The name Binalong is thought to have been derived from either the Aboriginal word meaning ' towards a high place' or from 'Bennelong', the name of the noted Aborigine from the early period of European settlement. Steeped in history, Binalong was reportedly a stop over point to the goldfields of Lambing Flat (now known as Young). The family of the poet Banjo Paterson lived in the district in 1869. Banjo was five years old at the time however many of his poems feature the Binalong district. The presence of gold in the area also bought many bushrangers. The grave of the infamous John Gilbert is located on the outskirts of the town and can be easily viewed with marked signage on the Burley Griffin Way.
Binalong is a real treat and presents itself as an ideal location to visit when coming to or from Young.
The area around modern-day Yass was first settled in 1824, after being discovered by the explorer Hamilton Hume. A local wool industry soon sprang up and by 1830 a small village had begun to develop on the south bank of the Yass River. Hamilton Hume retired to Yass and purchased Cooma Cottage, where he lived with his wife until his death in 1873. During the early 1800s, Yass had established itself as a rest stop for travellers en route from Sydney to Melbourne. Yass was once considered an alternative to Canberra as the capital of Australia.
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