Bogan Gate to publish third history book ahead of 125th celebrations

And there's a special reason for it too.

Come 2022 the town will be celebrating its 125^th anniversary.

Graeme is the chairman of the Bogan Gate 125 years Celebrations committee, who is looking to host a weekend of celebrations in October next year.

In the meantime, Graeme is compiling a new book on the town's history - its third Gateway to the Bogan book - but told slightly different to those written 25 and 50 years ago.

"The other books were just facts, historic stories and history from town meetings," he said.

"We're looking for aspects of history that weren't in earlier books, we want to capture the untold stories from surviving older generations while we still can.

"There are some good ones - I hear stories from my grandfather, father and great uncle over and over again, and I still laugh at them."

The committee has also received a grant from Northparkes Mines through its Community Investment Program, to replace the Bogan Gate on the original site with a new all-steel gate.

"This gate was on the boundary between Gunningbland Station and Burrawong Station in the 1800s," Graeme said.

"But more importantly it was the stock route to the Bogan River which all stock travelling north or south used as it is the only river that runs north-south in NSW."

Graeme first suggested the idea for the 125^th celebrations at a hall meeting about 18 months ago.

Since then he's been researching the Australian online library database Trove and has posted 150 letters to anyone who has a connection to Bogan Gate.

"I have already compiled a lot of historical stories dating back pre-1930, droving stories, bushranger stories, the original Bogan Gate, the railway coming through in 1897, then a continuation to Condobolin and Tottenham, the new Bogan Gate, the original settlers, send-offs to our boys going to World War 1, the Bogan Gate shows, races and sports, and all the sports they have played over the years," Graeme said.

"And I have many people's experiences of growing up and living in Bogan Gate, or people just travelling through Bogan Gate on Cobb Co or by train.

"[I'm also looking at] the important use of the railways in the early days (1913), 113 thousand bags of wheat were stacked in Bogan Gate, thousands of stock were railed to Sydney to be sold and 5299 got on or off the train."

The new book will also include photos, poems and anecdotes - anything with a connection to Bogan Gate or its people.

Graeme already has more than 200 photos, 75 pages of poems, 130 pages of yarns and stories and 165 pages of history.

"It might end up being more than one book," he laughed.

And he's still looking for more information if anyone in the community can help him.

Graeme is asking for anyone who may have photos or stories about Bogan Gate or those who live or have lived in Bogan Gate to contact him by email graemehunter444@gmail.com.

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