Welcome to the Araluen Valley History website
Araluen Valley, 2023
This website has been set up to preserve and make publicly available the history of the Araluen Valley, originally the home of a small group of the Walbunga people of the Yuin nation called the Arralyin. In the second half of the 1800s, the Valley was the site of the richest alluvial gold deposits in NSW and home to thousands of miners and their families.
Looking around the Valley today, it’s hard to see much evidence of what happened during that period, but in contrast it’s amazing just how much has actually survived. This is evident through the various personal stories, photos, records and precious collectables held by many of the families who previously, and currently live in the valley.
As generations pass, this website offers a place to conserve and record times past so that new generations can get a sense of what life was like in the Valley in those early days, as well as who lived here and what they did. The website includes a collection of historical maps, topical information and photos.
Key sites around the Valley are marked by signs to form the Araluen History Trail’. Each sign includes a QR code providing a direct link to this website for more detailed information covering a variety of topics, such as a timeline of key events, information about the various townships/villages that made up the Valley, gold mining and bushrangers, agriculture, World Wars I and II, as well as the people, their daily lives, work and social life.
The creation of the Araluen Valley History website and history trail is made possible with the generous support of grant funding from the Australian Government Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program, support from the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC), and the significant research input from our volunteers and longstanding residents.
Upcoming and recent events
- Keeping Stories – 13 Sept 2026
Your invitation to join the Araluen History Group on Sunday 13th September from 11:00 am at the historic Braidwood Museum, as part of the History Council of NSW’s History Week 2026. Every History Week, groups across NSW explore a shared theme. This year it’s Keeping Stories, how stories keep history alive, and what they tell… Read more: Keeping Stories – 13 Sept 2026 - Araluen 2026 calendars now available
The Araluen 2026 calendars are now available. The Calendar features the timeline of key historical dates and photos of life in the Valley from 1927 to the 2020s. As well as helping with the organisation of our busy daily lives, these 2026 Araluen calendars will make a great memento for those interested in the Valley’s… Read more: Araluen 2026 calendars now available - Araluen Water Stories – History Week 2025
Deluges, devastation, and diversions How water shapes Araluen’s rich history Join the Araluen History Group to explore Araluen’s rich history though our Water stories in History Week 2025. The landscape of the Araluen Valley was formed by water, our rich history with the gold mining era and agriculture shaped by water, while our resilience has… Read more: Araluen Water Stories – History Week 2025