Canowindra ( Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ) is a historic township and the largest population centre in Cabonne Shire, situated on the Belubula River. The town is located between Orange and Cowra in the central west of New South Wales, Australia. The curving main street, Gaskill Street, is partly an urban conservation area.
Toponymy The name of the town is derived from a Wiradjuri (an Aboriginal language) word meaning 'a home' or 'camping place'.
History Prior to the arrival of Europeans to Australia, the area now known as Canowindra was occupied for tens of thousands of years by the Wiradjuri people. These "people of the three rivers" were hunters and gatherers who exploited the resources available in the rivers and the lands, particularly the river flats.
European settlement The first land grant of 640 acres to a European in the area was to James Collits by Governor Ralph Darling in 1829 as a reward for "pointing out a line of road from Mt. York to Bathurst". Subsequently, Collits' father, Pierce, was granted land adjacent to the original grant. There is some evidence that James (or the succeeding owner, Thomas Icely) named the property "Canoundra". Collits owned other significant tracts of land in the area, together with a store and the first hotel. A settlement slowly grew, and as early as 1844 the village (now referred to as "Canowindra") was the site of a government pound.
A post office opened at Canowindra in 1847 with mail coming from Carcoar, but the village was handicapped as part of a main route to the lower Lachlan, first by the lack of a bridge and later by the construction of the railway to Orange. The first bridge across the Belubula River at Canowindra was opened on 28 July 1875. It was replaced by the Waddell Bridge in May 1901, and by the current John Grant Bridge in 1997.
Gold has been mined at Canowindra; the Blue Jacket, Grant's Reef, Blue Maxwell, and Gospel Oak Mines, were located near the town.
Bushrangers
Bushrangers made four significant incursions at Canowindra within the space of a year, the first of which occurred in September 1863. Late on Saturday morning, 26 September 1863, the bushrangers John Gilbert and Ben Hall, with three other gang members (John O'Meally, Michael Burke and John Vane), arrived at Albert Rothery's 'Clifden' station at Limestone Creek, south-west of Carcoar, where they bailed up the occupants and "partook of dinner – regaling themselves with champagne and brandy".Bushranging, Empire (Sydney), 6 October 1863, page 2.The Bushrangers in the Western Districts, Sydney Morning Herald, 7 October 1863, page 5. From Rothery's the bushrangers proceeded to Canowindra (after having informed Rothery of their intended destination), arriving at the township at six o'clock in the afternoon. They firstly detained Constable Sykes, the only policeman stationed at Canowindra, and took him to Robinson's public-house. O'Meally and Burke remained at the inn while Hall, Gilbert and Vane "went on a foraging expedition" to the two stores in the township, belonging to Pierce and Hilliar, taking a quantity of men's clothing and three pounds in cash. They then adjourned to Robinson's house and ordered tea. The publican and his wife had departed for Bathurst, leaving Robinson's sister and "the two Miss Flanagan's in charge of the house". After they had eaten "Gilbert very politely requested one of the young ladies to play him a tune on the piano". Later in the evening a dance was proposed, which "continued till daylight the next morning". A number of the town's residents had also been brought to the public-house and it was reported that "the night's amusement" was "spoken of as one of the jolliest affairs that has ever taken place in that small town". In the morning Hall, Vane and Burke rode to 'Bangaroo' station in search of horses, but finding none, returned to Canowindra where Gilbert informed them that troopers were camped on the opposite side of the Belubula River, now in full flood, waiting for the waters to subside. With the exception of Burke, the bushrangers crossed the flooded stream and camped on a hill overlooking the town. Burke crossed the next morning after the waters had dropped, after which the gang rode into "very rough country" to evade the police.
On Monday morning, 12 October 1863, John Gilbert, Ben Hall and John O'Meally returned to Canowindra and "held it against all comers" for three days and nights, "their proceedings being characterised by a cool audacity, which has hitherto been unequalled". The bushrangers stuck up the stores and public-houses in the township and established a base at William Robinson's public-house. Gang-members guarded the approaches to the town, and anybody who made an appearance was taken into custody and brought to the hotel. Their captives were told they must remain at the hotel, but they "might call for whatever [they] liked at the bushrangers' expense". On learning of the bushrangers' incursion, the local policeman, Constable Sykes, had started for Eugowra (being unable to cross the rising Belubula River to go to Cowra). However he was met on the road by the bushrangers and turned back. The outlaws confiscated his firearms and handcuffs and took him to Robinson's public-house, telling him "to go in and enjoy himself till he received further orders". Each dray and their horse- or bullock-teams that arrived during the three days were stopped; eventually numbering about twelve to fourteen, the teamsters were "lodged, fed and supplied with drink, free of expense" and no attempt was made by the bushrangers to interfere with their loads. At one stage Gilbert purchased a bundle of cigars and threw them on one of the tables in the hotel for anyone who cared to smoke them. A "pile of sweetmeats" was also provided for the enjoyment of all.Canowindra Held by the Bushrangers for Three Days, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 October 1863, page 5; reprinted from the Bathurst Times, 17 October 1863.Letter from William Robinson to Frederick Pottinger, dated Wednesday, 14 October 1863; published in: Parliamentary Paper, Empire (Sydney), 11 April 1864, page 2.
