Hill End Historic Site — Attraction in Hill End

Beautiful town such amazing history. My ancestors are buried in the main Tamboora Cemetery. Easy enough to find and access especially if you have a 4 wheel drive. Amazing old Monuments and some more current ones. The cemetery is a small cemetery now representing different denominations. Unfortunately the road leading into the cemetery has been allowed to fall into disrepair still accessible if you have a four wheel drive I do not and I have a four wheel drive and my mobility disability it makes it hard for me to get to my dads grave I make the journey but it is hard for me. The cemetery contains approximately (50) graves and monuments representing some (75) persons and 22 surnames for people from the 1800’s to the present 2022. Research info from Bathurst Council who is now responsible for the maintenance of the site. Bathurst council were wrong when they said the site was no longer in use as a cemetery there have been burials there recently up to this year 2022. As Bathurst council are paid for the burial sites their records should demonstrate that the cemetery is still in use this is just poor data collection/keeping. The cemetery has historical value and social significance. Once again the cemetery is still currently in use. Addionally the other cemetery which is Catholic has historical significance. It has an unsealed access road that is very poorly maintained. Historically in history certain religions were no permitted to be buried in the same religious sites. Nor were they allowed to marry into other religions some did against their family wishes. The Tambaroora and Hill End main cemetery was built in 1855. My family arrived in 1872. This town and I share some history. The cemetery were originally dedicated as a site for a Church of England church, school, and parsonage. The land was re-dedicated almost 90 years latter as a general cemetery. The maintenance of these two cemeteries has been an ongoing battle with difference councils that have involved over the years Evans Shire and currently now responsibilities are with Bathurst council and Parks and Wildlife are also now custodians of the site. There are current threats to the main cemetery there is a large Pitt near the Warry graves and notability Jim Shannan’ grave and memorial in the area are very, very wet and this has happened over the years. This puts a number of graves at risk of being washed away. Conservation of this area is vital and as mentioned there are a number of local and government departments that are the current custodians of the historical grave site. My dad and others like Tedd Abbott use to manage this site well. Conservation included needing to repair and raise the break wall near the dams there are plenty of rocks in the cemetery to do this just needs some man power like my dad and Tedd Abbott use to they were strong hard working honourable men that helped make Hill End the town it is. Additionally there use to be drainage plastic pipes that drained the water away from the graves I use to go with my dad to do this. There was true care, respect and love my dad was tendering to his family. Grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters. People like the old Hill Enders loved their town and History and have been amazing custodians otherwise if they were not there would not b an historical town today that everyone loves so much. It is important to have a conservation and management plan to address these threats to this historical cemetery. Enjoy this beautiful resting place and respect...

We stepped back in time at the awesome little Heritage Village of Hill End. It was quite a drive from Gulgong to get there, high up in the mountains. We wondered how anyone back in those old days knew that there would be gold out here in the middle of nowhere. We have our suspicions.

Anyway, it was certainly well worth the trip. The Heritage Museum is absolutely a must here. It costs nothing to get in and has a great miniture village diorama as well as old artifacts including an old gold miner's trolley and pictures of what it was like here when Hill End was a bustling Gold Village. There are also videos along with a sound system depicting daily life to enhanse our senses. We were taken back in time.

As you wander around the streets, each old building has a placard of what it looked like in the old days and a bit of commentary.

This place is looked after by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. They have done great job!

A must see 'off the beaten...

Ok, truly there is not much here except a few information signs and left over machinery so don't get too excited. What was once a bustling town is now red dust.

And that's the beauty of it.

Such amazing Australian scenery and landscape. It feels like you're a million miles away, captured by a time long gone.

There are also flushing toilets 😊

We had a delicious cider at the pub down the road, and loved chatting to the locals. Check it out.

There also a campground and amazing walks if you want to get away from it all.

The summer months (Dec - Mar) are often unbearably hot here with temperatures soring to 40 degrees plus. I recommend going in Spring or Autumn.

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