“…. Gulgong, a 19th-century goldrush town, and in Mayne Street we step out of the car and back in time 50 years. In one shop window a display of toys and games from my childhood Mr Potato Head, Kaboom, Mousetrap, Shaker Maker, Trouble stops me in my tracks. There is not a single electronic gadget among them and it’s a pleasant reminder of a more innocent era…”. Michelle Rowe, The Weekend Australian ‘Travel & Indulgence’, December 2010.
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Gulgong – a 19th century gold rush town Gulgong’s history is a fascinating one. The Rouses were early settlers who established Guntawang in 1822, but it wasn’t until 1870 when Tom Saunders discovered gold on Red Hill that Gulgong truly flourished. An estimated 20,000 people, lured by the prospect of a quickly amassed fortune, had flocked to the area and in 1872, this new tent settlement was surveyed as a town. The town became internationally famous, and despite the hardship of life on the goldfields and on the land, there developed a sense of camaraderie which is echoed in the writings of Henry Lawson. Gulgong has changed little since these times and is one of the most and attractive towns you’ll find – approximately 130 buildings are listed with the National Trust. The first thing you’ll notice is the narrow streets which wind between quaint clapboard and iron buildings complete with verandas and iron lace. The bends in the streets reflect the lines of the original tent lines. Visit the Prince of Wales Opera House where Nellie Melba once sang and Les Darcy last fought. This building, built in 1871 by John Hart Cogdon and known as Cogdon’s Assembly Rooms, is reputed to be the largest bark structure ever built. Today you’re more likely to experience the delights of performance poets during the Henry Lawson Heritage Festival, or a concert or a play put on by the local dramatic society. |
Accommodation styles in Gulgong include Hotel & Motel through to Bed & Breakfasts and Guesthouses and very salubrious self-contained getaways.
The massive Pioneers Museum, a folk museum, is chock a block full of memorabilia and finely preserved examples of how life was in the 1800s. The collection includes photographs taken by the famous Beaufoy Merlin. A museum dedicated to the life of Henry Lawson is beautifully curated and sited in the old Salvation Army building. Then there’s the Prince of Wales Opera House where Nellie Melba once sang and still operates as a theatre for local and visiting productions.
There are a number of choices for dining in Gulgong with a range of bakeries and cafes, pub style and brasseries to choose from.
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Thanks to a couple of young photographers, Gulgong is arguably the best documented town in country NSW. The famous ‘Holterman Collection’ of photographs was taken and collated by Charles Bayliss and Beaufoy Merlin. You can see these photos at the Pioneers Museum. This museum is an amazing achievement in itself. It covers an acre of ground and houses an astonishing array of Australiana. Mining equipment, horse drawn vehicles, cottages and a blacksmiths shop are among exhibits. There’s also museum of sight and sound which traces the history of films and sound recording over the decades. Every era of Gulgong’s history is preserved at the Pioneers Museum.
You’ll also find a thriving arts community in and around Gulgong. Being world famous for its variety of usable clays, the town is home to a world class ceramic gallery, a gallery showcasing local art and a heritage shop which showcases the ancient craft of pewter smithing. You’ll also find some great cafes, an amazing discount store as well as clubs pubs and restaurants.
Take a walk up to Flirtation Hill and enjoy a view of Gulgong and the outdoor mining museum at Red Hill. This outdoor sculptural attraction features a stamper, windlass, a slab hut school room and a relief map of the mining leads around the town.
Get a copy of the Gulgong Symbol Trail and discover the Secret Language of the road. During the Great Depression and in gold rush times, people travelling country roads in search of work, food or just a place to sleep the night, used a secret code of symbols to communicate the ‘lie of the land’ to fellow travellers. This secret language was used internationally – by the tramps and gypsies of Europe to the hobos of America and the swaggies of Australia. It would also have been known to Henry Lawson and his mates who sought their fortune on the road.
Chester Nealie, a local identity and well known Gulgong potter came up with a creative concept for decorative paving in Gulgong when approached by the council some years ago. His thoughts turned to these travellers’ symbols which he had discovered during his research. The symbols, of which Chester chose 16 from a possible 50 or so, were deemed appropriate for Gulgong’s gold rush and ‘battler’ past.
Chester made the tiles from local materials in colours that reflect the land and each has a unique colour and texture. The Gulgong Symbol Trail comprises around 70 tiles, placed in a random ‘swaggering’ pattern throughout Mayne Street and Coronation Park – some in humorous locations. See if you can find the tiles as you wander the streets of Gulgong. Look out for the tiles that say ‘dangerous drinking water’ outside the pubs!
Your trip to this part of Henry Lawson’s country would be incomplete without a visit to the Henry Lawson Centre. This beautifully curated collection is a repository of material related to the life and times of Henry Lawson. There are paintings, prints, books, photos and cuttings, relating not only to the author, but also to many parts of the region to which he vividly refers in his stories and poems. The collection, proudly preserved by the Henry Lawson Society, is the largest collection outside the Mitchell Library’s Sydney collection. The centre is a must visit for literary lovers or historians alike. You can even see the flour bin which was made by Henry’s father and referred to in the poem , ‘The flour bin’ – ‘on a dreary old selection, where times were dry and thin, in a slab and shingle kitchen, there stood a flour bin’.
Don’t miss the memorial statue of Henry Lawson which stands proudly in the park between Medley and Herbert Streets in Gulgong .
Ask a local! For Visitor information, call into The Shanty – the historic visitor information centre at 66 Herbert Street, Gulgong
Built between 1885 -1890, the cottage became home to local blacksmith in 1892 and it remained in the Gudgeon family until 1950. The Gulgong RSL bought the building in 1987 and today it remains its original charm and historic value. Visitors to the region can now access a range of local and regional information as well as a variety of handmade and unique giftware and souvenirs. Open Thursday -Monday from 10am – 3pm. Phone 6374 291. At other times, visitor information is available at the RSL or at Cudgegong Gallery in Herbert St.
