Hartley, NSW

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About Hartley, NSW

The historic village of Hartley lies between Mount victoria and Lithgow in NSW. It was declared an historic site in 1972 and is now managed by the National parks and Wildlife Service. The adjacent settlement of Little Hartley lies at the base of Victoria Pass.

In 1830, Sir Thomas Mitchell proposed the site for Hartley along the new road between Mt. Victoria and Bathurst. The village grew up around the Courthouse, the administrative headquarters of the district from 1837 to 1887. The town became the centre for all government activities including police, judiciary, control of convict labour, and postal services.

It was also the social and service centre for the pastoral community within the Hartley Police District. Considerable expansion took place with the discovery of gold in the Bathurst area in the 1850's when Hartley became a staging point between Sydney and Bathurst offering accommodation and change of horse. By the 1860's the local district population was over 1,000 and Hartley had a population of about 130.

Hartley prospered as an administrative, commercial and social centre until it was by-passed by the Main Western Railway. The construction of the rail line from Mt. Victoria to Bathurst commenced in 1869 and was the catalyst for the establishment of Lithgow. The new town of Lithgow prospered and Hartley entered a period of economic decline and by 1887 the Courthouse was closed and the judiciary transferred to Lithgow.

With the building of the road to Jenolan Caves in 1887, Hartley became a popular resting point and destination for travelers. This was reflected in the creation of the Hartley Public Recreation reserve in 1914 which included the Courthouse and its immediate surrounds and the re-licensing of the Royal Hotel which serviced the tourist trade until the Second World War. The garage built circa 1945, is a relic of the early motor transport era.

After the war, Hartley continued to decline until its establishment as an historic site in 1972. The reservation of the historic site resulted in the continuation of its role as a tourist attraction as well as the introduction of a new, educational role.

The village of Hartley has national historical significance as a substantial, relatively intact early nineteenth century settlement exemplifying the expansion of European settlement into inland Australia. The village had been planned as a centre for administration west of the Blue Mountains but fulfilled a variety of functions including religious, judicial, commercial and social.

The wide range of buildings consequently, including the oldest continuous service Post Office building in Australia, enhance its importance. The decline of the village in the 1880's ensured its survival as a "time capsule" of the period. The construction of a garage and small cottages add a further dimension to the history of Hartley representing its role in tourism and recreation at the beginning of the motor transport era. Further historical significance is bestowed by associated documents, particularly photographs of the village dating from 1872.

(ref: Steven Ring, Draft site conservation plan, Hartley Historic Site, NSW NPWS 1990.)