Only one hour north a Hobart, or 90 minutes south of Launceston, Oatlands has an almost untouched Georgian townscape. We drove through on our way to Bruny Island from Ross early in the morning, so not much was open. After getting our morning coffee, we walked along the main street admiring the old sandstone buildings and taking some photos.
Many old buildings have been re-purposed into cafes, restaurants, galleries, and gift shops, so they are maintained in good condition. The main reason we stopped was the Callington Mill, built in 1837 and still operating. As the only windmill of its type still operating in the southern hemisphere, it attracts visitors from all over Australia.
This was a quick stop to see some of the old buildings and the mill. With 138 sandstone buildings in town, we would have stayed longer to see more, but had to be on Bruny Island later that day. Being able to see the mill was great and was where we spent most of our time. If you are travelling with children, a playground next to the mill is a good place to let them run around.
Built by convict labour in the early 1800s, Ross is a wonderfully preserved 19th century village full of old buildings and history.
How to Get There
Ross is about a one-hr drive (78 km) south from Launceston and a 90-min drive (121 km) north from Hobart.
RossBridge
Probably the most famous structure in town the bridge is Australia’s third oldest standing bridge. Often considered the most beautiful of its kind left in the world because of its 186 carvings by convict stonemasons. Deemed to be of such high quality at the time of construction it won the men a free pardon.
During our brief stay the water level was very high, meaning we could not get as Close as we wanted to the carvings, but we still managed to see it from further away. Lit up at night, the bridge takes on a surreal look, with the colour of the sandstone emphasised.
Ross Bridge
Town Centre
Full of old buildings and lined with elm trees, even in winter the main street look amazing. Our first stop was the bakery to get something to eat and drink after our drive. After that we walked around town admiring the old convict built buildings. Everything is close together, so you are able to get about on foot rather than driving.
Old telephone boxes add a great bit of character to the main street, rather than more modern metal ones. As well as the buildings, the war memorial at the town’s cross-roads makes a great centre piece and is surrounded on four corners by old buildings.
Church Street
Elm Tree Lined Church Street
Church Street
Ross Post Office
Old Town Hall
15 Pounder Captured During the Anglo-Boer War 1902 at the War Memorial
Old Telephone Boxes on Church Street
Old Gaol
Churches
Scattered around town are three sandstone churches, all worth having a look at. The Uniting Church flood lit at night, so go back and have a look after dark.
St John’s Anglican Church Ross
Ross Uniting Church
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Ross at Night
After dark, the bridge, Uniting Church and war memorial are flood lit. This adds a great additional dimension to the feel of the town. In the middle of winter, there were only a few groups looking around, so it was even better.
Ross Bridge at Night
Uniting Church at Night
War Memorial At Night
Where Did We Stay?
Our accommodation was at the Ross Motel, which we found very comfortable. It was also centrally located, so we were able to walk from here to everything we wanted to see.
What Did We Think?
Ross is a wonderful little village, with its historic 19th century centre preserved. We loved walking around the streets admiring the old buildings. The flood lit buildings at night also add a great touch, making it interesting to get out after dark to look around.
A gold rush in the 1870s turned Hill End from a small rural village into one of the largest inland towns in New South Wales. When the boom finished, the town reverted back to a small village, however unlike other boom / bust towns many of the historic buildings remain. Now heritage listed, the town offers an insight into life in the 1870s, because of its preserved buildings and artefacts.
Located 75km south of Mudgee or 270km north-west of Sydney, Hill End is a great place to relax and enjoy some history. We enjoyed it here because of the many different things to can see and do. Not only are there buildings from the gold rush, but several interesting walks and museums.
Hill End Heritage Centre
Located in a 1950s Rural Fire Service shed next to the General Store, the Heritage Centre offers a self-guided tour of displays that detail the history of the town. The centre contains some excellent photos of life during the gold rush, as well as a model showing the town at its largest. Artefacts and a fire engine make this a great first stop to learn about Hill End.
