In June 1874 the
Australian Town and Country Journal published an account of a journey between Wallerawang and Mudgee. The article was written by the paper's 'Special Correspondent' who undertook the leisurely-paced horseback tour long before the construction of the Wallerawang to Mudgee section of the Gwabegar railway line. While the article offers little description of the landscape, apart from gushy comment on the awe-inspiring beauty of the vista over the Capertee Valley, the writer certainly does mentions the many small settlements along the Mudgee Road, including the multitude of pubs.
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Crown Ridge Inn, 1874 pencil sketch by Conrad Martens
(Mitchell Library collection)
Coincidently, both the anonymous writer of this article and
Martens stayed at the Crown Ridge Inn around the same time |
A Tour to the North-Western Interior
(BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT)
WALLERAWANG TO MUDGEE
TRAVELLERS by rail to the West are tolerably well acquainted with
Wallerawang. If one happens to be there when the children are trooping out of
school, he will see some of the fattest and ruddiest-cheeked urchins in the
colony. As a recruiting station,
Wallerawang should be well patronised by invalids and families, if it were
understood that good accommodation might be obtained there. With good horses,
one might then take drives or rides along capital roads for 18 or 20 miles, and
see some of the finest scenery in the world, including Capertee, and its magnificent valley,
which I shall shortly describe.
Though the buildings in Wallerawang are not numerous, they have a
substantial appearance, thanks, in a measure, to the Government, who built an
excellent railway station of
freestone, and have added thereto a number of workshops, &c. The
inhabitants then did their share by erecting three hotels, two stores, two churches,
and many other places - for business and residence. The main street faces
the railway station,
opposite which there is the principal hotel, called, of course, “The Royal."
A little further down, the visitor will come to the post-office, which is in a portion
of a good general store called the Commercial, by J. Wilson and Co. A few
hundred yards beyond, may be seen the Roman Catholic Church, a weather-boarded building,
zinc-roofed. Father Phelan is the clergyman. The Church of England is seen in
the midst of trees on the boundary of the town. It is a nicely designed
building, constructed of freestone. I should mention that this fine church was
built at the sole expense of Mr. James Walker, of Wallerawang, for the use of members
of the Anglican and Presbyterian Churches. The Rev. W. McKenzie attends to the
latter, and the Rev. R.H. Mayne to the former congregation. A school is also held
in the church. The teacher is Mr. C. H. Thompson, and he has 70 children in attendance.
There is also an infant school in the town well conducted by Mrs. Driver.
Leaving Wallerawang for Mudgee I rode along a well macadamised road for many
miles. "Evidences of civilization" were abundant, in the shape of
inns and blacksmith's shops, to say nothing of the many horse waggons and
bullock teams driven by unquestionable Australians. Then there were passed many
comfortable farms and homesteads, some of them embosomed in orchards.
Five and a half miles from Wallerawang I arrived at the Dividing Range
toll-bar. From thence, continuing along over somewhat mountainous and well diversified
country for four and a-half miles I reached Cullen Bullen. This was many years
ago a crown grant to Mr. R. Dulhunty. There is a very old cottage and stable,
and a little further, higher up, on the road-side, a stone house; the
post-office is at one end of this building, and there is also an accommodation house.
The then resident, Wm. Hart, aged 83, died a few days after I called. Nearly
half a century ago Hart first came up to Capertee. The next stage of four miles brought me to Ben Bullen,
called, I believe, after some bold mountains near. Here there are two public
houses; the mail coach changes horses at Walsh's - one stage from Wallerawang.
Another four miles and I arrived at the Crown Ridge Hotel; at this excellent
road-side hostelrie I rested for the evening.
I enjoyed tho fresh bracing air at the Crown, and then next morning was
up at sunrise. A little over a mile from the hotel the road winds round the
Crown Ridge, and as I ascended there opened to view a truly marvellous picture.
To those who love the glories of light and shade, of boundless extent,
magnificence of scenery, beauty and sublimity, I would recommend a view at
sunrise or sunset over the valley of Capertee. Along the lowest range or tiers of hills, a thousand feet
below there is a sombre shade; higher up a lighter tinge almost approaching
green; and then above the great peaks the natural towers of rocks and battlement
stretching miles away are gloriously bathed in golden sheen." See Capertee and die" might well
be the motto of the enthusiastic woer of magnificent scenery.
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The view of the Capertee Valley from the Crown is
as awe-inspiring today as it was in 1874 |
Leaving this awe-inspiring scene, with some regret I proceeded on my
journey and passed in due course Capertee Camp
Inn, by James Shervey, 3 1/2 miles; Kangaroo Flat, Cobb's Hotel, by D.
