Meryla

Country, the pass and early maps

Meryla lies on Gundungurra Country. A NSW National Parks account records that Timelong, an Aboriginal guide, showed Charles Throsby a route through the pass in 1818. The Society’s research explains that the steep track later served as a stock route; the history of this country begins long before colonial travel accounts, and Aboriginal knowledge and connections continue.^[8][9]

The name appears on Robert Hoddle’s 1831 map, according to the Society’s 2019 research. Its origin remains uncertain. Meryla was also applied to a mountain, a creek, a pass and a railway siding: the Society notes that the siding was later renamed Werai. Historical place names can shift, so a record headed Meryla should be checked against its map and date before attaching it to a present-day address.^[8]

The Council community heritage study collects accounts of Meryla Valley and its difficult route between the Highlands and Kangaroo Valley. It reproduces later recollections that cedar cutters and valley farmers used the pass, and describes a vehicular road through the pass in the 1890s. The origin and dating of individual road features need separate evidence.^[6][7][8]

Roads, farms and timber

In an interview recorded by historian Rachel Roxburgh, Herman Chapman recalled farms in the valley and forest, a school near the pass, and a damaging fire in 1908. This is a remembered account recorded decades after the events, not a complete census of the district. The same heritage study quotes an account of a 1930 motoring excursion, showing how the pass later attracted visitors as well as serving settlers.^[6]

The Society’s 2019 newsletter describes Meryla Road opening from Moss Vale in 1896 and a sawmill operating for much of the twentieth century. The Council study reproduces a 1947 recollection by Charles Wright of farmers, timber workers, bee farmers and a local school. His account is a personal recollection rather than a complete list of residents, but it offers names, occupations and details to follow in records.^[6][8]

The old name Meryla Falls is an interesting unresolved research question. The Society’s 2019 article could not identify the falls with certainty; a later Council study suggests they may have been the present Twin Falls. Treat the identification as a hypothesis until the historical descriptions and maps can be checked together.^[6][8]

Society researchers Janet Cosh and Rachel Roxburgh investigated the pass by studying written records, speaking with long-time residents and walking the route. Their work became part of a continuing discussion about the path taken by Charles Throsby’s 1818 party. The Society’s 2026 account brings together those earlier interpretations and later recollections; compare them with contemporary journals and maps when following the route.^[12]

A protected landscape

Meryla Flora Reserve was created in 2022 and adjoins Morton National Park. NSW National Parks describes it as State forest managed for conservation and identifies its gorges, waterfalls and habitats. For present-day access and conditions, consult National Parks: Griffins walking track through Meryla Pass is a demanding, steep route for experienced bushwalkers.^[10][11]