Ben Hall Gang Gold Trail – Yass to Forbes

Yass was centre stage to the goldfield sagas as they unfolded throughout the 1850s and 60s. As a major outpost on the main southern road, keeping this artery intact and relatively safe for gold escorts was a major part of the life of the town from as early as 1853.

The seemingly randomly arrayed village centre of Binalong is one of the most charming in Australia, with the old general store, bank and classic country hotel evoking a placid setting for a village once beyond the limits of civilisation of the early colony.

Harden and Murrumburrah have a delightful old-world feel. The Shire has a rich gold rush history including many encounters with Bushrangers including the shooting of Sargent Parry in the Shire village of Jugiong.

Jugiong is a historic township that grew around the Sir George Tavern – an important coaching stop. As gold was found in the area, the long, lonely roads around Jugiong became ideal locations for bushrangers. On 16 November 1864 Johnny Gilbert, Ben Hall and John Dunn held up a mail coach 5km from Jugiong. In the ensuing melee Sgt Edmund Parry was shot and killed.

Surrounded by some of the richest agricultural land in Australia, Wallendbeen is a small village located just 22 km north of Cootamundra. A sense of ‘community’ is central to life in Wallendbeen, with the historic Wallendbeen Hotel acting as the social hub of the village. A beautifully maintained sporting oval, and newly upgraded tennis facilities enable Wallendbeen to host a variety of local and regional sporting events.

Cootamundra is the birthplace of cricket’s greatest batsman, Sir Donald Bradman. This important railway town surrounded by crops of canola is popular with nature lovers who come to see the extravagant blooming of countless Cootamundra wattle trees in July and August.

Echoes of Lambing Flat can be seen in the buildings and heritage sites of modern day Young. Enjoy the serenity of the Chinese Tribute Garden, soak up a festival, pick your own cherries, peaches and plums or sample award winning Hilltops Region wines.

Celebrated as the birthplace of the poet Henry Lawson, Grenfell is a charming, historically significant town that is steeped in history with much of its old world character maintained.

Forbes is a remarkably elegant and substantial inland town. Famous for its connections with the bushranger, Ben Hall (he was killed and buried near the town), today it is an important rural service centre noted for its fine parks and gardens and its large and gracious public buildings.