Page 183 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

THE BL UE MOUNT AINS AND BEY OND  181

0Inverell harmonica playing and the
Golden Guitar Awards (see p45).
* 11,000. ~ @ @ n Water
Towers Complex, Campbell St Reflecting the city’s main interest
(02) 6728 8161. ∑ inverell.com.au there is the Big Golden Guitar
Tourist Centre, fronted by a large
Inverell is known as “Sapphire golden guitar, the Gallery of
City” because so many of the Stars, where Australia’s country
world’s sapphires are mined in music greats are immortalized
the area. Many of the buildings in wax, and the Hall of Fame
in the main street were built Museum in Peel Street dedicated
during the 1880s mining boom to musicians who have made
and are well preserved. The a major contribution to the
Inverell Pioneer Village features industry and the Country Music
buildings gathered from around Hands of Fame cornerstone.
the district and relocated to Tamworth’s other source of
create this tourist theme town. fame is as the equestrian centre
Just south of Inverell lies the of Australia. The Quarter Horse Sheep grazing under a tree in the
mighty Copeton Dam. White­ Association and Appaloosa Mudgee region
water rafting below the dam Association are based here, and
on the wild Gwydir River is an rodeos and show­jumping ­jumping ­ and the restored West End Hotel
exhilarating experience. events are held here. that now houses the excellent
Colonial Inn Museum.
P Inverell Pioneer Village Mudgee is also famous for its
Tingha Rd, Inverell. Tel (02) 6722 wMudgee surrounding wineries and the
1717. Open 10am–4pm Tue–Sun. * 8,500. @ £ Lithgow. Mudgee Wine Festival held each
Closed Good Fri, 25 Dec. & 7 September (see p44). From the
∑ inverellpioneervillage.org.au n 84 Market St (02) 6372 1020.
∑ visitmudgeeregion.com.au local countryside come foods
such as yabbies (crayfish), trout,
qTamworth Mudgee is a magnificent old rural lamb, peaches and asparagus.
town with gardens and grand
* 36,000. ~ £ @ @ n The Big
Golden Guitar, 2 The Ringers Rd (02) buildings, many of which are Environs
6767 5300. ∑ visittamworth.com protected by the National Trust. During the 1850s and 1860s,
Situated on the banks of the gold was discovered to the
Tamworth is a thriving rural city Cudgegong River, the town was south of Mudgee, bringing
at the centre of fertile agricultu­ first settled by William Lawson, thousands of hopeful prospec­
ral plains. Yet despite its history, who discovered its good grazing tors to the region (see pp58–9).
fine old buildings and claim country in 1821. The settlement The villages of Hill End,
to fame as the first Australian was surveyed and planned in Hargraves, Windeyer and Sofala
city with electric street lighting, 1824 by Robert Hoddle. The once had populations of more
it remains best known as design was so successful that than 20,000 each, but became
Australia’s country music capital. he copied Mudgee’s grid layout ghost towns once the boom
Every January, thousands of 14 years later for Melbourne was over. Hill End is the most
country music fans and (see pp386–7). Don’t miss the famous of these and is now
performers flock here for the Regent Theatre on Church classed as a Living Historic Site
Country Music Festival, which Street, the many churches, with almost all of its buildings
includes country music, blue banks and civic buildings on dating back to the 1870s. The
grass, busking, bush ballads, Market Street, the railway station creeks of Windeyer continued
to yield alluvial gold until the
1930s. Panning for gold in the
river is a popular tourist activity.
One of Australia’s most famous
writers, Henry Lawson, hailed
from the region (see p39), and
Gulgong, a quaint gold rush
village famous for being depicted
on the original A$10 note, con­
tains the Henry Lawson Centre.

E Henry Lawson Centre
147 Mayne St, Gulgong. Tel (02) 6374
2049. Open 10am–3:30pm Mon–Sat,
10am–1pm Sun. Closed Good Fri,
25 Dec. & ∑ henrylawson
Golden Guitar Tourist Centre, fronted by a huge golden guitar gulgong.org.au