The verandahed street outside the museum in Gulgong

Gulgong
Superb historic gold town
If you wish to gain some insight into how a 19th-century Australian goldmining town looked, it would be hard to do better than Gulgong - a highly picturesque and well-preserved settlement of single-storey weatherboard, iron, stone and brick buildings with old-fashioned iron-lace verandahs, tiny wooden cottages, horse troughs and hitching rails. The generally antiquated and intimate air also arises from the narrow winding streets which developed as bullock tracks connecting the major mining claims.

Gulgong is now a town of some 2500 people, located 293 km north-west of Sydney, 28 km north of Mudgee and 466 m above sea-level. The mainstays of the local economy are kaolin clay mining, magnetite mining, a flour mill, the enormous coal mine at Ulan (25 km north-east), tourism and rural industries such as wool, wheat, oats, cattle and fat lambs.

Prior to white settlement, the district was occupied by the Wiradjuri people whose language furnished the term 'Gulgong', said to mean 'deep waterhole'. Relations were amicable when white numbers were negligible but as settlement of the area west of the Blue Mountains escalated in the 1820s conflict increased. Kangaroos and possums, meat staples of the Wiradjuri, were slaughtered wholesale, sacred sites were desecrated, prime riverside land taken. Martial law was declared in 1824 and armed settlers roamed the countryside murdering Aborigines on sight, thereby decimating the tribe which was dispossessed and completely broken by the 1840s. William Cox, who made a significant contribution to their extermination, claimed the last local black died in 1876.

William Cox's sons extended their Mudgee holdings into the Gulgong area when they established the 'Guntawang' cattle run in 1822, 8 km south-west of the present townsite. Conflict with the Wiradjuri saw them withdraw. However, the Rouse brothers took cattle to the property and, in 1825, Richard Rouse was granted the station, upon which the village of Guntawang developed.

The discovery of gold saw the gazetting of the Gulgong goldfield in 1866 but initial finds were negligible. However, Tom Saunders, one of Rouse's shepherds, uncovered a treasure trove on the future townsite (at Red Hill) on April 14, 1870, thereby sparking off a major goldrush. There were 500 people on the site within six weeks and when the town was gazetted in 1872 there were reputedly 20 000 people in the area.

Gulgong became a municipality in 1876 although the gold had already began to dwindle. In all it is estimated that 15 000 kg of the precious metal were removed from the Gulgong fields between 1870 and 1880. By 1881 the population was down to 1212 and the boom years were over, although gold was found in small quantities until the end of the century. From that point, wheat and wool production, boosted by the arrival of the railway in 1909, sustained the town.

Australia's first novelist of note, Thomas Alexander Browne (alias Rolf Boldrewood) was the police magistrate here during the boom years, from 1871-1881. During that time he hosted a luncheon for English novelist Anthony Trollope who visited the town and recorded his impressions in Australia and New Zealand (1875). Browne drew on his experiences at the goldfields in his novel The Miner's Right (1890).

One of Australia's most famous poets and short-story writers, Henry Lawson, lived at Gulgong as a young boy (1871-72) as his family pursued the prospect of quick money from Grenfell to Eurunderee (see entry on Mudgee) to Gulgong. Several of his stories are set at Gulgong, although the references are not flattering. In 'Water Them Geraniums' post-goldrush Gulgong is described as 'a wretched remnant of a town on an abandoned goldfield'. In 'Brighten's Sister-in-Law' it is 'dreary and dismal'.

On a less salubrious note, 73-year-old Alexander McKay became one of the victims in the murderous rampage of Jimmy and Joe Governor (see entry on Gilgandra) when, in 1900, he was bludgeoned with a tomahawk near Ulan, 25 km north-east of Gulgong.

The Gulgong Folk Festival is held in December/January, the annual show in March, the Henry Lawson Festival in June.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
The Gulgong Visitors' Centre is located at 109 Herbert St. It is open from 8.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. on weekdays, from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Saturdays and from 9.30 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays, tel: (02) 6374 1202. Pamphlets can be obtained here outlining The Gulgong Town Trail which takes in the town's heritage sites.

