A rich tapestry of people have stayed there and the building's place in Goulburn's history has been meticulously restored.
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But now, Claire and Steve Ayling have decided to sell Mandelson's, the former bed and breakfast come luxury guesthouse they fell in love with and bought 10 years ago.
Agents, Elders Goulburn, are inviting expressions of interest for the 41-room double-storey Georgian building on the corner of Sloane and Clinton Streets.
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The Aylings said as they both approached 70 and still enjoyed good health, they were keen to travel more and enjoy other things in life.
"We came here 10 years ago, looked in the front door and thought it would be a great adventure. Now it's time for another adventure," Mr Ayling said.
Mr Ayling, a retired Army brigadier, and his former school teacher wife bought the 1846 building from Noel and Renate Johnson-Barrett, who had restored it into an upmarket bed and breakfast following their 2002 purchase.
Nathan Mandelson had originally constructed a small motel on the site in 1840 but dramatically expanded it into a two-storey building, known as The Goulburn Hotel by 1846. It provided accommodation 'unrivalled in Goulburn and unsurpassed in the metropolis of Sydney.'
The structure is intrinsically linked with the city's history. Republican Daniel Deniehy had an office there in the 1850s and later, movers and shakers in the railway's extension to Goulburn met there. Nathan Mandelson, a prominent Jewish businessman, was a shareholder in the company proposing to construct the rail line.
In 1869 the Earl and Countess of Belmore stayed at Mandelson's when they visited Goulburn to open the railway.
In the 1870s, the building briefly housed Goulburn High School and then became a hotel and later, a private boarding house. It was fully operational when the Johnson-Barrett's bought the structure.
The Aylings had no intention of moving from their Wamboin home of six years when they "stumbled" across Mandelson's.
"Fate brought us here, we fell in love with it and we've value-added it," Mr Ayling said.
"...It is living history, as opposed to say a National Trust property. Our predecessor knew a lot about it and for us it's been a historical jigsaw puzzle. We've filled in a lot of the bits."
Building on Mr Barrett's fine workmanship, the Aylings changed it from a bed and breakfast to a guesthouse, re-painted rooms and the exterior, refurnished rooms, added 44 solar panels and replaced heating, along with many other improvements. Outside, the council has funded garden beds to complement the heritage-listed property.
The couple lived in a 1970s rear addition and kept the main section for guests.
"We had a five-year plan when we came here," Mrs Ayling said.
"...We had high teas and quilt shows, history tours and the like but then we ran out of steam. I wondered why we were living out the back and not inside this wonderful house."
At that point, the Aylings transformed the rear addition into three apartments and two guest suites, and shifted into the main building. The self-confessed history buffs have collected numerous antiques and items to match and researched its heritage.
Along the way, they've met a wide variety of people, including Mark Waugh, Mike Whitney, who featured it on his Sydney Weekender program, and actress Jacki Weaver. Other times, they've become pseudo counsellors to those who needed an empathetic ear.
"We've met the A to Z of interesting people," Mr Ayling said.
They hoped they'd contributed to people's understanding of Goulburn's history and noted a resurgence of interest since it celebrated the 150th anniversary of its city status in 2013.
"I think there's also been a new appreciation in the past two years when people haven't been able to travel," Mrs Ayling said.
"We've had money flowing in for the Performing Arts Centre and aquatic centre and many other things. I love that Goulburn is a living city, with the old and the new, the rich and the poor, longtime residents and migrants. It's a rich place in its make-up."
The couple plan to stay in Goulburn but are looking forward to more overseas travel.
"Adventures are all about opportunity," Mr Ayling said.
"I don't know what's around the corner but it is exciting...This is a rare opportunity for someone else and we're looking for someone to love it as much as we do."
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Louise Thrower
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
