100 Towns

Oh dear, I noticed that I posted Rylstone twice so have slotted my very last town Darby's Falls into this spot. Darby's Falls is a small village (population 70) on the road between Cowra and the water playground at Wyangala Dam. The school is closed and there are just a few houses.  We noticed there is an astronomical observatory there too. Apparently it has a gold mining history and like a lot of these old gold towns is currently the focus of new exploration for other minerals.

Dubbo is a busy inland city, the centre of administration for a very big chunk of New South Wales.  With a population of 40,000 it's much bigger than most of the places we've visited. It services the rural community, with plenty of shops and government departments.  And there is much for a tourist to enjoy whether it be the farmers market, the Dubbo jail or the Western Plains Zoo. Unlike most of the towns we have visited it has a daily train service with the XPT from Sydney going to and from once each day.

Cowra (population 9,500) is a typical substantial western NSW country town.   Its history is as so many of the others, some gold, arrival of the railway in the 1880s eventually settling down to being a rural service town. It does however have some unique aspects to its history.  It was the site of prisoner of war camp during World War II where Japanese prisoners attempted a mass breakout in which over 200 Japanese died.  Their graves are beautifully maintained at Cowra cemetery. Today Cowra remembers this part of its history with a magnificent Japanese garden, seeks to promote international peace and hosts an annual celebration of International Understanding.

Gulgong is old gold mining town (and a railway town) and has hung onto enough of its history to make it an interesting spot to visit today. It is also known at the $10 town because it was used the backdrop for the image of Henry Lawson on the old $10 notes.  Like some other towns in NSW they lay claim to Henry Lawson because he lived there briefly as a child.  There is a Henry Lawson museum. And there is a fabulous Gulgong Pioneer museum full of just about every element of mining, farming and domestic history. Well worth a visit.

The small town of Cassilis is a real gem for old town lovers.  There are buildings of various different eras all with a patina of age and untouched by modernisation. Apparently the whole village is heritage listed and many of the structures listed as significant. It is also set in lovely farming country and was established as a service town for the rural area back in the 1840s.  

1. Mudgee main street 2. Town clock and art deco picture theatre 3. Anglican Church 4. Catholic Church 5. Railway station 6. Vineyards Mudgee (population 8000) was settled as early as the 1820s. It started small with growth exploding during the gold rush period.  Following that the wool growing sustained the town and the wine industry began.  Wine growing is now a major industry of the region with more than 40 wineries in the district. With its high quality big-town facilities, wineries and rich farmland it is a very popular tourist destination and the kind of town attractive to tree changers. It's well worth spending a weekend (or two) here.

1.  Rylstone Post Office 2.  Railway Station 3. Anglican Church, St James 4. Catholic Church, St Malachy's  5. Wesleyan Church  6. Dwelling 7. Dwelling 8. Cafe culture 9. Another historic building Rylstone is a delightful town. It began as a rural centre in the early 1800s. In the 1870s and 1880s substantial stone civic, commercial and religious buildings were built. These give the town its special character. Today the entire business district is classified as a Heritage Conservation Zone. It's the perfect spot for a weekend getaway with good food outlets, all the amenities of a substantial town, and plenty of interesting drives in the surrounding area.

1. Bank Street, the main street of Molong 2. Heritage railway station now the local library 3. Grain silo by railway line 4. Gelato factory 5, Poplars in Autumn Heritage buildings line the main street of Molong, a town actively serving the local community within this rich farming district for wheat, sheep, wool, cattle, orchards and wineries. Like most of the region the railway arrived in the 1890s but the station is today closed and used for the local library. And also typical of the region a grain silo stands beside the railway line. The many poplars make Molong picture perfect in Autumn but it is a great spot to visit at any time of year.  On a hot day visit the local gelato factory where local fruit is turned into tasty sauces.

