Jindera Heritage Walk
Jindera Township
Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 1800’s, the region was part of the area inhabited by the Wiradjuri people of central NSW. The Murray River is generally accepted as the southern boundary of Wiradjuri lands. The name Jindera is believed to be derived from Wiradjuri language but the meaning is now clouded by time.
In 1824 the Hamilton Hume and William Hovell expedition passed through this area on their overland journey to uncover lands that lay the Sydney settlement and the area of Western Port, later settled in 1835 to become the city of Melbourne.
They named the wide river they encountered as the Hume River although later it became known as the Murray River. The river proved difficult to cross and after much searching was crossed at a bend in the river that for many years was simple known as the ‘Crossing Place’. The small settlement that grew up at the Crossing Place became known as the city of Albury.
The promising land in the area was soon inhabited by squatters who pushed south from Goulburn and Yass in search of opportunity, one of whom was John Dight.
In 1836 John Dight took up a lease on 45,000 acres of land that stretched from Bungowannah, south west of the present township of Jindera, and extended north east to Table Top. The area was heavily wooded and so the lands to the north of the Crossing Place became known as Dights Forest. John Dight married a daughter of Elisabeth Mitchell who had also purchased land upstream of the Crossing Place, in the Mungabareena area, that had previously been leased by Charles Ebden.
In the 1850’s gold was discovered across the river at nearby Beechworth and Chiltern and in small quantities in the Black Hills region around Albury. This led to a rapid increase in population and settlers with agricultural interests found fertile soils, favourable weather and good markets for their produce on the gold fields. Many German migrants had landed in the Adelaide area in previous years and it was now becoming difficult for the newer arrivals to buy good agricultural land in South Australia. The first German families began arriving into the Dights Forest area in the 1860’s and the passage of the Robertson Land Act passed in 1861 opened up even more opportunities on lands previously leased to squatters. The Robertson Acts allowed free settlers to take up land that had not been surveyed, in an area designated for agriculture. This suited the German migrants finding it difficult to farm in South Australia and more groups began the overland trek from South Australia.
By 1868 there were already 70 German families in the area. English, Scottish and Irish immigrants had also begun settling in the area as the land was transformed from forest to farm land. As gold became scarce the Blank Range Hotel licence was moved to Jindera and the first of four hotels in the town was erected on the present site of the Jindera Hotel in 1868.
The Dights Forest Post Office was gazetted in 1870. The Forest Hotel and store were opened in the same year followed closely by Molkentine’s Blacksmith in 1872. Many businesses rose and prospered in these early years of the township. On this walk you will be able to see the types of establishments that grew in this community to become the foundation of the township that is here today.
The early residents recognised the need to educate their children and many were taught in a make shift arrangement until the erection of the Public School in 1876. The German community had established a school on their arrival but built the St John’s school on its present site in 1874. This school did not suit the other Jindera residents as the children were taught only in German.
Churches were also an essential part of the community. The first was a small slab hut that served as the Church of England for several years. The arrival of the German families saw the commencement of regular Lutheran services on the Kalm’s property on Luther Rd, in 1868. They later established two churches in the town, the first was a timber structure on what is now Pioneer Drive in 1872 and later a more impressive church near St John’s School site in 1880. As the town continued to grow the current St Paul’s Church of England was built in 1891.
The events in the growing community were frequently reported in the various newspapers published in Albury and Wagga Wagga through the years. The Dights Forest Post Office was finally renamed as the Jindera Post Office in 1885. The community appeared to have integrated well from it’s very early days, with sport, regular dances and social occasions forming an essential part of village life. The Jindera football team was recorded as early as 1886 and tennis and cricket were played at many homes before formal clubs were established. Golf was also added to the sporting roster as the Jindera recreational reserve grew with the support and labour of the towns folk. Jindera even had its own brass band that featured at many notable social gatherings. At one time supporting four hotels, a bakery, butchers shop, saw mill, two blacksmiths and its own flour mill, the town has witnessed many changes through the years.
The township of Jindera is once again expanding rapidly as the former farm land near the town is subdivided and the distance to Albury seems to become shorter. The early settlers of this town saw great opportunity through the years, as the town grew and prospered, despite the adversities and hardships that are an ever present part of country life. The town you see today has been built on a strong foundation of community spirit, mutual support and hard work.
Explore the rich history of Jindera through our Heritage Walk, a fascinating journey that reveals what once stood on various sites throughout the village.
Spanning approximately 3 km, the walk can be comfortably enjoyed along footpaths, allowing you to immerse yourself in the stories of the past. For a shorter experience, you can opt for a condensed version that covers the historical plaques within the main three blocks of the village’s main street.