It was a surreal experience walking the streets of Yerranderie – now a ghost town in the middle of the Blue Mountains National Park. In its heyday (in the early 1900s) it was a thriving mining village nestled in the valley with working silver ore mines in the hills surrounding it. By the 1950s the mines were closed and slowly people started leaving the town after a number of unsuccessful attempts to reopen them.
Yerranderie has been privately owned since then and visitors have been welcomed to this tranquil place to enjoy its peaceful bushland, understand its history and hear stories of the people who lived and worked on this land. After the long drive in on gravel road, it’s worth staying the night and there are a number of accommodation options – the old post office is now a hostel, there’s a self contained mining cottage across the road and also an inviting expanse of grassed area for campers.
Yerranderie is lovingly cared for by a couple of caretakers who can show you around the town, tell you the history, and direct you to the number of walking tracks to the various mines in the area. The old town buildings are fascinating to view and house a large number of interesting items, while a walk through the old cemetery is a reminder of just how many people called this place home. Surrounded by mountains there is also a walk to Yerranderie Peak – a somewhat difficult climb but the views are worth it.
This charming and unique place is one of our historic treasures – it’s future is now changing hands and we hope it will remain open and welcoming, so we can all see and taste the glory of the bush and learn of its history.
DH
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