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Travelling along the Princes Highway from Sydney, I paused to have a quick walk in the town of Milton. It is located 220 km south of Sydney, and is in Yuin country. The origin of the town’s name is unclear, with either George Knight, the first postmaster or John Booth, an early landowner, deciding upon Milton. There had been various land grants from the 1830s onwards, and the site for a village was surveyed in 1837. Cedar cutting had been the initial appeal of the area, and there is an overview of the local industry here.

One of Milton’s earliest buildings is the Anglican Church of St Peter and St Paul. It was built in 1859, with a steeple added in the late 1890s, and further extensions followed in the early 1900s.

This building, originally a School of Arts, was built in 1871 by public subscription. For some years, the local council rented space in the building before buying it in 1927. The building was then renamed as Town Hall. From the 1980s, it has been used as the town library.

Proceeds from the sale of the School of Arts building to the council were used to construct the Milton Theatre. It was built in 1927-1929 and called the New School of Arts, and was a theatre and dance hall. Over the decades it has had varied uses, including as a cinema and community centre. The theatre continues to host shows, live music and festival events.

The Milton courthouse was built in the 1870s to a design by Colonial Architect James Barnet. There were substantial alterations in 1896 by Government Architect Walter Liberty Vernon. The courthouse is open a couple of days each week.

As with many towns, the post office in Milton has been located in various buildings over time. The building above was initially a single storey premises built in 1880 to a design by Barnet, with further extensions in the next two decades before an additional storey was added in 1904.

Milton has an interesting history, and more information is available on the local history page here. With its heritage and streetscape, mix of outdoor cafés, speciality stores and art galleries, Milton is a good town to explore.

Photo: mural near the Town Hall, Milton.