Stockade History
An excellent Australian Cultural Heritage site
An excellent Australian Cultural Heritage site
The History of the Stockade only 12 Km north of Goulburn is not based on what actually occurred within the Stockade but what led to the stockade becoming a Goulburn land mark of Australian Cultural Heritage. The History of Goulburn books ,of the Adventures of the Great South Land, the discovery of a bush aboriginal girl who spoke perfect English and local court journals of the early 1800 contribute to the history of our Australian culture and the Stockade. There is no signage or directions there yet.
To discovery what remains of the Towrang Stockade one must appreciated the suffering endured there. DO NOT go down Towrang Road looking for the stockade! It is in the Derrick Rest Area and between Towrang Road and Carrick Road. Divided in two by the Freeway. The main entrance is on the Freeway verge and an emergency vehicle access gate in Carrick Road. Only 12 Km North of Goulburn. The Gunpowder Magazine is built into the banks of the Danganelly Billabong on the Wollondilly River. These details are high lighted to create public awareness of Australian Cultural Heritage with in the Crown Land Reserves site only and not as a tour site as the Stockade does not meet work cover standards at this stage, after 40 years but could change at any time.
COMMENCING in the Derrick Rest Area where the Bridge and seven culverts are which has excellent picnic facilities with toilet in a bush land setting but no drinking water. Here you encounter the Great South Road which was one of three roads that opened up Australia for agriculture. Others being the Great North Road and over the Blue Mountains. The Great South Road with the Towrang Stockade has the only three know graves left from this Colonial Convict period of road construction. The road construction became bogged down due to various self interest groups in Goulburn wanting the road to go past their properties. While the direction was being sorted out the 300 convicts had to be keep busy. So brick Military Barracks and stone cutting for Goulburn and extra culverts were constructed to keep them busy. Two convicts who nominated for the flogging duties was Billy O Rouke, an Irish man who laid into the English convict and Black Francis.
Black Francis was a Madagascan Convict who came here after the American War of Independence who also laid into the white convicts. One of his duties was do the flogging in the Goulburn Police Station now the Art Galley along side the Goulburn Court House. Francis was in the habit of putting in Ticket of Leave Convicts who did minor crime to the police that carried addition flogging penalties. On one of his excursion into Goulburn he went to Run O Waters south of Goulburn and was shot by ex convicts and could be buried in the Military cemetery. The history of the Stockade can be found in many of the old Goulburn court journals and police records of escaped convicts who joined bush ranger gangs such as the Wild Colonial Boy s gang that was made up of ex convicts that was shot and killed out side of Campbelltown in the Appin district. Many of the stories associated the Stockade and Goulburn history can be found on a monthly basis by joining the Goulburn Historical Society , . The Stockade is listed under the National Heritage Listing (Commonwealth) to try to make it the Top Goulburn Australian Cultural Heritage site after 70 years of neglect.
The Stockade is made up of a convict bridge and seven convict culverts of which Photos DO exist and one culvert in very recent history was partially destroyed with a section still buried in the Derrick Rest area. This destruction led to a story that only 6 culverts were built and incorrectly counted. Culvert (2) clearly seen in the Rest area has never had roof damage as the removed culvert (1 ) did behind the Toilet block. On the Nation Estate Heritage Register is a map that shows where these 7 structures are located. The Great South Road within the Derrick Rest from the bridge to the freeway is on National Heritage Listing following the bulldozing of the Road up near culvert 5. Over the Freeway and NOT down Towrang Road is the Main entrance. To the left of the Main entrance is convict culvert 4, this is also a section of the Great South Road . Through the gate that has no signs to the Large poles in the center of the paddock 100 meters away is the Convict Cell depressions and flogging area. From there is a fence off area which is the Military Barracks Area that need a clearer plan of the barracks layout where Pte Moxey would have lived. Then it s to the Danganelly Billabong now heritage listed and the Gunpowder Magazine in the river bank, going north over Towrang Creek This crossing is not safe, to the military cemetery with Pte Moxey Headstone and two others and 16 convicts graves. Then to the Garrison Weir and from here head south up to the entrance .This magnificent Australian Cultural Heritage has been neglected for 70 years as per the 1941 History of Goulburn, under a trust for 40 of those years and still no direction or information signs.
