Val Lhuede - Yerranderie

In 1871, silver ore was discovered in the Yerranderie NSW, but it wasn't until 1896 that its true worth was recognised. A road connecting Camden to the Burragorang Valley was built, allowing the transportation of mining equipment. By 1899, commercial mining had commenced. The global surge in silver prices in 1909 spurred a mining boom. Sixteen mines became profitable, and at the height of activity, the village housed around 2000 residents. It boasted a school, three churches, two butcher shops, a hotel, a police station, a courthouse, and even a movie theatre. However, the industry slowed, and in 1928, when silver prices collapsed, the mines were abandoned. Some residents remained, sustaining themselves through trapping, hunting, and farming, but Yerranderie gradually became a ghost town. In 1956, as silver prices continued to fall, the Tonalli mining company shareholders sold the mining rights to Valerie Lhuede, who saw Yerranderie’s potential as a tourist destination. With silver prices on the rise once again, a Canadian company showed interest in reopening the Yerranderie mines. Valerie prepared the old post office as accommodation for visiting geologists. However, after a few years, interest waned, and the project was abandoned. Valerie continued her tourism efforts, carefully restoring the historic buildings. The post office was transformed into “The Lodge,” while other structures, such as a corrugated iron tailor’s shop and a slab cottage boarding house, were sympathetically restored. Valerie also developed a deep interest in local history, particularly in the French explorer Francis Luis Barrallier, the first European to explore the region, and in the area's Aboriginal heritage. In 2011, Valerie entrusted Yerranderie to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Her lifelong commitment to environmental conservation earned her an AM in 2010.