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Robinson`s Hotel & Belubula River CrossingPrint Page 
The monument was erected during Canowindra's Commonwealth Jubilee celebrations in 1951 to mark the site of Robinson's Hotel and the crossing of the flooded Belubula River in 1846 by Sir Charles Fitzroy who five years later became Australia's first Governor General.
Ben Hall`s bushranging gang made three raids on Canowindra in 1863. Each time they visited Robinson`s Inn and in one of the visits they stayed for three days. Ben Hall, John O`Meally and John Gilbert were members of Frank Gardiner`s gang in the hold-up of the Forbes Gold escort at Eugowra Rocks in 1862. After Gardiner disappeared, the three remaining members joined with John Vane and Michael Burke, terrorising the western districts until May 1865, when Hall and Gilbert were shot a few days apart.
After extensive research it was discovered Robinson's Hotel was not at this site and a plaque with the correct details has been placed on the wall of the Royal Hotel.
One of the first N.S.W. country towns to hold Jubilee Celebrations was small but enterprising Canowindra, which has just concluded a week of festivities. A ball attended by the Governor-General, Mr. W. J. McKell, Mrs. McKell, and Miss Betty McKell was the chief event. cKell, and Mrs. Cutler. Many young people travelled forty or sixty miles from neighboring towns such as Orange, Parkes, and Grenfell to attend the ball.
So far as Canowindra is concerned the "Thing" is the tablet which commemorates the pioneers of the town who survived a hold-up by bushranger Ben Hall and his gang in 1863. Hall and his men took over the entire town for three days. They made their headquarters at the inn and suitably entertained the townspeople. It is on the site of the inn that the tablet has been placed. It was unveiled by Mr. W. Glasson, grazier, of Molong, who is a member of the Royal Historical Society.
Jubilee week at Canowindra was also organised as "Back to Canowindra Week." As such it was apparently a failure. Inquiries failed to reveal anyone who had come back. The only conclusion is that Canowindra is such a nice place nobody ever leaves it.
The Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), 24 March 1951.
Location
| Address: | Icely Street, Canowindra , 2804 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.568955 Long: 148.658787 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | Landscape |
| Sub-Theme: | Settlement |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Tuesday 13th March, 1951 |
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Boree Shire Council
This tablet marks the site of Robinson`s Hotel and was unveiled during the Back to Canowindra Jubilee celebrations by W. R. Glasson Esq. F.R.C.S.A. on the13th March 1951
The hotel was the scene of two spectacular raids by the bushrangers Gilbert, Ben Hall, Vane. O`Meally and Burke on the 26th Sept. and 11th Oct. 1863.
On the latter occasion the bushrangers invested the town and held it against all comers for three days and nights providing compulsory entertainment and refreshment at their own cost in the interim
K. J. McFadden R. A. Brown
Shire Clerk President
Plaque :
On the 26th November 1846, the flooded Belubula was crossed at this spot by the Governor, Sir Charles Fitzroy who five years later was appointed the first Governor-General of Australia
The Travellers Rest Monument
[ Historical Information ]
