Moss Vale, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Moss Vale is a town in the Southern Highlands
of New South Wales
, Australia
, in Wingecarribee Shire. It has a population of 7,339 and is sited on the Illawarra Highway
, which connects to Wollongong and the Illawarra coast
via Macquarie Pass
. The town is colloquially known as Mossy.
There are several CityRail
and CountryLink
services a day on the Southern Highlands railway line
serving Moss Vale station
. Moss Vale is the junction of the Unanderra - Moss Vale railway line
to Wollongong
, opened in 1932, but now only used by freight trains.
Moss Vale has several heritage buildings. In the centre of the main street is Leighton Gardens.
Moss Vale is believed to have fertile soil and good precipitation. Agricultural rural holdings in the area specialise in dairy herds, mainly Holstein Frisian
, and there are an assortment of beef studs and sheep properties. The town has a commercial district and a golf course.
The Wingecarribee Shire Chambers are located here.
Moss Vale area was once occupied by the Tharawal people
, though they had disappeared by the 1870s, partly due to the loss of their hunting land to European settlers. Governor Hunter
sent a party led by ex-convict John Wilson to investigate the area in 1798. Various others explored the area up to 1815, including John Warby, George Caley, Hamilton Hume
and John Oxley
. Hume, Charles Throsby
and Joseph Wild
explored the area west of Sutton Forest in 1817 and in 1818, together with James Meehan
, they explored the area between Moss Vale and Jervis Bay
. Governor Macquarie
granted Throsby 1000 acres (4 km²), known as Throsby Park, at Bong Bong
, on the northeastern outskirts of Moss Vale and put him in charge of building the Old Argyle Road from Sydney to Goulburn
in 1819. This road was replaced in the 1830s by a more direct road via Berrima
surveyed by Thomas Mitchell and most of the population of Bong Bong moved to Berrima. The heritage-listed property of Throsby Park house was built about 1834, six years after Throsby's suicide.
The area, which was considered to be part of Sutton Forest, remained rural until the coming of the railway. Subdivision of part of Throsby Park for the town of Moss Vale, named after Jemmy Moss, a herdsman at Throsby Park, commenced in 1864, in anticipation of the opening of Sutton Forest railway station in 1867 at the intersection with Old Argyle Road. Governor Belmore
rented Throsby Park from 1870 to 1872 to what is commonly believed to escape the summer heat of Sydney. The railway and the Robertson Land Acts
encouraged denser settlement by selectors
in the Southern Highlands and led to the growth of Moss Vale as a town. In 1877 Sutton Forest railway station was renamed Moss Vale.
plant, a Harper Collins book distribution centre, and other manufacturing industries.
Despite Moss Vale's prowess as an industrial centre, nearby Bowral is the commercial heart of the Southern Highlands.
Southern Highlands, New South Wales
The Southern Highlands, also locally referred to as the Highlands, is a geographical region and district in New South Wales, Australia and is 110 km south-west of Sydney. The entire region is under the local government area of the Wingecarribee Shire...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in Wingecarribee Shire. It has a population of 7,339 and is sited on the Illawarra Highway
Illawarra Highway
Illawarra Highway connects Wollongong to NSW Southern Highlands. It links Princes Highway and Hume Highway and signed as National Route 48.It is named after the geographical area it crosses, the Illawarra region...
, which connects to Wollongong and the Illawarra coast
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
via Macquarie Pass
Macquarie Pass
Macquarie Pass is a 8 kilometre long section of the Illawarra Highway passing through Macquarie Pass National Park. It was opened in 1898.Macquarie Pass links the Southern Highland town of Robertson to the coastal town of Albion Park, descending the Illawarra Escarpment via a very narrow bitumen...
. The town is colloquially known as Mossy.
There are several CityRail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
and CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
services a day on the Southern Highlands railway line
Southern Highlands railway line, New South Wales
The Southern Highlands Line is a section of the Main South railway line, and part of the CityRail outer suburban network. Its main service areas are the Southern Highlands Region , the Southern Tablelands Region and the Wollondilly section of the Macarthur Region of New South Wales...
serving Moss Vale station
Moss Vale railway station, New South Wales
Moss Vale Railway Station is a station and intermediate terminus of the Southern Highlands line of the CityRail intercity network, serving the town of Moss Vale, New South Wales, Australia. The station opened in on 2 December 1867 as Sutton Forest, but was renamed to Moss Vale ten years later...
