Fast facts
- Australia’s oldest surviving gold rush town
- Beside the Turon River with dramatic rugged mountain backdrop
- 241 km north-west of Sydney, population 100
Why go there
Sofala offers the authentic old-world charm of a former gold-rush town. Small and peaceful today, its out-of-the-wayness has attracted artists over the years. In 1947, Russell Drysdale captured the main street and its timber buildings in its hot, dusty emptiness in his famous work, "Sofala". Apart from the historic buildings, there are fascinating scenic drives to be made in the district.
History
Just four months after Edward Hargraves discovered gold at Summerhill Creek in February 1851, a huge tent city covered the valley as people flocked to the area to find their fortune. Gold saw the construction of pubs and buildings to service the miners.
Sofala’s gold rush was short-lived though, and after the population peaked at 10,000, only a few hundred prospectors were left by 1854. Commercial goldmining finally ceased in 1948.
Things to do
- Fossick for gold in the Turon River with equipment bought at the souvenir shop.
- Take an historical walking tour through town to discover a boom time long past.
- Explore the Upper Turon for reminders of the gold rush, including diggings, gravestones, buildings and a Chinese miner settlement.
Don’t miss
- The Old General Store, built in the 1860s.
- The unstable-looking Gas Hotel, built in 1851.
- The Lower Turon drive for a picnic spot where you can pan for gold.
- Mobs of kangaroos on the Burree Walking Trail.
- Turon Technology Museum and its industrial revolution machines.
