HILL END, NSW

We have travelled several times through this area of New South Wales, but because it is situated right in the middle of an area surrounded by Orange, Welliington and Bathurst, we always seemed to miss it. So this time we took the slight detour and visited this old gold mining town.

Hill End boomed in the early 1870’s when rich gold deposits were found in the area. Like Sofala, men flocked there to make their fortunes so it abounds in history which fortunately has been meticulously recorded with an especially impressive collection of photographs.

We arrived with plenty of time to check out the camping alternatives and with positive comments from Wikki Camps as our guide we first went out of town to the campsite at Glendora, to the northeast of town.  Like the Village campground in the middle of town, this camp is maintained by the National Parks Service. However, on arrival we were met with a rocky, dry landscape and piles of blue metal dumped in the middle of the track in. You just can’t always rely on the opinions of other people. Perhaps it looks better in the winter. Anyway we headed back into town and were pleasantly surprised to find the Village camp a delightful grassy area beside a little creek. Camp fees were reasonable so we set up camp and headed off to explore the many old buildings in town.

The Village campground

Amenities block and fellow campers.

Neighbours across the road from Village camp.

As well as the several walking tracks around the area, it is really easy to walk around the town and get a feel for what it used to be like. There are plaques everywhere with information and photographs about what buildings were situated in each site. There is a pub and local coffee shop and a new information and interpretative centre is about to be opened. 

Looking down the main street.

The Hill End Hilton

The museum, which is currently located in the original hospital, is a real gem but about to close. Let’s hope the new centre is as good, though I doubt anything can equal the atmosphere in the old hospital. You can spend a good day just wandering around town with its old churches, cemetery etc.

Museum grounds

Birthing Table - glad I wasn't around in those days!

Whipping table - what the ????

Gold mining equipment.

Transport - the Cobb & Co coach was licensed to carry 14 passengers.

There are several lookouts to visit and a tour of the old Bald Hill mine is available. 

Entrance to Bald Hill Mine.

Both reef and alluvial gold was mined at Hill End. The richest reef operation was owned by the Star of Hope Mining Company, which unearthed the largest solid nugget found here, the Beyers Holtermann Nugget, in 1872. It yielded over 3 000 ounces of gold and was over 4 feet high and 2 feet wide. Many other large nuggets were found at Hill End and many fortunes were made. The Hawkins Hill area was a mass of small claims where men dug into the mountainside. There is an excellent view of the Hill from the Beaufoy Merlin Lookout.

Hawkins Hill from Beaufoy Merlin Lookout.
The grey area is part of the tailings that remain from mining.

Tambaroora, 5 klms north of Hill End was the main area for alluvial mining, where panning and sluices were used to mine gold eroded from its original rock and distributed in river beds. Many keen fossickers still frequent this area with their metal detectors.

Another interesting feature outside Hill End is the Bridle Track. This is definitely a ‘track’ and not really suitable for anything but a 4WD. It is very steep and narrow in places with a lot of washouts etc. As it follows the Turon River, it is very picturesque and would be of interest to avid off-road drivers who want to take a picnic and do a day trip.

Part of the Bridle Track.

Several famous Australian artists visited Hill End to paint. These included Russel Drysdale, Donald Friend, Brett Whiteley and John Olsen. The Jean Bellette Gallery in the Parks & Wildlife visitor centre exhibits artworks inspired by the area, so there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy. I’d recommend a visit.