The Rock

 

The Rock
Sleepy service centre notable for its wide main street.
The small and pleasant township of The Rock, 225 m above sea-level, is 497 km south-west of Sydney via the Hume and Sturt Highways. Situated in a wool and wheat area it was once occupied by the Wiradjuri Aborigines. The town is named after a local geological feature, a craggy outcrop which dominates the immediate landscape. Rising 364 m from the flat plains of the Riverina it can be seen from miles around.

The first European into the area was Charles Sturt in 1829. Sturt noticed a large overhanging rock on the summit. James Wall held the licence for a run in the immediate district from 1847. Initially known as Kengal, after the Wiradjuri title, it soon became known as Hanging Rock because of a spectacular overhang on the east face of the hill. However, the rock ceased to 'hang' so visibly after a major rock fall in 1874.

The railway arrived in 1880 and the first buildings appeared in its wake. First were the railway workers with their campsite and associated buildings, including a shanty. A hotel was built in 1881. The following year the township was gazetted (as Hanging Rock) and a school and church soon emerged. When a branch line to Lockhart opened in 1901 it gave the township some status as a rail junction but the decline of the line adversely affected local growth. This process was exacerbated when the Olympic Way was altered to bypass The Rock shopping centre in 1960. However, it has benefited recently from the growth of Wagga, 31 km north-east. The current population is about 800.

 

The War Memorial in the main street (Urana Street)

 

 

Things to see:  

Hanging Rock Hill
The summit of the hill can be reached via the Yerrong trail which leads from the picnic area at the foot of the hill. The track passes through the 365-ha nature reserve that surrounds The Rock and within which can be found several relic plants, including a species of groundsel thought to be unique to the area. The 6-km track is gentle at first but becomes more onerous as it zig-zags to the crest. The walk takes about three hours but the view is worthwhile. On a clear day it is possible to see Mt Kosciuszko on the horizon to the south-east. To the west is Galore Hill and beyond that the rolling plains of western NSW.

The craggy rock faces have proved to be excellent nesting sites for wedge-tailed eagles and peregrine falcons. There are, in fact, over 100 species in the reserve, as well as grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies, echidnae, possums and marsupial mice. Although no historic sites have been found on the reserve it is thought that initiation ceremonies may have been held here in the past as the creek just to the south is known as Yerrong, a Wiradjuri word thought to mean 'place of initiation'.

 

The Rock Nature Reserve
The Rock became a nature reserve in 1962 having been crown land for 100 years. The Wiradjuri people called 'The Rock' - 'kengal'. Being such a predominant feature in the area The Rock was almost certainly important to Aboriginal cultural life. The Yerong Walking Trail leaves from the parking lot and goes to the summit of the rock which is 554 metres above sea level. It is a distance of approximately 3km to the top and it should take about three hours for a return trip. The trail is mostly grade but becomes steep towards the summit. It is located 4.2 km from the Post Office on the road to Lockhart.

 

Attractions in the town
In town are The Rock Antiques, open seven days a week at 117 Urana St. The building dates from 1895 and was the first substantial brick building in the town. Fantasia Dolls at the railway station in Olympic Way has interesting hand-made porcelain dolls. The Rock Show is held in October.

 

 

 

 

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The Rock