Kevtoberfest #3 Nundle
Like many Australian country towns Nundle, in northern New South Wales, has a rich history. Gold was discovered in 1852 and remnants of the past survive both in town and the surrounding area, where the remains of gold rush settlements and diggings lie hidden in the bush.
A good place to begin a day in Nundle is the Visitor Information Centre where the Gil Bennet Rocks, Gems and Minerals Collection is displayed. Crystals, gems and polished stones collected by Gil over more than 20 years sparkle in their glass cases. Many of the stones were found locally, and fossickers today follow Gil’s lead in the hope of finding hidden treasures in the hills around Nundle.
Many leave Nundle and head up a steep and winding mountain road to the abandoned goldfields of Hanging Rock. Perched high on the edge of a sheer rock face, Hanging Rock lookout reveals an expansive view of Nundle Valley and beyond to the mountains of the Great Dividing Range.
At the site of the original Hanging Rock village, where several thousand people lived at the height of the gold rush, the homes, schools and churches are long gone. All that’s left of the pub is the information sign telling of its existence.
The only visible evidence that people once lived here is at the Hanging Rock Historic Cemetery, where many miners and their families were buried. Most notable of the graves is that of Mary Ashton aged 19, who died after childbirth in 1852. She was the wife of James Henry Ashton, founder of Australia’s famous Ashton’s Circus.
At Sheba Dams, the still waters tell another story of the gold rush era. Built in 1888 by Chinese labourers, the dams provided water for the surrounding gold mines. Today, the mines are overgrown by thick bush and the miners have been replaced by picnickers and fishermen.
Back in Nundle, the wealth gold brought to the area can be seen in the 19th century architecture of the historic buildings. Dating from 1860, the Peel Inn has provided food, beverages and accommodation for travellers for more than 150 years. Odgers and McClelland Exchange Stores has been selling household goods since 1891. Feather dusters, pots and pans hanging from the ceiling still compete for attention with enamel bakeware, handmade soaps and wooden utensils.
Other buildings have been repurposed to serve new functions as income from tourism has replaced that of gold. What was once a service station now houses the Nundle Art Gallery and Volcania Art Glass, filled with works created by local artisans. The Primitive Methodist Church, built in 1882, is now a boutique.
The Nundle Woollen Mill only opened in 2001, but the yarn made from Australian merino wool is spun on vintage machines sourced from other defunct mills and lovingly restored to working order.
The Mount Misery Gold Mine Museum gives visitors a taste of life on the goldfields around Nundle. A 150 metre mine tunnel displays artefacts and mining tools, and the walls are lined with newspaper articles and photos of the families who lived and worked in the area.
The gold miners and their settlements may be gone but their memory lives on in the little town of Nundle.
Road Trip Tally: Breweries 1/Craft shops 1
I was commiserating with Glen at the lack of a pub, but then you took me to that wonderful village restoration, Carol. What a project! 🙂 🙂 The views out over the hills suggest the immensity of the place. You’ll never run out of territory to explore. Wishing you and the family a healthy, happy year ahead, and sending express hugs.
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Nundle isn’t a restoration, Jo. It’s the only township that survived when the gold rush ended. The buildings are all the real thing. 🙂 You’re right, we could travel around Australia for years and never run out of places to see. Best wishes to you and Mick for 2018 too.
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Sorry! Blame the wine 🙂 Some of it looked newly constructed. Thanks!
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No worries Jo. The buildings have been well looked after. I guess in comparison to English history these buildings are relatively new. 😁
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There’s something about Odgers and McClelland Exchange Stores: I’d like to fossick around there a bit. 🙂
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Oh David, I was so tempted by the wonderful enamel bakeware and the teapots in particular. You’d enjoy poking around all the bits and pieces for sure. 🙂
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Looks so quaint and like something out of a black and white movie
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Quaint is a good word. It’s all authentic from the 19th century and the buildings have been beautiful maintained.
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This must have been really interesting to visit. I read Eleanor Catton’s novel The Luminaries about the gold rush in New Zealand, and I imagine it must have been very similar. (I found the book too long and complicated to enjoy, but the background history was fascinating.)
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Yes, I expect it would have been much the same. Those were harsh times. You might enjoy this book about Australian gold rushes, Anabel. I haven’t read this one but this author has an excellent reputation. https://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Gold-Rush-David-Hill/9781864711301
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What an interesting country town Carol. I love that old Wool Mill. 😉
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I really enjoyed going to the Woollen Mill. Mr ET knew it was there but didn’t tell me, so I didn’t know about it until we got there. It was a wonderful surprise.
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Oh that would have been a great surprise!
Happy New Year Carol 😊
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Happy New Year to you too 🎉
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What a great place to visit. I always love local gems. Those feather dusters are huge! Did you buy some local yarn? It would be hard to resist. Really enjoyed this post
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I’ve never seen so many feather dusters in one place. I did buy some yarn although the colours in this photo aren’t accurate. It’s so beautiful and soft to work with. I’m making a beautiful shawl with it.
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Beautiful colours. The woollen mill looks so interesting.
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The business was started as a way of creating employment in the town. It’s been very successful and the yarns they produce are gorgeous.
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Shawl will be beautiful and cozy. And knitting is usually relaxing and soothing. Happy New Year.