Information on the Stockade and Australian Cultural Heritage sites Ph 02-96053603 or 0431-061-323 or Email towrangstockade@optusnet.com.au Australian Cultural Heritage Pty Ltd ACM 12794614
COMMENCING in the Derrick Rest Area where the Bridge and seven culverts are which has excellent picnic facilities with toilet in a bush land setting but no drinking water. Here you encounter the Great South Road which was one of three roads that opened up Australia for agriculture. Others being the Great North Road and over the Blue Mountains. The Great South Road with the Towrang Stockade has the only three know graves left from this Colonial Convict period of road construction. The road construction became bogged down due to various self interest groups in Goulburn wanting the road to go past their properties. While the direction was being sorted out the 300 convicts had to be keep busy. So brick Military Barracks and stone cutting for Goulburn and extra culverts were constructed to keep them busy. Two convicts who nominated for the flogging duties was Billy O Rouke, an Irish man who laid into the English convict and Black Francis.
Black Francis was a Madagascan Convict who came here after the American War of Independence who also laid into the white convicts. One of his duties was do the flogging in the Goulburn Police Station now the Art Galley along side the Goulburn Court House. Francis was in the habit of putting in Ticket of Leave Convicts who did minor crime to the police that carried addition flogging penalties. On one of his excursion into Goulburn he went to Run O Waters south of Goulburn and was shot by ex convicts and could be buried in the Military cemetery. The history of the Stockade can be found in many of the old Goulburn court journals and police records of escaped convicts who joined bush ranger gangs such as the Wild Colonial Boy s gang that was made up of ex convicts that was shot and killed out side of Campbelltown in the Appin district. Many of the stories associated the Stockade and Goulburn history can be found on a monthly basis by joining the Goulburn Historical Society , . The Stockade is listed under the National Heritage Listing (Commonwealth) to try to make it the Top Goulburn Australian Cultural Heritage site after 70 years of neglect.
The Stockade is made up of a convict bridge and seven convict culverts of which Photos DO exist and one culvert in very recent history was partially destroyed with a section still buried in the Derrick Rest area. This destruction led to a story that only 6 culverts were built and incorrectly counted. Culvert (2) clearly seen in the Rest area has never had roof damage as the removed culvert (1 ) did behind the Toilet block. On the Nation Estate Heritage Register is a map that shows where these 7 structures are located. The Great South Road within the Derrick Rest from the bridge to the freeway is on National Heritage Listing following the bulldozing of the Road up near culvert 5. Over the Freeway and NOT down Towrang Road is the Main entrance. To the left of the Main entrance is convict culvert 4, this is also a section of the Great South Road . Through the gate that has no signs to the Large poles in the center of the paddock 100 meters away is the Convict Cell depressions and flogging area. From there is a fence off area which is the Military Barracks Area that need a clearer plan of the barracks layout where Pte Moxey would have lived. Then it s to the Danganelly Billabong now heritage listed and the Gunpowder Magazine in the river bank, going north over Towrang Creek This crossing is not safe, to the military cemetery with Pte Moxey Headstone and two others and 16 convicts graves. Then to the Garrison Weir and from here head south up to the entrance .This magnificent Australian Cultural Heritage has been neglected for 70 years as per the 1941 History of Goulburn, under a trust for 40 of those years and still no direction or information signs.
Information on the Stockade and Australian Cultural Heritage sites Ph 02-96053603 or 0431-061-323 or Email towrangstockade@optusnet.com.au Australian Cultural Heritage Pty Ltd ACM 12794614