Marlowe, New South Wales

Marlowe is a locality in the Queanbeyan–Palerang Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia. It is bounded by the left bank of the Mongarlowe River and the right bank of the Shoalhaven River.[2] It lies on the road from Braidwood to Nowra about 24 km north of Braidwood and 96 km southwest of Nowra.[3][4] At the 2016 census, The Australian Bureau of Statistics recorded it as having a population of nil,[1] although it does have at least one house. It consists mainly of forest and grazing country. Marlowe includes the "rural place" and former village of Charleyong in a loop of the Mongarlowe River at 35°14′57″S 149°55′02″E.[5]

Marlowe New South Wales
Old and new Charleyong bridges over Mongarlowe River in December 2020.
Marlowe Location in New South Wales
Coordinates	35°17′57″S 149°53′02″E
Population	0 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	2622
Location	24 km (15 mi) N of Braidwood 96 km (60 mi) SW of Nowra
LGA(s)	Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council
Region	Southern Tablelands
County	St Vincent
Parish	Marlowe
State electorate(s)	Monaro
Federal Division(s)	Eden-Monaro
Localities around Marlowe: Oallen Oallen Tomboye Mayfield Marlowe Tomboye Larbert Durran Durra Back Creek

The area now known as Marlowe lies on the traditional lands of the Walbanga people.[6]

The first mention of Marlowe (or 'Marlow') was in 1843, as one of the planned townships on the road from Braidwood to Jervis Bay.[7] Following the discovery of gold in the area, an informal settlement, originally known as Taylor's Village, arose around 1854; It was later known as Charleyong.[8] A site for a 'future village' was reserved in 1879, replacing the original village reserve of 1843.[9]

Charleyong experienced renewed prosperity around the turn of the 20th-century, when there was employment building the bridge and operating a gold dredge in the river.[10] The last gold dredge at Charleyong started operating in 1910 but was gone by 1913.[11][12]

Marlowe had a state school from 1869 to 1906, from 1910 to 1931 and from 1935 to 1940, variously described as "provisional", "half-time" or "public". Up to June 1893 it was called Charleyong school and subsequently Marlow school.[13] There was another half-time school at Charleyong in 1928 and from 1930 to 1940.[14]

The village erected a new public hall in 1925[15] and there was still a post office there at the start of the 1950s, both now gone. There are remnants of a cricket ground and tennis courts—rebuilt in 1953—at Charleyong,[16][17] and the settlement's old cemetery.[18][8]

The old Charleyong bridge over the Mongarlowe River is an Allan truss bridge completed in 1901.[17] A reinforced concrete bridge opened on 9 March 2020 has replaced it. The old bridge is expected to be demolished, starting in early 2021,[19] despite some community opposition.[17]