Bingara - Time to Reminisce

For those following our Blog you would have guessed by now that we re-visit places more than once, We also [mainly me - Mick] don't see much interest in large City's and prefer to be away from the hectic pace that City's have. Country towns however hold great interest to both of us and we enjoy exploring some of the out of the way places. Our trip North took us back into familiar country again;

Aboriginal for ‘shallow river crossing’, Bingara is nestled on the Gwydir River in the New England area of northwest New South Wales. Bingara is at the heart of the Fossickers Way, a picturesque route that offers a quiet alternative to the New England or Newell Highways. Prior to European settlement, the Wirrayaraay tribe of the Gamilaraay Nation occupied the land. The first European to discover the area was the explorer Allan Cunningham, en route to the Darling Downs in 1827. The town of Bingara was founded in 1840 and gold was discovered in the area in 1851.

Bingara hold's it's own special connection to me, it was the town my Mum and her 2nd husband Neil came to live after leaving Carrum Victoria in the late 70's. After Mum & my Dad seperated when i was just a baby, Mum's time was spent working to raise her three sons, she had no relationship for 20+ years untill she met Neil through a Gem Club. They both loved the fossicking lifestyle and decided to move to Bingara, where they married. They fitted in well with the small country town involving themselves in the Arts & Crafts group and other local groups, Neil was an expert 'whittler' and could turn a length of wood into a linked chain. After 12 years or so Neil passed away and Mum a few years later, both their ashes are scattered at the Batterham Lookout which overlooks the town and is seen from their front porch.

We have visited Bingara more times since they passed away than we did when they were alive, funny how life can work.