Australian Theme- developing local, regional and national economies.

NSW Theme- transport.

Local Themes- activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements.

Railway station, railway archaeological site, railway infrastructure, highway, bridges, carriage, coach route, stock route, horse or cattle yard, coach stop. 

Australian Theme- building settlements, towns and cities.

NSW Theme- utilities. 

Local Themes- activities associated with the provision of services.

Bridge, culvert and roadway.

The geographic features of the Gwydir Shire including mountain ranges, rivers, creeks and plains meant that communication lines were established in a quite distinct pattern from the 1840s.  Consequently, coach routes and later roads ran north from Tamworth to Bingara, on to Warialda and the Queensland border.  Others ran east from Inverell and west to Moree.  These patterns of communication have continued to today.

Prior to the construction of bridges, rivers and creeks had to be crossed at low water points.  During times of flood, river crossings were extremely hazardous and movement of goods was expensive.  Initially timber truss bridges played a significant role in the expansion of the NSW road network and they were relatively cheap to construct because of the availability of local timber.  In time, some iron and steel bridges were constructed although initially they were imported from England.  Timber and steel bridges were also constructed to meet the needs of the expanding railway system throughout NSW.  

Photograph left: Modern Bridges Landscape showing use of concrete and tar, Upper Horton. Blake & Wilson 2006

Tamworth to Warialda Coach Service

David Cohen established early passenger and coach services across the Liverpool Plains in the 1840s.  David Cohen was based in Maitland but also established business interests in Tamworth.  In 1848 the coaching part of the business was taken over by the squatter John Gill from ‘Moonbi Station’, north of Tamworth at the foothills of the Moonbi Ranges.  He had a monopoly of coach transport from Singleton to the Queensland border by 1861.

John Gill started a coach service from Tamworth to Bingara in the early 1860s.  At the same time, he controlled coaching north of Tamworth through Armidale along the great Northern Road.  By 1862 he conducted the Tamworth to Warialda mail service twice weekly by horseback.  The 1868 NSW Government Gazette, described the postal line for John Gill, Moonbi: ‘Tamworth, Manilla, Barraba, Bingera and Warialda via Barkers, North Bingera, 197 miles twice a week, four wheel vehicle or horseback’.

In the early 1870s, Cobb and Co. took over the New England coaching business from Gill.  Cobb and Co. won the mail contracts to carry mail from Aberdeen north through the New England Tablelands.  Apart from mail, Cobb and Co. carried passengers and goods in the Northern Express Van.

The service from Tamworth to Warialda was taken over by Joseph Chaffey of Tamworth in 1871 and three years later, Wilkinson and Bowden took over the service.  The partnership suffered a loss when a fire destroyed their coaching stables in Bingera in 1879.  Cobb and Co. of Tamworth acted as booking agents for Wilkinson and Bowden’s line of coaches from Warialda, Bingera, Cobbadah, Barraba and Manilla for the Sydney International Exhibition in October.  It was in that year that Cobb and Co. took over the service and employed Wilkinson and Bowden to maintain it.  Wilkinson and Bowden dissolved their partnership in 1882.

Photograph left: Bridges Landscape showing the removal of an early concrete bridge on the road leading to Upper Horton from Cobbadah. Blake & Wilson 2006

To travel from Sydney to Bingera before construction of the Hawkesbury River railway bridge in 1891, passengers travelled to Newcastle by sea; steam train to Tamworth and then coach.  The coach travelled through Attunga, Manilla, Barraba and Cobbadah.

By June 1886, Thomas Connolly a general storekeeper in Maitland Street, Bingera acted as agent for Veness and Wilkinson’s coaches as well as J. Bowman’s Inverell Coach.  By November 1897, mail stables were established for George Wilkinson at Tamworth, Attunga, Manilla, Tarpolly Creek, Barraba, Oakey Creek, Hall’s Creek, Bingara, Emu Creek and Warialda. Armstrong’s stables were situated at Emu Creek.  It was in that month that tenders were called for the supply of forage for Wilkinson’s stables between Tamworth and Warialda.

After some thirty years of service running between Manilla and Warialda, George Wilkinson sold out his coach service to H.J. Page and J. Wilkinson early in January 1904.  Both men had been driving for some years on the line.

