Hill End: Gold Rush History and Historic Sites

Hill End offers several ways to explore its history: the Village walking track is an easy, self-guided walk through the town’s heritage; at the Hill End Historic Site, you can explore historic buildings and mining relics. Interactive exhibitions, Craigmoor House and an art gallery offer different perspectives on these themes. A lookout with views of former mining activity and a gold panning tour also focus on mining. When planning your visit, you can choose whether to focus on a walk, exhibitions, historic buildings or gold panning.

Walks and Historical Insights

The Village walking track is open year-round and offers an easy, self-guided walk through Hill End’s heritage. This is different from the museum exhibitions: the track focuses on the walk, while the Hill End Heritage Centre offers interactive exhibitions and historical information. Check the latest track alerts before your trip.

The Hill End Heritage Centre is in the centre of the Hill End Historic Site, next to the General Store. At the Historic Site, visitors can learn about life during the gold rush and explore historic buildings and mining relics. The exhibitions and relics offer different ways to engage with the town’s history: at the Centre, through exhibitions and information; at the Historic Site, through its buildings and mining remains.

Buildings, Mining and Art

Craigmoor House is one of the heritage-listed buildings at the Hill End Historic Site. The carefully preserved house is associated with life in a mining town during the colonial period and was the Marshall family home for almost a century. Craigmoor House is closed to the public; the virtual tour is available as a visitor experience. This lets you learn about the house’s history without assuming that the building is open to the public.

History Hill features an underground mine and extensive museum exhibitions dating from the 1850s onwards. Unlike the Heritage Centre, it also offers an underground mine; the exhibitions complement this way of exploring mining history. The Bridle Track adds a different historical connection: it was built in the 19th century as a road between Bathurst and Hill End.

The Hill End Art Gallery showcases the artistic achievements of local and visiting artists, and regularly updates its exhibitions. If you’re planning a gallery visit, check with the gallery beforehand, as exhibition dates may change. This helps you time your visit to coincide with the programme actually on display.

Lookouts and Gold Panning

The Beaufoy Merlin Lookout offers impressive views of the scale of former mining activity and is a good spot for photography. It provides a distinct perspective on mining: rather than exhibitions, buildings or relics, the focus here is on viewing the traces of past activity.

On Jhob's Gold Panning Tours, you can learn from Jhob how to find and identify gold. Jhob was born and raised in Hill End and has extensive experience in gold panning. The tour therefore offers a different focus from visiting exhibitions or historic relics: it centres on learning how to find and recognise gold. Confirm availability with the provider in advance.

Discover more destinations: Bathurst, Brewongle, Yetholme

View the regional travel guide: Bathurst Regional Council.