The Fossickers Way Visitor Guide Volume 1 | Page 16

Inverell

I
PIONEER VILLAGE
Located to the south of the town on
the opposing side of the Macintyre
River, the Inverell Pioneer Village is a
collection of preserved 19th century
homes and buildings that have been
assembled to depict an historic
colonial village.
The buildings include a post
office, a printing office, a pub, a
miner’s hut, a church, a hall, a school,
a blacksmith’s hut, a telephone
exchange, a farrier’s shop, a shearing
shed, a cottage which displays a
collection of gems and minerals, and
a homestead with a stringybark roof
which serves as a museum for
artifacts of the era.

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nverell is a charming
rural centre located on
a sweeping bend in the
mighty Macintyre River.
Defined by its riverfront
parklands and charming
streets lined with heritage
buildings, Inverell is a
mixed farming district that
produces maize, grapes,
wheat, barley, olives and
oats. But since the mid1800s Inverell has also been
known for the mining of
tin, sapphires, zircons and
diamonds.
These geological blessings
allowed Inverell to prosper
financially, and on a noncommercial level have made
the area a popular waypoint
for fossickers looking
for topaz, quartz, silver,
sapphires and more. There
are a number of fossicking
areas surrounding Inverell,
both public and private.
Inverell is also heralded
for its arts and culture.
It’s home to the excellent
Inverell Art Gallery, which
is located in a gorgeous
historic building and
combines a gallery with

a craft centre and studio
workspace.
Inverell is on the doorstep
of some excellent outdoor
recreation locations, from
Copeton Dam outside town
to Campbell Park on the
riverfront in the heart of
the city.
The latter is a beautiful
stretch of parkland with
established trees and a
fabulous playground for the
kids, and even has a rotunda
where performances are
sometimes held. Driving into
Inverell from the west, the
park makes a wonderful first
impression of the town.
Inverell produces wine that
is unique to the area due to
the cool winters and high
altitude, and local vignerons
are putting the region on the
wine lovers’ map by winning
awards at wine shows around
the country.
And of course, wine and
olives go hand-in-hand, and
in Inverell grow alongside one
another in perfect harmony.
There are numerous cellar
doors and olive groves to visit
in this region.