WELLINGTON Wellington is encounted when traveling north (or south) towards Dubbo, most likely having left Orange. Wellington is a special sort of town and the traveller is well advised to allow a few days when visiting. Heritage is hugely important and is on display at every turn. The Explorer John Oxley was the first European to discover the area in 1817 and named it "Wellington Valley" after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Wellington was originally established in 1823 by Lieutenant Percy Simpson in early 1823 as an agricultural station. Squatters started settling along the Macquarie Valley and in 1832 [Church Mission Society CMS] was established in the settlement to teach Christianity to the Aborigines. The convict settlement ceased in 1831 but a village called Montefiores was established on the north side of the Macquarie River crossing. The Town of Wellington was gazetted in 1846. Wellington Shire Council was established in 1949. Wellington is the second oldest New South Wales settlement west of the Blue Mountains. One of its hotels, the Lion of Waterloo, established by Nicolas Hyeronimus in 1842, is the oldest operating west of the Blue Mountains, and is near the venue of the last recorded duel fought on Australian soil in 1854. Wellington is a significant heritage town of NSW. History is proudly on display and being cultivated. The Catholic Church has the most significant profile; the Anglican is the oldest, and the United’s are also both very old buildings. Wellington has a number of trading hotels. Some are real NSW classics. There is also the xxxx Located on the northern fringe of the town. The Wellington War Memorial is located within the Memorial Gardens. This is a striking cenotaph. The Wellington Museum is opposite the Anglican Church.