Eugowra Street Art Town

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Photo by: Kim Story Photographer

Eugowra - New South Wales

Location: Eugowra, NSW

Street Art Town Village of Murals

In the past the town of Eugowra only had one claim to fame and that was the Escort Gold Robbery at Eugowra Rocks, but now it can claim another,  The Eugrowa Village of Murals.

Eugowra is a small town in the Central West region of New South Wales. The town is split between the Forbes Shire and Cabonne Shire local government areas and is 341 kilometres west of the state capital, Sydney.

The town now boasts over 20 murals including one depicting the famous Gardiner's Gang who were responsible for the great gold robbery.

Download the Eugowra Mural Map
Eugowra Street Art Map

The Escort Gold Robbery, 15th June 1863, Eugowra Rocks

The largest gold robbery in Australia’s history happened approximately 5km from Eurgowra.

On the 15th of June 1862 a Ford & Co coach carrying a driver, four police escorts and a large amount of gold and cash travelled from the gold diggings in Forbes towards Orange.


Frank Gardiner's Gang of eight bush-rangers blocked the road with two commandeered bullock wagons and lay in wait behind the large granite boulders in the area now known as “Escort Rock”


As the coach slowed the gang fired and wounded two policeman. The frightened horses bolted and the coach overturned.


The bush-rangers ransacked the coach and made off with 2,719 ounces of gold and cash to the value of 3,700 pounds packed on one of the coaches horses (a multi million dollar haul by today’s values).


Meanwhile, the coach driver John Fagan and the police made their way to nearby Eugowra Homestead. The owner, Hanbury Clements, rode through the night to Forbes to alert the authorities.


A detachment of police and an aboriginal tracker set off the next morning and surprised the bushrangers at their Wheogo Hill hideout. After a long chase, Gardiner released an exhausted packhorse to avoid capture and a considerable amount of gold was recovered.


More gold and notes were recovered when police apprehended Harry Manns sometime later. The remainder of the haul has never been accounted for.


For more information visit the Eugowra Museum in Pye Street.

Photo by: Annette Green

Gardiner's Gang

Frank Gardiner - Gang leader and mastermind of the Eugrowa holdup. Eventually arrested and served 10 years jail before being excited to America. Died 1904 aged 74.

John O’Meally - A stockman who worked for his father Paddy, who ran O’Meally’s Shanty known as “Weddin Inn”. He was shot at Goimbla November 19, 1863 aged 23.

Ben Hall - Cattleman/Selector and joint owner of Sandy Creek Station with John McGuire. He was shot near Forbes May 5, 1865 aged 27.

John Gilbert - Left home at age 12, attracted by the excitement of crime, joined Gardiner’s Gang. He was shot near Forbes May 13, 1865 aged 23.

Henry Manns - Self Employed carrier “Bullocky” He was hanged March 26, 1863 aged 22.

Alex Fordyce - Stockman working for Paddy O’Meally who worked the bar at ‘Weddin Inn’ was sentenced to 10 years hard labour.

John Bow - Stockman employed on Nowlands ‘Wentworth Gully’ Station, sentenced to 10 years hard labour.

Dan Charters - Cattleman and Manager of ‘The Pinnacle’, his sisters cattle station. Pardoned for giving evidence as a crown witness.

Source: Sign on the mural
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