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Home > Travelogues > 2017 Travelogues Index > New South Wales - Gum Bend Lake Condobolin, and a drive south

New South Wales - Gum Bend Lake, Condobolin

The mine continued to grow and in 1940 it was employing 140 workers, producing more tin than any field in Australia outside of Tasmania. The Sydney Morning Herald described the shanty town that grew up alongside what was called the Gibsonvale mine as a "scene unknown since the gold rush days".

Mining continued into the 1960s and 1970s. An alluvial tin treatment plant was built at Gibsonvale in 1968. The plant was designed to produce 36 tonnes of tin concentrate per month, and the tin reserves were expected to last for five years.

Instead, exploring an unsealed back road (at right), we passed the former Gibsonvale Tin Mines, which were spread over a relatively large area.

These were open cut mines, never restored, just water filled open cuts and rain washed heaps of pink and white clay (below).

See Weethalle and their silo art on the next page.

There was modern looking earthmoving machinery and shed at the somewhat neglected yard (at right).

Tullibigeal is an old small rural town in this grain growing area. There was a modern Hotel. Grain from the previous season was being carted out from the Graincorp receivals bin. The name is an Aboriginal word for "yarran wooden spears", yarran being a native species of acacia.

Further down the Kikoira Road, we passed a deserted football field and buildings. This was not near any town of community. I was not even able to ascertain which rural locality it was in. Each community had sporting clubs, which have long since gone I favour of larger ones in towns.

This appears to be swampy creek on the north side of the lake (at right). It runs on the outside of the lake bank, and can be seen on the photo of the walk trial on the previous page. I am uncertain if the water is giving an entry point into the lake or if it runs around the lake to the Lachlan River.

Sunset over the lake (below), from near the caravan camping area.

Lake edge on the buildings and caravan park side. Black Swans were numerous, and were pelicans, several species of native ducks and numerous other birds.

Boat launching area, small pontoon jetty, and an under cover children's playground.

After seeing the tin mines, we re-joined Dundas Road, which runs from Kikoira to Weethalle.

We did not go passed the former township of Kikoira, which now has little more than a grain receivals bin, as the hotel closed in 1990 and is now derelict. Kikoira Road above, and sheep grazing, with or without the farmer's permission, in this rich green crop above right.

In 1938, John Gibson, a gold miner and prospector at nearby Weethalle, arrived at Kikoira in search of more gold. Instead of gold, Gibson found a rich tin deposit. Gibson quickly developed a mine and by October that year, the mine was employing 21 workers. A "mild rush" ensued with a large area around Kikoira pegged for mining claims by March 1939.

While at Condobolin, I read about the recently completed silo paintings at Weethalle, to the west of West Wyalong. These were appealing enough for us to take a day trip south. Along the Lake Cargelligo road, we passed Banar Lake, a large lake and wetlands area covering around 600 hectares. Crops around here were looking good, with fields of rich green contrasting with the golden blooms of canola.