![]() About the area: The Central West is an area which gradually changes from rolling agricultural land into the harsh, roughness of the arid western region of New South Wales. The earliest inland towns in mainland Australia and many significant historic places relating to its gold rush days are to be found in the Central West. The eastern section covers a wide diversity of Australian history from the historical towns and architecture as well as Australia's pioneering past in places such as Bathurst, Gulgong and Sofala, to the food, wine and hospitality areas of Cowra, Orange and Mudgee. In between are many fascinating and varied attractions like the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo and the Radio Telescope in Parkes, which was used to track man's first walk on the moon. Bathurst was Australia's first major inland city and was the focus of Australia's first gold rush in 1851. Today the city is best known for Mt. Panorama motor racing circuit, which hosts Australia's premier motor car race each year in October.
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| Gulgong |
Parkes radio telescope |
Hill End |
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National Parks
Natural Attractions
Caves
Historic Places
- Bathurst: misc. historic buildings
- Blayney: misc. historic buildings
- Carcoar: misc. historic buildings
- Molong: Sir Thomas Mitchell's Monument; misc. historic buildings
- Dubbo: Old Dubbo Gaol; Court House (1886-90); 'The Springs' homestead (c.1858)
- Mudgee: misc. historic buildings
- Gulgong: Pioneer's Museum; historic buildings
- Grenfell: Henry Lawson memorial obelisk at the site of the diggings where Lawson was born
- Parkes: Sir Henry Parkes Private Library; historic buildings
- Eugowra: the site of the greatest gold-escort robbery in history of bushranging, when Ben Hall and Frank Gardiner robbed a coach of 2,719 ounces of gold and £3,700 cash on 15th June 1862
Misc. Places of Interest
- Bathurst: The Singing Tower; Mt. Panorama motor racing circuit
- Blayney: Carcoar Dam; Wyangala Dam
- Orange: Towac motor racing circuit
- Wellington: Burrendong Dam National Park
- Dubbo: State forests and National Arboretum; Western Plains Zoo; Terramungamine Reserve Aboriginal axe grinding grooves
- Mudgee: wineries; Bogee Nile Area Aboriginal rock shelter; Glen Alice Aboriginal rock shelter
- Canowindra: ancient fish fossil site; hot air ballooning
- Cowra: Woodstock Pioneer Village; Asparagus Canning Factory; wineries; Experiment Farm; Wyangala Dam; Japanese War Cemetery
- Young: Chinaman's Dam; Smith's Aviaries; Pug-mill; Burrangong Creek (site of gold discoveries)
- Forbes: Lachlan River irrigation Scheme; grave of bushranger Ben Hall
- Condolbolin: Agricultural Research Station; Aboriginal burial ground 40 km west
- Parkes: CSIRO Radio Telescope; Phoenix gold mine; North Parkes Mines (27 km north-west); village of Eugowra, the site of the greatest gold-escort robbery in history of bushranging, when Ben Hall and Frank Gardiner robbed a coach of 2,719 ounces of gold and £3,700 cash on 15th June 1862
- Narromine: Swane's Rose Nursery; Narromine Iris Farm; Lime Grove (Australia's largest lime orchards); Trangie Agricultural Research Centre; Aviation Museum; Rural Museum
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