BinalongThe historic village of Binalong offers visitors a wide range of activities and attractions in a heritage setting. With Australia's only purpose built motor museum, Peter Minson Art Glass & cafe, Corkhills Art of Living and The Binalong History Pavilion at Pioneer Park.
Nestled in wooded hills on the Burley Griffin Way, Binalong is 320 km south-west of Sydney and 37 km north-west of Yass.
Populated by the Ngunnawal people prior to white settlement, the town’s name is thought to derive from either 'Bennelong', the name of a noted Aborigine, or an Aboriginal word meaning 'towards a high place'.
In 1821 Hamilton Hume’s exploratory party became the first known group of Europeans in the area.
Binalong was also home to one of Australia’s best known poets: AB 'Banjo' Paterson. Raised at Illalong Station outside the town, 'Banjo' attended school in Binalong before being sent off to school in Sydney in 1864. He returned to Illalong on holidays many times and Binalong influenced several of his poems.
One of Australia’s most infamous bushrangers, Johnny (Flash) Gilbert, lies buried near Binalong. Gilbert, along with Frank Gardiner and Ben Hall, formed part of the gang responsible for the biggest robbery in Australian bush ranging history, stealing £14,000 in cash and gold from the Forbes Gold escort in June 1862. At the time of his death in 1865, Gilbert had become Australia's most notorious criminal. His grave can be found on the Harden Road, 1 km from town, and his death is recorded in Banjo Paterson’s 1894 poem “How Gilbert Died”.
Once a major stopping place for Cobb & Co coaches, Binalong is now home to some outstanding examples of colonial architecture. The Black Swan Inn (built in 1847) is now the Black Swan Restaurant, while the original Patterson Pub (1840s), built of pise and bricks, is now a private residence, as is the old railway station (1876).
Built around an historic village square are the old General store, a post-office, butcher, stock and station agent, modern golf course and a large rambling country Hotel.
Pioneer Park, found in the centre of the village, has toilets, picnic facilities and free electric barbecues.
How Gilbert Died
A.B. "Banjo" Paterson
But Gilbert wakes while the night is dark—
A restless sleeper, aye,
He has heard the sound of a sheep-dog’s bark,
And his horse’s warning neigh,
And he says to his mate, “There are hawks abroad,
And it’s time that we went away.”
Their rifles stood at the stretcher head,
Their bridles lay to hand,
They wakened the old man out of his bed,
When they heard the sharp command:
“In the name of the Queen lay down your arms,
Now, Dunn and Gilbert, stand!”
Then Gilbert reached for his rifle true
That close at his hand he kept,
He pointed it straight at the voice and drew,
But never a flash outleapt,
For the water ran from the rifle breech—
It was drenched while the outlaws slept.
Then he dropped the piece with a bitter oath,
And he turned to his comrade Dunn:
“We are sold,” he said, “we are dead men both,
But there may be a chance for one;
I’ll stop and I’ll fight with the pistol here,
You take to your heels and run.”
So Dunn crept out on his hands and knees
In the dim, half-dawning light,
And he made his way to a patch of trees,
And vanished among the night,
And the trackers hunted his tracks all day,
But they never could trace his flight.
But Gilbert walked from the open door
In a confident style and rash;
He heard at his side the rifles roar,
And he heard the bullets crash.
But he laughed as he lifted his pistol-hand,
And he fired at the rifle flash.
Then out of the shadows the troopers aimed
At his voice and the pistol sound,
With the rifle flashes the darkness flamed,
He staggered and spun around,
And they riddled his body with rifle balls
As it lay on the blood-soaked ground.
There’s never a stone at the sleeper’s head,
There’s never a fence beside,
And the wandering stock on the grave may tread
Unnoticed and undenied,
But the smallest child on the Watershed
Can tell you how Gilbert died.
The Bulletin, 2 June 1894
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