Whistle Stop Cottage Crafts (once the old railway station), Weethalle

 

West Wyalong (including Wyalong, Weethalle and Mirrool)
Famous gold town now an important service centre.
West Wyalong and Wyalong started out as separate towns. In recent years they have grown together. Whether you now consider Wyalong as essentially a suburb of West Wyalong or whether you regard it as still being distinct depends on whether you come from Wyalong or West Wyalong.

West Wyalong is clearly the principal centre. It is situated at the intersection of the Mid Western and Newell Highways, 486 km west of Sydney and 262 m above sea-level. The combined population of the Wyalongs has declined slightly in recent years to 3451.

Due to its location, West Wyalong is a transit town for those driving between Melbourne and Brisbane on the Newell Highway and for those travelling between Sydney and Adelaide on the Mid Western Highway. It is the major town of Bland Shire, one of the state's most productive agricultural shires, where wheat, wool, pigs, eucalyptus oil, sawmills, farm machinery, and a growing tourism sector are the staples of the local economy.

The original occupants of the area were the Wiradjuri people. The first European in the area was John Oxley who investigated the district in 1817, on one of the first inland explorations. However, he was less than impressed with what he saw, declaring that 'these desolate areas would never again be visited by civilised man'.

Surveyor-general Thomas Mitchell visited the area in 1827 and squatters began to settle the district in 1833, naming the area 'The Blands', hence the name of the shire. However, no centralised settlement developed until Joseph Neeld discovered gold on a family property in September 1893. By January of the following year there were 500 miners on the field. When the results of the first ore-crushing became known in March the rush was on. It is estimated there were 12 000 on the field by May, although it had stabilised at 4200 by December.

Most of the gold was located within quartz reefs, necessitating vertical shafts up to 100 metre in depth with horizontal branch tunnels.

The town of Wyalong was laid out to service the new population in 1894 . However, the miners had already created a de facto settlement to the west around what was known as the 'Main Camp', which also boasted the 'White Tank', the only established water supply (located on what is now McCann Park). They showed no inclination to move and the site continued to outstrip the official town, with Wyalong businesses relocating to the more popular locality. Hence in 1895 West Wyalong was laid out. The crooked course of the main street reflects the course of the original bullock track.

Wyalong becoming a municipality in 1899 with council chambers being erected, a courthouse, police station, post office and school of arts. The two towns became earnest rivals and fought bitterly over who should receive the railway line from Temora in 1903. As a compromise, the station was erected at a point between the two towns, amidst the mallee scrub. This area became known as Wyalong Central.

By the end of the century the Wyalong fields were reported as the most productive in the state. 1264 kg of gold were turned up in 1899 alone. However yields declined particularly from 1910 and the goldmining had ceased by 1921, by which time over 12.5 tonnes of gold had been uncovered. Nonetheless the introduction of cyanide processing saw the old tailings reworked in the 1930s.

Despite the closures, the area did not become a ghost town. While the rush was on, large pastoral holdings were being broken up for smaller wheat holdings. Mixed farming developed and the Wyalong district became the largest cereal-growing centre in NSW. Eucalyptus oil production had commenced in 1907 and the Wyalong area became one of the major world exporters of the product.

Since the 1970s Wyalong has expanded in the direction of West Wyalong and Central Wyalong has become a motel area, so that the settlements have a greater degree of unity than previously. This is apparent in the bicycle-pedestrian track which was constructed in 1994 to link the two towns.

The West Wyalong Show is held in September and the biennial Festival of the Highways occurs in October of the odd-numbered years.

Novelist Dymphna Cusack was born at West Wyalong in 1902. However, when the goldfields declined her father went bankrupt and the family moved to Sydney.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
The West Wyalong Visitor Information Centre is located at 89-91 Main Street. It is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, tel: (02) 6972 3645.

 

Cycling-Pedestrian Track
The 4.4-km Green Corridor Walking and Cycling Track starts at the junk art sculpture on the highway side of McCann Park and heads east to Wyalong. The course is marked by clusters of poles, painted by schoolchildren, the elderly, and Aboriginal members of the comm

unity. It takes in Barnardo Park, Holland Park, Northcott Street Park, Cooinda Bushland Reserve and some unusual artworks. The visitors' centre has a related pamphlet.

