| Binalong NSW 2584 | ||
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Population: 320, Height above sea level: 476, Latitude: 34.4020, Longitude: 148.3800 Location: 315km. south west of Sydney Highway: Burley Griffin Way Nearest Major Town: Yass Nearest Airport: Canberra Touring Area: Capital Country & ACT |
 Town square - Binalong | |
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Small town south west of Yass where bushranger
Johnny Gilbert is buried. Also buried in Binalong is the
father of 'Banjo' Paterson. Binalong was the "Banjo's' childhood home. It was also once a Cobb & Co
stop-over. The main street contains many buildings of interest and is much like it
was 100 years ago. Hotel, motel and B&B accommodation. The area around Yass is one of the most interesting in Australia. Early exploration by Hume and Hovell opened the country up to settlers and large tracts of land were taken up for grazing and crop production. Hume himself retired to Yass and set up Cooma cottage, an attractive property just north of Yass township. With the discovery of gold in New South Wales in the 1850s, bushranger gangs formed to intercept gold escorts and wealthy travellers along the main highways, with several roaming this region. Johnny Gilbert, one of the Ben Hall gang, is buried in a small grave on a hill west of Binalong. At nearby Cootamundra, the home where Sir Donald Bradman was born is open for inspection, in the Binalong Cemetery you will find the grave of 'Banjo' Paterson's father. Not far away, just north of Gundagai, the 'Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox' at a roadside stop, immortalising the words of the song and poem. Not far away at Murrumbateman are some of the finest wineries in New South Wales, and the tiny township of Binalong itself is a delight to visit. I first visited Binalong in the 1960s when we intended staying in Canberra but could not get a bed there, or in Yass. We turned up at the Binalong Hotel about two in the morning and managed to wake the owner who accommodated us. From then on, for many years, we returned to Binalong and the pub to enjoy a few relaxing days in a country town with real atmosphere. Its village square is a delight.  SEE A MAP OF BINALONG PLACES OF INTEREST:
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