Data was last added to this page on the
16 October 2022

The Township of Tambaroora and its Suburban Lands

The Town name was selected as a necessity to identify the very fast growing settlement which had become the judicial, administrative and commercial centre for the other satellite mining settlements established on the Goldfields in the district. One of which included Bald Hills, later on briefly known as Forbes until the error was realised and finally as Hill End and could possibly explain why Tambaroora was gazetted as a Town and Hill End only ever a Village. For a short period of time the Town was referred to as Tambaroora Proper to distinguish it from the area name.

Up until the later part of 1852 the area near the junction of Golden Gully and Tambaroora Creek in the vicinity of the future Commissioners Camp later known as Camp Hill was referred to by correspondents and early miners as "The Stockyards", this is supported by the recollections of a gentleman who spent some of his youth in the area, James Collison remembers the "The Stockyard" at this Site. Samuels Flat or Samuels Field was located immediately to the west of the Commissioners Camp between Golden Gully and Moonlight Creek and attracted rushes of miners with reports of gold being found there on more than one occasion. An early Pastoral Map that preceded the gold discovery in the vicinity of the township is annotated with "Samuels Flat" in the same area that Cummings Stockyard was located, another was Oakes Stockyard which is also mentioned by name in relation to rushes to the area. All of these area's were eventually to beome part of the town of Tambaroora.

The roads in the district which were already established for pastoral usage merged in the vicinity of the future town, the road later known as the Escort Track entered the town at Clarke Street, the road to Cummings and Bundy Stations was at Mcmahon Street. There was also the road to Dirt Holes Creek and its continuance to Louisa Creek (present day Hargraves) and Richardsons Point (present day Windeyer) on its way north to Mudgee. A deciding factor in the siting of the Commissioners Camp would be its central location to the surrounding local Goldfields of the Lower Turon, Bald Hills Creek, Golden Gully, The Stock Yards, Tambaroura Creek, Dirt Holes Creek and Green Valley.

This merging of tracks would have seen a concentration of those whose interest was in commercialization and not prospecting, hotels and stores soon occupied prime positions along the road between Golden Gully and Dirt Hole Creek with a scattering of Hotels and Stores in each of the local Goldfields. Throughout 1852 an inrush of miners and associated industries saw the name Tambaroora Proper appear as a reference to this site, the "Proper" initially being added to distinguish it from the area of the same name.

Prior to 1859 and from the outset of the initial gold rush of 1852 the land was settled in a very haphazard fashion without any thought of uniformity, it was a case of first in first choice of land. Irregular shaped lots sprung up everywhere, especially along the main street of the town from McBrian Street down to Clark Street, and along McMahon Street in the west, this area was to become the hub of the towns business district.

1859 saw a survey undertaken of the town to bring some uniformity to its layout and in preparation for the formal naming of the town on the 13 Dec 1859. What may have appeared on town and parish maps did not necessarily mean that it was how it was on the ground, roads shown on maps in fact never existed on the ground.

The town was a major hub for the gold mining and supporting industries in the district, its significance declined in the late 1860s when alluvial mining waned and later at the beginning of the 1870s when the focus moved from alluvial mining to reef mining on Hawkins Hill and around the young pup Hill End.

Many revivals followed, the economic depression of the 1890s had a severe impact on the country and the world, many feeling the hardship made their way back to the fields to try their luck. In the 1890's an attempt was made by the government to revive the town, adjustments to the town boundary in the north east corner of the town saw new Lots surveyed and placed on the market, thou with little success, previously unsold Lots from the 1860s and 70s were once again advertised for sale on numerous occasions, and a new General Cemetery was surveyed and dedicated.

Development of the Town
Preamble

The information below will hopefully describe the layout of the town and the ongoing changes that were made, it also hopes to explain the different types of land acquisitions that were made available to potential landowners or grantee's of lands.

Originally the names of surveyed dimensioned land area's were called either "Portions" or "Allotments" as noted on the various Land Purchase documents, but in time this nomenclature was replaced with the simple term "Lot", I have used Lot throughout this web site.

There are four area's which fall within the scope of this research:
1. that part of the Parish of Cummings (PoCu), DP756877 located in the north west of the Tambaroura,
2. that part of the Parish of Carroll (PoCa), DP756873 located in the east of the Tambaroura,
3. the Parish of Tambaroora (PoT), DP756905 in the centre which covers the majority of the area, and
4. the Township (ToT), DP758950.

Parish boundaries have changed over the years and where known have been indicated.

Surveying Instruments
Surveying the Lots entailed using either of two types of instruments: the Circumfernator, and or
the Theodolite
these were supported by the Gunters Chain for measuring the distances. At every corner of a Lot a stake was driven and the corners were lockspit.

