The Towrang Stockade and Associated Historic Relics

The State Heritage Register states “The Towrang Stockade, associated sites and road formations has outstanding significance as a rare, partially intact convict stockade and road side site unaffected by significant development. It reflects the culmination of Governor Darling’s systematic identification of roadwork as a form of secondary punishment. Constructed as part of Thomas Mitchell’s Great South Road project, the stockade is believed to have held the largest concentration of convicts in southern NSW during its operation and provides insights into the nature of convict life and labour and early road building in NSW.”

During occupation the site consisted of at least 13 buildings made of pise, a stable for horses and a powder magazine in the bank of the Wollondilly River.  In addition there were cells for the convicts to sleep in.  It is believed the cells were of timber construction and about 4 meters square, with wheels to allow relocation to another stockade site.  These each accommodated 10-12 convicts. According to Judge Burton, at the end of 1838 there were 91 convicts there, which would have required 8-9 cells.  The stockade was probably surrounded by a timber wall.

The only structure still existance at the site is the powder magazine which was restored in 1975.   The other buildings were either removed for reuse when the site was abandoned in 1843 or the reusable parts removed and the remains allowed to decay. It is possible to make out piles of rubble where there were houses for the soldiers.

To the east across the Towrang Creek there are three headstones: a soldier who died in 1838, an unknown woman Elizabeth Whitaker who died in 1841 and a child Mary Brown who also died in 1841.

During the construction of the road the convicts built a stone bridge across Towrang Creek and six stone culverts.  The bridge and five culverts are on the southern side of the Hume Highway.  The bridge and two culverts can be accessed from the rest area.  The sixth culvert, culvert number 3 is on the northern side of the Hume Highway.  Culverts 4-6 are about two hundred metres towards Goulburn on the southern side of the highway. These structures can be viewed, along with parts of the original Great South Road.

The site is under the control of the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and is managed on a day to day basis by volunteers who are members of the Board of the Towrang Stockade Land Manager. 

1. The State Heritage Register SHR 01905