Southern Gold Trail – Yass To Kiandra

Yass – Binalong – Jugiong – Gundagai – Adelong – Tumut – Kiandra

Highlights

  • Former Cobb & Co offices (Yass)

  • Early Police centre for bushranging (Yass)

  • Grave of bushranger John Gilbert (Binalong)

  • Memorials to Sgt Parry, shot by Ben Hall’s gang (Jugiong)

  • Police graves of Sgt Parry and S/C Bowen (Gundagai)

  • Grave of bushranger Captain Moonlite (Gundagai)

  • Well preserved ruins of gold processing mill (Adelong)

  • Service town for Adelong and nearby Batlow (Tumut))

  • Mining sites and relics (Kiandra)

  • Historical sites and museums throughout

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Distance 272km
Travel Time 3 hours 5 minutes

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Yass

 

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.

Binalong

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.

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.

Gundagai

 

Gold Mining and Agriculture made Gundagai both prosperous and a centre for bushranging, which is immortalised through poems and songs such as Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox, and Along the Road to Gundagai that has gave the town a romantic bush appeal. Gundagai is perhaps most famous for its monument to the early pioneers, the iconic Dog on the Tuckerbox, situated on the Hume Highway, 5 miles (8 kms) north of Gundagai.

Adelong

Adelong is a charming and historically important town nestled on the bank of the Adelong Creek. The main street is classified by the National Trust (NSW) with some buildings dating back to the gold rush and the nearby Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins experience is significant as so much of the gold mining equipment is still intact.

Tumut

 

Nestled in the Snowy Mountains foothills with the beautiful Tumut River flowing along the edge of the town, picturesque Tumut offers quiet walks, kayaking, trout fishing and the laid back ambience that only the gurgle of flowing water can create.

Kiandra

In its heyday, Kiandra was a true gold rush town which attracted over 10 000 men, women and children and saw the construction of banks, hotels and the usual services required by such a large population. Kiandra is often claimed to be the birthplace of skiing in Australia. Miners strapped palings of Alpine Ash to their feet to ski down the hills.