Images from Young's historic Burrangong Inn restoration

A lovely gentleman stopped in to make sure the Hardys weren’t pushing down the old Burrangong pub. He has been travelling the Young to Murringo Road – on which the pub stands – for 85 years. Photo: Supplied.

Earlier this month, About Regional brought you the story of the mother and son team, Susan and Sam Hardy, of Young, and their incredible efforts to restore an historic 1800s inn opposite the old Blackguard Gully goldfields in the town.

Such was the response to the story, we decided to pull together a slideshow of some of the images Susan captured during the renovation, which tell the story of each step of the project.

The old Burrangong Inn is located on the opposite side of Young to the existing settlement of Burrangong, and was likely named for its place on the broad mapped area called Burrangong Goldfields.

Back on Friday 22 February 1861, The Sydney Morning Herald took pains to explain where the Burrangong goldfields were located at a time when its epicentre, Lambing Flat, “was sneered at”.

“No one knew that such a place was actually in existence, except, perhaps, a few people living upon the stations in the immediate vicinity.”

Thankfully the correspondent of that time – then junior gold commissioner George O’Malley Clarke – provided detailed directions from Sydney to the new goldfields and reported: “everything seems to favour the digger in his road to Burrangong; a beautiful climate, fine herbage, and a road as level as a turnpike road in England”.

He continued: “The climate is the opposite extreme to Kiandra, and resembles that of Italy or the south of France. There is every inducement for the miner to settle down and make (at all events for some time to come) Burrangong his home. The land everywhere is rich in the extreme – so much so that cultivation may be carried on to the edge of the claims they are working.

“As yet the place has not been proclaimed a township; but, considering that there is now a population of ten thousand souls congregated here, the Government should without delay have the place proclaimed and laid out. This is not all that is required, for, with such advantages, it is only just to the miners that the lands in the neighbourhood should be cut up into farms and offered to the public.

“The diggings are very much more extensive than at first sight appears. They extend now from Lambing Flat to a distance of about fourteen miles, and are worked more or less the whole way. The sinking varies from twelve to fifty feet, and, although no very large nuggets have turned up yet, the majority of the diggers are doing very well.”

The Burrangong Inn dates back to this time, and its revival is stunning.

Established during Young's gold rush days, the old Burrangong Inn has been completely restored.

Susan said it was remarkable the old building was still standing.

Outside the chimney was restored after vandals had kicked it in.

Remnants of old newspapers.

The work continued.

Layers of history inside.

Old wallpapers which Susie has kept to frame.

Rustic and raw, the inn was stripped back to show the craftsmanship of previous years.

New floors throughout.

Repairs from ceiling to floor.

A silver-painted fireplace was painstakingly stripped back, its mantlepiece saved for restoration.

Christening night for the restored fireplace and chimney.

Apples abundant on this heritage tree.

A new kitchen with cupboards awaiting handles Susan created from recycled copper.

Touches of copper as the interior - with a few modern touches - is brought back to life.

If you would like to see more images, please visit Susan’s Instagram page.