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Kandos The Town That Built Sydney

Train Sculpture at a Kandos Railway Station

Kandos The Town That Built Sydney

Established in the early 1900s for the NSW Cement, Lime and Coal Co Ltd, Kandos produced cement until the plant’s closure in 2011. Taken from the initials of the founding company directors: Campbell, Angus, Noyes, McDonald, Oakden and Stephen. The first letter was later changed to a K rather than a C at the insistence of the Postmaster General. He thought it was too close to Chandos in South Australia.

Cement produced here was used all over New South Wales, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House and the Central to St James underground railway, leading to the town branding itself “The Town That Built Sydney”.

Located 234 km north-west of Sydney, for a three and a quarter hour trip, or a 64 km, one-hour trip south-east of Mudgee, Kandos is a great place to visit. Not only does the town offer interesting things to do, but nearby is Dunns Swamp in Wollemi National Park.

On entering town, an old railway wagon proudly displays a load of Kandos Cement, making you aware of the town’s heritage.

Some interesting sights include the old railway station and nearby hotel, along with some interesting sculptures nearby. We also found an old underground loading unit sitting on the side of a road near the museum, which was an interesting discovery.

Kandos Museum

Specialising in Kandos and the surrounding towns, the museum has a wonderful collection of historical items. A large section is dedicated to the cement works and their impact on the town.

Outside displays provide access to several large displays of cement works equipment, including skips from the aerial ropeway that brought limestone from the quarry to the cement works.

The volunteer staff were exceptional, full of local knowledge and more than happy to answer our questions. They really made the visit even more enjoyable.

Kandos Museum
Kandos Museum

Kandos Cement Works

Walking inside the museum’s entrance, you are greeting by the immaculate 1930 Nash Ambulance. This vehicle is surrounded by cement works artefacts, detailing the workings of the factory that kept Kandos ticking for nearly 100 years.

Local History

The local history of Kandos and surrounding villages makes up a large display in a second room, detailing local life.

Outside Displays

Large pieces of equipment displayed outside the museum include part of the aerial ropeway, steam engines and crushers provide a glimpse of the limestone quarry’s operation.

What Did We Think?

Kandos is a great town to visit, with a lot of history crammed into 100 years, as well as the wonderful Wollemi National Park to visit close by.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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Dunns Swamp Wollemi National Park

Dunns Swamp Wollemi National Park

Dunns Swamp

Dunns Swamp in the  Wollemi National Park is a beautiful lake rather than a swamp and is a great place to camp, bush walk or go swimming. Located only 30 minutes from Kandos, it is a great getaway for a day trip or overnight stay. Created by the Kandos Weir, the lake is full of bird life and surrounded by reeds and trees, making it a really beautiful place.

Campsites are available for overnight stays as well as plenty of day visitor parking. The camp site has covered eating areas and toilets available for use.

Pagoda Lookout

As well as the lake, bush walking is available around the area. We chose to walk to the long cave, while looking at the Kandos Weir and pagoda lookout on the way. The turn off to pagoda lookout is about 1km from the camp ground. This short 150m Walk is marked for experienced bush walkers only, so be careful if you decide to do it. The difficulty is because of the steep rock faces, narrow paths and lack of barriers at the cliff faces. The view from the top is great and you are able to see some of the weathered rock formations that look like pagoda temples.

Kandos Weir

The walk then continues along the Cudgegong River, which gives you some excellent views of the surrounding bush land. Several sections of steep stairways need to be negotiated, with two sections also having handrails and chains to assist going up and down. The Kandos Weir is a concrete dam wall and spillway. Unfortunately access onto the dam wall is prohibited, but you can walk to the base of the downstream face of the dam. From here it is possible to take some great pictures,

Long Cave

The long cave is only a few hundred metres from the weir, along a flat access road. The cave is really a rock overhang that has the base eroded by the river when it floods. So don’t expect to see a cave. It is still an interesting spot to investigate and take pictures.

Dunns Swamp is a great place to visit either for a day trip or a camping expedition. There are other walks in the area besides those we did that would keep you entertained.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.