A Country Store.-Mr. Tout’s Premises, Wollongough.

Very rare engraved colonial view of Ungarie, NSW.

The station Wollongough was taken up by Carlo Marino around 1871, followed by the King Family in 1878 and later by John Bros. In 1866 Roger Freeling took up Ungarie Station.

It was around about 1871 that the farming residents in the vicinity of the Humbug took up a petition for a Post Office to be established at Wollongough as they argued that the nearest post office at Marsden was too far away, 81 kilometres (50 mi). The postmaster at Forbers reported that about 20 to 30 residents would benefit from a post office.

Mr George Tout was appointed postmaster on 1 January 1872 with an allowance of ten pounds per annum. The post office closed in 1875 because of some disagreements regarding the cost of the tender for the mail service. There often appeared to be some concern expressed by postmaster Tout regarding the conditions and the viability of the Post office. Once the post office was established a small settlement began to grow.

Mr Tout had erected, at his own cost, an apartment adjoining the post office. It is believed that this was the first building in Ungarie and it was believed to have been located at the rear of Navin’s store on the creek.

The old hotel was owned by Mrs Kerwin, and a portion of it, which still stands at the rear of the butcher’s shop was the dining room and was built around 1883 by Mr Tout. In 1889 the hotel was sold to the Mackrell family who came here from Wardry, where they conducted a hotel business.

In 1912, the Barrabool ran aground off the Fitzroy river in Qld and though floated off was found to be uneconomic to repair. She was abandonded to the underwritters, bought back by Howard Simth & Co and converted to a hulk in Sydney. In 1952 she was scuttled.