Hill End 150

Hill End celebrates it's golden hey-day.

150 years since the world's largest gold speciment, the 'Holtermann Nugget', was found in Hill End NSW Australia.

The historic and iconic Australian gold rush town of Hill End NSW was once home to a thriving community of over 8,000 people, today it is a charming heritage village with a population of around 100. On 22 October 2022, ‘Hill End 150’, celebrates the 150th anniversary of the town’s golden hey-day. Our community inspired event will take your mind back to 1872 when the world’s largest gold specimen, the “Holtermann Nugget”, was found and celebrated along with the opening of many local buildings that still stand today.

Today’s creative and eclectic Hill End community warmly invite you to join them for a day of celebration, connecting and reconnecting with an exciting part of Australia’s goldrush history.

To truly gain a sense of what it was like to live in a thriving village 150 years ago, festival-goers will enjoy a raft of entertainment and activities themed around the town’s gold rush era.

From local eatery festival inspired menus, live music and roving bands, festival stalls, sausage sizzle, a book launch, ‘Treasures of the Hill End Collection’ exhibition at the National Parks & Wildlife Heritage Centre, heritage town tours, Bald Hill mine tours, gold mining displays, open historic homes, art exhibitions featuring world-renowned local artists, colourised Holtermann Collection photo gallery and light installations projected on buildings using the Holtermann photographic collection – you’ll be spoilt for choice and transported back to a simpler time.

The famous Holtermann Specimen was a 630lb rock containing more than 75% gold - take a selfie next to a life-size replica made by famed Hill End historian Harry Hodge, and dream of what your future would look like with a golden find like that!

The evening will conclude with a bush dance in the Royal Hall featuring the thigh slapping gang from the Southern Cross Bush Band.

Hill End community volunteers will be on the ground throughout the day to guide and celebrate alongside you.

Some activities will have a small ticket price, bookable on the day from Northeys Store. We will also have gold coin donation boxes available for those wishing to contribute to the community to deliver future events.