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Blayney is located on the Mid Western Highway in central New South Wales, approximately 240 km west of Sydney. With a population of about 3,500 people, it is a service centre for the surrounding farming districts in the Belubula River Valley. The Wiradjuri are the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters of the area.

Blayney was established in 1843 on what was then called the King’s Plains. Although it is located only 14 kilometres south-west of Carcoar, it did not benefit as much from the gold rushes in the 1850s. The arrival of the railway in 1876 significantly increased the town’s development, and industries over the years have included flour mills, meat processing works and a large cold storage facility.

Many of the historic buildings in the town date from the 1870s onwards. The first Court of Petty Sessions was held in Blayney in 1877, and the court house was built in 1880. The post office was opened in 1882 and included a postmaster’s residence. The first meeting of the Masonic Lodge was in 1889, and the Masonic Temple below was constructed in 1910.

When I passed through Blayney, I was drawn to the railway station, which at the time was being freshly painted using a 1920s colour scheme. This was part of a project by Sydney Trains to establish a community creative arts centre, and to acknowledge the important history of the railways in the area. Part of the station building has been converted into a gallery with a history room. The Platform Arts Hub hosts various exhibitions, including the 2023 Waste 2 Art regional competition.

Like many smaller country towns, development was slow until the arrival of the railway. At its peak, the railway station had 26,000 passengers and 27,000 tons of goods incoming and outgoing each year. It’s great to see the history of the station acknowledged, and for the building to be used to support creativity in the local community.

You can find out more about the history of Blayney here, along with neighbouring villages including Barry, Millthorpe and Newbridge.

Photo: Blayney Railway Station signage