Rocky River, New South Wales

Thunderbolts Way, Rocky River, Uralla, NSW

Abandoned house, Rocky River, Uralla, NSW

Rocky River is a locality in northern New South Wales, Australia near the town of Uralla on the Northern Tablelands plateau.

About three kilometres west of Uralla, was the gold mining area and associated village also called Rocky River. In 1851 W.F. Buchanan and J. Lucas reported to the Maitland office that gold had been found at Rocky River. This announcement was made official on 7 October 1851, by Commissioner Massie, and started a rush to the area. In 1852 the first licenses to prospect were taken out. During October 1852, the Windeyer Brothers discovered the first payable gold on the field washing about five ounces of gold in less than a week. This caused further interest and by the end of 1852 the goldfield's population rose to around 150 persons. At this time it was all alluvial mining, confined to the rivers and creeks. Panning and cradling were the usual methods of extracting the gold from the washdirt.^[1]

The census carried out between the 3 and 5 June 1854 reported that there were 86 tents on the field and a population of 350, comprising 193 males, 58 females and 99 children. Until 1856 Rocky River gold field was small and of comparatively no importance to the remainder of the country. In February 1856 John Jones discovered a few specks of gold lying in cartwheel tracks on what is now known as Mt Jones. Jones's discovery then led to the sinking of deep-lead shafts in the vicinity and another rush into the area.^[1]

Around 1856 Rocky River was a thriving gold field town with an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 miners and their families. Rocky River, at its peak supported 20 hotels, numerous boarding houses, stores, churches and schools. Among the miners were many Chinese, some of whom had made the long trek from Goulburn and Victorian goldfields. Many of the Chinese miners worked over the original alluvial field at Maitland Point, south of Thunderbolts Way, near Rocky River bridge. Some of these miners later bought land around the Northern Tablelands and settled there as farmers. After the rush, permanent allotments were taken up and in 1861.

Today only the Public School on Thunderbolts Way and a few houses remain.

In the 2006 Census (held on 8 August 2006), there were 479 persons usually resident in the Rocky River area.^[2]

References

1 2 Donald, J.Kay, Exploring the North Coast and New England, Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, 1987.
↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Rocky River (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 January 2009.

New England region of New South Wales, Australia

Federal divisions	New England Parkes

State electorates	Barwon Northern Tablelands Tamworth

Local government areas	Armidale Glen Innes Severn Gunnedah Gwydir Inverell Liverpool Plains Moree Plains Tamworth Tenterfield Uralla Walcha

Cities	Armidale Tamworth

Townships and villages	Ardglen Ashford Attunga Barraba Bendemeer Ben Lomond Bingara Black Mountain Bolivia Bonshaw Brackendale Breeza Bukkulla Bundarra Carroll Coolatai Croppa Creek Curlewis Dangarsleigh Deepwater Delungra Dorrigo Drake Dundee Dungowan Duri Ebor Elsmore Emerald Hill Emmaville Gilgai Glencoe Glen Innes Graman Gravesend Gunnedah Guyra Hanging Rock Hillgrove Inverell Invergowrie Jennings Kellys Plains Kelvin Kentucky Kootingal Kingstown Legume Limbri Liston Llangothlin Manilla Mingoola Mole River Moonbi Mount Russell Mullaley Niangala North Star Nowendoc Nundle Red Range Rocky River Sandy Flat Somerton Stannifer Stannum Stonehenge Tambar Springs Tenterfield Tia Tingha Torrington Upper Horton Uralla Urbenville Walcha Walcha Road Wallabadah Wandsworth Warialda Warialda Rail Weabonga Wellingrove Werris Creek Willow Tree Wollomombi Wollun Woolbrook Yarrowitch Yarrowyck Yetman

National parks and other conservation areas	Bald Rock Basket Swamp Boonoo Boonoo Bundarra-Barraba Important Bird Area Carrai Cathedral Rock Chaelundi Cottan-Bimbang Cunnawarra Ebor Falls Gibraltar Range Guy Fawkes River Kings Plains Kwiambal Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve Mummel Gulf New England Nowendoc Nymboida Oxley Wild Rivers Warrabah Washpool Werrikimbe

Rivers	Aberfoyle Apsley Back Barnard Beardy Blicks Blue Mountain Bobo Boonoo Boonoo Boyd Cells Chandler Chandlers Clouds Commissioners Cooplacurripa Curricabark Dyke Gara Georges Guy Fawkes Gwydir Hastings Kunderang Little Murray Little Nymboida Macleay Manning Maryland Moredun Mummel Nowendoc Nowlands Oaky Oban Rocky Rowleys Sara Severn Styx Tia Timbarra Tobins Towallum Urumbilum Walcrow Warnes Wollomombi Yarrow Yarrowitch

Ranges and mountains	Barren Ben Lomond Dorrigo Plateau Duval Grundy Hyland Moonbi Range Point Lookout Round Thunderbolts Range Tia Range Yarrowyck

Tourist attractions	Apsley Falls Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre Dangar Falls Ebor Falls Newell Falls Sherrard Falls Tamworth Country Music Festival Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre Wollomombi Falls

Coordinates: 30°37′S 151°30′E / 30.617°S 151.500°E / -30.617; 151.500

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Rocky River, New South Wales

See also

References