The town is named after the large rocky hill overlooking the town, now called The Rock Hill[2] but called Yerong in the local indigenous language. The reserve that includes The Rock Hill is an attraction in the area for bush-walking, rock-climbing, and observation of wildlife. It is also an Aboriginal sacred site, called Kengal.[3]
History
The Rock Post Office opened on 1 September 1890.[4]
Prior to 1919, the town had been known as Kingston, probably named for the King family which had operated the farm property known as "The Rock".[5][6] The name Kingston is shown on a 1916 map of the Riverina district. The King name survives with the hotel on the Olympic Highway at the town still named The King's Own.
Heritage listings
The Rock has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
The Rock Football Club was an
Australian Rules Football club that was established in 1900 after a meeting at the King's Own Hotel.[8] The club has played in the following football competitions -
1916: Club active, but no official competition due to
WW1.
1917: The Culcairn Patriotic Football Association[15]
1918: Yerong Creek & District Football Association. The Rock played against Mangoplah and Yerong Creek.[16]
1919–1921: Wagga United Football Association. The Rock withdrew form the Wagga United FA in June[17] & joined The Rock & District Football Association.[18]
1923–1925: Wagga United Football Association. Runners Up: 1925[20][21][22]
1926–1927: The Rock Football Association. Runners Up: 1927[23]
1928 – Wagga & District Football Association. Runners Up: 1928[24] As the minor premiers, Magoplah were entitled to challenge The Rock to another game and ultimately won the Grand Final replay.[25]
1929–1937: The Rock & District Football League: Premiers: 1932,[26][27] 1936[28][29][30] Runners Up: 1934,[31] 1937[32]
1962 –
Farrer Football League: The Rock FC & Yerong Creek FC merged in 1962 to form The Rock Yerong Creek FC.
The Rock Cricket Club won the 1938/39 Henty & District Cricket Association premiership, defeating Henty. The Rock scored 7/441 in their second innings, with the three Taylor brothers all scoring centuries![35]
The Rock also had a
rugby league team, who competed in the
Group 13 Rugby League competition. The club wore maroon jerseys with a sky blue V.
^The Rock was originally Kingston, Daily Advertiser, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Wed 15 Sep 1948, Page 5 accessed at
National Library of Australia. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
^Local Government Act, 1906 and Amending Acts, Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales, Sydney, Fri 5 Sep 1919 [Issue No.219], Page 4931 accessed at
Trove, National Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 May 2022.