Gulgong Pioneer Museum

Gulgong Pioneers' Museum
The Gulgong Pioneers Museum at 73 Herbert St (corner of Bayley St) is located in the Old Times Bakery (1872-73) which was featured on the old Australian $10 note. The ovens and baking equipment remain on-site and unaltered. The museum is open seven days from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

This popular and well-awarded country museum focuses on social and industrial history. The domestic artefacts have been arranged thematically into an 1870s dining room, a bedroom and parlour c.1880, an 1872 kitchen and an 1872 bakehouse. The museum's one-acre grounds include a reconstructed blacksmith's shop and the Gudgeon Cottage which provides an insight into a typical working-class home from 1891. There are four very small rooms clustered around a narrow hallway. Other attractions include a Cobb & Co. display, mining equipment, horsedrawn vehicles, an old schoolhouse, as well as Aboriginal and geological artefacts and displays. The Museum of Sight and Sound is devoted to the history of Australian cinematography and sound recording.

The town was particularly well-documented photographically, owing to the Holtermann Collection, some of which is on display at the museum. After making a grand fortune goldmining at Hill End Bernard Holtermann hired Charles Bayliss and Beaufoy Merlin to photograph the major goldmining towns and areas of NSW in order to exhibit them abroad and attract migrants to the country where he made his own fortune. What turned out to be one of the largest wet-plate collections ever made was displayed at international exhibitions in Philadelphia (1876) and Paris (1878). Some of Merlin's photographs provided the basis of the images on the rear side of the old $10 note. Copies of some of the images are situated in the museum.

Post Office Hotel

Some Heritage Buildings
About 130 of the town's buildings are registered with the National Trust. Many date back to the 1870s. In Bayly St there are the Roman Catholic Church, the convent school and the presbytery, as well as St Luke's Anglican Church (1874-76). Herbert St has the courthouse, the Italianate-style Post Office Hotel, Ulan County Council chambers, the Classical Revival decoration of the library (formerly the Wylandra Shire Hall) and the simple weatherboard facade of the former Australian Joint Stock Bank. The police station and residence (1878-79) are in Medley St.

Mayne St has the Greatest Wonders of the World, the Fancy Goods Emporium, the Ten Dollar Town Motel (originally the Royal Hotel) and the American Tobacco Warehouse. The latter was one element of the montage on the old Australian $10 note. However, as the word 'American' was considered inappropriate for inclusion on the note, the awning in the reproduction reads 'Gulgong - Dispensary - D. Zimmler'.

Another historic feature of Mayne St is the Prince of Wales Opera House. It was erected of bark in 1871 and was probably the largest free-standing bark structure ever built. At that time it was known as Cogdon's Assembly Rooms. Thomas Alexander Browne, who wrote under the pseudonym 'Rolf Boldrewood', was arguably Australia's first novelist of any distinction or notoriety. He was also the town's police magistrate from 1871 to 1881. It is said he initially held court at Cogdon's Assembly Rooms. He is supposed to have used a piano in the room as the official bench. A new roof, weatherboard facade and wooden floor were later added and the name changed. In the town's heyday it was not unknown for female performers to have gold nuggets thrown in their laps whilst performing at the venue. Renowned boxer Les Darcy fought an exhibition bout at the 'Opera House' before he departed for the USA and Dame Nellie Melba gave one of her earliest performances here while still performing under the name of Mrs Armstrong (then her married name).

At the corner of White and Queen Sts is the former flour mill and Station St has Loneragan's Flour Mill (1913) which is still in operation.

The Georgian cottage known as 'Lansdowne' was built by Henry Lawson's father with Henry himself assisting in the original painting.

The Henry Lawson Centre
The Henry Lawson Centre at 147 Mayne St has the largest collection of material (paintings, prints, cuttings, photographs, books) outside of the Mitchell Library relating to Henry Lawson, one of Australia's best-known poets and short-story writers. Items include a flour bin made by Lawson's father, which got a mention in one of the author's poems, together with rare editions, writings and memorabilia. It is located in an old 1920s Salvation Army hall and is open from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. daily with hours extended to 3.00 p.m. on Saturdays, school and public holidays, tel: (02) 6374 2049. There is a statue of Henry Lawson off Tom Saunders Ave.

The Wallaby Track
Copies of the Wallaby Track drive tour are available from the Mudgee Visitors' Centre. It takes in various sites associated with Henry Lawson, including the old Eurunderee School, the Henry Lawson Memorial, the Budgee Budgee Inn, Sapling Gully and Golden Gully.

Red Hill Reserve, Mining Museum and Field Study Centre
A memorial at Red Hill Reserve, on the corner of White and Fitzroy Sts, marks the site of Tom Saunders' original 1870 stike which sparked the goldrush that was the making of Gulgong. An open-air mining museum has been established on the site which includes an old poppet head and shaft, a stamper, a windlass and other pieces of mining equipment. There is also a relief map of the mining leads around town and a slab hut schoolroom. Plans for the future include a walk-through mine.

