Corowa, the town

...a place in the KellyGang story 

Areas

Location

Beginnings

It is located on part of the Brocklesby Run. The town was developed by John Foord from Wahgunyah Run. The first houses were built in the town in 1861 and the town developed as a centre for the area north of the River Murray . ref

Importance of Corowa

In the days of the Aborigines large corroborees were held near the town site. For a long time Corowa was the camp on the north bank to the big gold mining town of Rutherglen. ref

What was Corowa like in the late 1870s

The town and bridge (T&C26/3/1870)

In 1875 the Free Press was founded by JC Leslie. This newspaper was important to the development of many local institutions. At that time the town had no local government or kerbing and rubbish was a problem.

News about the railway line to Corowa. (OMA5/4/1879)

Facilities in Corowa in the late 1870s

Population 300

Pastoral Hotel
Riverina Hotel (Argus1/7/79)
Royal Hotel, Martin (T&C18/5/1872)
Steam Packet Hotel (T&C18/5/1872)

state school , Swindlehurst (T&C18/5/1872)
Convent school

River traffic
.

Coaches
Royal Mail Coaches left Corowa regularly for many locations in the area including Chiltern ,Wahgunyah - Rutherglen - Springhurst and Jerilderie

SConst Gobbin
(Argus22/9/79)

Charles Johnston supplied bricks from Corowa through out the region.

Six hotels, four stores, a public and two private schools, a court-house and lock up, and a good steam flour mill are in the town. (T&C18/5/1872)
Thomas Stead book shop (T&C18/5/1872)
Weir (T&C18/5/1872)
Levin's store (Argus30/6/79) (T&C18/5/1872)
Grimms' barber's shop (Argus30/6/79)
Mora's butcher's shop (Argus1/7/79)
Hudson JE chemist (T&C18/5/1872)
Graham's flour-mill (Argus1/7/79) Bowden (T&C18/5/1872)
Elliott's steam Saw Mills (T&C18/5/1872)

Customs WH Brown (T&C18/5/1872)

The first bridge over the River Murray was built of red gum timber and opened in 1862. The bridge had 3 spans and was 146 ft long. A toll was collected on every person and animal that crossed the bridge. This bridge larsted until 1892

Vineyards were planted in the area
Wahgunyah and Cowra Wine Co (failed in 1876)
Sangar and other wineries in the area (T&C18/5/1872)

 

Links to the KellyGang

Corowa was used by the KellyGang as they 'traded' horses and cattle backwards and forwards across the River Murray from Victoria and New South Wales (RC1041)

Problem, Mr Nihill was not prepared to protect the town from bushrangers (Argus10/3/79)

One of the members of the KellyGang had a shave in Grimms' barber's shop (Argus30/6/79)

Inspector Brook Smith led a search party from Corowa (Argus30/6/79)

Horses taken from police at Jerilderie taken to Corowa by SConst Gribbin (Kilmore9/10/1879)

Famous members of the Corowa community

What happened at Corowa after the time of the KellyGang

 

 

 

 

What is happening at Corowa today - a part of the Kelly Country and Ned Kelly's story

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6-may-12

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