Now I think I made the point in my last that our stay in Mudgee was a series of varied social events, all of which included the demolition of alcohol of varying types in varying circumstances and of varying, although usually, by the standards of the pure, excessive quantities. But the common theme in all of this hilarity was the great fun of spending time with friends of 40 years standing. Honesty demands that I confess at this point that a few of the mornings dawned with a little less sparkle than the champagne of the preceding evening. But before I share some insights into this revelry, what of Mudgee itself?
The name 'Mudgee' is a derived from the Aboriginal language of the area and can be broadly translated as 'Nest in the Hills', a most apt description of the local topography.
.
The area itself was first explored in 1821 by Lieutenant William Lawson, then the local Commandant at Bathurst. He later took up 6,000 acres in the area. His name features prominently in the town, such as on this memorial stone in Lawson Park which runs along the local Cudgegong River.
This long, very pleasant park is separated from the adjoining roadway by a stone wall of some antiquity with gateways of a similar construction lending a rather grand appearance to the whole area.
Mudgee's beginnings were not entirely auspicious when the destruction of the local kangaroo and possum populations by the white settlers brought them into some significant conflict with the local Aboriginal tribe, but nevertheless the expansion of the grazing industry progressed.
As with so many country towns in Australia, it was the discovery of gold which really put Mudgee on the map. Whilst there were no finds in the immediate area, strikes at nearby Gulgong, Hill End and Windeyer saw Mudgee become established as a real local hub.
Interestingly, one of the area's prime industries now, wine production, also had its beginnings at about the same time, when the German settler Adam Roth planted the first vineyard in the area in 1850, but as is to be expected, this venture took a very back seat to the gold rush. How things have changed over the years. The gold is now gone and wool and wine are the mainstay industries of the area.
And again, similar to other towns, the wealth of the gold production drove an architectural style of typical grandeur. I noted in a previous offering that I thought the National Trust had waxed slightly too lyrical in its description of the Mudgee streetscape, but there is no doubt the town does boast some fine buildings.
The old town hall, the central of this group in Market Street, is a particularly fine example.
The Post Office is a little more modest but remains a building of significance
The name 'Mudgee' is a derived from the Aboriginal language of the area and can be broadly translated as 'Nest in the Hills', a most apt description of the local topography.
.
The area itself was first explored in 1821 by Lieutenant William Lawson, then the local Commandant at Bathurst. He later took up 6,000 acres in the area. His name features prominently in the town, such as on this memorial stone in Lawson Park which runs along the local Cudgegong River.
This long, very pleasant park is separated from the adjoining roadway by a stone wall of some antiquity with gateways of a similar construction lending a rather grand appearance to the whole area.
Mudgee's beginnings were not entirely auspicious when the destruction of the local kangaroo and possum populations by the white settlers brought them into some significant conflict with the local Aboriginal tribe, but nevertheless the expansion of the grazing industry progressed.
As with so many country towns in Australia, it was the discovery of gold which really put Mudgee on the map. Whilst there were no finds in the immediate area, strikes at nearby Gulgong, Hill End and Windeyer saw Mudgee become established as a real local hub.
Interestingly, one of the area's prime industries now, wine production, also had its beginnings at about the same time, when the German settler Adam Roth planted the first vineyard in the area in 1850, but as is to be expected, this venture took a very back seat to the gold rush. How things have changed over the years. The gold is now gone and wool and wine are the mainstay industries of the area.
And again, similar to other towns, the wealth of the gold production drove an architectural style of typical grandeur. I noted in a previous offering that I thought the National Trust had waxed slightly too lyrical in its description of the Mudgee streetscape, but there is no doubt the town does boast some fine buildings.
The old town hall, the central of this group in Market Street, is a particularly fine example.
The Post Office is a little more modest but remains a building of significance
which is to be found opposite Robertson Park, another delightful open space in the centre of Mudgee, complete with its rotunda (don't all Adelaide folk just love a rotunda?) and children's playgrounds.
And of course the shopping needs of the good citizens of Mudgee were more than adequately met with a visit to the Jamieson Department store, a very large shop in its time (oddly located in Church, not Market Street!).
As we have now come to expect, churches became a prominent feature of all these wealthy Australian towns and Mudgee is no exception. The burnished copper spire of the Catholic edifice can be seen from most points in the town, here shown looking past the War Memorial clock at the intersection of Church and Markets Streets in central commercial Mudgee.
Not to be outdone, those of the Anglican faith also managed to cobble together the wherewithal to build their own fine place of worship, just across the intersection! We have often wondered what degree of religious rivalry existed in these Australian country towns during this period.
Beyond the CBD Mudgee boasts wide streets and a number of grand houses of which 'Bleak House',
and its neighbour directly opposite, 'Beverley House', are two examples.
The trees of the backstreets of Mudgee at this time of the year make for a real visual treat,
but with our eye for the unusual, we noted that Mudgee is also home to many extraordinarily tall, skinny palm trees. They pop up all over the town and look so incongruous in this landscape. What an odd botanical bent our some of our forebears displayed!
Modern Mudgee is home to an excellent commercial and entertainment precinct which houses many fine shops, restaurants and pubs. Interestingly, the largest theatre in the town is of a style at odds with most of the other large buildings, art deco no less.
And as could be expected, all these shops were magnets to the girls, but despite their efforts to fade into the general shopping population, they were no match for the 'happy snapper'!
But enough of Mudgee town. We were here to party! More of this in the next offering.
No comments:
Post a Comment