Types of Land Purchases
The date used as the purchase date for the land acquisition may not be the exact date, some Grants only note the date the document was signed by the Register General. This date could be days, weeks or months after the actual purchase was made, this is especially true where the land may have been purchased at a Land Auction Sale.
The various dealings of the individual lots are all documented, the referring registered document is annotated with the year date and document number ie; Mis:68-1234 or Aln:70-1234 or 64-1234

Grant Upon Purchase of Improved Crown Land - Introduced in 1861 as the Crown Lands Alienation Act 1861. Under the 8 Clause of the Act a person could apply to purchase land previously occupied by the intending purchaser upon which they had made improvements, be it building or cultivation.

Auction Sales - As advertised in the newspapers and Government Gazettes, usually held at the Police Office

Grant of Land Offered for Sale at Auction and not Sold - Where a Lot was advertised for sale by auction and was not sold at that auction, a potential purchaser could apply to purchase the Lot at the Upset Price set prior to the original auction.

The date used as the purchase date for the land acquisition may not be the exact date, some Grants only note the date the document was signed by the Register General. This date could be days, weeks or months after the actual purchase was made, this is especially true where the land may have been purchased at a Land Auction Sale.

Deceased Estates
It has been found that some Certificates of Title for Lots owned by persons who have passed away have not had Applications by Transmission made upon them, suggesting that the Title may have been lost hence those responsible for the administration of the Estate were not aware that these Lots were part of the deceased estate.

Mortgages
Where a Mortgage was undertaken there have been instances where the mortgage has not been discharged and no further dealings have been noted on the Certificate of Title.

Terminology
Application by Transmission - In a broad sense is the dealings of a Deceased Estate or an Insolvent Estate.
Grant Upon Purchase of Improved Crown Land - Purchase of land previously occupied by the intending purchaser upon which they had made improvements, be it building or cultivation.
The various dealings of the individual lots are all documented, the referring registered document is annotated with the year date and document number ie; Mis:68-1234 or Aln:70-1234 or 64-1234

Upset Price - the lowest price at which a person is permitted to bid for something being sold at auction.
Vesting Order - An Order of a Court passing legal title in lieu of a legal conveyance.

Site fixed upon and town officially named:

Source: (030) No.254, Pg.2756, dtd 16 Dec 1859
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

The town boundary is a defined area as surveyed in 1859 and later in 1893 and is broken up into sections and in most cases bounded by streets, within each section are the lots. Also as part of the town are the Suburban Lands which holds the suburban lots of various acreage.

On the 3 Dec 1860 at the Tambaroora Police Office an auction sale was held for Town Lots:

Town Lot Purchases - 3 Dec 1860:

Source: (032) No.194,, Pg.2017, dtd 20 Oct 1860
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

Another land sale took place on the 15 May 1861 for that land that was not bid for or where deposits were forfeited from the previous sale.

Town Lot Purchases - 15 May 1861:

Source: (025) No.81,, Pg.809, dtd 10 Apr 1861
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

1861 was the introduction of the Crown Lands Alienation Act of 1861. One of the clauses of this act, clause 8 allowed individuals to apply for land that they may have occupied previously and had made improvements upon, this was called an "Improvements Purchase".

1863 saw the first group of Lots applied for as "Improvement Purchases" approved, all were located along the main street of Tambaroora known as Mudgee Road:

Permission to purchase Improved Lands - 1863:

Source: (236) No.25, Pg.389 & 390 dated 13 Feb 1863
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

Deeds of Grant ready for Delivery - 1864:

Source: (040) No.76, Pg.906-909, dtd 13 Feb 1863
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

Permission to purchase Improved Lands - 1864:

Source: (040) No.157, Pg.1751 dated 5 Aug 1864
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

This was followed by another approval in Sep 1864.
Permission to purchase Improved Lands - 1864:

Source: (040) No.185, Pg.2084 dated 20 Sep 1864
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

Again in Oct 1864 another approval.
Approval to Purchase Improved Lands - 1864:

Source: (040) No.193,, Pg.2197, dtd 4 Oct 1864
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

Approval for the purchase of these lots did not necessarily mean that the applicant purchased the Lot, different circumstances may have either prevented the purchase or the applicant decided not to proceed with the claim be it for financial reasons or the need for the Lot was no longer required, which resulted in the Lot containing the improvements and was applied for as such being forfeited for non-payment of the appraised value.

As can be seen in the image above, the monetary payment conditions were laid out in paragraph 2, it has been seen on some survey plans that some purchasers did not meet these requirements and their applications were forfeited.

