The first people to live alongside the river were Aborigines of the Wiradjuri and Gundungara tribes. They may have used the river as a trading route. The first European to visit the river was explorer Charles Throsby on 5 May 1819, during an expedition from Sydney to the Central West of New South Wales. Alluvial gold was discovered in and along the river in 1851. This started a small gold rush. It was difficult to find gold because of the rough terrain, and changing water levels in the river. Early miners found up to of gold a day along the river. By 1862 about 45 mining parties were working at Milburne Creek, a minor tributary of the Abercrombie. 