Nundle (wikipedia)

is a village in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It was formerly the centre of Nundle Shire local government area, but most of this area, including the village of Nundle, was absorbed into Tamworth Regional Council in 2004. The village is 400 km north of Sydney and about 56 km south east of Tamworth past Chaffey Dam via a good sealed road. At the 2006 census Nundle had a population of 289. Nundle is located at the southern end of Fossickers Way

History

Nundle was established at the foot of the Great Dividing Range when gold was discovered at “The Hanging Rock” and nearby Swamp Creek in 1852. By June 1852 there were 300 diggers on the fields at Oakenville Creek. Prospectors from California, Europe and China were also digging along the Peel River and up the mountain slopes. By 1865 the population was around 500 with about 50 businesses in operation. A public school was completed during December, 1871 and lessons commenced there in 1872. Nundle was declared a town in 1885. In 1924 the Peel River Bridge was constructed and in 1941 electricity was connected to the town. During 1966 the swimming pool was opened by the Rt Hon. Ian Sinclair. The population of Nundle Shire was 1350 in 1969. In 1979 Premier Neville Wran opened the newly completed Chaffey Dam. Sheep, cattle and timber are the economic mainstays of this village nowadays.

This is a scenic village, with historic buildings, the Nundle Woollen Mill, old Court House, Peel Inn and Primitive Methodist Church which are a few examples of existing 19th century architecture there. Nundle Courthouse (former) and Police Station have been placed on the Register of the National Estate. Nundle is noted as one of the best areas in the State for crystals. Some gold and other precious stones to be found include zircons, green jasper, sapphires and serpentine minerals. Nundle is a popular tourist destination for both casual travellers and motorcycle enthusiasts. Nearby is the interesting Hanging Rock mining village with good views of the Nundle valley.

In 1948, the Douglas DC-3 Lutana crashed into Square Peak, west-south-west of Nundle during a flight between Brisbane and Sydney. All 13 occupants of the Lutana were killed. The plane was found two days after the accident, 60 miles off course. One of the propellers from the plane was recovered and is now a memorial in the town.

A new bridge across the Peel River at Nundle was completed in early 2008, with the funding of $683,000 provided by the NSW State Government.

In July 2008 the rare Euphrasia arguta was rediscovered in a State Forest near Nundle. This plant was last recorded in 1904 and is believed to have been regenerated after fire control activities the previous summer.

15^th October, Wednesday

The trip to Nundle from Narrabri was so scenic. We drove through Tamworth and then took an inside road which goes through farmland and through the mountains to Nundle. The road we took was unsealed but in good condition for towing the caravan, in fact it was probably better than the tarred road. The road was 40kms to Nundle and we passed only 2 cars on the way.  The scenery was breathtaking, green pastures, cows the works, it’s hard for me to tell you how beautiful it really is.  On the way we passed a farm and there was a nanna with her grand daughter picking wild flowers on the farm, they stopped and gave us the biggest wave, it was awesome. We arrived in Nundle at the caravan park. Nundle is not even a town, it’s a village and the caravan park is awesome.  There is no IGA or anything here really so we have to drive to Tamworth tomorrow to do some shopping because we have booked in here for a week and didn’t do any shopping before we arrived because we thought that there might be an IGA. There is a pub and an arts and crafts place and a working wool shed which we will go and see.  We are really here for Ralphie to do his fossicking for gold, sapphires, crystals and a few other odds and bobs and I will paint.  The caravan park is lovely but most of these peeps travel together and stay together.  We were allocated our spot and it was very tight to back into.  All of the blokes came out and were all offering their advise on how to back in etc.  They were like trap door spiders just waiting for the prey.  They mean well but they are all in competition on who has the best advise on how to back in and then the wives come out and compete on who’s husband has the best advise.  One wife said  “My husband could park your van on a 5 cent piece” and then the next wife says “My husband was a truck driver so he knows what he is talking about”, by this time poor Ralphie is just trying to back the frigging van into our spot and trying to take all the advise on board.  We eventually got the van into place and the bloke next door says “I don’t think that they would be happy about how you churned the mud up”. WELL!…. By this time I am ready to tell them where to go big time……  Opened up the van, set my things up, had a glass of wine and settled down.  We have put all the sides up because they are all so nosey.  We can’t do anything without them commenting because they have been doing this for 40 years, so, we are told………. EISH.  We are not far from Hanging Rock and there it is snowing there today.  We will probably miss that because the sun started coming out at about 5pm and we will only go to hanging rock in about 2 or 3 days time.  It’s cold here at the mo.  I have put the 2 blankets back on the bed and taken out the trackie dacks again.  I think that there will be some awesome photos coming from this place. xxxxxxxxx

