it lucky. The Chinese worked together, were seemingly organised and often were the ones who found the gold. Generally speaking, the Chinese became targets. Tensions raised across the country leading to protests and ultimately the Lambing Flat Riots. The unrest took place over ten months but on 30th June 1861, between 2-3,000 gold miners attacked the Chinese miners and drove them off the gold fields all together. This was something that perhaps lead to the awfully racist White Australia policy.
Anyway, history aside, these are beautiful gardens to wander through and relax at the Pool of Tranquility. The marble lion sculptures guarding the gardens entrance are a particular highlight.
YOUNG HISTORICAL MUSEUM
To follow on from your peaceful wander through the gardens, head to the Young Historical Museum for a better understanding of Young’s history. You’ll find artifacts from the gold mining era, from the riots and plenty more to keep you interested. The museum itself is in the building that was the original town school which opened in 1883! There’s also a coffee shop on site for those who need a caffeine fix!
ANDERSON PARK
Outside the railway station and information centre is Anderson Park where you’ll find a playground for the kids, shade from beautiful trees to escape the sun as well as regular Saturday markets featuring many food stalls!
ADMIRE THE TOWN HALL
Australia is chock full of beautiful Victorian architecture something which seems to be disappearing from back home in the UK. Everywhere you look from the big cities to rural towns, Australia is proud of its Victorian-era architecture and Young’s Town Hall is something to admire. Built in 1875, the town hall is beautiful in its pastel blue colours so definitely worth a stop to have a look.
CAFES & BARS
You can’t come all the way to Young without experiencing a cold one in the afternoon can you? The Criterion Hotel, Commercial Hotel and the Australian Hotel are the two main pubs in town with the Criterion Hotel being unmissable thanks to its XXXX golden yellow facade. Wilkies Cafe is the top rated coffee spot in town though S & AJ Cafe and Hussy Speciality Coffee & Kitchen aren’t far behind.
THE CHERRY FESTIVAL
Each December, with cherry picking season in full swing, the town of Young hosts the National Cherry Festival; one of the best things to do in Young and something that attracts thousands of visitors to the town. Explore street markets full of freshly picked cherries and freshly baked cherry pies; basically celebrating all things cherry. Watch the Pip Spit and cherry pie eating competitions unfold. During the season, you can even head out on to farms to pick your own!
That wraps up my list of the best things to do in Young nicely so, if you’re planning a visit, hopefully this helps! If you’ve got any more recommendations or thoughts, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.
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