Welcome to Rodney's Relics – Your Gateway to Australian History
NEW SERIAL STORY: "The Ballarat Mine" – Bingara's Most Famous gold mine see Part 1 below
If you're passionate about Australian history, gold mining tales, murder mysteries, and the stories of pioneers who shaped this great nation, you've found your treasure trove. Rodney's Relics specializes in Australian history books that bring the past to life – from bushrangers and true crime to the fascinating stories of old mining towns like Bingara.
Discover Bingara: A Fossicker's Haven
Nestled in the mountains of New South Wales, Bingara is more than just an old gold and diamond mining town – it's a living piece of Australian history. Gold is still being discovered in Bingara's mountains and streams, making it a fossicker's paradise. But the real treasure lies in the stories of the people who made this town great.
Featured Book: Bingara Federation Families
At Rodney's Relics, we're proud to offer an extensive range of Bingara history books, including the remarkable "Bingara Federation Families" – a social study of family life in a country town from the 1890s to 1930s.
This extraordinary book features:
- 211 chapters of pioneer families
- The trailblazers who helped make Bingara great
- Stories of squatters, graziers, townspeople, and gold and diamond miners
- History-making photos
- Featured families including The Bulls, The Macks, The Hoggs, The Kerrigans, The Connollys, The Munros, The Bilsboroughs, The Kings, and many more
What makes these books special? They're written by Bingara people as a love letter to their town, and 80% of Rodney's Relics sales go directly to the Bingara Historical Society, preserving this incredible heritage for future generations.
More from Rodney's Relics
Rodney himself has published "Bingara Our Town Our People – Vol. 1", with Volume 2 coming in just 4 weeks! But Bingara history books are only a small part of our extensive range. Check out our collection of true stories featuring murder mysteries, biographies, missing people, bushrangers, true crime, carnage, and police stories – both good and bad.
NEW SERIAL: The Ballarat Mine – Bingara's Most Famous
Imagine finding so much gold that you could give away samples at the local hotel...
Part 1: Prologue
Since the first discovery of gold in the region, Bingara has been famous for the precious metal, and as long as people wander the old diggings, the lure of wealth will live. The stories are many and the names of the gold fields are famous – All Nations Hill, Bobby Whitlow, the Lone Hand, Barrack Creek, Bendigo, and many others. They are embedded in folklore.
However, one name sits above all others – that of the Ballarat Reef, and there is plenty of evidence to support its lofty position.
The most productive period of the Ballarat was 1881–1883, and the richest mines were those of the Neals and Hantons. Their success was one of the reasons thousands of hopeful miners tried their luck in the Upper Bingara area. At one time, "Granny" Neal gave away gold samples at the "Welcome Inn" hotel at Upper Bingara – a testament to the unimaginable wealth these families discovered.
A Town of 10,000 Gold Seekers
Many years later, an article published in The Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder (Tuesday 19 May 1931) illustrated the importance of Upper Bingara:
"Situated on the banks of the Gwydir River, with its beautiful scenery, surrounded by picturesque clad mountains, Bingara was at one time famous for its gold production, notably the Ballarat and Bendigo of Top Bingara (Upper Bingara). The population of Top Bingara was 10,000 inhabitants, with five police and a commander in charge. Everyone – even the youngsters – could find gold."
The Hanton and Neal families are featured prominently in "Bingara Federation Families," and their incredible story of wealth, adventure, and the golden age of Australian mining will unfold in this serial blog series.
Watch for Part 2 at Rodney's Relics | A Wander Down Memory Lane
Explore our full range of Australian history books at Rodney's Relics – where every book is a journey into the past, and every purchase supports the preservation of Bingara's incredible heritage.
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