16^th October, Thursday

It is cold this morning but the sun is shining. The car wind screen is frozen over.  It was so cold last night.  We had 2 blankets and the duvet on the bed and I had a track suit on and I was still cold.  We went to Tamworth to do our shopping, about 60kms there.  I think that we made a good choice of not staying there as it’s a big place and there is probably not that much to see and do once we have done the sights in town.  Where we are staying now is so beautiful and there is quite a bit to do and see.  We went to hanging rock (not the same hanging rock as the movie).  It is on top of the world and the outlook from there is breathtaking.  The road up the mountains is very steep and so beautiful and my photos just don’t do the scenery any justice.    There is a beautiful dam here as well set at the base of the mountains, again breathtaking scenery, there are dairy farms along the banks of the dam and the whole setting is so peaceful. We found a little old cemetry which is part of the old gold fields.  Some of the Ashton family (from Ashton circus) are buried there.  The whole little graveyard is set on the hillside and so pretty and gentle (if you know what I mean).  This area is allowed for hunting and we thought that it might be pigs until a deer ran right in front of our car.  Ralph had to brake real hard not to hit it because it just came out of nowhere.  We didn’t know that there were deer in these parts and obviously they are what is being hunted.  The fossickers (Ralph, John and Sue) were going to pan for gold along the creek that runs alongside the caravan park but Sue had a run in with about 7 snakes in the creek this morning and so they have given up that idea and will go into the mountains instead.  There are a few snakes around the park and we have been warned to keep a look out.  They are red bellies and brown snakes (which are apparently the worlds most second deadly snake), so therefore we keep a healthy distance from the creek and make sure that we watch where we walk in the park.  Tomorrow the fossickers are doing a field trip, hahaha.

17^th October, Friday

It was freezing again this morning and ice again on the windscreen. Even Hugo needed a blanket. The days are beautiful though. The fossickers returned with some nice small gems.  Ralph reckons that where they were digging and finding was around tree roots.  Tomorrow they will go back and Ralph reckons that the tree might fall down, maybe there’s a big one underneath it.  Hugo and I stayed indoors, I painted and did not much else, so nothing exciting to tell you.

18^th October, Saturday

What a beautiful morning, a bit chilly but no ice. The idiots are leaving this morning so I am happy.  Everytime that idiot walks past the van he says something sarcastic to Ralph.  Ralph says good morning and how are you etc. etc.  Our new friends that we are travelling with are from Gosford (NSW) and John said that when we pulled in the bloke said “no wonder they are having a problem look at their plates, you can see where they are from”.  These people are from Queensland and even our friends from NSW reckon that the Queenslanders are weird. Anyway they are gone and we are not the only ones happy to see the back of them, you are always going to find them.  The caravan park has filled up with 3 wheeler motor bikes (I think they call them trikes) as it is their AGM and they are having it here.  Their accomodation comes in all forms, caravan, tents, mobile homes, camper trailers etc.  Some of them are staying in the chalets out the front of the park.  They seem to be quite a fun crowd and they are enjoying themselves and keeping the rest of us amused.  The fossickers returned tired and dirty but they had some gems to show.  Sue only found 4 but Ralph found quite a lot.  Small stuff but great for show and tell.  Tomorrow they are having a rest day as they are really knackered.  I tried to paint today and kept getting distracted and chatting to people and having drinks while the fossickers were away, in fact, I had a very social day.

19^th October, Sunday

A beautiful morning and a very warm day. It really is beautiful in this little village and such character.  We took ourselves off to a mining café, the original shaft is at the back of the café and the original building is on the street corner and the extensions were a later addition for the café, accommodation, museum, souvenirs etc. The guy who built the original building and mine didn’t make enough money from his mining pursuits (typical story) so he started making coffins and made a better living. The old church is, Primitive Methodist Church, Circa 1882.  It is no longer used as a church, it is now run as an op shop and a new church has been built on the next block. There is a lovely little store (Odgers & McClelland Exchange stores), here as well and the shop is the original tin building, it is circa 1801 and they sell different sorts of tea, soaps, candles etc. It’s a gorgeous little place. As I mentioned before, there is no general store here and you have to drive to Tamworth (60kms) to do your shopping.  The fossickers didn’t go out today and spent the day cleaning off the mud from cars instead and planning their next attack on the bush tomorrow.  They only have 2 more days left before we leave here.  John and Sue will be going home and we will be heading for the coast for a bit of a sea change.  They have started to panic because they are running out of days.  Honestly, they are like junkies (fossicker junkies).  Tomorrow they look for gold.  We went to the pub tonight with John and Sue as we part company soon.  We sat in the beer garden at the back and dogs are allowed (unless the health dept arrived…. Haha, I don’t think that it’s worth their petrol in a little place like this).  It’s amazing how these little places don’t give a rats bum for the rules.  Their dogs are standing at the kitchen door waiting for hand outs and Hugo is on his lead tied to the table leg and that means that we can have a nice night out and not have to worry about the rules…….. It’s AWESOME.

20^th October, Monday

Another beautiful day. Well, no gold for the fossickers today but they did bring back some nice clear zircon, so it wasn’t a waste of a day.  Actually the zircon they found is a nice amber colour and would look beautiful once it is cut and or polished. So peeps not a great deal to tell you for today.

21^st October, Tuesday

The fossickers got their last fix at fossicking this morning and got back early as we head off tomorrow. Sue and John head home, only 4 hours for them as they live in Gosford.  Ralphie brought back some lovely crystals and some prase (it’s a lovely greenish, brownish sort of rock, and to most it would probably just be a rock, HAHA).  We have packed up and will have last drinks with John and Sue later.  We head for Port Macquarie (sea change) and will leave at sparrows as it’s a long haul for us, 320kms, Haha.  See you all there. xxx