A charming country town nestled in a valley beneath a range of impressive monolith hills called The Bucketts, Gloucester is known as the gateway to the Barrington Tops.
Where is it?: Gloucester is it can be accessed from Newcastle (145 km south east) via the Bucketts Way, or Thunderbolts Way from the north. Gloucester is a stop on the XPT train services to Casino and Brisbane.
Events: The Gloucester National Dancing Competition is held every July and the Agricultural Show in March or April.
Gloucester is in the dairy and beef cattle country of the Manning district. The closest town to Barrington Tops National Park, it makes a perfect base for adventure activities in the region, including trout fishing, canoeing, horse-riding, bushwalking and camping in the park.
Barrington Tops: The World Heritage Listed Barrington Tops is a plateau sandwiched between two large peaks in the Mount Royal Range in the region's far south. Fed by mists, melting snow and high rainfall, wild rivers flow through ancient beech forests and over waterfalls into fern-lined gorges on their way to the sea. In springtime, its alpine meadows are ablaze with wildflowers. Two-Thirds of the area is declared wilderness.
The Bucketts
Bucketts Scenic Walk: accessed of Bucketts Road the signposted start of the Bucketts Scenic Walk (2 km but steep) leads up the Bucketts Mountain Range where there are excellent views of the Gloucester and Avon Valleys.
Devils Hole (60 km, via Barrington Tops Forest Rd): Devils Hole Lookout Day Use Area offers fine views over the Barrington Wilderness and adjoining farmlands. It is one of several lookouts which are signposted along the Barrington Tops Forest Road.
Mountain Maid Goldmine (17 km): gold was discovered in 1872 around the former goldrush town of Copeland. The Mountain Maid Goldmine commenced operations in 1876 and did not close until 1979. The Mine was perhaps the most successful of the Copeland mines and is today managed by the National parks and Wildlife Service as part of Copeland Tops State Conservation Area. There are underground tours, restored equipment, a cedar slab hut, goldpanning, an inspection of the workings, rainforest walks and picnic-barbecue facilities. Open Wednesday to Sunday and every day in school holidays. Ph (02) 6558 4303.
Brief history
In 1876, gold was discovered in Copeland, a small town north-west of Gloucester. Copeland became a large town of over 3,000 inhabitants due to the gold discovery and the large number of red cedar trees. However, the population has since dwindled to a population of a few hundred.
The Australian Agricultural Company had originally been awarded mineral rights to half a million acres (2,000 km2) between the Karuah River and the Manning River which covered the Gloucester district. The company employed surveyors to undertake a trial survey for a railway between Port Stephens and Stroud, New South Wales and north passing what became Gloucester to the Manning River. At the time it was felt that with the "formidable obstructions" from ranges and rivers a line would be impracticable and construction was not proceeded with, and coal mining was abandoned before it had commenced.
However, in 1995, Gloucester Coal, originally Stratford Coal, began mining in Stratford a small village 12 km south of Gloucester, and has since spread throughout the region.
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