Denison Town, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Denison TownNew South Wales |
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 Denison Town
Location in New South Wales
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| Established | 1850s |
| Elevation | 400 m (1,312 ft) |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Warrumbungle Shire |
| Region | Orana |
Denison Town is a ghost town in New South Wales, Australia. It was started in the 1850s. People believe it was named after Sir William Thomas Denison. He was the Governor of New South Wales at that time. The town was located about 11 kilometers (7 miles) from the modern town of Dunedoo.
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Denison Town: A Town That Disappeared
In its busiest days, Denison Town had several important buildings. These included an inn, a post office, a church, and a cemetery. Sometimes, the Local Court would even hold meetings there.
Life and Work in the Town
People in Denison Town worked in different ways to make a living. They grew crops like wheat. They also raised animals such as sheep and cattle. Sometimes, people would look for silver ore in the ground. This was a way to find valuable metals.
An Exciting Event: The Bushranger Incident
In 1861, something exciting happened at the Denison Hotel, the town's inn. Some bushrangers tried to rob the place. Bushrangers were like outlaws who lived in the Australian bush. They had tried to rob other places around Mudgee before.
However, the people at the inn, including the innkeeper, fought back! They managed to stop the robbers. After this event, people in the town asked for police to be stationed there all the time.
Why Did Denison Town Become a Ghost Town?
Denison Town's Post Office opened on January 1, 1860. It stayed open for many years but closed in 1893. The town also had a school for a while. It was a provisional or part-time school from 1876 until 1899. Later, in 1906, a request for a new school was not approved.
Two main reasons led to Denison Town becoming a ghost town. First, new silver-lead mines opened at a nearby place called Leadville. This meant people moved there for work. Second, Denison Town did not have a railway line. Railways were very important for towns to grow and connect with other places. Without one, the town slowly faded away.
What's Left Today?
Today, only one building from the old Denison Town remains. The pioneer cemetery also still exists. In the 1930s, old newspaper reports mentioned that the cemetery had about 50 graves. It was sometimes used for grazing by local animals. The cemetery is still there today, a quiet reminder of the town that once was.
