Photography in the NSW Goldfields

I recently spent a few days travelling through the Hill End and Sofala district  with a view to running a landscape workshop there some time next year. For a photographer it's an interesting region: packed with historic houses, mining memorabilia, old pubs, rickety buildings and loads of other fine objects just groaning to be photographed! While Sofala is tiny - you can walk round it in 20 minutes - Hill End is physically spread out over a large area. Its current population is around 150, down from 8,000 in 1870. Most of the houses are gone but there's a good sleection of pubs, churches and other significant civic buildings to entertain a passing photographer. Meanwhile I'll be putting together an itinerary and announcing a short weekend workshop in the New Year. Watch this space!

'House Number One'. On the road between Sofala and Hill End

Hill End has a good collection of old mining equipment. This is an HDR shot of a US-made crushing plant powered, originally, by a steam-powered traction engine.

Beyer's cottage, Hill End

Slightly dilapidated row of wooden cottages in Sofala

View of Hawkins Ridge from the Hill End lookout. The Ridge was home to dozens of gold claims that sank on average, more than 100 metres into the hill beneath the ridgeline in the centre-left portion of this HDR panorama.

Impending storm racing over a ridge on the Sofala to Hill End road

Road markers on the Sofala to Hill End road

Public bar, Royal Hotel, Hill End

Renovation nightmare in Sofala

Royal Hotel bar, Hill End

Close up of the beer taps, Royal Hotel in Hill End