The appraised values of the Lots gives an indication of the extent of the improvements made to the Lots at the time of the survey or appraisal that accompanied the application. Thomas SMITH's purchase of Lot 1 Section 9 is a good example, this was the site of the original Hargraves Hotel, the extent of the improvements made on this Lot were extensive and can be read in the For Sale advertisement of 1857 for the Hotel. The appraisal value in 1863 was 18 pounds 11 shillings and 3 pence.

It is interesting to note that there appears to be a trend by persons wanting to purchase their improved land as an "Improvement Purchase" but they did not pay the appraised value of the Lot and instead preferred to purchase the Lot at the auction sales that were held at later dates. The value of the auctioned Lot appears in some cases to be less than the appraised values that were put on the same Lot.
5 May 1865
Lands Dedicated for Religious and Public Purposes:

Source: (041) No.87,, Pg.985,, dtd 5 May 1865
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

Land Sale Town and Suburban Lots - 27 Sep 1865:

Source: (041) No.179,, Pg. 1877, dtd 24 Aug 1865
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

Deeds of Grant - 27 Oct 1868:

Source: (044) No.276,, Pg.4009-4013, dtd 14 Nov 1868
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

Deeds of Grant Ready for Delivery - 26 Jun 1873:

Source: (721) No.162, Pg.1799-1803, dtd 26 Jun 1873
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

Approval to Purchase Portions or Lots - 4 May 1875:

Source: (051) No.94,, Pg.1310, dtd 4 May 1875
Extracted from the digitized Gazettes by Archive Digital Books Australasia

In the early 1890's an attempt appears to have been made to reawaken the township, alterations to the design of the Town and the addition of Lots saw in the ensuing years Auction Sales to sell off those Lots and those Lots that were not originally sold in the 1860's and 70's.

Proposed Alteration of Design of the Town and Suburban Lots of Tambaroora - 17 Feb 1891
The alterations consisted of the addition of Suburban Lots in the north eastern part of the Town

Source: (390) No.113, Pg.1366, dtd 17 Feb 1891
Extracted from the digitised articles found in Trove, reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Australia.

Application to Mine within the Town and under Roads - 27 Jun 1893:
The Application was refused on the 15 Aug 1893

Source: (391) No.462, Pg.5076, dtd 27 Jun 1893
Extracted from the digitised articles found in Trove, reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Australia.

Hill End and Tambaroora Temporary Commonage - 29 Jul 1893
Removed from within the boundaries of the Town and Suburban Lands of the Town of Tambaroora

Source: (391) No.544, Pg.6048, dtd 29 Jul 1893
Extracted from the digitised articles found in Trove, reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Australia.

Application to Mine within the Town and under Roads - 15 Aug 1893:
These Applications were all refused

Source: (391) No.568, Pg.6306, dtd 15 Aug 1893
Extracted from the digitised articles found in Trove, reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Australia.

Land Sale Town Lots - 7 Nov 1893:

Source: (391) No.609, Pg.6885, dtd 31^st Aug 1893
Extracted from the digitised articles found in Trove, reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Australia.

In Dec of the same year 425 acres was revoked from the Wellington Goldfield and made available for sale in the Town and its Suburban lands.
Land Revoked from Wellington Goldfield and to be sold as part of Tambaroora Township and Suburban Lands - 14 Dec 1893

Source: (391) No.544, Pg.6039, dtd 29 Jul 1894
Extracted from the digitised articles found in Trove, reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Australia.

In 1894 Lots which had previously not been sold when sales were held in the 1860s and 70s and the unsold Lots from the Auction held in the previous year were placed up for Auction again, this Auction also included the lands that were revoked in the later part of 1893, all were put up for Auction on the 18 Sep 1894.

Land Sale Town and Suburban Lots - 18 Sep 1894:

Source: (295) No.467,, Pg.4535, dtd 18 Sep 1894
Extracted from the digitised articles found in Trove, reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Australia.

Again in 1895 Lots which had previously not been sold when sales were held in the 1860s, 1870s and the unsold Lots from the Auction held in the previous year were placed up for Auction again, all were put up for Auction on the 5 Jun 1895.

Land Sale Town and Suburban Lots - 5 Jun 1895:

Source: (468) No.226,, Pg.2205, dtd 1^st Apr 1895
Extracted from the digitised articles found in Trove, reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Australia.

Revocation of Reserves from Sale - 4 Jan 1918:
The listed Lots below appear to not have been sold after the previous years attempts, their Reserve status was revoked 60 days after the notification date.

Source: (142) No.2,, Pg.84, dtd 1^st Jan 1918
Extracted from the digitised articles found in Trove, reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Australia.

Data was last added to this page on the
16 October 2022