Harper’s Mansion: The Publican and the Priests Tour

About this event

Discover Berrima's early history on this special guided tour featuring expert talks at three iconic local sites in the village.

Guiding guests between St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, The Surveyor General Inn, and Harper's Mansion, this tour follows in the footsteps of James and Mary Harper and the 16 priests who resided at Harper's Mansion between 1836 and 1903.

Begin at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, a heritage-listed early English Gothic design by Augustus Pugin, built between 1849 and 1851. Historian and author Linda Emery shares the story of this remarkable and rarely opened church – one of the most intact and unaltered Pugin buildings in Australia.

Continue to The Surveyor General Inn, where James Harper became the first licensee in 1835. Joined by local historian and author Chris Thompson, uncover the Inn's early days and the Harper family's story. Explore the convict-built inn and enjoy exclusive access to its underground cellars.

Lastly, explore Harper's Mansion, an elegant Georgian country house surrounded by charming cool-climate gardens and home to James and Mary Harper and their six children. Historian and author Ann Beaumont shares the life and legacy of the family, and the Catholic priests and nuns of the parish who made Harper's Mansion their home for more than 50 years.

Before departing, relax in the gardens with refreshments and a freshly made sausage sandwich.