The year 1912 saw the end of the coaching era.  Four horses bolted when the coach was descending the Old Devil’s Elbow hill.  The coach overturned and the driver Campbell employed by the firm Wilkinson Bros. was killed.  Harry Page then took over the mail contract by motor vehicle.

Inverell to Warialda and Bingara

Inverell was an important transport link to both Warialda and Bingara.  Coaches from these towns would then link with other coaches travelling onto Glen Innes and arrive for the train to travel north to Queensland or south to the Hunter Valley and Sydney.

By May 1890 Thomas Fitzgerald operated the Royal Mail Line of coaches from Inverell to Glen Innes and Warialda.  The service was still operating in February 1902.  An advertisement in the Bingara Telegraph in August 1895 advertised that M. O’Connors conducted the Royal Mail service between Bingara, Myall Creek, Little Plain and Inverell.  The booking office was W. Wilkinson’s ‘Commercial Hotel’ at Bingara.

R. Alcock and Co. operated Royal Mail Coaches from Warialda to Inverell and then onto Glen Innes in January 1898.  In December 1901, Thomas Fitzgerald operated the Royal Mail Line of coaches from Inverell to Glen Innes and Warialda.  Booking offices were J. Walker, tobacconist Inverell and the ‘Royal Hotel’, Warialda.  By June 1909, W. Childs had taken over the runs from the late Thomas Fitzgerald. 

F. Wemyss took over the Royal Mail Coach run from Warialda to Inverell by May 1903.  The coaches left Warialda at 4.30 am and arrived at Inverell at 11 am.  Coaches left Inverell on the same days and arrived at Warialda 1 pm. 

By January 1919, C.J. Underwood operated the Royal Mail Coaches from Inverell to Warialda via Rob Roy.  After leaving Inverell at 6am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays the coach arrived at Warialda at 6.30 pm.

In September 1898, Charles Lee was granted a stagecoach license by the Bingara police court for one vehicle plying between Bingara and Inverell.  W. H. Byron conducted the Royal Mail coaches from Inverell to Bingara by December 1901.  Booking offices were the ‘Wilkinson’s Hotel’, Bingara and the ‘Central Hotel’, Inverell.  The trip took some six hours.  In February 1902, W.G.H. Byron operated coaches to and from Inverell to Warialda.  The booking office was the Warialda ‘Commercial Hotel’.

Bingara to Moree

In October 1890 a petition was presented to the government seeking a mail service by coach between Bingara and Moree, via Bangheet, Elcombe, Gravesend, Yagabie and Binneguy.  Tenders for twice weekly coach service were called in March 1891.  William Reeves was appointed to conduct a twice-weekly service with a two-horse coach at a rate of ₤150.  He was the eldest son of James Thomas Reeves the Elcombe postmaster, appointed in June 1891. 

Warialda to Gravesend

In February 1900, Gunthorpe started the Royal Mail Coach service from Warialda to Gravesend.  The business also advertised ’26 hours to Sydney’.  After the arrival of the train to Gravesend, Gunthorpe advertised a five horse special to leave Gravesend five minutes after arrival of the train.  The mail coach then left later with luggage.

By February 1902, J.B. Campbell operated a Public Bus to meet all trains at Warialda Station and then transport passengers to the local hotels and also picking up passengers in any part of Warialda.  He conveyed passengers to and from Cavanagh’s ‘Commercial Hotel, McGee’s ‘Tattersalls Hotel’ and Crane’s ‘Royal Hotel’.  A month later he informed the public that he had purchased a second bus.

By June 1903 the mail service from Warialda to Boggabilla had been reduced from bi weekly service to once a week because of the severe drought.  With the break of drought local authorities approached the Federal Member of Parliament and G.A. Criuckshank promised to approach the Postmaster-General for an improved service.

Charles Lee was granted a stagecoach license by the Bingara police court for one vehicle plying between Bingara and Inverell in September 1898.  Two months later in November, E. Maidens Junr. announced his intention to run a light vehicle for the carrying of mail on the line from Bingara to Narrabri instead of by horseback.  He also won the contract to carry a once a week mail service to ‘Keera Station’ in January 1899; the trip took three hours from Bingara.

In January 1900, W.T. Maidens ran a mail and passenger service between Warialda, Gravesend railway station and Bingara.

Warialda to Wallangra Mail Line

By June 1912, A.J. Kimmorley mail contractor of Hope Street, Warialda carried parcels between the two places.