The general grazing area which now encompasses the village of Bookham was originally collectively called Bogolong and childhood memories of the races at Bogalong Racetrack inspired Banjo Paterson to write his poem Old Pardon the Son of Reprieve.[3]
The name change came about in 1839 when Lady Jane Franklin, wife of John Franklin, the Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land between 1837 and 1843, became the first European woman to travel overland from Port Phillip to Sydney and stayed in the area in 1839.[4]
Shortly after a design for the village at Cumbookambookinah near Bogolong was drawn up and that name was shortened either through general usage or by design to the current name of Bookham.[5] The name Bookham was being used officially, by August 1839.[6]
There is an urban legend of the town once being a frequent spot for hiding police to 'book em' motorists speeding through town. Further to the legend, truck drivers would jettison some of their goods (e.g. a newspaper from a paper truck) next to the hiding spot before speeding off, hence the police focusing on cars.
Iron was smelted from locally mined iron ore at a site on Jugiong Creek approximately 3 km north of Bookham in 1874, by the Bogolong Iron Mining Company.[7]Remnants of the blast furnace still exist,[8] one of only three 19th-Century blast furnace ruins in Australia and the only one in New South Wales. It is included in the N.S.W. heritage database.[9]
The southern extremity of the locality of Bookham, along Burringjuck Road, was a part of a proposed site for the national capital city of Australia, known as Mahkoolma. Had that proposed site been adopted, the village of Bookham would have become a part of the capital territory.[10]
Bookham Post Office opened on 1 September 1864, following the establishment of a mail run from Tumut in 1882.
This involved crossing the Murrumbidgee at Roche's crossing. Bookham Post Office closed in 1993.[11] While the Post Office had a number of homes, its most recent has now been turned into a café, Barney's of Bookham.
There are two churches: the Uniting Church (c. 1926) and St. Columba's Catholic Church, (c. 1910) still standing in the town.[12] St Columba's Catholic Church has been transformed into stylish accommodation for up to 8 people. Now called The Old Bookham Church it has been lovingly restored in keeping with its heritage.
At the 2016 census, Bookham had a population of 161 people. 82.7% of people were born in Australia and 87.7% of people spoke only English at home.[13]
Climate
Owing to Bookham's location in between the western slopes of New South Wales and the dividing range, west of Conroys Gap, it varies greatly in seasonal maximum temperatures with a distinct winter rainfall peak. Falls of snow are by no means uncommon.
Climate data for Red Hill State Forest (1938–1970); 640 m AMSL; 35.17° S, 148.37° E
^"Government Gazette Notices". New South Wales Government Gazette. 21 August 1839. p. 930. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
^Jack, Ian, 1935– (1994). Australia's age of iron : history and archaeology. Cremin, Aedeen. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. pp. 89–95. ISBN0424001586. OCLC30791353.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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