A trip to the past (part two)

So after Sofala we ventured onto Hill End. Hill End is described as an 1870s ghost town. In the 1870s it was a thriving gold town with about 8000 residents (the largest inland settlement) and had a kilometer of shopfronts, which included 28 pubs, an oyster bar and even an opium den! By the 1920s gold mining had dropped off and today its population is about only 80. In 1967 it was proclaimed a historic site and National Parks and Wildlife Service is preserved and restoring Hill End. There are also many great lookouts where you can see forever. It is a really beautiful place to visit and because of its history and beauty it is home to many artists.

Unfortunatley we took mostly video and not pictures of the buildings so my partner put together this little video which has both Sofala and Hill End. Enjoy!

A trip to the past (part one)

Not so long ago we decided to make a trip to Hill End. Ever since we brought our 1830s house we have been keen to see others. It is lovely to see others who love their historic houses like us and it is great to see what people have done with theirs, how they use it now, how they furnish it. We decided to go to Hill End, which is a town that was the heart of the gold rush in the 19th century (but more about that later). On our way we stopped in a town called Sofala. We took so many pics of Sofala so I will do it as its own post.

 Sofala is also an old gold town from the 19th Century, but much smaller. It has a wonderful main street where there are plenty of places to get something to eat and have a drink. They are currently doing up some of the buildings so we will be going back for another visit.

The old Goal has been turned into an antique shop and coffee shop. Sofala is definitely worth a visit. 

As we were leaving town we found this caravan along the river. The person living there must love the peace and quiet...it looked so peaceful.

We then drove to Hill End. I will post the second part of our trip to Hill End shortly.