It was believed that the bushrangers were expecting a gold escort to arrive at the township (which never arrived).Memo written by Frederick Pottinger, dated Wednesday, 14 October 1863; published in: Parliamentary Paper, Empire (Sydney), 11 April 1864, page 2; Mid-morning on the Tuesday three landholders and businessmen from the Forbes district, Hibberson, Twaddell and Kirkpatrick, drove up to the hotel, where Ben Hall informed them they were to be detained. As they got down from their vehicle John O'Meally saw that Kirkpatrick was carrying a revolver, and held his own weapon at Kirkpatrick's head, "compelled him to give it up". "A first-class dinner was ordered" for the three squatters, "and the cost of this as well as everything else called for was defrayed by the gang". By the third day there were about forty people detained at the hotel. During the occupation the bushrangers only drank bottled ale and porter, insisting that the corks be drawn in their presence. The outlaws engaged in a variety of amusements, of which target shooting was a favourite. For those who resided in the neighbourhood wishing to visit their homes, a leave of absence was granted providing it did not exceed an hour. The bushrangers departed on the afternoon of the third day. That evening the bushrangers stuck up Thomas Grant's station on the Belubula River and burned it down as vengeance on the owner who had, on a previous occasion, given information to the police about their likely whereabouts.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, 4 November 1863, Gilbert, Hall and O'Meally went to Robinson's public-house in Canowindra and knocked on the door. Upon opening, the publican William Robinson "was confronted by Ben Hall, holding two revolvers levelled at him". Hall asked if there were any police in the house and then the three bushrangers "entered the bar and drank nobblers". They stopped for about a quarter of an hour. When they left they took two bottles of port-wine and two of Old Tom gin, for which they offered to pay with a £5 note (but Robinson was unable to provide change for that amount).The Bushrangers at Canowindra, Newcastle Chronicle and Hunter River District News, 21 November 1863, page 3; reprinted from the Bathurst Times, 11 November 1863.
On Tuesday, 21 June 1864, Ben Hall and two companions entered Pierce's store at Canowindra "without attracting notice". Finding the proprietor, John Pierce, alone they bailed him up and robbed him of about ten pounds in cash as well as goods from the store. In the belief he had further money hidden away the bushrangers burnt portions of the account books, but to no avail. They then took him six miles into the bush and tied him to a tree, threatening him with death and urging that he must procure £300 from his brother in Carcoar. Pierce was eventually freed when he was able to convince Hall and his men that no money could be obtained.The Bushrangers Again at Canowindra, Empire (Sydney), 1 July 1864, page 5."The Old Man", Bendigo Advertiser, 15 November 1864, page 3; reprinted from the Pastoral Times (Deniliquin).
Built environment
Gaskill Street: Today the main street, Gaskill Street, has an old-world air, with its kerbside verandah posts lining the dog-leg course of what was once a bullock team track. A total of 34 buildings and features in the town and environs are listed in the New South Wales State Heritage Register including 17 in or adjacent to Gaskill Street, The Swinging Bridge: In the early 20th century residents of South Canowindra then a village in Waugoola Shire, agitated for a bridge to be built at the end of Finn's Lane to give pedestrian access to the Canowindra business area, then situated in the then neighbouring Boree Shire. Eventually, a low-level footbridge financed by the two shires and local residents was completed early in 1928. The footbridge was washed away by a major flood event in 1934. In 1938 a new suspension bridge was built, locally known as the "Swinging Bridge". It has been modified and strengthened over the years to withstand the floods that were formerly regular occurrences in Canowindra. All Saints' Anglican Church Designed by noted ecclesiastical architect, Louis Williams All Saints' is a simple brick church. It was partially constructed in 1927–8 in a modified Gothic mode, when the sanctuary, choir and nave were built. It was subsequently finished to Williams' original design in 1959. The building houses several distinctive stained glass windows including the vesica window designed by the European trained artist, William Montgomery. One window "Jesus with the Doctors" was made by Christian Waller and installed in the 1930s and at least two windows were made by her husband, Napier Waller. Noojee Lea is a homestead located some 9 km south-west of the town on the Belubula River. The lands currently occupied by the house and demesne including more than 2000 hectares of rural property along Fish Fossil Drive were originally granted to Robert Read in 1869. Since 1981 the owners are the family of the prominent businessman and "BRW rich lister" Charles Curran AO. There have been several iterations of the garden including a design in 2010 by a local landscaper, Sally Bourne. Subsequently, further improvements on the layout were carried out by the Melbourne landscape designer Paul Bangay in 2015. The Curran family hold an open day at the homestead each year with proceeds benefiting the Canowindra Soldiers' Memorial Hospital. In April 2021 the gardens were featured in a segment by Graham Ross on the Better Homes and Gardens television program. The Big Peg Canowindra is home to one of Australia's big things located in a field just outside the town on the road to Cargo, New South Wales.
Modern Canowindra
Demographics