History of Orange NSW and the surrounding areas, Central Tablelands, Central West NSW Australia

Originally known as Blackman's Swamp 'Orange' was so named by Surveyor-General Thomas Mitchell in honour of the Prince of Orange, who later became the King of Holland.

'Orange', is an accidental anomaly because it has no connection with citrus; but grows apples, almost half the NSW crop. As well as apples you will find a strong, very diverse economy.

From it's beginnings in the late 1820s (the site of Orange was officially proclaimed on 18 November 1846) Orange has grown into the prosperous largest city in the central western district with a population of 38,000 and overall with the nearby towns and villages, supports a surrounding population of 100,000.

There is much of our history in and surrounding Orange.

You can take the 'Heritage Trail' to see Orange as it once was - this includes in part - Holy Trinity Church of Orange (1879) - the beautiful Anglican church, on the Cnr. Anson & Byng Streets which is a great example of high Victorian Gothic Revival, its tall steeple dominating much of the city. Duntryleague Guest House (1876), Orange Court House, and the Orange Town Hall.

View over Orange with Mt Canobolas in the background

There is a Cook Park Heritage Walk brochure as well, which will guide you through this beautiful park with it's first magnificent trees planted in 1880. It is a beautiful restful place for a picnic with it's fountains, rotunda, aviary, begonia house, pond and numerous walkways.

Just one of the many lovely parks in Orange -

others are - Moulder Park - spectacular in autumn, the Orange Botanical Gardens - on 17 hectares and featuring 'Homestead Gardens', 'Sensory Gardens', 'Biblical Gardens' and 'Heritage Rose Garden'.

Whitney Fountain, Robertson Park, Orange NSW

Designed by G.A. Mansfield, opened in 1880, with Sir Henry Parkes, the NSW Premier and Founder of Australian Federation laying the foundation stone is the Orange Public School. It has a unique appearance and looks more like a church than a school with its high pointed large-paned sash windows, steeply pitched roof and spire.

The row of ironwork-decorated houses built in 1876, known as Bowen Terrace are a perfect and rare example of their period.

Brochures are available from the local Historical Society and Visitor Information Centre which lists 44 places of interest.

Also, Robertson Park - planted with exotic and native trees and located on the original site of 'Blackmans Swamp' and has existed since 1882.

You will find within it the Whitney Fountain (1896) and the

Bandstand (1913).

When you arrive in Orange, situated on the western side of the Great Dividing Range, 261 km west of Sydney and 863 m above sea level, you will travel through it's wide elegant streets and find a mix of history and cosmopolitan.

You will still find so much of the elegance and splendour of the 19th century in it's beautifully restored handsome buildings with stained glass windows and pressed metal ceilings, it's wide tree-lined streets and it's beautiful parks and gardens.

Begonias in bloom - stunning, Cook Park Orange NSW

One more point of interest is that Orange is the birthplace of Australia's famous poet Banjo Paterson.

He was born in John Templer's home on the 17th February 1864. At the site of his birthplace, on the Ophir Road, you will find Banjo Paterson Park and a memorial obelisk which declares that this was the location where Andrew 'Banjo' Paterson, was born.

A monument to the man who wrote 'Waltzing Matilda', and who is now recognised as the country's most famous and most admired bush poet can be found in the Civic Gardens, adjacent to the Visitor Information Centre.

There is the Cobb & Co Heritage Trail - covering one of its old routes between Bathurst and Bourke. The historic inland coaching company operated gold escorts and Royal Mail Services across the region.

William Franklin Whitney, a Cobb & Co partner, lived in Orange and the heritage trail takes in the old family residence which was also later used as company stables and a depot (106 Moulder St), the Whitney Fountain, built by Whitney's employees in his honour (Robertson Park). Whitney and his wife are buried in the Orange cemetery.

Cobb & Co Heritage Trail, outside The Royal Hotel, Orange NSW

Banjo Patterson memorial obelisk, Orange NSW

Historical Information Plaque ~ in Robertson Park, Orange NSW

Right - Historical Information Plaque ~ in Robertson Park

Below is the transcript of text on the plaque...

The Wellington Inn, photographed by Henry Beaufoy Merlin, was the first two storey hotel in Orange. The Inn was opened in the late 1850's, and the name changed to the Royal Hotel in 1881. The hotel served as a booking office for coach companies, including Cobb & Co. The Cobb & Co agency was run by W.F. Whitney, who was a direcotr of Cobb & Co and a resident of Orange.

In the 1930's, the hotel was remodelled. A third storey was added, the verandah and decorative lacework removed and the streamline look of the current building took shape.

Historical Information Plaque ~ Orange NSW Courthouse -in Robertson Park

Left - Historical Information Plaque ~ in Robertson Park

Below is the transcript of text on the plaque...

The first Orange Court House was a small slab and bark watchhouse built in 1848. The following year the Court of Petty Sessions, established at Summer Hill in nearby Frederick's Valley in 1847, was moved here. The building also served as a venue for early church services and the first council meetings.

The larger sandstone Court House shown in this photo was erected in the early 1860s. Ben Hall, charged with "Robbery under Arms", appeared here in May 1862.

The Lockup seen in the photo behind the Court House on the Byng Street side, was demolished in 1912.

The present neo-classical building designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet was built in 1883 from locally quarried sandstone. The cost was nearly seven thousand pounds.

The Victoria Hotel (once the Coach & Horses Hotel) was close to the stables and changing yard and significant for Cobb & Co travellers. The Royal Hotel (once the Wellington Inn) was the old booking office site and the former passenger pick-up point. There are also other sites of Cobb & Co interest in the Orange area and Cabonne Shire, such as pick-up points, changing stations and track routes -

Visit www.cobbandco.net.au for more information.

A Brief History of Orange and the surrounding areas

A brief history of Orange and its surrounding areas of Byng, Ophir, Lucknow, Millthorpe, Molong, Manildra, Cudal, Canowindra, Eugowra, Borenore Caves and Nangar National Park. The communities of Orange Central Tablelands, Central West NSW Australia.