Project Marengo commenced in 1972 founded by Mr Neil Gow with the aim of investigating the local history and promoting the society and tourist activities in the area. The Project also included the establishment of a local history centre at Murringo.
In 1974 Mr. Gow presented some of his findings to the Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society where he stated that “as with other areas outside the LIMITS OF LOCATION set by Governor Darling (ending in the case of both Murrumburrah and Murringo at Bowning Hill) the documentation of settlement at Marengo is almost non-existent in the early years. This is because the government did not send useful people like surveyors, police, schoolteachers, road builders, bridge builders, and postal services, who might have left records, into the illegal areas.
“However, it has been established that Marengo Station was taken up in 1827 – preceded in 1826 by Burrangong Station followed by Stoney Creek Station and Burrowa Station in 1828. It is difficult to establish how it was taken up, but it is shown in the Register of Pastoral Licences in the 1830s as having been owned by two gentlemen called Hazelton and McGee. As they are shown as having owned extensive runs in not only Lachlan but in Murrumbidgee and Wellington Pastoral districts it seems unlikely that they lived at Murringo.
“By 1840 settlement was beginning to close and in 1848, when it all became legal, surveyors moved into the Lachlan. Surveyor Larmer was given the task of imposing order on the settlement, and it was he who decided that Marengo should be the next official outpost of settlement after Yass. A nucleus of a village had already been established on the site as part of a pastoral property.
“The plan for a village was approved in 1850 and Marengo commenced its official development as a centre of the Bland pastoral district. A Post Office was established in 1857 and the 1861 census shows a population of 128 persons, 70 males and 58 females as part of a squatting area containing 12,000 people. The village had a hotel, a store, a bark school and a newspaper reporter. The latter was the schoolteacher, called Stevens, who kept up a regular stream of reports from 1860 until he died in 1879.
“In 1859-60 the event took place which changed the destiny of Marengo.
“In mid-1860 gold was discovered at Lambing Flat. This led to the establishment of a large town at Young which took away all of Marengo’s special functions.
“The gold rush brought with it the problem of lawlessness and a certain amount of business from passing traffic. A second hotel and several stores were established at this time. Lawlessness reached its peak in the murder of the mailman by three Frenchmen (one of whom was later hanged at Goulburn Gaol, having been informed upon by one of his accomplices). There is an obvious decline in lawlessness after the deaths of Hall and Gilbert in 1865, which may be partly explained by an overdue increase in the police force.
“The 1860s also saw a most active period of free selection. The country around the village became much more closely settled. The activities of the settlers in clearing land, building huts and establishing themselves are extensively reported in both poetry and prose by the ubiquitous Stevens in both the Yass “Courier” and the Burrangong “Argus”.
“As the village became a social centre for the surrounding district, the newspaper reports cover race meetings, public meetings, elections, and the social activities of dancing card play and lotteries.”
“By 1866 the Christ Church -Anglican Church and a stone schoolhouse and teacher’s residence had been built.”
The foundation stone of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church was laid in 1874. The construction of the Murrumburrah-Blayney Railway (via Young) in the 1880s, and subsequent road construction and upgrading further reinforced Young’s pre-eminence. Therefore, Murringo was reduced to the role of being a service centre for the farms and stations in its surrounds. (goldtrails.com.au)
What’s in a name? At various times it was called Meringo, Marringa, Muringo, Murringo, Maringo, Maringa and Marengo. It wasn’t until 1926, when the local post office’s name was changed, that the official name became MURRINGO.
Hilltops Tourism today describes Murringo as a remnant of a bygone era. Once home to gold prospectors dreaming of making their fortunes. Murringo is the oldest village in the region, Murringo has several Georgian cottages, and the 1862 schoolhouse is still educating our local children. The village has fine stone buildings, including two churches and a cemetery. The Taubman and Webb Trading Post is a must-see attraction.
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