The sighting by Surveyor George Evans, whilst on his way to discovering the Bathurst Plains in 1813, of three hills to the south is the first record of a European concerning the present Blayney district. Evan named these hills, The Three Brothers (Little, Middle and Big). The hills are to the south-east of the village of Newbridge and can be seen whilst driving west along the Great Western highway towards Bathurst.

In 1815, Evans set out from Bathurst heading south towards The Three Brothers. As he travelled west and south, he observed a flat top mountain to the north, which he named Mount Lachlan, and later to be renamed Mount Macquarie. Continuing on through what is now Neville and Lyndhurst, he named Limestone Creek, before discovering the Lachlan River near Gooloogong, then followed it downstream for some distance.
 

People came to settle the area during the 1820's and in 1839 the village of Carcoar was officially notified in the Government Gazette. But it wasn't until the gold rush of the 1850's and 60's that sparked the development of a number of settlements throughout the region, including Blayney and Forest Reefs. The site of Blayney was originally at Kings Plains, as set out by surveyor James Richards in 1828. However, when the town was to be laid out in 1842, it was found to be unsuitable with the present site gazetted on 26 September, 1843.

Although allocated for farming, mining was evident throughout the region, with gold being the most sought, followed by copper and iron. This wealth attracted many criminals including bushrangers Ben Hall, John Gilbert, John O’Meally, John Vane and Micky Burke.

With the arrival of the railway in 1870s, saw rapid development of the regions with towns such as Newbridge and Millthorpe flourishing.

Check out some of the listed travel guide attractions and visit the local tourist centre for additional information. For Blayney accommodation click here: