The Doncaster, Braidwood's first hotel, built in 1837 quickly became the centre of social life in the Gold Fields. It was later purchased by the Catholic Church to accommodate the Good Samaritan Order of Nuns. The Sisters in turn demolished the old hotel and built a convent using the same materials in 1906. The current owners have totally renovated and refurbished the property to create a small luxury hotel, again the centre of social life in the district. The Doncaster now offers a sophisticated marriage of period and contemporary design rarely found in regional Australia and is the new home of the Australian Butler Training School.

The past and present have become interwoven in Braidwood, with churches, old-time pubs, restaurants, galleries, specialty crafts and antique shops in sensitively restored nineteenth century buildings. New businesses mingle with traditional businesses and cottage industries to provide a wide range of products and services. In recent decades, the area has become home to hobby farmers, writers, potters, artists, poets and historians.

Today, Braidwood with a population of 1,100, is listed by the National Trust as an historic town. The buildings from the second half of the 1800s form Braidwood's historical streetscape and original settlers' cottages can be found in the lanes and in the outlying villages.