The Field Study Centre has been set up to facilitate the study, by educational groups, of the town, its history and community. There is a dormitory with kitchen for that purpose. Interested parties should ring (02) 6374 2558.

Lookout
Flirtation Hill Lookout is located off Wenonah St. It affords fine views north to Barney's Reef Hills, east to the Great Dividing Range, Home Rule to the south-east and Mudgee to the south.

Anzac Park
ANZAC Park at Fitzroy and Medley Sts has free electric barbecues, toilets and childrens' play facilities. The bandstand is one of earliest tributes to the ANZACs being erected in 1916, just a year after Gallipoli.

The countryside between Dunedoo and Gulgong

The Drip
The Drip picnic area is 37 km from Gulgong and 10 km north of the Ulan Mine on the Cassilis Rd. Cross the Goulburn River and turn right at the signpost. A walking track begins on the northern side of the parking area and follows a cliff face adjacent the Goulburn River and over a footbridge. Follow the rock face and you will cross a small bridge, a tumble of rocks and Curra Creek. Walk through the ferny glade then you will pass by a large rock to the right. To the left there are rock orchids and ferns on the cliff face. The track then proceeds on to the sandy riverbank and through a hollowed arch rock. A sign indicates a left turn back to the honeycombed cliff face which you follow to the end. Cross over the grassy bank and a sharp left brings you to the Drip where the river flows over a rock platform.

Hands on the Rock
2.3 km further north on the Cassilis Rd there is a signposted left onto a dirt road. After 100 m turn right into a small clearing and a 400-m walking track starts from the far side. It leads to overhanging rocks where there are Aboriginal hand stencils dating back hundreds of years.

Goulburn River National Park
The Goulburn River National Park is located to the north-east of town. It covers around 70 000 ha of land adjacent the river which wends its way past sandstone cliffs, caves and gorges that contain some 250 Aboriginal sites, reflecting the fact that the area was situated on a major trading route between the coast and the western plains. The park is also a haven for animal, bird and plant life.

Access is via Ringwood Rd which bisects the park, joining Wollar to the Merriwa-Cassilis Rd. There are no camping facilities but plenty of opportunities for bush camping. A sign along the route points you to White Box Camp which is available for vehicle-based camping. Spring Gully is a campsite by the river, although it lies along what is really a 4WD track, suitable only in dry weather. This track departs from the road that runs between Ulan and Wollar.

Also along Ringwood Rd is a sign indicating a gem fossicking area to the left, which is one possibility that the park offers. Bushwalking is another obvious attraction. A number of creeks can be followed westwards from Ringwood Road down to the river. The most easily accessible trail is that to Lees Pinch Lookout. A signpost indicates the starting point of the walk. It is but a short distance to some spectacular elevated views from the escarpment to the eastern section of the park. Swimming, canoeing, liloing, photography and wildlife observation can also be pursued.

Topographic maps and further information are available by ringing (02) 6543 3533.

	Motels
	Goldfields Motor Inn 212 Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1111 Facsimile: (02) 6374 1086 Rating: ***1/2
	Gulgong Motel 71 Medley St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1122 Facsimile: (02) 6374 1086 Rating: **
	Ten Dollar Town Motel Cnr Mayne & Medley Sts Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1204 Facsimile: (02) 6374 2188 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Centennial Hotel 141-143 Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 2702 Rating: *
	Centennieal Hotel 141 Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1241 Facsimile: (02) 6374 2702
	Commercial Hotel 106 Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1206 Rating: *
	Post Office Hotel 97 Herbert St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1031 Facsimile: (02) 6374 2533
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Lottie May Bed & Breakfast 220 Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1220 Rating: ***1/2
	The Stables Guest House 149 Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1668 Facsimile: (02) 6374 1668 Rating: ****
	Cottages & Cabins
	Summervale Cottage Mebul Rd Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6375 9210
	Willow Vale Cottage and Shearer's Quarters Mebul Rd Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1446
	Caravan Parks
	Gulgong Henry Lawson Caravan Park Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1294 Facsimile: (02) 6374 6374 Rating: ***
	Restaurants
	Andy's Kitchen Gulgong RSL Club Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 2888
	Commercial Hotel Restaurant 106 Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1206
	Larsen's Brasserie 137 Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 2822
	Phoebe's Licensed Restaurant Cnr Mayne & Medley St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1204
	Cafés
	Cafe On Mayne 102 Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 2631
	McDonalds Bakery & Cafe 84 Herbert St Gulgong NSW 2850 Telephone: (02) 6374 1364
	The Good Times Cafe 86 Mayne St Gulgong NSW 2852 Telephone: (02) 6374 1128