About Wollombi

In the days before European settlement, Wollombi was an important meeting place. Wollombi is said to be an aboriginal name meaning "the meeting place of the waters". It is the meeting place of a number of creeks, notably Wollombi Brook, The Congewai Creek, Narone Creek and Yango Creek to name a few. It was also the meeting place for the local indigineous peoples and much evidence exists in the area by way of rock carvings, cave paintings and other artifacts.

Wollombi Village

European influence in the area commenced with the construction of the convict built Great North Road. This early colonial project was meant to be a major land route between Sydney via Wisemans Ferry to settlements on the Hunter River including areas near Singleton, Maitland and of course, Newcastle. The road was completed in 1831 but was made obsolete with the arrival of the first steamer to sail between Sydney and Newcastle making the trip in around 10hrs. Since then it seems that little has changed in the village precincts. Of special interest are the early colonial buildings, many of which have been faithfully maintained and include St. John's Anglican Church, The Courthouse, now The Endeavour Museum, St Michael's Catholic Church, Gray's Inn (also known as Kenny's Folly) and the old Post Office, now a private home, all form the hub of the village of Wollombi.

There have been a number of interesting publications made concerning the history of Wollombi and these may be obtained from the General Store of Endeavour Museum.

Find out more about Wollombi on our Things to See & Do page.