What we loved
Uralla gave a good impression right from the start, but one incident might well sum up the heart of the town. We arrived on a beautiful sunny Saturday only to find that due to a NAB online banking failure, there was no way to pay for anything but by cash. No EFTPOS. No ATM. We had enough money to scratch up some breakfast, but things were not looking great. Enter a lovely Uralla bloke I met in the local museum.
I mentioned the dire cash situation and without any hesitation, he opened his wallet, offered me $100 in cash to get me through the day, and observed that I looked honest and could come back and pay him back the next day. I was surprised and delighted by his generosity and trust and while I didn’t take up his kind offer, it left a lasting impression. Uralla is a kind and friendly kind of town.
What we did in Uralla
Chased a bushranger
Every town has a claim to fame – and Uralla’s is the legend of Frederick Wordsworth Ward – aka the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt. The swashbuckling rogue that Thunderbolt has become in legend is probably a far cry from the actual career criminal he was – he committed 80 crimes punishable by hanging and shot three policemen.
But either way, he’s made his mark on Uralla around which he lived at various times and he died near there in 1870.
There’s a road into town known as Thunderbolts Way and there’s a controversial statue of the man astride a horse where this road intersects the New England Highway.
Just out of town on The New England Highway is one of the most famous piles of rocks in the State – Thunderbolt’s Rock. It was from here that he watched and waited for likely robbery victims to come up the road. The rocks have been extensively graffiti-ed by today’s modern brand of law breakers.
Another popular stop on the Captain Thunderbolt trail around Uralla is his grave at the Uralla Pioneer Cemetery in John Street. The headstone was erected fifty years ago by residents of Uralla after funds were collected by public appeal. There is now controversy over who is actually buried in the grave, or whether anyone is buried there at all!
McCrossin’s Mill Museum
Is well worth a visit and it contains the definitive collection of artefacts relating to the Captain Thunderbolt. The beautifully restored 1870 mill is a joy to behold. On the first floor is a fascinating collection of paintings by Phillip Pomroy which depict the events of the last day of Thunderbolts life from a robbery in the morning to being chased and shot dead by a police officer in the afternooon .
Upstairs there’s more – the bushranger’s gun, his hat, a table on which is body was laid out. Documents. Pictures. When you’ve had enough of that, the museum also has an interesting collection dedicated to the history of the town.
History trail
The Uralla Heritage Walk is a self guided walking tour around more than fifty heritage buildings. It’ll take you a couple of hours but there are numerous places to have a coffee and break up the stroll.
A printed guide is available from the Visitor Information Centre (near the Thunderbolt Statue) which includes a map of the walk and a short history of each building.
Gostwyk Chapel
This is one of the area’s must sees – particularly in Autumn when Virginia creeper is a rich red, and an avenue of huge elms is dropping a carpet of yellow leaves. Little All Saints Anglican Church is set on the road which leads to the Gostwyck Station homestead (owned and run by the six generations of the Dangar family and dating back to the 1830s).
The chapel itself is both church and war memorial – built in 1921 to the memory of Major Clive Collingwood Dangar M.C. (a major in the British army) by his wife Nora Dangar. He died on his return to Melbourne after active service overseas. Towering above the chapel are the trees planted by Major Dangar’s father 65 years earlier. It’s a beautiful and yet sad place and very often photographed.
Dangar’s Lagoon
Despite the long dry spell the area had endured at the time of our visit, Dangar’s Lagoon was still a shimmering oasis for water birds – depleted though it was. It’s about 4kms out of town on Thunderbolt’s Way heading for Walcha . The lagoon is a nature reserve and favoured haunt of bird watchers – they say more than 110 bird species have been recorded there. There’s a special hide for dedicated twitchers and a picnic area for those who just want a break by the peaceful scene. Historically the lagoon has been used in gold mining, a travelling stock reserve and town water supply source. It became a reserve in the early 1970s.
Where we stayed
During our exploration of Uralla we stayed at lovely Elmswood Bed and Breakfast at 112 Bridge Street. This charming cottage is set in the grounds of the historic former Royal Hotel (actually it’s a stop on the heritage walk). Its a very easy stroll to all the cafes, restaurants, galleries and attractions. Inside it was a beautifully appointed with a fully equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, ensuite, dining area, living area, and double bed. The host Rob was helpful and friendly.
Where we ate
We enjoyed breakfast on our first morning in Uralla at the cavernous but popular The Alternative Root . The home made muesli was delicious and they served that rare thing – a good strong hot cup of tea. The building itself was interesting – formally Tricketts General Store built in 1908. If you like history with your breakfast you will like this place.
While you are in a town dedicated so strongly to Captain Thunderbolt, it was absolutely essential to eat lunch at the Thunderbolt Inn. Known also as The Bottom Pub this building is also historic, built in 1909. Given the circumstances, we couldn’t go past the Thunderbolt Burger – a pub classic with beef pattie, cheese, egg, salad, beetroot, pickles and American mustard with a side of chips.
We enjoyed a nice warming curry in the sun filled courtyard of Michael’s Cafe in Bridge Street. The reonvated old bank building is interesting and the food and service were great.
