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. In 1860 a village was proclaimed, first as Forbes, then in 1862 it was altered to Hill End.[2] Tambaroora had been the larger centre; in 1865, it had seven public houses to Hill End's two.[3] Following the discovery of rich gold reefs at Hawkins Hill (Hill End), in the early 1870s. Hill End overtook Tambaroora as the main town in the area.[4]
Gold rush
Bernhardt Holtermann with the 630 lb rock containing more than 75 percent gold from Hill End, unearthed in 1872
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.[citation needed]
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, which now has dropped to 80 people during the year 2017. 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.
Development
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.[5] 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.[6][7]
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.[8]
Hill End artists colony
In the late 1940s Hill End was discovered by artists Russell Drysdale, who painted possibly his best-known work, The cricketers there, and Donald Friend, and it quickly became an artists' colony. Other artists who worked there included Jean Bellette.[9] Today, the Hill End artist-in-residence program aims to ensure the continuity of this connection.
Heritage listings
Hill End has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
The Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group has been in existence since the 1930s. Their goal is to provide information on the life, the families and events of a bygone era and to connect their worldwide community of descendants who have an affiliation to the district. Their website contains transcriptions of many primary records, listing names of the early miners and pioneers, that may not appear in the more mainstream family history resources.[13]
Hill End today
Hill End B&B (Hosies) Gifts Crafts & Collectables
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, cake store and antique store. The NPWS 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 kilometres 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.
The Royal Hotel and the local "bed and breakfasts" offer accommodation and there are a number of camping options within the town limits.
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 (12 mi) is single lane. Part of the Bridle Track is currently[when?] closed, after a rockfall has rendered it impassible at Monaghan's Bluff.
Colin Simpson (1908-1983), Australian journalist, author and traveller spent most of his childhood in Hill End where his aunt and uncle ran the Royal Hotel.[16]
^Gray, Anne (2010). "Jean Bellette – Chorus without Iphigenia". Collection search (work purchased 1976). National Gallery of Australia. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
Media related to Hill End, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons
Hill End: Artists In Residence Program
SMH Tourist Guide
The Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group
August 23, 2023
hill, south, wales, hill, former, gold, mining, town, south, wales, australia, town, located, bathurst, regional, council, local, government, area, hill, south, waleshill, 2014hill, endcoordinates33, 03333, 41667, 03333, 41667population102, 2016, census, postc. Hill End is a former gold mining town in New South Wales Australia The town is located in the Bathurst Regional Council local Government area Hill End New South WalesHill End 2014Hill EndCoordinates33 02 0 S 149 25 0 E 33 03333 S 149 41667 E 33 03333 149 41667Population102 2016 census 1 Postcode s 2850Location278 km 173 mi NW of Sydney75 km 47 mi NW of Bathurst37 km 23 mi W of SofalaLGA s Bathurst Regional Council Contents 1 History 1 1 Gold rush 1 2 Development 1 3 Hill End artists colony 2 Heritage listings 3 Hill End and Tambaroora family history research 4 Hill End today 5 Bridle Track 6 Access 7 Camping 8 Notable people 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksHistory EditWhat 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 In 1860 a village was proclaimed first as Forbes then in 1862 it was altered to Hill End 2 Tambaroora had been the larger centre in 1865 it had seven public houses to Hill End s two 3 Following the discovery of rich gold reefs at Hawkins Hill Hill End in the early 1870s Hill End overtook Tambaroora as the main town in the area 4 Gold rush Edit Bernhardt Holtermann with the 630 lb rock containing more than 75 percent gold from Hill End unearthed in 1872Hill 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 citation needed 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 which now has dropped to 80 people during the year 2017 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 Development Edit 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 5 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 6 7 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 8 Hill End artists colony Edit In the late 1940s Hill End was