Nerriga

The Sydney Morning Herald in 1863 reported:

A very large nugget, consisting of pure gold, weighing over 29 ozs, was unearthed at Nerriga about a month back. A water-worn nugget, taken from the bed of the Shoalhaven River at Nerriga, and weighing 27 ozs. 3dwts., has been exhibited in Sydney. A party of four men had been working there some time, and had taken 4 1/2 ozs fine gold, the same day they obtained the nugget, and 8 ozs. the day before. The gold had been found principally in the bed of the river, which is only workable in dry weather.

And in the Broken Hill Barrier Miner, of 1904, there was a story of a much bigger find:

A 165oz. Nugget.
SYDNEY, Friday.
The City Bank at Braidwood yesterday purchased a nugget of gold weighing 165oz., discovered at Nerriga. It is stated that about60oz. of the gold had been previously broken off by the owner of the nugget.

Of course, where there was gold, there were bushrangers:

The sign on the tree trunk reads: 'Welcome to Nerriga. We don't take our cows to the city!!!!! Don't bring your [picture of bull on a toilet] to the country.'

On the road between Nowra and Braidwood

These are the beehive rock formations at Bulee Gap, between Sassafrass and Nerriga on the road inland from Nowra. I've seen the road referred to as the Nerriga Road, the Braidwood Road, the Turpentine Road, and Main Road 92. Whatever it's called, it's an important connection between the tablelands (and Canberra) and the coast, especially now that the section between Nerriga and Nowra is completely sealed. Parts of this road roughly follow the old 1840s and 50s convict-built Wool Road, used to transport the wool clip down to the coast. In the photo above, part of the Wool Road has been preserved underneath the recent bridge construction on the right.