Bangalow

If one heads south from Brisbane along the Pacific Highway and exits just over the border of New South Wales, one would find oneself in the small town of Bangalow, perhaps the most charming village in the entire Commonwealth of Australia. Once a regional centre of some importance, Bangalow, like many small towns, has faded from its former days of influence only to be resuscitated by the influx of money from Sydney millionaires looking for a hinterland escape. Mercifully, Bangalow's impressive collection of turn-of-the-century Australian vernacular buildings has survived.

Heading in to town from the east, we happen first upon All Souls Anglican Church, a fairly handsome example of Australia's peculiar version of carpenter Gothic.

We then proceed through a brief residential neighborhood ornamented with such fine residences as this one. Federation style bungalows predominate with their ornate woodwork, window canopies, and quintessential front porches. The main portion of town comes next:

Each storefront boasts a one or two storey verandah, a necessary feature in a climate as sunny and as rainy as that of the northern reaches of New South Wales.

And what tour through an Australian country town would be complete without a stop at the pub (or hotel, as they are euphemistically known). The Bangalow Hotel is a typical example of the Australian pub with its tiled exterior walls and its overhanging verandah canopy.

I was able to spend a single lovely Sunday in Bangalow last winter, and really, that is all that the small town demands. Worth a stop if you're in the area: yes.