Введение Ardlethan Village Sights

The area occupied by the township of Ardlethan was originally referred to as Warri—it was on the Warri pastoral run, not far from the Warri Homestead, and it was adjacent to the Warri Well. The Well, formally known as “Public Watering Place 485”, was situated just to the north and east of the present-day village. Located at the junction of two travelling stock reserves Warri Well was gazetted in 1904 and intended for use by travelling stock and drovers.

The stimulus for creating the village of Ardlethan was the building of the Temora to Barellan railway line. Until that time a small community had built up around Warri Well and the Warri Homestead, and the travelling stock reserves passing through the area brought men through the region. The original London Hotel, south of Warri Homestead, was a favoured meeting place for social occasions, such as football matches.

When the construction of a railway line from Temora to Barellan was announced, increased activity was fostered in the areas at which sidings and stations were proposed.

Prior to the government town of Ardlethan being surveyed, a private subdivision on the Warri run was initiated by Rowston, Boyd and Egan of Ganmain. The private subdivision, advertised as “Ardlethan West”, was surveyed by Walter Alfred Lipscomb of Wagga Wagga and completed by 10th August 1907. Allotments in the subdivision sold from 9th October 1907.

The eastern boundary of the subdivision was Mirrool Street, the western-most part of Travelling Stock Reserve 21615, running in a generally North-South direction through Ardlethan. The subdivision was split by the railway line but the commercial centre of the subdivision was south of the railway line. Of the estate that developed, there is little remaining evidence of the buildings constructed in the early years. Built predominantly of wood, many of the buildings were destroyed by fire at various times and most were affected by floods—the village being at the junction of Mirrool and Bygoo creeks. Of the buildings in Ardlethan West, the most significant to survive is the new London Hotel. Of the streets in Ardlethan West some streets are no longer identifiable and much of the southern section was significantly altered when Burley Griffin Way was pushed through the area.

Ardlethan West came within the Ardlethan Urban Area on 14th October 1914. Today, there is little evidence of the thriving community that once developed in Ardlethan West, as most businesses shifted to higher ground above the railway line to avoid the floods.

When the railway from Temora to Barellan was proposed, it was decided to create a siding at Rosebank near Warri. A government village was surveyed to the north of the siding and “Ardlethan” was determined to be the name of the settlement. Ardlethan was proclaimed a village on 4th February 1908 and the railway siding was later renamed, from Rosebank to Ardlethan.

The village went as far north as present-day Barellan Street and west to stock reserve 21615. At the time Ardlethan was surveyed, the stock reserve lay between the government village and the private subdivision, and within the stock reserve lay, to the east, an unnamed road—today’s Wilson Street—and, to the west, an unnamed road—today’s Mirrool Street.

At the time the village of Ardlethan was gazetted, land for a “Village Extension” was also gazetted. This extension was to the north of the official village, commencing on the northern boundary of Barellan Street and going as far as today’s Redmond Street, but did not include that thoroughfare.
Ardlethan grew as a service town to the surrounding rural area, but its significance increased because of the tin mines in the area. From 1912 tin mines were dotted around the district. In the middle of last century a large open-cut mine was developed and it was responsible for the prosperity of the village, even causing a subdivision to be built north of the village. Since the mine closed, Ardlethan has resumed its focus as a service town to the remaining residents of the district.