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THE VILLAGE


HISTORIC HILL END

Once a thriving gold mining town in the late 1800s, now an eclectic mix of
working class folk amongst artists and those still fossicking for their fortune
in gold, the historic village of Hill End is the ideal escape for those seeking
a relaxed pace and some genuine inspiration.





HILL END HIGHLIGHTS


TOP TEN

 1.  Stay at The Guesthouse - Hill End for a taste of modern vintage country
     living and meet the local wildlife on the property, an abundance of roos,
     deer and birdlife can be found year round
 2.  Explore the heritage streetscapes by foot, car or bicycle, take a
     self-guided history tour, grab a town map from the study nook at The
     Guesthouse or check out the National Parks + Wildlife Service's Heritage
     Centre next door to The General Store
 3.  Lose yourself in local memorabilia at History Hill Museum - a must visit
     when in Hill End (just outside the village on the Bathurst Road), such an
     eclectic collection that's sure to intrigue and delight!
 4.  Grab a beer or glass of local wine and meet the locals at The Royal Hotel
     pub - open 7 days
 5.  Restock the essentials, grab a coffee or bite to eat at The General Store
     and 24 Carrot Cafe - open 6 days (closed Tuesdays)
 6.  On weekends, between 11am and 3pm, check out Hill End Arts Council's latest
     collection at the Hill End Art Gallery (located next door to the General
     Store, in the CWA hall)
 7.  Star gaze at night from the grounds of The Guesthouse or around town
 8.  Take in the breathtaking views at one of the many lookouts, Hill End's
     highest elevation is around 950m
 9.  If in the village on a weekend, take a short stroll to Hill End Estate for
     locally made pies and treats
 10. Take a bushwalk along one of the many National Parks Walking Trails and
     lookouts





HISTORY

What is now Hill End was originally a part of the Tambaroora area, Tambaroora
town was a few kilometres to the north of present-day Hill End, in the 1850s the
Hill End area was known as Bald Hills. It was in 1860 that a village was
proclaimed first as Forbes but in 1862 it was altered to Hill End. In the early
1870s Hill End took over Tambaroora as the main town in the area.


GOLD RUSH

Hill End owes its existence to the New South Wales gold rush of the 1850s, and
at its peak in the early 1870s it had a population estimated at 8,000 served by
two newspapers, five banks, eight churches, and twenty-eight pubs.
The town's decline when the gold gave out was dramatic: by 1945 the population
was 700. At the 2006 census, Hill End had a population of 166 people. The
photographer Beaufoy Merlin recorded daily life in the town at its peak; his
photographs can be found in the town museum/visitor information centre. The
glass plate negatives are held in the State Library of New South Wales.


ARTIST'S COLONY

In the late 1940s Hill End was discovered by artists Russell Drysdale—who
painted possibly his best-known work, The cricketers here—and Donald Friend, and
quickly became an artists' colony. Other artists who worked there included Jean
Bellette. Today, the Hill End artist-in-residence program aims to ensure the
continuity of this connection.


HISTORY

In October 1862 the Telegraph line reached Hill End (Tambaroora) from Bathurst
via Sofala, the Telegraph Office opened for telegraph messages bringing the
remote town into instant contact with the rest of the Colony. Prior to this
event communications took 12 hours by the mail Stagecoach to Bathurst.

After delays due to lack of materials a telephone line was installed into Hill
End in 1914, after 60 years of Morse code telegraph messages Hill End could now
speak to adjacent towns and even Sydney if necessary.

In 1923 a telephone exchange was installed at the Hill End Post Office, before
this calls could only be made from the Post Office to other towns. The exchange
allowed new telephones installed in businesses and private homes to connect
locally and to other towns.


BRIDLE TRACK

The Bridle Track runs from Duramana (North of Bathurst) directly to the town
centre of Hill End. Generally the track can be classified as an easy 4WD track.
The Bridle Track begins as a narrow tar-covered road, however it later changes
to dirt. Much of the last 20 kilometres is single-lane. Part of the Bridle Track
is currently closed, after a rockfall has rendered it impassible at McMahon's
Bluff.


TODAY

Hill End is classified as a historical site by the National Parks and Wildlife
Service (NPWS), however it is still home to a handful of residents operating the
local pub, general store, Northey's Store and local public school. The National
Parks and Wildlife Service runs a museum just off the main road which contains
many original photos and items of equipment from the busy days of the gold rush.
A more extensive museum, the privately owned History Hill, is located a few
kilometers from the town on the Bathurst Road.

NPWS has installed signs around the town to give visitors an idea of what was
once in place on the now empty lots of land. Currently only a handful of
buildings remain in their original form. However most of those buildings still
serve the purpose they did back during the gold rush. Access to the town's
lookouts is via gravel roads. A walking track in the town leads to a mine and
other ruins.

The most popular tourist activity in Hill End is gold panning, with some of the
older members of the community running gold panning tours in the same fossicking
areas that yielded the gold which brought on the gold rush. Metal detectors or
gold panning are not allowed within the historic site, however there is a
fossicking area just past the cemetery, off the Mudgee Road.

Source (in part): Wikipedia and National Parks & Wildlife Service
Photo credit: Amber Hooper @ Amber Creative


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 * Bookings
 * Contact Us
 * Home
 * The Guesthouse
 * The Village

26 English Lane, Hill End NSW 2850, Australia

0408 969 481
stay@theguesthousehillend.com.au

Copyright © All rights reserved. ABN 46386951790.


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