Have you heard of New Town?

Rex Barton, a volunteer at both Forbes Family History and the Forbes and District Museum, would love to hear from anyone with information about this area.

He was approached, through the family history rooms, by descendants of the Mr Black who had the store in this photograph seeking out more information.

He's turned to the archives and found that several families are actually listed to have lived in "New Town" in the local electoral roles of 1907 and 1908.

Old phone books, archived at the Family History Rooms, also list A Black shopkeeper, Forbes, with the phone number 37 between the years of 1915 and 1932 - but not by 1935.

In newspaper archives, there's a reference to Mr A Black's store being on North Hill, Forbes, and there's an interesting little story about it in 1914.

"The recent discovery of a nugget of gold near Mr A Black's store on North Hill, Forbes, has caused a certain amount of activity in that locality," the Advocate reported on October 6.

"Ground has been taken up on all sides, and a party consisting of Messrs Joseph Brown and John Turner have pegged out Mr Black's store and portion of his ground."

Mr Black told the Warden's Court the men had permission to work in his backyard providing they gave him one fifth of the gold taken out, clear of expenses.

Based on the limited information available, Mr Barton thinks the store pictured would have been the former Finns store in Johnson Street.

If anyone has more information on A Black or Newtown the Family History Room would love to hear from you.

Email ffhg@westserv.net.au or visit them behind the library between 10am and midday Wednesday or Saturday.