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