 

Poppet Head
At Cooinda Bushland Reserve, between the two Wyalongs, is an exact replica of the 25-metre poppet head of the True Blue Gold Mine. The mine was established in 1894 with a battery and treatment works and ultimately yielded 40 kg of gold. Adjacent is a replica miner's hut. Plans are afoot for the creation of a replica mine tunnel with mining displays and equipment. Cooinda Park has toilet, picnic and barbecue facilities.

 

Lions Park
Lions Park is opposite McCann Park. It features a 1943 DC3 aeroplane and a 1914 Victoria Wagon which was formerly hauled between Parkes and Corowa by a team of Clydesdales.

 

The Bland Historical Museum
The Bland Museum at 16 Main St is open from 2.30 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. on weekdays and, on Sundays, from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. to 5.00 p.m., depending on volunteers. It has a large collection relating to industrial, domestic and Aboriginal displays, tel: (02) 6972 2117.

 

Beckett's Yester Years
Beckett's Yester Years is is a collection of historic buildings from around the district, accumulated and reconstructed by the Becketts. There is an old school, shop, post office, settler's cottage, miner's hut and barn. All have been restored and furnished as they are likely to have been in their day and the owners will explain the history of each. There are also numerous farm animals around the place, including Clydesdales and guinea fowl. The collection is located in Railway Rd, which runs off Bypass Rd in West Wyalong. Just look for the word 'Becky' over the gateway, tel: (02) 6972 3286.

 

Aboriginal Artefacts and Other Shops
Aboriginal Artefacts sells hand-carved emu eggs, paintings, boomerangs, clothing and other hand-crafted material. It is located at 76-78 Main St and open weekdays, tel: (02) 6972 3493. Bland Bizarre is also on Main St.

 

Art Gallery le Bland
Art Gallery le Bland is located in a building based on early bush architecture in Main St. It is open whenever possible and by request.

 

Doll Collection
Joan's doll collection, many made of hand-painted porcelain, is located in her home in Lone Pine Dirt Track, just off the Bypass Road. Inspections are by arrangement only, tel: (02) 6972 3601.

 

Tourist Drive
A fine tourist drive with accompanying map and directions is outlined in a pamphlet available from the visitors' centre. It takes in Lake Cowal, Manna Mountain, Billy's Lookout and a number of state forests.

 

Manna Mountain
Manna Mountain, about 60 km north-east of West Wyalong, is a sacred site for the Wiradjuri people. It has barbecue and picnic facilities, walking tracks, and a recreated Aboriginal camping ground with billabong, campfires and gunyah huts. It is especially beautiful in spring.

 

Lake Cowal
Stone artefacts recovered from its shores indicate that Lake Cowal also has long associations with the Wiradjuri. It is the largest natural lake in NSW, although, being shallow, it tends to dry up in drought conditions. Lake Cowal is fed by Bland, Barmedman, Duck and Back Creeks, which are popular fishing spots. It is an important waterfowl breeding ground with 172 known species. The lake bed covers 233 square kilometres, being about 25 km in length and 9 km in breadth.

You can visit the area as part of the tourist drive or take a more direct route via Clear Ridge Rd or the road to Wamboyne.

 

Billy's Lookout
Billy's Lookout is the name of both a former goldmining village and the adjacent hill. The latter can be climbed and affords outstanding views of the district. The start of the track, which goes most of the way to the top, is on the western side. It is on private property so ring the landowner first, tel: (02) 6875 3422.

The lookout can be visited as a part of either the tourist drive or a trip to Lake Cowal.

 

Weethalle
Weethalle is a small farming town of 210 people on the Mid Western Highway, 60 km west of West Wyalong. Devonshire teas are available at the Weethalle Whistle Stop, located in the old Weethalle Railway Station. There is a hotel, motel, country club and general store. The Agricultural Show in August is a major local event.

 

Mirrool
Mirrool is a tiny village on the Newell Highway, 51 km south of West Wyalong on the road to Narrandera. The Mirrool Hotel is an attractive and popular old pub and the local park is a pleasant picnic spot. Near the town is a deer and ostrich farm, at which visitors are welcome by appointment, tel: (02) 6974 1237.

 

Wyalong Courthouse
The Wyalong courthouse at Neeld and Slee Sts was made of brick c.1899 with distinctive semicircular windows and a cupola and spire atop the hipped roof. It remains in its original state with cedar furnishings. The old post office (now a private residence), council chambers and school of arts can also be seen on Neeld St.

 

 

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West Wyalong