Thirlmere is a small semi-rural town in the
Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia,
in Wollondilly Shire. Popularly known for its railway
origins, Thirlmere is located 89 km south west of
Sydney (about a 60-minute drive), one third of the
distance from Sydney to Canberra. At the 2011
census, Thirlmere had a population of 3,530
people.
Thirlmere is a rather nondescript town which grew
up as a direct result of the construction of the
Great Southern Railway which moved slowly
through the Southern Highlands in the 1860s.