Freestone, 4 miles; Round Swamp, a nice valley in which there are cultivated
paddocks and the Coach and Horses Inn, 1 3/4miles. The Running Stream is four
miles beyond; the hotel on the hill top is well-known as bearing the sign “Rest
and be Thankful.” Another four miles ride you get to Cherry Tree Hill where
there is a toll-bar; and three-quarters of a mile beyond is the "Golden
Fleece." From all these it will be seen that the weary and parched
traveller need not want long for "refreshment for man and horse" on
the Mudgee road. I have already noticed thirteen public-houses since leaving
Wallerawang. Some of these are very old stands, and the inhabitants recall
incidents of over 30 years past. At the Round Swamp for instance there is
Mrs. Mansfield's "Coach and Horses." Thirty years ago she came here,
and for the past 22 1/2 years has lived in the present hotel.
The town of Ilford, long known as Kean's Swamp, is two and a half miles from Cherry Tree Hill. Ilford is a very
old place, situated in a most picturesque situation, at the foot of a mountain.
The rocks are curiously and fantastically shaped. They rise to the height of
500 or 600 feet. There are a few nice stone buildings in the village, including
a Wesleyan Church. Ilford is likely to become a more pleasing-looking place
when some of the old huts and habitations are burnt to the ground, and a number
of nice stone buildings now in course of completion amidst light forest scenery
are opened to view. The town contains four stores : Mrs. Phelps, (post office),
Messrs. G. Harris, Cordoroy's, and E. Turley's, and the inn is called "The
Plough." There is a miserable slab building used as a public school: no
other place of worship but the Wesleyan, and no court-house, though there is a
police station. The branch
roads turn off here for Sofala and Rylstone, 16 miles distant either way.
From Ilford I rode to Cunningham's Creek, a few miles beyond the town,
and put up at Sid. Brown's hotel, where the accommodation is good. The
following morning I had an early start. The distance to Mudgee is 33 miles. The
road winds over hilly country the greater part of the way. Shortly after
leaving Cunningham's Creek I ascended a hill tolerably steep, bearing the
strange name of Aaron's Pass, a place which has since become very familiar to
your readers, as the spot where the Mudgee mail was robbed on the 29th of May.
It is just such a place as would be chosen by bushrangers, being in a wild
uninhabited part of the country. Twelve miles from Cunningham's Creek,
Cudgegong was reached. Cudgegong is a small township, possessing a few good
buildings in freestone, two good hotels and stores, a church, and a court
house. The oldest inhabitant, Mr. William Wilkins, is the host of the principal
hotel. He informed me that he built the first public-house, did the first bit
of blacksmithing, and killed the first bullock in the town. He is a jovial sort
of fellow, one's idea of mine host; but I understand that he is about to retire
to a nice free-stone private house that he has built for himself nearer the
creek.
Two miles from Cudgegong I passed a place called Tarnabutta, Masters's comfortable homestead and farm. Four miles beyond, I
arrived at Stony Pinch, where Baylis's farms are situated in a romantic position, and
nearly surrounded by high mountains. |
Half-a-mile beyond Baylis's, is the Stony Pinch toll-bar, kept by Masters. This is the third toll-bar
that I passed through since I left Wallerawang. A few other farms were passed,
and I reached Pauling's Apple Tree Flat Inn, 10 miles from Mudgee. After
resting here a short time, I pushed on and reached Mudgee at sun-set, and put
up at the Belmore, where I remained for a few days.
The distance from Wallerawang is variously estimated at from 70 to 75
miles. There are 21 public-houses on the way-side, but as the road is now far
different to what it was in the good old days, when, for the whole distance it
was boggy, and next to unpassable. I suppose that the publicans find their
profits somewhat diminished.
It is not my intention to say much about Mudgee this time, as it has
been so often and well-described pictorially and otherwise in these columns. I
might state, however, that the town has not gone back of late years, and that
there seems to be more substantial prosperity in it than ever. Notwithstanding
private jealousies, party feelings, &c., the Municipal Council has done
much to improve the streets, and make the town attractive. What I should regard
as a drawback is the want of concentration. Mudgee is too much scattered to be
comfortable for business men; and there are numerous gaps that might be well
filled up with respectable buildings, or else fenced and planted with trees.
And a good fire is wanted to clear off some unsightly buildings standing
insultingly close to other buildings that would do credit to any city in the
world. Mudgee from her position will always be enabled to hold her own. In the district
there is as wealthy and enterprising a class of pastoral princes as any in the Australian
colonies; and in the town there are good colonists, men whose progressive
views, and belief in the destinies of Mudgee, will cause them never to allow
the interests of the place to suffer for want of attention.
This article was first printed on page 28 of the 27th June 1874 issue of the Australian Town and Country Journal, a paper published in Sydney between 1870-1907.
