It was in 1822 that Archibald Bell, a son of Lieutenant Archibald Bell of 'Belmont', North Richmond, accompanied by Aboriginal guides, journeyed west over the Kurrajong Ridge and over Mount Tomah, subsequently marking the course of Bells Line of Road.
Within the decade this track had become the great droving route for stock coming in from the Namoi and Macquarie River country, including the Mudgee region via Brown's Mountain to the Homebush market or on to Fullagar's yards, eight miles further on.
The Macquarie River country was a good 350 miles distant in the hinterland and the journey with stock took approximately six weeks. The country in these early years was largely unsurveyed, so it took expert men to bring their stock through intact.
The drover received 7 shillings per head, with stock brought from further west 10 shillings a head. The drover in charge was allowed agistment expenses where such was required, the cost being 10 shillings per 100 head per night. Then the toll-bar charges of one pence per head for large stock and half-pence for sheep had to be provided for as well.
The first of these toll-bars to be encountered on the Bells Line Route was at the North Richmond crossing, where a punt would transport drovers and their herds, across the Hawkesbury River. As early as 1830, the Pack Horse Inn licenced to Thomas Parnell in 1829 was in operation. Later known as the Woolpack Inn and licenced to John Town, this would service thirsty drovers waiting to be carried across the river with their herds. In 1860 a bridge was constructed at this point.
There was another toll-bar at South Creek and a third at an Inn known as The Fox Under the Hill near Prospect, and the last toll in the vicinity of Westmead. The story goes that the bushranger Jack Donohoe who frequented the area in the 1820s often laid low at these premises between raids.
The droving mobs usually numbered 200 beasts and were entrusted to the drover in charge and assistant stockman. Their equipment usually consisted of a tent and tarpaulin to keep the bedding dry, a six quart tin container for boiling meat and a tea billy. There was also a larger vessel for fresh water.
Pilots would meet the drovers at Ben Bullen when Maddock's Line became the favoured route, superseding Brown's Mountain. The pilots would see the drovers through as far as The Kurrajong, where a constant line of cattle could be seen passing through the district.
Drovers with their herds from the Hunter River holdings, would also be seen streaming into Bells Line of Road from the Singleton-Comleroy Road route. The pilots were indispensable, as they knew the exact whereabouts of grass and water over the sparsely-pastured highland portions of the stock routes.
As rail and then road transport took over the transportation of large mobs of cattle, the days of the drovers and stock routes were over.
