Parkes was a town that grew up amidst the gold mines that gave birth to it in the 1860s.
As the parish map here shows, famous mining areas like Bushmans Lead ran close by the town allotments.
Today a walk up Bushmans Hill in Parkes allows you to traverse this rich gold country.
To the east the ranges of the Goobang National Park define the edges of the field.
To the north Peak Hill was established as a separate goldfield in the 1890s. The historic Peak Hill mine operated between 1893 and 1917 producing about 60,000 ounces from 500,000 tonnes of rock.
Alkane re-excavated for gold on the site between 1996 and 2002 retrieving 145,000 ounces gold from 4.9 million tonnes of rock. While most of the historic operations were consumed by the recent mining activity, some of the old workings have been preserved. The Open Cut Experience includes both the historic works and the more recent mines with several walking paths and viewing platforms having been constructed.
