Tamworth (on the New England Highway about half way to Sydney from Brisbane) has some interesting museums. In a recent blog I talked about the Power Station Museum (not to be confused with the Powerhouse Museum unless you like motorcycles). Calala Cottage Museum is run by the Tamworth Historical Society and has a number of buildings based around the cottage built by Philip Gidley King (grandson of the earlier Governor of NSW of the same name) in 1875. As well as the very comfortable 'cottage' there is a shepherd's hut, a one teacher school, and a smithy .
There are enough tools, telephones, cameras, dental instruments etc to make a visit worthwhile, but the real gems are instruments belonging to PGK's father, Philip Parker King who was an explorer and ultimately admiral in the RN. These include two circumferenters, one marked' Tornaghi & Co, No. 21', and one marked 'Flavelle Brothers & Co, Sydney' and a rolling rule marked McDonnell & Co Sydney. But most intriguing were a microscope given to PGK by Charles Darwin in 1833, and a Dolland (I think) camera lucida from Fitzroy! In the smithy was quite a collection of steelyard balances as well as the usual tools. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed.
Definitely worth a visit.
