THE VILLAGE

Historic Hill End

Once a thriving gold mining town in the late 1800s, now an eclectic mix of working class folk amongst artists and those still fossicking for their fortune in gold, the historic village of Hill End is the ideal escape for those seeking a relaxed pace and some genuine inspiration.

A red-brick church with a cross on its roof and front, surrounded by a wooden fence, under a clear blue sky. Trees and power lines are visible in the background.

An old, rusted car with no windows is abandoned in a grassy, wooded area under a clear sky.

A weathered brick building with a rusted, corrugated metal roof and a worn wooden door, supported by rough wooden beams. A tree is visible in the background.

A rustic brick building with a wooden door and a corrugated metal roof stands on a grassy hill under a clear blue sky, partially shaded by a tree.

HILL END HIGHLIGHTS

Top Ten

  1. Stay at The Guesthouse - Hill End for a taste of modern vintage country living and meet the local wildlife on the property, an abundance of roos, deer and birdlife can be found year round
  2. Explore the heritage streetscapes by foot, car or bicycle, take a self-guided history tour, grab a town map from the study nook at The Guesthouse or check out the National Parks + Wildlife Service's Heritage Centre next door to The General Store
  3. Lose yourself in local memorabilia at History Hill Museum - a must visit when in Hill End (just outside the village on the Bathurst Road), such an eclectic collection that's sure to intrigue and delight!
  4. Grab a beer or glass of local wine and meet the locals at The Royal Hotel pub - open 7 days
  5. Restock the essentials, grab a coffee or bite to eat at The General Store and 24 Carrot Cafe - open 6 days (closed Tuesdays)
  6. On weekends, between 11am and 3pm, check out Hill End Arts Council's latest collection at the Hill End Art Gallery (located next door to the General Store, in the CWA hall)
  7. Star gaze at night from the grounds of The Guesthouse or around town
  8. Take in the breathtaking views at one of the many lookouts, Hill End's highest elevation is around 950m
  9. If in the village on a weekend, take a short stroll to Hill End Estate for locally made pies and treats
  10. Take a bushwalk along one of the many National Parks Walking Trails and lookouts
A sign with "1872 Royal Hotel" hanging in front of a brick building.

A row of various beer taps in a bar with lively and eclectic decor in the background, including bottles and papers on the walls.

A rustic building with a sign that reads "The Mill End Store and Landmark" and a two-story house with a balcony nearby, set against a bright, clear sky with some trees in the background.

A rustic building with a sign that reads "Baker & Grocer" features a stone chimney and outdoor seating with umbrellas on a clear day.

A painting depicts an eerie, desolate scene with two dilapidated buildings. A figure appears to be running while two others stand still. Sparse trees and a brown sky complete the unsettling atmosphere.

A wooden bench overlooks a scenic mountainous landscape under a clear blue sky.

A quiet, sunlit street lined with historic buildings, including a two-story brick structure with a wooden balcony and several single-story houses in a rural setting.

A large tree with bare branches stands in front of a historic community house. A wooden fence runs along the front of the scene, and a sign by the tree provides information about the location.

History

What is now Hill End was originally a part of the Tambaroora area, Tambaroora town was a few kilometres to the north of present-day Hill End, in the 1850s the Hill End area was known as Bald Hills. It was in 1860 that a village was proclaimed first as Forbes but in 1862 it was altered to Hill End. In the early 1870s Hill End took over Tambaroora as the main town in the area.

Gold Rush

Hill End owes its existence to the New South Wales gold rush of the 1850s, and at its peak in the early 1870s it had a population estimated at 8,000 served by two newspapers, five banks, eight churches, and twenty-eight pubs.
The town's decline when the gold gave out was dramatic: by 1945 the population was 700. At the 2006 census, Hill End had a population of 166 people. The photographer Beaufoy Merlin recorded daily life in the town at its peak; his photographs can be found in the town museum/visitor information centre. The glass plate negatives are held in the State Library of New South Wales.

Artist's Colony

In the late 1940s Hill End was discovered by artists Russell Drysdale—who painted possibly his best-known work, The cricketers here—and Donald Friend, and quickly became an artists' colony. Other artists who worked there included Jean Bellette. Today, the Hill End artist-in-residence program aims to ensure the continuity of this connection.

History

In October 1862 the Telegraph line reached Hill End (Tambaroora) from Bathurst via Sofala, the Telegraph Office opened for telegraph messages bringing the remote town into instant contact with the rest of the Colony. Prior to this event communications took 12 hours by the mail Stagecoach to Bathurst.

After delays due to lack of materials a telephone line was installed into Hill End in 1914, after 60 years of Morse code telegraph messages Hill End could now speak to adjacent towns and even Sydney if necessary.

In 1923 a telephone exchange was installed at the Hill End Post Office, before this calls could only be made from the Post Office to other towns. The exchange allowed new telephones installed in businesses and private homes to connect locally and to other towns.

Bridle Track

The Bridle Track runs from Duramana (North of Bathurst) directly to the town centre of Hill End. Generally the track can be classified as an easy 4WD track. The Bridle Track begins as a narrow tar-covered road, however it later changes to dirt. Much of the last 20 kilometres is single-lane. Part of the Bridle Track is currently closed, after a rockfall has rendered it impassible at McMahon's Bluff.

Today

Hill End is classified as a historical site by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), however it is still home to a handful of residents operating the local pub, general store, Northey's Store and local public school. The National Parks and Wildlife Service runs a museum just off the main road which contains many original photos and items of equipment from the busy days of the gold rush. A more extensive museum, the privately owned History Hill, is located a few kilometers from the town on the Bathurst Road.

NPWS has installed signs around the town to give visitors an idea of what was once in place on the now empty lots of land. Currently only a handful of buildings remain in their original form. However most of those buildings still serve the purpose they did back during the gold rush. Access to the town's lookouts is via gravel roads. A walking track in the town leads to a mine and other ruins.

The most popular tourist activity in Hill End is gold panning, with some of the older members of the community running gold panning tours in the same fossicking areas that yielded the gold which brought on the gold rush. Metal detectors or gold panning are not allowed within the historic site, however there is a fossicking area just past the cemetery, off the Mudgee Road.

Source (in part): Wikipedia and National Parks & Wildlife Service
Photo credit: Amber Hooper @ Amber Creative

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