Molong, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Molong is a small town in the Central West region of New South Wales
, Australia, in Cabonne Shire.
Molong is located on the Mitchell Highway
about 300 kilometres west of Sydney
and about 30 kilometres from the city of Orange
. It is elevated at 529 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census
, Molong had a population of 1,569 people. Charles Sturt
visited Molong in 1828. Molong was the site of the first copper
mine in Australia, located at Copper Hill just outside of Molong.
William Lee of Kelso is said to have had cattle in the area by 1819. He later held property just north of present Molong, around Larras Lee. In 1826 a military and police outpost was established at Molong, on Governor Darling's orders, as a step in opening up the government stock reserve west of the Macquarie River for settlement.
The Historical Museum is housed in a former hotel (1856), built by rubble-mason James Mortal, who sold it in 1861 to John Smith of Gamboola. Smith let the building to a series of publicans and it later became the residence and surgery for a series of doctors. The Historical Society acquired it for use as a museum, in 1969, with help from the Molong Shire Council.
word for 'all rocks'.
The railway from Sydney
reached Molong in 1886; it was later extended to Parkes
. A branch railway
to Dubbo was opened in 1925 and closed in 1987.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia, in Cabonne Shire.
Molong is located on the Mitchell Highway
Mitchell Highway
The Mitchell Highway is a major rural highway in Australia, travelling through central and northern New South Wales and south central Queensland. The highway starts from its northern end in Queensland with the Landsborough Highway near Augathella and continues south to Charleville and Cunnamulla...
about 300 kilometres west of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and about 30 kilometres from the city of Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
. It is elevated at 529 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Molong had a population of 1,569 people. Charles Sturt
Charles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
visited Molong in 1828. Molong was the site of the first copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine in Australia, located at Copper Hill just outside of Molong.
William Lee of Kelso is said to have had cattle in the area by 1819. He later held property just north of present Molong, around Larras Lee. In 1826 a military and police outpost was established at Molong, on Governor Darling's orders, as a step in opening up the government stock reserve west of the Macquarie River for settlement.
The Historical Museum is housed in a former hotel (1856), built by rubble-mason James Mortal, who sold it in 1861 to John Smith of Gamboola. Smith let the building to a series of publicans and it later became the residence and surgery for a series of doctors. The Historical Society acquired it for use as a museum, in 1969, with help from the Molong Shire Council.
History
The name Molong comes from the aboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
word for 'all rocks'.
The railway from Sydney
Broken Hill railway line, New South Wales
The Broken Hill railway line is now part of the transcontinental railway from Sydney to Perth.New South Wales's first line opened from Sydney to Parramatta Junction in 1855 and was extended as the Main Western line in stages to Orange in 1877. The Broken Hill line branched off the Main Western...
reached Molong in 1886; it was later extended to Parkes
Parkes, New South Wales
- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
. A branch railway
Molong- Dubbo railway line, New South Wales
The Molong- Dubbo railway line is a closed railway line in western New South Wales, Australia. It branched off of the Broken Hill railway line at Molong and paralleled the Main West line before rejoining it at Dubbo...
to Dubbo was opened in 1925 and closed in 1987.