Woodstock, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Woodstock is a village in the central west of New South Wales
, Australia
. It
contains remains of a brief goldrush during the late 19th century which left behind a number of substantial buildings before the village relapsed into relative isolation. It includes a restored railway station, hotel, memorial hall and general store. At the 2006 census
, Woodstock had a population of 263.
The railway station was opened in 1888 on the Blayney - Demondrille line which connected the Main Western Line at Blayney
and the Main Southern Line at Demondrille. At one time there were several sidings near the station with grain silos, stock yards
, loading bank, goods shed, hay stage, and loco platform. In the 1980s services were suspended between Cowra and Blayney. The section was re-opened by the Lachlan Valley Railway
which runs heritage trains from Cowra to Blayney. The railway station is now an art gallery and private residence.
Country markets are held at Woodstock Soldiers Memorial Hall on the second Sunday of each month except January. The Memorial Hall hosts a touring opera company, OperaWorks, each year. Other annual events at Woodstock include a long track motorbike championships and a ute show.
By 1900 there were many commercial businesses in the villages including butchers, bakers, hotels, saddleries, smithies, bootmakers, mercers, tailors, motor vehicle garages and billiard rooms. A post office was operating by 1897. The current Royal Hotel was rebuilt in 1911, an earlier timber building having been destroyed by fire. The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney opened a branch at Woodstock in 1907, followed by the Commonwealth Savings Bank in 1913 and the Bank of New South Wales in 1929.
The bushranger John Vane, a member of Ben Hall's gang, who died in 1906 was buried in an unmarked grave at Woodstock cemetery. A headstone was erected by local historians in 1989.
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
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It
contains remains of a brief goldrush during the late 19th century which left behind a number of substantial buildings before the village relapsed into relative isolation. It includes a restored railway station, hotel, memorial hall and general store. 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,...
, Woodstock had a population of 263.
The railway station was opened in 1888 on the Blayney - Demondrille line which connected the Main Western Line at Blayney
Blayney, New South Wales
Blayney is a farming town and administrative centre with a population of 2,745 in 2006, in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia...
and the Main Southern Line at Demondrille. At one time there were several sidings near the station with grain silos, stock yards
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
, loading bank, goods shed, hay stage, and loco platform. In the 1980s services were suspended between Cowra and Blayney. The section was re-opened by the Lachlan Valley Railway
Lachlan Valley Railway
The Lachlan Valley Railway Society Cooperative Limited is a non-profit rail preservation society based in the NSW Central Western town of Cowra, New South Wales, Australia. The museum's ex-NSWGR fleet ranges from their operational steam and diesel locomotives, to the fleet of heritage passenger...
which runs heritage trains from Cowra to Blayney. The railway station is now an art gallery and private residence.
Country markets are held at Woodstock Soldiers Memorial Hall on the second Sunday of each month except January. The Memorial Hall hosts a touring opera company, OperaWorks, each year. Other annual events at Woodstock include a long track motorbike championships and a ute show.
History
Gold was discovered in 1868 at Woods Flat, a few kilometres south of Woodstock. A rush of 500 diggers took up the ground there, but after a short period only a few were left as surface gold was minimal and water supplies lacking. The goldfield had a long history but today almost nothing remains of the buildings at Woods Flat. The village of Woodstock was established in response to the building of the railway line north of Woods Flat, from Blayney to Cowra in 1880s. Initially known also as Woods Flat, the name of the village was changed to Woodstock in 1886.By 1900 there were many commercial businesses in the villages including butchers, bakers, hotels, saddleries, smithies, bootmakers, mercers, tailors, motor vehicle garages and billiard rooms. A post office was operating by 1897. The current Royal Hotel was rebuilt in 1911, an earlier timber building having been destroyed by fire. The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney opened a branch at Woodstock in 1907, followed by the Commonwealth Savings Bank in 1913 and the Bank of New South Wales in 1929.
The bushranger John Vane, a member of Ben Hall's gang, who died in 1906 was buried in an unmarked grave at Woodstock cemetery. A headstone was erected by local historians in 1989.