Prior to c. 1820, when the country around Hill End was settled by pastoralists such as Suttor and Cummings who ran sheep and cattle, it was the home of the Wiradjuri people.[1]
Payable gold was discovered in the Tambaroora and Hill End goldfields by mid 1851, following discoveries in the region in previous months. Shortly afterwards the population skyrocketed and, for a while, the area exceeded the Victorian fields in size and prosperity. Early efforts were focussed on alluvial gold and the towns of Hill End and Tambaroora grew up around the creeks and dams worked for that purpose. In 1859, with the imposition of an urban plan for Hill End, the town grew in a more orderly fashion and by the height of the second, larger rush in 1872, it was the largest inland settlement in the colony of New South Wales. In the latter part of the century, however, the population dwindled with the exhaustion of the major reefs in the area. Today the population stands at about one hundred and twenty, a stark contrast from the estimated 8,000 during its peak.[1]
The discovery of alluvial gold, readily recoverable from the clay beds of creeks and dams, brought large numbers of individual, inexperienced prospectors to the Tambaroora area. The inexpensive and often simplistic equipment needed to extract the gold was well suited to both the skills and capital such individuals possessed. A good living could be made by the self-employed miner. This ensured an ever-changing stream of immigrants and locals moving in and out of the goldfields from the cities. Few miners remained to settle in the areas where they made their fortune, a tendency indicated by the small percentage of families present on many of the major fields and the sharp falls in population during times of drought or when the gold supply itself began to run out . By the late 1860s reef exploitation had emerged as the most popular and profitable method of mining, acting as the catalyst for the second, larger gold rush of the 1870s, when Hill End reached its peak in size and prosperity.[2][1]
Public interest in Hill End resumed in the 1940s due largely to the work of several artists including Donald Friend and Russell Drysdale. The discovery in the 1950s of hundreds of photographic plates depicting scenes and buildings in the Hill End in the early 1870s captured by Beaufoy Merlin, further boosted interest along with the extensive Holtermann photographic collection. The town was gazetted as a historic site under the National Parks and Wildlife Act in 1967.[1]
Description
Hill End Historic Site is situated approximately 300km north-west of Sydney and 80km north of Bathurst.[1]
The historic site consists of approximately 130ha of land within the village of Hill End, including two outlying areas of land: Valentine's Mine and the Roasting Pits.[1]
Hill End Historic Site [3902007] contains the following elements: English Group, Bennett House, District Hospital, Jeffree/Warry House, Craigmoor, Murray House, CWA House, Royal Hall, Royal Hotel, General Store, General Store Sheds, Piesley House, Bakehouse, Rose Cottage, Rectory buildings, Heap/Adler House, Woolard House, Krohmann-Ackerman Cottage, Northey's Store, Lyle House, Risby House, Hosie's House, Telegram Office, Hocking House, Holtermann's House, Beyer House, Mobb House, Great Western Store, Fry's Hut, Bryant's Butchery, Assay Office, Haefliger House, Post Office, Bleak House, Fairfax House, Denman House, Denman House shed, Catholic Church, the Manse, Carver House, Bald Hill Mine, Pullen's Battery, Chappell's Battery, Quartz Roasting Pits and Valentine's Mine.[1]
The Valentine Mine comprises a series of shafts, a large tailings dump, trolley way, boiler block, battery house, ten head battery, explosives shed, battery sand flow, cyanide tanks, water tank stand, blacksmiths shop, managers residence, horse paddock and large dam. There are also building mounds and a rubbish dump.[1]
The Quartz Roasting Pits are located approximately 10km north of Hill End and comprises a pair of inverted bell shaped kilns, a battery building, a dam and the remains of two houses. It represents one of the oldest surviving gold extraction sites surviving in Australia.[1]
Many of the structures retain their original fabric and are in good condition. The archaeological resource is excellent.[1]
Heritage listing
Hill End is a place of national cultural significance due to its aesthetic, historic, scientific and social value to past, present and future generations of Australians. From the period of its settlement and principal development in the 1870s, Hill End retains a unique collection of buildings, relics, artefacts, structures, archaeological sites and landscape elements which are, individually and collectively, of outstanding architectural, aesthetic and research value. The village is set along a gold bearing quartz seam within a tablelands landscape of rolling hills, accentuating the feelings of peaceful isolation. From the hectic goldrush era and subsequent years of decline, to the period of NPWS intervention, the village, buildings, vacant sites and gardens continue to reflect the social and economic forces which continue its survival[3][1]
The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales.
