The clock stopped in Rockley in 1890

---

Lorenza and I decided to take a car trip west of the mountains, heading along the Bells Line of Road to Bathurst, via Lithgow. From Bathurst we did a quick tour of the country north of Bathurst, toward Sofala and the tiny village of Peel. We then went south to the village of Rockley. Our route took us through rolling hills and undulating grazing country, typical of the western plains district. The country is looking in great shape after some good falls of rain in the last few months.

The village of Rockley is about 240km west of Sydney. Not much has changed in Rockley since the early 1900’s, it really is a snapshot of what rural life was like back in those days. Rockley is now listed as a historic village by the National Trust.

On our arrival, we headed straight for the Clubhouse Hotel, where we had a room booked for the night. We were greeted in the bar by a number of locals, who had obviously had a few before we arrived. After a few beers we were given the key to our room and found our way up the stairs to drop off our luggage. The room was huge and just recently refurbished - very comfortable indeed.

On the verandah of the pub we got chatting to one of the locals, who gave us a brief run down of the history of Rockley. He knew his subject well, as his family have been in the district since the 1800’s. He pointed out the location of the old butchery, the bakehouse, the grocery and general stores and he then painted a great mental image of how the village once was a buzz on Saturday afternoons when he was a young boy and the rabbit shooters came to town to sell the skins. He told us that in those days the street outside the pub and village park were full of cars, horses and local farmers, with many enjoying a lazy afternoon catching up with neighbours and local news on the verandah of the pub.

We took a walk around the village and took in the sights. Stevens Park on the banks of Peppers Creek (just opposite the pub) has some lovely shade trees (Elms I think), some nice grassed picnic areas and BBQs, which are maintained by the local Lions Club.

The Rockley Mill Museum is a short stroll form the pub (in fact everything is). The Mill was built in 1864 and now exhibits mill machinery, period clothing, old police records and a collection of old newspapers from the district.

Almost next door is the Tea Rooms, housed in a very handsome building. Up the hill from there is St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church (1870) and St Peter's Anglican Church (1867). We sat for a while outside the Catholic church, which has a commanding view over the township and hills beyond. Like so many small country churches, services are now only held every 3rd or 4th Sunday.

Not far from the two churches is the former Abercrombie Shire Chambers (1912) which is now a private home. The former Australian Prime Minister, Ben Chifley, was president of the Abercrombie Shire Council from 1937-40 and travelled from his home in Bathurst to attend the council's fortnightly meetings. The locals in the pub still seemed unhappy with the decision to merge with Bathurst Council some years ago.

Back down the hill from the Shire Chambers, just opposite the pub, is the former Post Office, built in 1879 and closed in 1994 (now also a private residence). So, our little walking tour had now taken us back to the Clubhouse Hotel built in 1872.

Thanks to the discovery of gold and copper in the area in the 1840’s the town was once home to 3000 folks. But, after the closure of the mines people slowly drifted away, with more work opportunities in Bathurst and other larger towns.

The bushranger Ben Hall paid a visit to Rockley at one stage and robbed the Bank of New South Wales. Ben Hall and his gang were also involved in a shoot out at a property not far from Rockley in 1863.

Lorenza and I had an enjoyable night at the Pub, Tom the Publican and his wife Carola are very good hosts. They prepared us a great steak, chips and salad dinner, the beers are cold and the locals in the bar very friendly. We spent the evening talking with forestry workers, drillers and blast workers and various other folks who dropped by for a schooner. Breakfast, dinner and the room cost $134. The Clubhouse Hotel is located at Budden St, Rockley, phone [phone] for a room.

We drove back east, via Oberon and Tarana. There was a few stretches of dirt road leading through farms and forest country at an elevation of around 1000 metres. We stopped off at Casey’s Vineyard, between Oberon and Tarana for a sample of their wines and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They have been growing grapes, more or less by accident for about 10 years. They are worth paying a visit if you are out that way, click here for their website - Casey's Vineyard

---

Photos

Stevens Park on Peppers Creek
A lovely shady spot, opposite the Pub

The Clubhouse Hotel
Tom, the Publican, is doing a lot of work restoring the Pub