Mossgiel, New South Wales facts for kids

Mossgiel is a small place in New South Wales, Australia. It's part of the Carrathool Shire. Long ago, Mossgiel was a busy town on a main coach route, like an old-fashioned highway, connecting the Lachlan and Darling Rivers. This route is now called the Cobb Highway. Mossgiel is about 50 kilometers southeast of Ivanhoe.

Over the 1900s, the town slowly became much smaller. Today, Mossgiel has only one house (which used to be the post office) and a community hall. The name Mossgiel comes from a farm in Ayrshire, Scotland, where the famous poet Robert Burns lived.

The Early Days of Mossgiel

Mossgiel began around 1864 when two brothers, Francis and George Desailly, started large sheep stations called 'Mossgiel' and 'Booligal'. The 'Mossgiel' station was in a remote area, so getting water for their animals was a huge challenge.

The Desailly brothers hired many workers to build fences, dig water tanks, and sink wells. They even brought in the very first special water pump and steam engine to the Riverina region! This new technology helped them pump water from the wells into long iron troughs for their livestock.

How Mossgiel Became a Town

In 1868, a coach service started running through Mossgiel, connecting Booligal to towns along the Darling River, like Wilcannia. Because of this new route, people began to settle in Mossgiel.

Robert Riordan built a hotel in Mossgiel in late 1868. He got a license for the Mossgiel Hotel in February 1869. Around the same time, George Williamson, who owned a store in Booligal, planned to open a large general store in Mossgiel. In December 1869, another hotel, the Wool-pack Hotel, opened in Mossgiel.

By January 1870, Mossgiel had its own post office. More businesses soon followed. By December 1872, a blacksmith named William Barns and a saddler (someone who makes leather goods for horses) named J. J. Allen had set up shops in the growing town.

In 1878, Isadore Galland opened a big store in Mossgiel. He sold everything from groceries and clothes to boots. Galland also had two "hawker's waggons" – like traveling shops – that constantly moved around, selling goods to people in the area.

Education Comes to Mossgiel

A public school opened in Mossgiel in 1886. At first, it was a "provisional" school, meaning it was temporary. But it soon became a full public school in 1890, showing that the town was growing and needed a proper school for its children.

Challenges and Changes in Mossgiel

Mossgiel faced many tough times, especially due to the weather and changes in transportation.

The Great Drought of the Early 1900s

From 1901 to 1903, a terrible drought, known as the Federation Drought, hit Mossgiel and the surrounding area very hard. After this long dry period, there were hardly any animals left on the stations, and many had to close down. Only a few caretakers remained.

Getting supplies became very difficult. Normally, goods were brought by horse-drawn teams. But during the drought, flour, animal feed, and other important items had to be carried by camel teams all the way from Wilcannia to Ivanhoe. From Ivanhoe, coaches would then bring the supplies to Mossgiel. By early 1903, the government water tank that supplied Mossgiel was completely dry, and water had to be brought from a station eleven miles away.

A Massive Sandstorm Hits Mossgiel

In February 1904, not long after the drought finally ended, Mossgiel was hit by a huge sandstorm. It blew from the southwest at "hurricane speed" for sixty hours without stopping. People who had lived there the longest said it was the worst storm they had ever seen.

After the storm, many buildings in the town were surrounded by "sand-hills." Galland's store, for example, could only be entered from one side of its porch because a "perfect mountain of sand" was blocking the rest. They had to use sheets of metal to keep the sand back!

Mossgiel Shrinks in Size

By November 1915, the population of Mossgiel, including children and babies, was only about 30 or 40 people.

In 1936, it was reported that Mossgiel had become much less important. This was because a railway line had been built through Ivanhoe, which was 35 miles away. The railway made it easier to transport goods and people, so Mossgiel's role as a coach stop declined. As a result, the small hospital and the only hotel in Mossgiel had to close down.

Nature in the Mossgiel Region

The Unique Mossgiel Daisy

The Mossgiel region is home to a special and rare flower called the Mossgiel daisy (scientific name: Brachyscome papillosa). This daisy is named after the area because it's one of the few places where it grows.

The Mossgiel daisy is a plant with many stems and pretty mauve (light purple) flowers that have a yellow center. It grows in scattered spots across the Riverina Bioregion, usually in clay soils. You can often find it growing near other plants like bladder saltbush (Atriplex vesicaria) and leafless bluebush (Maireana aphylla).