Hill End Historic Site
Hill End
One of the best-preserved ghost towns from the gold rush era. It had 8,000 residents in the 1870s and is now a living historic site.
Hill End reached a population of 8,000 at the height of the 1870s gold rush. It once yielded the "Holtermann Nugget," one of the largest gold nuggets ever found. The town then declined quickly, and today only about a hundred people live there. The whole village is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service as a historic site. You can follow walking trails past old shops, hotels, churches and building sites marked with old photographs. You can visit the museum and gold mine remains, or sign up for gold panning or a mine tour. It is about 75 km from Bathurst, and some sections of the road are winding.
Opening hours
Open all day; visitor center approx. 09:30–16:30
Nearby sights
- Ophir Goldfields Reserve
- Sofala
- Abercrombie House
- Orange Botanic Gardens
- Orange Regional Museum
- Cook Park
- Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum
- Bathurst Heritage Precinct & Courthouse