Cache #8
This cache is located on the Coach Road, just east of the village of Gerogery. As you enter the road from the Olympic Highway you pass a number of buildings associated with the former railway station. Information on these seems to be confused – the local Council seems to indicate that the building to the north of the road (Station Master’s Residence) is a National Trust building, but I can’t find any publicly accessible way to check this on the internet (and apparently it is now a private residence). The building to the south (Gatekeepers Cottage) is listed under the NSW Heritage Act as were the former station and sheds but these have been removed at various times (the station building relocated to Lockhart in 2003). Further information on these buildings is available on the Office of Environment and Heritage website (www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/heritagesearch.aspx - search for Greater Hume LGA).
The Gerogery School is also located on this road – originally opened on Monday 11 February 1884 as the Gerogery Railway Station Public School. Wikipedia states the school was opened “as part of the general plan by the New South Wales government to stem the spread of religious-based education that was springing up for the poor of the colony” but I have been unable to verify this. As of 2018 it had 13 students from 7 families a teaching principal and second part time teacher. It is set in a nice patch of remnant vegetation (www.gerogery-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/).
Looking east from the cache location the Yambla Range runs north south. The peak with the communications towers (Loka Trig) falls within the 102 hectare Tabletop Nature Reserve. This reserve was gazetted in 1965 and protects vegetation communities typical of rocky hills. The prominent peaks in this range were of high cultural significance to the Wiradjuri people, and located near the reserve are some of the most highly significant Aboriginal sites in the region, including pigment art sites, petroglyphs (rock carvings), axe grinding grooves and stone arrangements. The reserve is surrounded by private land and there is no public access. The Plan of Management for this reserve is located here - www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/park-management/documents/tabletop-nature-reserve.
You are looking for a 200ml camouflaged sistema - originally contained a pencil but always safe to bring a writing implement.
Greater Hume Back Roads Series
Surrounding the NSW city of Albury is the Greater Hume Shire. The Shire was formed in 2004 incorporating Culcairn Shire, the majority of Holbrook Shire and part of Hume Shire. The population in 2016 was 10351, but it is scattered over lots of small towns – Jindera (2222), Holbrook (1715), Culcairn (1473), Henty (1237) and Walla Walla (836) and a number of smaller villages including Morven, Gerogery, Walbundrie, Burrumbuttock, Bungowannah and Woomargama. I suspect many of the residents commute to Albury/Wodonga for work, but there are also a lot of small farms that would be a key income source for many of the residents.
While there are a number caches within the shire, compared to the adjacent north east Victoria and Albury, they are still few and far between. This series hopefully fills some of this gap - there are so many back roads where a cache could be placed. We have also tried to add a little bit of local history or information to make the caches interesting.
There are a variety of hides in the series, but each should be near a safe spot to park – they are all on sealed roads though some of the connections may be gravel (check in wet weather). You should be able to get your car well off the road (or if keen you could ride a bike!), and there should be no need to cross the road either. Despite most of these roads being relatively quiet, as always please be careful with kids and dogs. Snakes in warmer weather may also be a hazard.
We hope you enjoy this series. Look out for clues in some of the caches for a few Mystery caches that are part of the series.
FTF - Congratulations TheClazzas