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I’m crocheting and it is relaxing. 😊
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Hard to imagine what these places were like at the heart of industry. Noisy, dirty, busy. But I’d love a time machine to be able to just have a glimpse at those times. I’d enjoy a wander around Nundle.
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The life of these pioneers would have been a harsh one. Jude, you would enjoy Nundle and the surrounding area. Well worth a day trip if ever you get the chance.
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Did you see that special bench photo I included just for you? 😀
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Well, nothing back on the Brisbane interview so far. Still hoping…
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If they were living there we would only be two hours away at the most.
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I wouldn’t mind visiting them there, I have a chunk of the coast to explore between Brisbane and Townsville! Not to mention inland.
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Oh you could spend a year exploring Queensland. 😊
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A year? I’d say forever!!!
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True!
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😄
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Brisbane interview???
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Eldest son was made redundant from his job with Etihad at the end of the year. He was interviewed for a position with Virgin Australia in Brisbane. No news as yet.
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I’ll keep my fingers crossed🤞
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Where’s the photo of Glen doing a little prospecting? Lovely views from the top of Hanging Rock!
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He didn’t look for any gems but he did do this at the lookout.
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It’s so admirable that this historic site has been saved for future generations.
My fingers itched when I saw that colourful wool.
Happy New Year, dear et.
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It’s such a pretty little town and the residents have done a great job of preserving their history. I have to admit I bought some wool and am in the process of making a beautiful shawl with it. I fixed your typo. It did my heart good to see mine isn’t the only phone which insists on making up words. It’s so annoying. 🙂
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What a lovely at Nundle. I must admit that I didn’t know much about it before but it looks like a charming town.
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Lorraine, it’s well worth a visit to Nundle. We stayed in Tamworth and did a day trip to Nundle. It’s about 45 minutes.
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Visiting such old mining sites I often am struck at the imagining of the noise and activity that would have been at the time. A fascinating spot and wonderful to see the restorations.
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The gold fields would have been very busy. I can’t imagine being in a miner’s tent in the middle of winter in the mountain. That wouldn’t have been pleasant.
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What a lovely little town rich with history. I know I’d love the shopping, but I might need a budget. 🙂
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Judy, I was tempted at the general store but managed to walk away without buying anything. I did buy some wool though. 🙂
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So interesting…it is amazing how those gold settlements completely disappeared and yet the one town survived.
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I’d say when the mines became uneconomical the small settlements were abandoned. Being at the bottom of the mountain, Nundle would have been much easier to get to, and it would have been the centre of the agricultural activities as well.
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Great post, and photos! I just have to think how dusty and dirty it must have been to live and work there years ago. I found a woolen mill in Ireland, but didn’t go inside…after this post, now I wish I had gone inside.
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Hot in summer and very cold in winter as well. The living conditions would have been harsh. I’m guessing you weren’t looking to buy any yarn for your crochet that day Badfish. 🙂
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That is a township well worth visiting and I missed it on our wanderings
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It’s not too far if you want to visit, about 45 minutes out of Tamworth. There is a very nice little caravan park behind the Tourist Information. Check first on the dates though, because there are several events every year and you might not get a site.
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I’ll make a note of it and check on google
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Great photos and makes me miss home!
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Nundle is a typical Australian country town. I love that house in the last photo with its wide veranda. I’m not surprised this has made you feel nostalgic. Glad you enjoyed it!
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What a wonderful post full of gorgeous photos. Those gems and minerals, are they so called semiprecious stones? In Finland:
Juuka village and semiprecious stones.
Happy New Year 2018.
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Yes, these would all be semi-precious stones, similar to the ones in your story. Happy New Year to you too.
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I always like your pictures, they make me feel that I am there! Thank you!
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Thank you, Cecilia. I’m pleased to know you enjoy them.
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Nundle looks so cute. What a fascinating township. We have a hanging rock in Victoria, but it’s completely different. So many great places to to visit here, we’re spoilt aren’t we?
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I’ve been to that Hanging Rock too. It is very different to the NSW one, although there is a sheer rock face we weren’t able to photograph from the road.
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A very interesting post!
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Looks fantastic! What a nice place to visit!
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Nundle is a pretty town and we’d like to go back and spend more time in the area.
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Too bad that the pub is no longer in existence! I’m glad the town has now been upgraded with all those cute shops for tourists.
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The buildings are all original and it’s nice that they are still in use. I wonder if the locals get a bit tired of the visitors, although they seemed to all come in the middle of the day and then go again. When we arrived mid-morning there was no one about but by the time we came back from the gold field area it was busy. Luckily there is a pub in town still!
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The pub always saves the day!
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What an interesting town – so much history. I imagine it was a bit annoying (when on a beer tour) to come to a sign telling you where a pub USED to be – not much help if you were hoping to be sampling some beers now. 😉 The wool looks so inviting – I think I would have been leaving with a few purchases myself. 🙂
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I was more amused by the missing pub than Glen was! Elaine, you would not have been able to walk out of the woollen mill with empty hands. The wool is a beautiful quality and there were so many pretty colours.
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What is it about wool and all its colours that is soooooo tempting and inviting? I saw some the other day but had to avert my eyes….
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It’s even worse when it’s on sale – very difficult to keep walking. 🙂
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I think I would need to wear blinkers – like the type that horses wear to keep them from being distracted from things that are beside them! 🙂
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A bit of history and a lot of beauty, great day!
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It was a lovely day. Blue sky always helps too!
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