Cooyal (Co. Phillip) 32°27’S. 149°46’E., 23 km NE of Mudgee, on Cooyal Ck; farming and grazing; Angl. C. (St Andrew’s, Meth. Till 1930) b. 1914 by Horswell and Hicken, and graveyard (28 graves 1884-1922) 1881, restored 2007; bushfires 1888 and 1902; butter factory 1891, sold 1904 to Curran, sold 1905 to E. Wooley and W. Brown, closed, burnt down 1913; causeway across Cooyal Ck; PO 1882; rifle range 1915; Rom. Cath. C. (St John the Baptist) 1888-1957, sold and reused; sawmill (John H. McGrath); school 1877, new one b. 1920 by Wurth and Wright, closed 1962; telephone 1914; TX 1927; pop. 113 (1901), 222 (1911), 214 (1933), 107 (1947), 126 (1954), 102 (1961), 436 (2011)1 .
1922
31 August 1922
The land around Cooyal is light and in some places very sandy. What I saw I am not too much impressed with it as a wheat growing district, but if it was near cheap transport, it should grow much oaten hay, that class of hay that is so hard, for the race horse trainer, a very fine stalk and generally called rack hay. It always commands a very big price in Sydney market and can only be bought on certain occasions, most oaten hay grows too coarse. Tobacco too, should form a good paying proposition. Passing along by a fair road, some good land is reached and here and there a farm is seen with a thrifty look, but if a mistake is not made dairying is followed. There are a couple of good farms near a nice running stream of water, a compact little camping reserve gives travellers a good camp, plenty of water if no grass. About here one comes to a portion of the famous Havilah Estate and the property of Mr. White, a gentleman who is held in high esteem by his adjoining neighbours; he is a very charitable man and is very good to returned soldiers. Some very good land is seen on this portion of his property2
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