Click on images to enlarge
13 February 1892
Gulgong was proclaimed a municipality on 5th February, 1876, and its approximate area is 33½ square miles; a large portion of Mr. R. Rouse's Guntawang estate is included, consisting of his residence and 4000 acres of land. The boundaries extend in a northerly direction to a little distance past the actual town, but in other directions it embraces Guntawang, Three Mile, Springfield, Canadian, and a portion of Wilbertree. The distance of these places from the town varies from three to eight miles. Home Rule is not included in the municipal district, but the boundary extends to the bridge over the Wyaldra Creek that leads into the township. There are some 60 miles of roads and streets made, their metalling consisting principally of quartz known as "hopperings, and which the goldminers unearthed in the early and palmy days of the goldfield. The council has a depot of this material near the town, so that good metalled roadways are easily and cheaply made.
Considerable improvements have been effected by the council during the 15 years of its existence. The town having been aligned some years back, the principal streets are now kerbed with freestone (which is plentiful in the district) and well guttered. Much more work would have been carried out had funds been available, and, as residents are likely in the near future to build houses of a more durable material than the original ones of wood and iron, the revenue in the way of rates will be increased.
The council comprises nine aldermen, inclusive of the Mayor, Mr. R. W. Heard, who has presided for the past three years, and has just been re-elected Mayor for the present year. There is a free public library containing about 1100 volumes, which (other than works of reference) are lent to ratepayers on personal guarantee as to compliance with the rules. Boxes of books are also obtained from the Sydney Free Library at regular intervals. The reading-room is open daily, and visitors can read on the premises or borrow books for home-reading without any charge being made. The council receives yearly sums for expenditure on various roads, &c, of which that body has been appointed trustees; so that many committees are necessitated. There are at present 11 such standing committees - viz., bylaw, works, finance, library, town hall, water reserve, people's park, model farm, Three-mile-road, Jackson's-road, and Martin's-road.
The passing of a liberal District Government Act would doubtless conduce to the welfare of the inhabitants and the district, and but for its incorporation Gulgong would scarcely have passed through the trying times it has experienced so well as it has done. It is a district favoured by nature. Visitors from Sydney to Gulgong have, after leaving the Mudgee railway terminus, the choice of three roads, either by way of Cullenbone, Home Rule, or Canadian. The country is seen to advantage by either route, but there is a charming prospect at this time of the year in travelling via the Canadian. Leaving the main road at what is known as O'Donnell's-lane, the visitor enters the Gulgong municipal district and passes over hilly country, through highly cultivated farms on both sides of a well-metalled road for a distance of seven miles into Gulgong1
.