. Moss Vale is the junction of the Unanderra - Moss Vale railway line
Unanderra-Moss Vale railway line, New South Wales
The Unanderra – Moss Vale railway line is a cross country railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The line branches from the Illawarra railway line at the town of Unanderra and winds west over the Illawarra escarpment to the Southern Highlands town of Moss Vale...
to Wollongong
Wollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
, opened in 1932, but now only used by freight trains.
Moss Vale has several heritage buildings. In the centre of the main street is Leighton Gardens.
Moss Vale is believed to have fertile soil and good precipitation. Agricultural rural holdings in the area specialise in dairy herds, mainly Holstein Frisian
Holstein (cattle)
Holstein cattle is a breed of cattle known today as the world's highest production dairy animal. Originating in Europe, Holsteins were bred in what is now the Netherlands and more specifically in the two northern provinces of North Holland and Friesland...
, and there are an assortment of beef studs and sheep properties. The town has a commercial district and a golf course.
The Wingecarribee Shire Chambers are located here.
History
Tharawal people
The Tharawal people were the Aboriginal inhabitants of southern Sydney and the Illawarra region in 1788, when the first European colonists arrived. The Tharawal people lived in the areas from south side of Botany Bay, around Port Hacking to north of the Shoalhaven River and inland to Campbelltown...
, though they had disappeared by the 1870s, partly due to the loss of their hunting land to European settlers. Governor Hunter
John Hunter (New South Wales)
Vice-Admiral John Hunter, RN was a British naval officer, explorer, naturalist and colonial administrator who succeeded Arthur Phillip as the second governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1795 to 1800.-Overview:...
sent a party led by ex-convict John Wilson to investigate the area in 1798. Various others explored the area up to 1815, including John Warby, George Caley, Hamilton Hume
Hamilton Hume
Hamilton Hume was the first Australian born explorer. Along with Hovell in 1824, Hume was part of an expedition that first took an overland route from Sydney to Port Phillip near the site of present day Melbourne...
and John Oxley
John Oxley
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...
. Hume, Charles Throsby
Charles Throsby
Charles Throsby was an Australian explorer, pioneer and parliamentarian. He opened up much new land beyond the Blue Mountains for colonial settlement. He was a grazier, and became a prominent member of New South Wales society.- Early life :...
and Joseph Wild
Joseph Wild
Joseph Wild was an early explorer of Australia. He was sentenced on 21 August 1793 in Chester for burglary, together with his brother, George. Both were transported to Australia as convicts in 1797, arriving in Port Jackson on the ship the Ganges on 2 June...
explored the area west of Sutton Forest in 1817 and in 1818, together with James Meehan
James Meehan
James Meehan was an Irish-Australian explorer and surveyor.Meehan was born in Ireland in 1774, and was one of a number of political prisoners who arrived in Australia in February 1800. Two months later he became an assistant to Charles Grimes, the surveyor-general, and went with him to explore the...
, they explored the area between Moss Vale and Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is a large bay bounded by the state of New South Wales, the Jervis Bay Territory, and a detached enclave of the Australian Capital Territory. HMAS Creswell is located between Jervis Bay Village and Greenpatch in the Jervis Bay Territory.-History:...
. Governor Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
granted Throsby 1000 acres (4 km²), known as Throsby Park, at Bong Bong
Bong Bong, New South Wales
Bong Bong was a small township in the Southern Highlands in New South Wales, Australia. It is also the name for the surrounding parish.The site was chosen by Governor Macquarie in 1820 close to the ford on the Wingecarribee River...
, on the northeastern outskirts of Moss Vale and put him in charge of building the Old Argyle Road from Sydney to Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
in 1819. This road was replaced in the 1830s by a more direct road via Berrima
Berrima, New South Wales
Berrima is an historic village in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. The village, once a major town, is located on the Old Hume Highway between Canberra and Sydney. It was previously known officially as the Town of Berrima...
surveyed by Thomas Mitchell and most of the population of Bong Bong moved to Berrima. The heritage-listed property of Throsby Park house was built about 1834, six years after Throsby's suicide.
