Nerrigundah is the most infamous of the many goldmining sites on the south coast. On 9 April 1866, the Clark Gang of bushrangers held up the town. In the ensuing gunfight, they fatally shot Constable Miles O’Grady who had left his sick bed to defend the town. The Miles O’Grady Obelisk stands near the place he was shot, commemorating his bravery. There is debate over an old grave marked as William Fletcher’s (the bushranger shot by O’Grady). Some claim that Fletcher is buried behind the Catholic Church Cemetery.
Alluvian gold had been found in the steep narrow valley of Gulph Creek in 1861 sparking a rush with 200-300 men on site within weeks, many from Araluen. By 1866 the Gulph Goldfields had passed their peak, yet Nerrigundah still had five hotels, several stores, a police barracks, and a town population of a few hundred with about 2000 including many Chinese, in surrounding areas. A steady trickle of gold from local diggings kept it alive into the 1930’s.
What to do:
Visit the memorial to O’Grady in Nerrigundah’s main street, Pollock’s Store, the former Catholic Church, a Chinese pig-roasting oven, Coman’s Mine and the several cemeteries in the area.
Due to current health advice on social distancing, please contact the business for the most up to date information regarding opening times and services.
