Development of Upper Horton village

History Notes

The village of Upper Horton seems to be a slightly later village than either Woodsreef or Cobbadah. Cobbadah was on the main road/track north while Woodsreef had its gold deposits and later asbestos mines.

Checking some of the early settlers down the Horton Valley we find some early settlements. Ulumbarella, usually known as Ulum started in the 1850s with Edward Taylor an early settler, then Sam Whyley. Rawdon McDouall was an early arrival in the Valley with his family and all the goods he needed to set up a settlement. Richard King settled at Eulourie holding the lease about the same time.

Properties such as Rocky Creek and Currangandi had been taken up by absentee owners leaving the actual work to employees. The Arndells came to live at Rocky Creek about 1890 and then it was purchased by John Capel in 1907. The McKid family managed Currangandi in the early days- most of their family were born there before they moved back to Barraba.

The village of Upper Horton gradually grew on the Horton River near its junction with Cobbadah Creek. The mail was dropped off at Eulourie in the early days pre-1880. The Maitland Mercury in 1878 noted that Upper Horton is a small village with two stores, a Butcher's shop, one hotel and two bakers.

The Gainen family arrived 1880 and opened a Hotel on the western side of the river and became the centre of the village with a butcher shop, post office, blacksmith's shop, and feed supplies for travelling horses. The mail was delivered from Cobbadah on its way to Moree and there were a number of local mailmen delivering to the growing number of pastoralists in the district. This service had been delivered from Eulourie before the Upper Horton village settled on the river at the bottom of the mountain.

Readers of the Upper Horton School History, published in 1983 to celebrate the school's centenary, can read about the early days when there was a need for a school. The first application for a government school in the village applied for "Uper Hortin Rive". Fortunately, the school was supplied after several letters of request from residents John Gainen, Hubert McGovern, James Smith and Charles Gaudern. Forms were filled in and the school began its 100 year history. There are several pages of school history in the booklet.