The Old Rural Fire Service Shed Now the Heritage Centre
1942 Ford Blitz Fire Truck
Model of the Hill End Town
Gold Smelting Pots
Water Bottle
Old Photo of a Miner’s Cottage
Shops on the Main Street as They Used To Be
Hill End Historic Buildings
The heritage listed town contains many buildings dating from the 1870s gold rush period. Unlike other towns from this period, where old buildings were removed, many of Hill End’s buildings remain intact, giving a view back in time.
We walked through town on the afternoon we arrived and again the next morning, before other people were around. This let us enjoy the area both with and without other people around.
While wandering around, we found an old rusty car a petrol pumps, adding to the old feel of the town.
The Road Into Hill End
St Paul’s Presbyterian Church
Hosies Store
Old Building at Hill End
Beyers Cottage Hill End
Robert Northey’s General Grocer and Produce Store Hill End
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Great Western Store
Old Petrol Pumps
Rusty Car Wreck
Hill End War Memorial Machine Gun
History Hill Museum
Only a ten-minute drive from town, the History Hill Museum contains a huge collection of artefacts from the 1870s gold rush, which include a stamper battery crusher and a replica gold mine.
The collection includes everyday items used by people providing a great insight into ordinary life in the late nineteenth century. There is also what must be one of the largest collections of weighing scales anywhere. Scales formed an important part of the gold mining industry, ensuring that correct payment was made for gold mined.
The Chinese contribution to the area is highlighted, illustrating the diversity of people attracted to the area to mine gold.
Collections of fire arms, locks, porcelain and bottles add to the huge numbers of displays, that go well beyond the normal rocks and mining equipment that mining museums usually have.
Another great attraction at History Hill is the replica gold mine, which you walk through at your own pace. Being able to walk through a mine, even if a replica gives you a great idea of what mining was like here. The exit is fun, with seven lots of ladders to climb to the surface. Of course, if you don’t want to climb the ladders, you can return to the entrance instead. We really liked this!
Not the Entry
Pad Locks
Hand Guns
Collection of Scales
Tools in the Blacksmiths Shop
Gold Weighing Scales
Shackles
Poison Bottle Collection
Bottle Collection
China Collection
Stamping Crusher
Entry to the Son of Hope Mine
Ladders Leading Out of the Mine
Tunnel Inside the Mine
Tunnel Inside the Mine
Golden Gully Walking Track
The eroded banks of Golden Gully are unstable, so take care when walking, rock falls and wall collapses are common. Worked and re-worked by miners workings have become exposed due to erosion, making the landscape seem unreal. Staying to the centre of the gully, away from the walls, we were able to admire the landscape in safety.
Erosions has formed several interesting arches that reach across the gully, as well as several small tunnels running into the banks. These areas are very unstable, so use caution when looking at them.
Golden Gully Walking Track Hill End
The Arch on the Golden Gully Walking Track
Under the Arch on the Golden Gully Walking Track
The Arch on the Return Trip
Small Tunnel
Small Tunnel on the Golden Gully Walking Track Hill End
Valentine Mine
Located a short drive from town, Valentines Mine, the headframe shows where the shaft drops 53 metres into the hill. Next to the shaft is an old stamper battery used to crush the ore removed from the mine.
Access along a dirt track was incredibly rough, although we only had a two-wheel drive vehicle. Recent rain had damaged the track and had it been any worse, we would not have driven it. However, once graded and repaired, the road will be good to drive on. Alternately, you can park your car and walk up to the mine shaft area.
Valentines Mine Shaft
Stamping Battery at Valentines Mine
Valentines Mine Stamping Battery Head
Cornish Quartz Roasting Pits
A short drive past the Valentines Mine turn-off, a small car park marks the entrance to the roasting pits. Here, quartz roasting pits were established in 1855 and have become a significant insight into our nation’s beginnings and how the gold rush transformed the country.
The roasting pits are an interesting snapshot into quartz mining processes, where the ore was processed before crushing.
Cornish Quartz Roasting Pits
Cornish Quartz Roasting Pits
Ruined Building Near the Cornish Quartz Roasting Pits
Cornish Quartz Roasting Pits
Cornish Quartz Roasting Pits
What did We Think?
Hill End was a great place to visit, not only for the historic buildings, but also for several great walks and interesting museums. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here, and would do it again.
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
