Delighful Dalgety

 

Australian Capital

Dalgety is a small town in the heart of the Snowy Mountain region located in New South Wales Australia. Dalgety lies on the traditional lands of the Thaua and Ngarigo people. The Snowy River runs through the town and it is the only remaining town to still be on the banks of the Snowy River.  The town was in the running to be the Nations capital city however it was said to be too close to Melbourne so it lost to Canberra.  The welcome sign into town also features a platypus on it, as platypus are found within the Snowy River. A town map can be picked up from the Snowy River Holiday park or downloaded here

Sign located near the start of River walk

 

 Dalgety Bridge

The towns 136 year old bridge ( built in1888 and opened 1889) still stands today. It is an iconic part of the town. It was designed by J A McDonald. In 1989 to mark the centenary of the bridge, residents, horses, carriages and the local primary students crossed the bridge.

Plaque near the start of the Dalgety Snowy River Park 

Snowy River

The Snowy River has been romanticised through out Australian culture. The famous poem The Man from Snowy River by Banjo Patterson has inspired movies, music and artworks. Read the original poem here. Below is an excerpt of the poem. Sadly the Brumbies (wild horses) that inhabit the snowy mountain region are being culled by the New South Wales Government after a nation wide re-homing of the horses was canceled.  I hope that the culling of the horses will stop,  the reason is that they are an introduced species so are harming the local environment but surely more humane measures can be put in place than culling them. You can read more about the Brumbies here at Save the Brumbies.

"And down by Kosciusko, where the pine-clad ridges raise
Their torn and rugged battlements on high,
Where the air is clear as crystal, and the white stars fairly blaze
At midnight in the cold and frosty sky,
And where around the Overflow the reed -beds sweep and sway
To the breezes, and the rolling plains are wide,
The man from Snowy River is a household word today,
And the stockmen tell the story of his ride"

 Buckley's Crossing

Buckley's crossing was the original name of the town.  It was named after Edward Buckley an European settler who established a crossing over the snowy river in 1839. A sign marks the location of the original Buckley's crossing which was later named to Barnes Crossing (1848) then Dalgety in 1874. The local pub is also called Buckley's crossing and is a lovely traditional pub that I highly recommend visiting.

 

Buckley's Crossing hotel the former Imperial 1889

 Old Garage

A lovely vintage tin shed garage and old petrol pumps are located on the corner of Campbell and Hamilton street.

Dalgety House

Among the many historic houses in Dalgety is the old Coach House (1840) and later known as Dalgety House (1860).

Roman Catholic Church

A beautiful old church sits up on the hill.  Our lady star of the sea built 1878.The view is wonderful up there and you can see the whole town as well as the valleys below. You can access the church via the Rocky tops pathway located on Barnes street.

Platypus Sighting

Platypus have been recorded in the Snowy River that runs through the town and I was lucky to see one in the early morning and around dusk.  A photo of the platypus I saw is below, it is not the best photo as it was low light and zoomed from a distance.

Platypus Pals bin designed for fisherman to put their fishing line and hooks in to prevent platypus and other wildlife being harmed by fishing debris

Platypus Plunge

The first ever platypus plunge was held at the annual Dalgety Show on March 3rd this year (2024). It involved a race of 100 colourful decorated platypuses, a mixture of general entries and local sponsors. The platypuses would race down the snowy river with the finish line being the weir. Below is an example of some of the decorated platypuses that took part in the race. I am hoping this is an annual event as I'd love to see it next year. All  the proceeds from the race went to the Dalgety Show Society, and a donation was made to the Taronga Conservation Society Australia.

Image sourced from Dalgety Show Facebook

Dalgety Showground 

 The local showground is a lovely spot to walk around and see the autumn colours. Near the pavilion are a collection of totem poles decorated with native animals and scenes from the town. It looks like they are painted by a local artist and local children.

Platypus artwork on pole

Platypus art on pole at the Dalgety Showground

General Store

The Haywards general store operated for 35 years (1954-1989). Today it operates as the towns window display celebrating local events. The display changes from time to time. As I visited around May the window display was celebrating Mothers day (2nd Sunday in May) as well as Anzac day (April 25th).

Red Dog Roasters

A lovely coffee van located at 20 Campbell street serves tasty coffee and light snacks.  It offers locally brewed coffee, friendly service and cute dogs. A must visit when in town. See @reddogroasters for more information.

 

Cute Red dog mascot Maizy

 Final thoughts

Dalgety is a peaceful and tranquil small town. The beautiful snowy river, historic buildings and pub are highlights. It is also a great spot to see a platypus. Lloyd at the local Snowy River Holiday park is nice and friendly and good for local knowledge.

 

Platypus artwork in the Snowy River Caravan Park office

 

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