On the road between Holbrook (20 kms) and Culcairn (8 kms) lies the village of Morven.
Morven dates back to the 1850’s when it was settled before Culcairn, as a Cobb and Co stop for the changing and resting of the horses before the crossing of the Billabong, and the continuation of the journey Wagga Wagga to Albury and return.
It was once a much larger village than is seen today and as that shown on old maps of the village prepared in December 1860 by District Surveyor Francis Adams, with plans for further expansion. There were once over 60 pupils attending the local school.
When the town blocks of land were sold in 1861, the majority were purchased by the brother of the owner of Carabobala Station, Elliot Heriot. Others were ’selected’ by George Matchett a former English policeman in 1865. Over the next 20 years the Matchett’s aquired more than 10,000 acres of land.
With the arrival of the Railway line to the west of the village, the town of Culcairn grew, and with the greater use of rail and the decline of Cobb & Co, Morven never saw the materialising of the original plans for the village.
Morven is one of the oldest licensed Cobb & Co. coach stations in NSW The remains of the old stables can still be seen, next to the Hotel built around the turn of the 20th Century after fire destroyed the original.
The original Bridge Hotel was built around 1868 and was purchased by John O’Donoghue in 1897, with the Hotel remaining in that familiy until 1959, when it was taken over by Octavius Chaffey. The name was changed to the ‘Round Hill Hotel’ about this time. The hotel is still licenced and fully operational.
The Morven Church was opened in 1874, and for 14 years was the only church in the district and was used for both Anglican and Presbyterian services. At one stage it was used on weekdays for a school, at which time the chimney was built to warm the building in winter.
St Peters as it is now known, has recently been restored by the Morven Community Committee. Services are still held on every fifth Sunday. Services and weddings are still being held in the Church, and the inside can be viewed by appointment.
The Morven Public School was built in 1906, and was progressively added to as the number of pupils expanded , with a new building being constructed in 1928 to accommodate 52 pupils.
It closed in 1967 at which time there were only 9 pupils at the school, and is now used as a private residence.
On the 27th June 1931 there were major floods in Morven when the Billabong Creek broke its banks. At the Morven School the creek was 1/4 mile (400m) wide, and the water was 3 feet (1 m) over the bridge decking.
Over the years many of the original buildings of the village have been destroyed by fire.
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