1. Municipal gardens - Autumn  2. Municipal gardens - Autumn  3. Roadside parkland - Autumn  4. Apple harvest - Autumn  5. Royal Hotel - Winter  6. Roadside parkland - Spring  7. Mount Conobolas snow gums - Summer mist Orange is a vibrant modern city of 38,000 people.  It's history started back in the 1820's and it is also close to the gold fields of Ophir where the first payable gold was found.  The city is replete with elegant buildings from colonial times, wide tree lined streets and beautiful parks and gardens. The Royal Hotel, modernised in the 1930s, was the passenger pick-up point for Cobb and Co coaches. Beyond the city, orchards and vineyards abound.  Almost half of the NSW apple crop comes from this region. Mount Canobolas and Lake Canobolas are also lovely spots to visit. This is a very attractive city and well worth spending some time here and in the surrounding region.

1. Art deco hall now a craft shop 2. Ramsgate, Victorian private residence in the main street 3. Royal Hotel 4. Rural scenery 5. Lake Oberon 6. Pine forests 7. Mayfield garden, a magnificent grand scale private garden 8. Frosty morning Oberon is a town that is surviving well due to diversification. In addition to serving as centre for the rural sheep and cattle industry it is a major timber centre with a large amount of the district being cloaked in pine forests. It is also a favoured tourist destination especially if you have a car to explore the nearby villages, take in the splendid rural scenery or perhaps go to the Jenolan Caves and the Blue Mountains wilderness. You could also try trout fishing, gem fossiking or mushrooming in the pine forests.  Its freezing cold winters are also an attraction with occasional snow and frosty mornings almost guaranteed. The lush countryside is what attracted the early settlers and there was mining in the area.  But unlike oth...

1. Old shop opposite the railway  2. Railway hotel Spring Hill was essentially a village servicing the farming community.  The railway line pushed through from Blayney to Orange went through Spring Hill.  Old buildings still face the railway line but the Railway station was removed in 1988. Spring Hill continues as neat and tidy community close to the city of Orange. View the location of Spring Hill on the map.

1.  Millthorpe streetscape 2. Antique shop 3. One of several great eating places Millthorpe is a great little town so I was disappointed to find that my archive photos have gone missing so I must go back one day and add to these images. Millthorpe was essentially a rural town that benefited from the large number of people who moved into the area during the gold rush.  In the 1880s a flour mill was established in the area, eventually leading to the town being named Millthorpe.  Another important development was them winning the battle to have a railway station built in that same period. Using the railway they were able to transport flour, chaff and potatoes to the market in Sydney. It was during this prosperous time the town's main buildings formed. But as the 20th century arrived things changed. Chaff was no longer needed and the grain industry and potato market moved elsewhere. The town almost died and its buildings empty. But the lovely untouched historic b...

1. Bathurst Court House 2. Spring garden display near the War Memorial 3. Bathurst city street 4. Attractive old housing 5. St Stephen's Church 6. Mount Panorama race circuit 7. The Royal Agricultural Show 8. Historic Abercrombie House 9. Charles Sturt University Bathurst is Australia's oldest inland settlement, a modern city with an historic past.  With a population of 34,000 today it is a busy regional centre serving the rural community. It also has a strong manufacturing base, government departments and a university. The 1850s gold rush started in this area. Substantial historic buildings built with the wealth from that time are visible throughout the city. It is a popular tourist destination with the famous Mount Panorama race track is easily spotted by the name emblazoned on the mountain. There is an old Royal Hotel (now renamed) which I am still to locate  and photograph. It is an attractive, accessible city and a great base for exploring the countrysid...

1. Cudal cultural centre 2. Old garage 3. Old shop 4. Royal Hotel Cudal 5. War Memorial 6. Canola fields Cudal, population 380, serves the local farming community. Wool, fat lambs, cattle, wheat and canola are the main produce in the area. While there are shops that have seen better days it has full small town infrastructure and is a pleasant spot to visit when touring this rather attractive rural area. And if you are looking for accommodation I believe the Royal Hotel can put you up. See Cudal's location on the map