discovered by artists Russell Drysdale who painted possibly his best known work The cricketers there and Donald Friend and it quickly became an artists colony Other artists who worked there included Jean Bellette 9 Today the Hill End artist in residence program aims to ensure the continuity of this connection Heritage listings EditHill End has a number of heritage listed sites including Hill End Historic Site 10 Golden Gully Golden Gully and Archway 11 10 km North Quartz Roasting Pits Complex 12 Hill End and Tambaroora family history research EditThe Hill End amp Tambaroora Gathering Group has been in existence since the 1930s Their goal is to provide information on the life the families and events of a bygone era and to connect their worldwide community of descendants who have an affiliation to the district Their website contains transcriptions of many primary records listing names of the early miners and pioneers that may not appear in the more mainstream family history resources 13 Hill End today Edit Hill End B amp B Hosies Gifts Crafts amp CollectablesHill 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 cake store and antique store The NPWS 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 kilometres 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 The Royal Hotel and the local bed and breakfasts offer accommodation and there are a number of camping options within the town limits Bridle Track EditMain article The Bridle Track New South Wales 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 12 mi is single lane Part of the Bridle Track is currently when closed after a rockfall has rendered it impassible at Monaghan s Bluff Entrance to the Bridle Track from Hill End Original Bridle Track Hill EndAccess EditFrom Sofala New South Wales which is around 38 kilometres 24 mi From Mudgee which is around 75 kilometres 47 mi and the route passes through Hargraves From Bathurst New South Wales via Turondale is around 75 kilometres 47 mi Camping EditThe National Parks and Wildlife Service provides several camping sites 14 Notable people EditSelina Sarah Elizabeth Anderson 1878 1964 parliamentary candidate 15 Colin Simpson 1908 1983 Australian journalist author and traveller spent most of his childhood in Hill End where his aunt and uncle ran the Royal Hotel 16 See also EditAustralian gold rushes Gold miningReferences Edit Australian Bureau of Statistics 27 June 2017 Hill End State Suburb 2016 Census QuickStats Retrieved 19 March 2018 Department of Lands NSW Government Gazette 82 883 6 May 1862 RANDOM NOTES Sydney Morning Herald NSW 1842 1954 28 September 1865 p 2 Retrieved 12 February 2021 TAMBAROORA Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers Melbourne Vic 1867 1875 18 June 1872 p 128 Retrieved 12 February 2021 TAMBAROORA The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser NSW 7 October 1862 p 2 Retrieved 30 July 2015 via National Library of Australia Hill End Telephone Mudgee Guardian and North Western Representative NSW 20 April 1914 p 4 Retrieved 31 July 2015 via National Library of Australia TO HILL END Mudgee Guardian and North Western Representative NSW 21 May 1914 p 19 Retrieved 31 July 2015 via National Library of Australia HILL END TELEPHONE EXCHANGE Mudgee Guardian and North Western Representative NSW 9 July 1923 p 12 Retrieved 31 July 2015 via National Library of Australia Gray Anne 2010 Jean Bellette Chorus without Iphigenia Collection search work purchased 1976 National Gallery of Australia Retrieved 8 June 2014 Hill End Historic Site New South Wales State Heritage Register Department of Planning amp Environment H00993 Retrieved 18 May 2018 Text is licensed by State of New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment under CC BY 4 0 licence Golden Gully and Archway New South Wales State Heritage Register Department of Planning amp Environment H00614 Retrieved 18 May 2018 Text is licensed by State of New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment under CC BY 4 0 licence Quartz Roasting Pits Complex New South Wales State Heritage Register Department of Planning amp Environment H01006 Retrieved 18 May 2018 Text is licensed by State of New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment under CC BY 4 0 licence Hill End amp Tambaroora Gathering Group heatgg org au Retrieved 25 March 2022 New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service Archived November 1 2005 at the Wayback Machine Anderson Selina Sarah Senie 1878 1964 Australian Dictionary of Biography 2005 Retrieved 30 March 2015 Richard White Simpson Edwin Colin 1908 1983 Australian Dictionary of Biography adb anu edu au Retrieved 25 March 2022 External links Edit Media related to Hill End New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons Hill End Artists In Residence Program SMH Tourist Guide The Hill End amp Tambaroora Gathering Group Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hill End New South Wales amp oldid 1111678088, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
