Cessnock


Located on the beautiful rolling slopes of Mount Dromedary, the Tilba region is one of New South Wales' Eurobodalla coast's most popular drawcards. Tilba is just over an hours drive (south) from the coastal holiday destinations of Batemans Bay and (north) from Merimbula. Tilba is a great option for any South Coast visitor looking for something different for that ideal day-trip option.

Central Tilba is today a magnet for visitors with its working village atmosphere and variety of excellent produce and wares. It is only a single street but there is a beauty about the houses and shops. Stores include a leatherworks, cobbler, bakery, ABC Cheese Factory, wood turner, toy store, lolly shop, galleries, heaps of arts and crafts, a great pub as well as lovely cafes.

The area was settled over 160 years ago, but the discovery of gold in 1850 saw people flock to the district and the towns of Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba burst into life. As the gold petered out, dairying became firmly established, but the two villages stopped growing, leaving them today as towns frozen in time.

In 1891 Samuel Bate became one of the founders of the ABC Cheese Factory in what was to become Central Tilba. The factory closed in the 1960s with a downturn in the dairy industry but reopened as a result of a tourism boost. It now supplements specialist cheese production with arts and crafts sales.


Bate's General Store was opened there in 1894 (it includes the post office) and, the following year, the township sprung up on land sold by Samuel Bate. Because the town was so rapidly established (all but one of the structures being erected in the 1890s) all of the buildings are homogeneous, all timber, except the cheese factory. Because the town failed to develop after goldmining died in the area it has remained virtually untouched.

The one building constructed at a later date was the Methodist Church, also built on land provided by Samuel Bate, in 1907. The entire village is classified by the National Trust as the Central Tilba Conservation Area. The local hotel and general store are particularly evocative of our pioneers days. Television commercials are filmed here, taking advantage of the superb scenery and real set.

Mount Dromedary (Gulaga) was named by Captain Cook in 1770 and is a significant landmark for the southern half of the Eurobodalla Nature Coast. It had great spiritual significance to the Yuin people, whose descendants today still hold the mountain in special reverence. It is also possible to walk the mountain. The walking track up Gulaga leaves from just behind Pam's Store at Tilba Tilba, so it is a good place to grab some provisions before heading up the mountain.






Nearby Tilba Tilba is much smaller but equally picturesque. Tilba Tilba is the original name of the district, and is said to be a Thawa Aboriginal term for "many waters". The town was settled during the Australian gold rushes of the nineteenth century. Tilba Tilba is serviced by Pam's Store, a genuine old fashioned general store where visitors can purchase just about anything they might need - including take-away food and Friday eat-in extended menus for the authentic Tilba dining experience.


Foxglove Squire Gardens: an enchanting property encompassing exquisite open gardens. it has been featured on major TV shows including Burke's Backyard and Better Homes and Gardens and is the subject of the book, Velvet Pears. The essence of the gardens is one of romance, fairy tale like charm and quaint English style elegance. A large section of the grounds have been extensively and beautifully developed over many years, with water features, a gardened ruin and the Willow House overlooking the duck pond.

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