Goulburn is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia approximately 195km south-west of Sydney, Australia, and 90km north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed to be Australia's first inland city through letters patent by Queen Victoria in 1863. Goulburn had an estimated population of 23,005 as at June 2015. Goulburn is the seat of Goulburn Mulwaree Council.Goulburn is a railhead on the Main Southern line, a service centre for the surrounding pastoral industry, and also stopover for those travelling on the Hume Highway. It has a central park and many historic buildings. It is also home to the monument the Big Merino, a sculpture that is the world's largest concrete constructed sheep.HistoryGoulburn was named by surveyor James Meehan after Henry Goulburn, Under-Secretary for War and the Colonies, and the name was ratified by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. The Aboriginal name for Goulburn is Burbong, a Murring/Wiradjuri word indicating a special Indigenous cultural area.