100 Towns

As you drive on the Mitchell Highway towards Orange there is a tantilising glimpse of old cottages through the trees at Shadforth, after the exit to their street.  One day we remembered to take the exit and go and see what there was to be found. The were a few streets, some ramshackle buildings, some well kept buildings, orchards and the three cottages which I guess were workers cottages, though they look so picturesque they could be modern replicas for the tourist trade. There was and I think still is a quarry at Shadforth.

Lucknow has its mining history on proud display with two poppet heads speaking of the towns mining past. Apparently there is a near intact gold stamper battery in one of the sheds that is open to the public. We must stop a while and go look at it one day. The other treasure in this town is an huge second hand shop full of loads of wonderful junk.

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. 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. Mullion Creek Village sign 2. School 3. Community hall 4. Community hall interior 5. St Brendan's church 6. Mullion Creek environs Mullion Creek is a very small town 19kms from the city of Orange. The school's website says that it serves the local district and children from Orange whose parents have learnt the value of a small school. With only 34 students the school is certainly small but looks prosperous and the town is very neat and tidy. St Brendan's church in the centre of the town was built in the 1930s and is said to have an interior the belies the rustic simplicity of its exterior.  I didn't see inside but I did peep through the windows of the community hall.  The church puzzled me because it has a very new cemetery in its grounds - the first burial was in 2007. Mullion Creek is perhaps better known as being the gateway to the relics of the goldfields at Ophir where Australia's first payable gold was found. See where Mullion Creek is locat...