Hill End is of outstanding historical value. It retains significant physical evidence of its history in its groups of early timber, earth and brick buildings within settings of remnant garden and orchard plantings. Surrounding the village core is a historic landscape full of the evidence of mining activity. The fabric of the village has been relatively undisturbed since the turn of the century.[4] The township and surrounding goldfields were the site of the first reef mining in Australia.[1]
The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.
Hill End's elevated setting above the Turon Valley, combined with its ensemble of 19th century buildings and ruins, presents an environment of contained, peaceful isolation. Many landforms and features remain the same as they were when the gold rushes ceased and are all evocative of the frenzied activity and excitement of the rush period. Remnants of the gardens, orchards, and street plantings have survived and matured to picturesquely complement the remaining structures of the village. This combination of picket fences, ruins, surviving buildings etc., has been of continuing inspiration to many noted Australian artists. Many of the buildings contain original interior finishes, furnishings and artefacts which are of outstanding importance and together comprise a collection with few rivals. Other structures are of interest for the way in which they show the evolution in building conservation practice and philosophy in New South Wales.[5][1]
The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.
Hill End is a dynamic, living entity. The history of the village and its current interpretation and management are of particular significance to the present Hill End community, many of whom proudly trace their ancestry to the original miners and villagers.[1]
As social documents, the buildings, individually and collectively, reveal the life of the town. The often original interiors, artefacts and gardens suggest the daily life and aspirations of their inhabitants.[6][1]
The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
Hill End is a site of extraordinary scientific value to research in such fields as historical archaeology, architectural history, landscape history, social and engineering history. Virtually every site from Tambaroora in the north to Hawkins Hill in the south can yield valuable scientific information, in particular the evolution of mining techniques and building styles. The site provides a remarkable recreational, interpretative and educational resource for present and future generations.[6][1]
The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
Hill End Historic Site is extremely rare in its historic, technical and aesthetic significance.[1]
The Scheyville National Park is a protected national park that is located in the northwestern suburbs of Sydney in New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 920-hectare (2,300-acre) national park is situated approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of the Sydney central business district, northeast of Windsor, near the settlement of Scheyville. Longneck Lagoon lies in the northern section of the park. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 9 April 2010.
Hill End is a former gold mining town in New South Wales, Australia. The town is located in the Bathurst Regional Council local Government area.
The New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), a former division of the Government of New South Wales between April 2011 and July 2019, was responsible for the care and protection of the environment and heritage, which includes the natural environment, Aboriginal country, culture and heritage, and built heritage in New South Wales, Australia. Until its abolition in 2019, the OEH supported the community, business and government in protecting, strengthening and making the most of a healthy environment and economy within the state. The OEH was part of the Department of Planning and Environment cluster and managed national parks and reserves.
Kiandra is an abandoned gold mining town and the birthplace of Australian skiing. The town is situated in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council inside the Kosciuszko National Park. Its name is a corruption of Aboriginal 'Gianderra' for 'sharp stones for knives'. It was earlier called Gibson's Plains, named after Dr. Gibson, a settler in the district in 1839. For a century, Kiandra was Australia's highest town.
Bare Island is a heritage-listed islet located in south-eastern Sydney, in La Perouse in the City of Randwick local government area in the state of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The islet is located about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) south east of the Sydney central business district, within Botany Bay, close to the bay's northern headland. Containing former fortification facilities, Bare Island was a former war veterans' home and museum and is now a historic site that was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 and is significant as an almost completely intact example of late nineteenth century coastal defence technology. It was designed by Sir Peter Scratchley, Gustave Morell and James Barnet and built from 1881 to 1889 by John McLeod on behalf of the NSW Department of Public Works.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is a directorate of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment formerly the Office of Environment and Heritage which was the main government conservation agency in New South Wales, Australia.
The Montague Island Light is a heritage-listed active lighthouse located on Montague Island, an island in the Tasman Sea, 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) offshore from Narooma on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. The lighthouse is located at the highest point of the island. It was designed by James Barnet and NSW Colonial Architect and built from 1878 to 1881 by J. Musson and completed By W. H. Jennings. It is also known as the Montague Island Lightstation and its setting. The property is owned by the Office of Environment and Heritage, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999, and the Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.
Sugarloaf Point Light, also known as Seal Rocks Lighthouse, is an active lighthouse located on Sugarloaf Point, a point about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) southeast of Seal Rocks, Mid-Coast Council, New South Wales, Australia. It guards Seal Rocks, a treacherous rock formation to the south. It is the first lighthouse designed by James Barnet, and built from 1874 to 1875 by John McLeod. It is also one of only two towers in Australia with an external stairway. It is also known as Sugarloaf Point Lightstation Group, Seal Rocks Lightstation Complex and Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse. The property is owned by National Parks and Wildlife Service. It was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004; on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 February 2019; and on the Register of the National Estate on 10 April 1989.
