Sofala is 45 kilometres north of Bathurst and ‘Australia’s oldest surviving Gold Town’. The village was established in 1851 when gold was discovered on the Turon River. In the early days the township followed the Turon River for over 16 kilometres and the population numbered tens of thousands. Over fifty hotels and other businesses catered for the gold seekers at this time.
Today Sofala encapsulates the picturesque historic village of the gold rush days. The unique narrow streets of the village are flanked by beautiful old two storey brick buildings. Visitors are offered accommodation, campground, cafes, general store, walks and tours.
A trip to Sofala would not be complete without trying your hand at gold fossicking in the Turon River.
Quick Facts
Sofala is a small New South Wales Rural Location within the local government area of Bathurst Regional, it is located approximately 166kms from the capital Sydney covering an area of 85.409 square kilometres. Sofala has a recorded population of 131 residents and is within the Australian Eastern Daylight Time zone Australia/Sydney.
If you are planning a visit to Sofala we’ve put together some of the things nearby that you can see or do while you are here. These include, places to stay, tours and attractions, some upcoming events and places where you can grab a meal. Go ahead, try one of the buttons above. Every destination has something worth seeing so start exploring… If you know Sofala and think we’ve missed something, let us know and we’ll share it here.