These two big name, golden icons were really just the one goldfield that developed in two discrete stages.

Tambaroora was a high profile alluvial field established at the outset of the gold rush frenzy in the early 1850s. It was also the site of one of the first company funded reef gold mining ventures in Australia.

Hill End was the younger cousin that grew up quietly just down the road over the 1860s.

This quietude ended in the early 1870s though when the name of Hill End became synomymous with fabulous wealth and scandalous swindles.

Just imagine a vast underground treasure chest 400 metres long and 50 metres deep filled with gold. There was such a treasure chest once. It was buried 20 metres below the mine entries dotted along the slopes of Hawkins Hill, Hill End.

In an era noted for its dramatic gold discoveries, the sheer richness of this area’s quartz veins was unparalleled. It was from this treasure chest that Hill End’s golden legends were drawn in the opening years of the 1870s. Speculators also dipped deep into Hill End’s renown. With investors in Sydney clamouring to pour their money into Hawkins Hill’s mines, the town provided unlimited opportunity for fraud and swindle. Almost overnight the tiny rural village grew into one of the largest towns in inland NSW.

Below: Panorama of Hawkins Hill, American and Australasian Photographic Company. Reproduced courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW: On 4 Box 71 No C: a2825324

Hill End was established as an historic site in 1967 along with the creation of the state’s National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Today the site includes both the central core of the village as well as outlying sections associated with the Tambaroora workings.
A special feature of the site is the range of buildings that have survived largely unchanged since their construction at the height of the town’s mining boom in 1871-73.

As part of its management of the Hill End Historic Site, the National Parks and Wildlife Service restored access to the Bald Hill underground gold mine in 1985. Today guided underground tours are held on a regular basis.

These tours of the Bald Hill Mine are conducted by private contractors with detailed knowledge and understanding of the workings of a reef gold mine. They are one of a range of special guided activities open to you to explore on a visit to Hill End.

Today Hill End and Tambaroora remain home to a thriving community committed to conserving and sharing their remarkable heritage.

To begin to appreciate the full range of activities, tours and accommodation options open to you to explore at Hill End, visit the website of the Hill End and Tambaroora Progress Association via this link >>. This site also includes details on how to book your underground mine tour.

Another opportunity to both go underground at Hill End, go fossicking and learn about the diversity of life and mining activities on the goldfields can be found at History Hill, located just outside the Hill End town precinct. Visit the History Hill website for details on its attractions >>