Gold put Gulgong on the map 150 years ago. Today, Google Maps will show you three main options to get there from Sydney. The most common is a four hour drive via Katoomba (or Bilpin if you take Bell’s Line of Road) then Lithgow and Mudgee. The quickest route is a 50-minute flight to Mudgee followed by car hire to Gulgong, about 30 kilometres north. Without a functioning local passenger train station, public transport is the most arduous way to arrive in Gulgong as you’ll need to hop on a bus at Lithgow and you might find yourself in transit for six or more hours. 

If you do manage to escape Sydney early enough, take Henry Lawson Drive through the vineyards from Mudgee to Gulgong to Eurunderee. Here lies the site of the bush school of Australia’s most loved literary contributor, bush poet Henry Lawson. He grew up in the NSW Central West during the last roaring gold-rush days, which would profoundly influence his writing. The town’s identity is largely an homage to him despite the fact that Lawson once described Gulgong as "a dusty little pastoral town in the scrubs, dreary and dismal enough...". His childhood school is tucked into the bush a few hundred metres from where the Lawson family home stood. A blackened brick chimney and a plaque unveiled in 1949 by the writer's widow, Bertha Lawson, marks the spot. Legend has it that the house was the envy of the neighbours whose chimneys were made of clay.

Described as one of the best preserved towns in Australia, Gulgong retains the atmosphere of its gold rush and bushranger days. Whilst it no longer has its gold rush wealth which saw the population surge to 20,000 fortune-seekers and 67 hotels in operation, it has embraced its history including the town's heritage-listed pubs which are all great watering holes and a friendly place to get a feed. 

The Prince of Wales Hotel was established in 1872 and is a favourite for pub grub. The bar is made from a single length of ironbark wood and a snakeskin stretches across the ceiling above. If that’s not enough quirkiness, you’ll also find old bottles, rabbit traps and vintage saddles throughout. Warm up by one of three open fireplaces inside or enjoy the big brazier in the beer garden. Classically country and a little eccentric, The Prince of Wales has been owned and run by the one family since 1976.

Pop to the Butchers Shop Cafe for pancakes and a pot of tea before a leisurely wander through the old-fashioned, one-way streets of Gulgong. The town is virtually a living museum with narrow streets, peeling colonial facades, awning-sheltered and verandahed shop fronts, and elaborate wrought iron lace of the Victorian era, all hinting that this town holds much history. 

Founded in the heady days of the gold rush, Gulgong has more than 150 buildings classified by the National Trust (the vast majority of those are in the main street, Mayne Street) including the Prince of Wales Opera House, the oldest continuously operating opera house in the land.  

The venue dates back to 1871 and most locals believe when Lawson wrote of "rough built theatre and stage where the world's best actors trod" he was referring to the Prince of Wales. For a gold coin donation a local will unlock the town's Prince of Wales Opera House so you can enjoy your own private inspection. The great Dame Nellie Melba sang there and it was the site of Jack Dempsey's last fight. Musicians Roger Woodward and James Morrison add to a list of luminaries.

Pop to the Bank Corner Wine and Gelato Bar for a quick pick me up: tasty tapas, craft beer, local cabernet sauvignon and a sweet treat. You’ll need the sustenance to allocate hours exploring the Gulgong Pioneers Museum, which despite its externally unimpressive entrance, holds more than 60,000 relics and historic items of Australiana and attracts thousands of visitors a year. 

Inside you’ll find geological treasures, fossils and indigenous artefacts, as well as what has been described as the most complete record of 19th century frontier life: printing presses, a blacksmith shop, pioneer home, farm machinery, bakery, school houses, medical equipment, military souvenirs, guns, coins, cars, petticoats, tools, firearms, war souvenirs, needlework, clothing, vehicles, saddlery, photographs, household utensils, musical instruments, documents, coaches, machinery, shearing equipment, engines, and coins. There's even a genealogical research library on site. The Pioneers Museum (established in 1962) is an extensive, varied collection that aims to show people how previous generations once lived, dressed and worked. Visitors leave this place stunned. It’s a maze of wonders, not least of which a marvellous restored Cobb & Co coach (the type bushrangers held up) and colonial-era pub. 

A short walk away to an old yellow Salvation Army Hall on Mayne Street is The Henry Lawson Centre offering a warts and all record of Lawson's life including his alcoholism, depression, and his stints in prison. There is profound irony in the fact the centre is in the Salvation Army Hall, built for teetotallers in 1922, the year the poet died after a long battle with alcoholism. It houses the largest collection of Lawsonia, his writings and memorabilia outside Sydney's Mitchell Library. Around the walls are pictures of the men and women who knew Lawson: his mother Louisa, his friend Dame Mary Gilmore, George Robertson of Angus and Robertson fame and an assortment of people who inspired his stories. The most telling display is a small suitcase containing the entire estate of Lawson - a suit, some pawnshop tickets and a few letters.

Good restaurants come and go in Gulgong but the general consensus is that Thai to You is a reliable country interpretation of Asian cuisine and Larsens Restaurant is where you go for Australian fare.

Lyndsey grew up on the outskirts of Gulgong and spent many hours of childhood excursions mandatorily immersed in Gulgong’s history. As an adult, the town’s character and the charm of its pioneer past hits differently.