The area, which was considered to be part of Sutton Forest, remained rural until the coming of the railway. Subdivision of part of Throsby Park for the town of Moss Vale, named after Jemmy Moss, a herdsman at Throsby Park, commenced in 1864, in anticipation of the opening of Sutton Forest railway station in 1867 at the intersection with Old Argyle Road. Governor Belmore
Somerset Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore
Somerset Richard Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore GCMG, PC , styled as Viscount Corry from 1841 to 1845, was an Irish nobleman and Conservative politician.-Background and education:...
rented Throsby Park from 1870 to 1872 to what is commonly believed to escape the summer heat of Sydney. The railway and the Robertson Land Acts
Robertson Land Acts
The Crown Lands Acts 1861 were introduced by the New South Wales Premier, John Robertson, in 1861 to reform land holdings and in particular to break the squatters' domination of land tenure...
encouraged denser settlement by selectors
Selection (Australian history)
Selection referred to "free selection before survey" of crown land in some Australian colonies under land legislation introduced in the 1860s. These acts were similar to the United States Homestead Act and were intended to encourage closer settlement, based on intensive agriculture, such as...
in the Southern Highlands and led to the growth of Moss Vale as a town. In 1877 Sutton Forest railway station was renamed Moss Vale.
Industry
Moss Vale holds a large part of the Southern Highlands Industry - as well as being a minor centre for agriculture, many light and medium industries are found in and around Moss Vale, including a James HardieJames Hardie
James Hardie Industries Ltd. is an industrial building materials company headquartered in Ireland and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange which specialises in fibre cement products. James Hardie manufactures and develops technologies, materials and processes for the production of building...
plant, a Harper Collins book distribution centre, and other manufacturing industries.
Despite Moss Vale's prowess as an industrial centre, nearby Bowral is the commercial heart of the Southern Highlands.
School
Schools in Moss Vale:- St. Paul's Catholic Primary School
- St. Paul's International College
- Moss Vale High SchoolMoss Vale High SchoolMoss Vale High School is a secondary public school in Moss Vale. The school is one of two major public high schools in the Southern Highlands, the other being Bowral High.According to Department of Education & Training;...
- Tudor House SchoolTudor House SchoolTudor house School, is a private, day and boarding, preparatory school for boys, located in Moss Vale, New South Wales, Australia.The school is Australia's only preparatory boarding school, marketing itself as "a school that understands boys and where the joy of boyhood experiences is...
- Moss Vale Public School
Churches
Churches in Moss Vale:- St. John's Anglican Church
- St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church
- Moss Vale Jehovah's Witnesses Hall
- Moss Vale Christian Centre
- Onelife Community Church (EvangelismEvangelismEvangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
) - St. Andrews Presbyterian Church
- Moss Vale Uniting Church of Australia
- Southlands Christian Church (AOG/ACC)
Sport
Sporting teams in Moss Vale:- Moss Vale Hockey Club
- Moss Vale Dragons Rugby League Club
- Moss Vale Dragonflies Netball Club
- Moss Vale Soccer Club (Highlands Soccer Association or hsa for short )
- Moss Vale Cricket Club
- Moss Vale Rifle Club
Notable residents
- Ann Carr-BoydAnn Carr-BoydAnn Carr–Boyd is an Australian classical composer and musicologist. She is considered an authority on the history of European music in Australia.-Biography:...
, composer and musicologist - Tony LockettTony LockettAnthony Howard "Tony" Lockett is a former Australian rules football player. Lockett is the highest goal scorer in the history of the VFL/AFL with 1,360 goals in a career of 281 games, that commenced in 1983 with the St Kilda Football Club, and finished in 2002 with the Sydney Swans...
: former AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
player - Steve PrestwichSteve Prestwich-External links:* *...
: drummer for popular Australian rock band, Cold ChiselCold ChiselCold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
. - Sophie Egan: Sophie..