ADELONG
Adelong is a town the traveler passes
thorough on the Gundagai to Tumbarumba Snowy Mountains Highway; the
town therefore is on a relatively quiet route. Adelong is a tidy small
town that does have the majority of essential services.
The town's name
is said to be derived from an Aboriginal language meaning "along the
way" or "plain with a river".
It was settled
about 1840 to 1850 before gold was found. The initial discovery of
gold at Adelong by a Mr Williams took place in 1857, the find being
located on the crest of Victoria Hill and representing the weathered
capping of the Old Hill Reef. Alluvial gold, both in Adelong Creek and
Golden Gully is also believed to have been discovered at about the
same time, and the field quickly developed into an important producer.
By 1859 a number
of prominent lines of mineralisation were being actively exploited.
The two most prominent lines of mineralisation, the Old Reef and the
Victoria, produced some 3,798 kilograms of gold during the period
1857-1876. During the gold rush the population expanded to more than
30,000 people. Over 25 tonnes of gold was mined from 1857 to the close
of the mine in 1914. Adelong's importance in Australia's early mining
history has been recognised by the National Trust of Australia with a
large section of the main street as well as a number of impressive
early buildings being classified.
Evidence of past
wealth is now long gone, but heritage care is clearly important.
The Adelong War
Memorial is within the Memorial Park plus a cenotaph on the main
street.  
The Adelong
Churches are all ‘old’ and possibly century plus buildings. 
The Adelong
Museum is in the main street. A well presented ‘gold rush’ history is
on display.
The two
remaining hotels look to be 100 year plus design buildings. 
Allow plenty of
time when visiting the historic Adelong.
Heritage diary
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