Nielsen Park is a heritage-listed historic site, park and nature reserve located at Greycliffe Avenue, Vaucluse in the Municipality of Woollahra local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The traditional lands of the Birrabirragal indigenous people, the park was designed by John Frederick Hilly, James Barnet and the Office of the New South Wales Government Architect. It is also known as Vaucluse Estate, Greycliffe Estate and Greycliffe House. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 28 August 2017.
The Yathong Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve that is also a nationally and internationally recognized biosphere situated in the central-western region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 107,240-hectare (265,000-acre) reserve was listed by UNESCO in 1977 as a Biosphere Reserve under the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB). The reserve is significant for its biodiversity in both native plant and animal species. Cultural heritage and historical grazing activities add to the significance of this site as a conservation area.
Kunderang East Pastoral Station is a heritage-listed former pastoral station at Jeogla, Armidale Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1892 to 1893 by Joe Small. It is also known as Cunderang / Kunderang station or Apsley Gorges. The property is owned by the Office of Environment and Heritage. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Golden Gully and Archway is a heritage-listed former mining and now pastoral property at Golden Gully, Hill End, Bathurst Region, New South Wales, Australia. It was built by European and Chinese gold miners. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
The Cattai Estate is a heritage-listed former farm and cultural landscape and now national park at Wisemans Ferry Road, Cattai, The Hills Shire, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1804 to 1821. It is also known as Caddai Estate, Cattai National Park and Caddie estate. The property is owned by Office of Environment and Heritage, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Quartz Roasting Pits Complex is a heritage-listed quartz roasting kiln located 10km north of Hill End, Mid-Western Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1854 to 1855. It is also known as Cornish Roasting Pits. The property is owned by the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Royal National Park Coastal Cabin Communities are heritage-listed cabin communities in the Royal National Park, Lilyvale, City of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. They were built from 1930 to 1950 by private citizens using their own initiative, resources and labour. It refers to the specific communities of Little Garie, Era and Burning Palms, also known collectively as the Royal National Park Coastal Shack Communities. The area is owned by the Office of Environment and Heritage. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 27 April 2012.
Throsby Park is a heritage-listed homestead at Church Road, Moss Vale, Wingecarribee Shire, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1820 to 1836. The property is owned by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, but is leased to banker Tim Throsby of Barclays, a descendant of the original owners. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
The Blue Mountains walking tracks are heritage-listed picnic areas, walking tracks and rest areas located in the Blue Mountains National Park, in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1880. The property is owned by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Hartley historic site is a heritage-listed historic village located adjacent to the Great Western Highway, Hartley, City of Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1837 to 1850. It is also known as Hartley Historic Site and Hartley Township. The property is owned and protected by Office of Environment and Heritage, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Limeburners Creek National Park is a protected national park on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The 91.2 km national park is located 5 km (3.1 mi) to the north of Port Macquarie and exists across both the Kempsey Shire and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council local government areas, but is chiefly managed by National Parks and Wildlife Service. The area was originally erected as a nature reserve but this reservation was revoked when it became formally recognised as a national park in 2010 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act (1974). Many threatened ecological habitats and species of fauna and flora are found within this park, alongside several heritage sites of cultural significance, particularly to the local Birpai and Dunghutti people upon whose land the park exists. The protected status of this national park is largely owing to the ecological and cultural value of the area, in addition to the value of the ecosystems to further scientific research.
Wentworth and Reform Gold Mines is a heritage-listed former Gillies artefact collection, churchyard and now abandoned gold mine at 4570–4578 Mitchell Highway, Lucknow, City of Orange, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by H. W. Newman, Alexander Marshall and Frederick McFadzean and built from 1890 to 1940. Machinery includes a Thompson's winding engine from Castlemaine. It is also known as Main Mine or Wentworth Main Mine; Industrial Archaeological Site. The site is owned by the Orange City Council and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 24 August 2018.
Mayne, Allan (2006). Hill End: An Historic Australian Goldfields Landscape.
Bairstow, Damaris (1999). Hill End historic site: historical archaeological survey.
Friend, Donald. Hillendiana.
Wilson, Gavin. The Artists of Hill End.
Graham Brooks and Associates; Rodney Jensen and Associates; Taylor Brammer Landscape Architects (2003). NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Hill End Historic Site: Draft Master Plan for public exhibition, September 2003.
Hodge, Harry (1986). Hill End story: a history of the Hill End-Tambaroora Goldfield. Book 1.
Lester Tropman & Associates Pty Ltd. & Craig Burton (1991). Hill End historic landscapes and gardens study.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
