 st albans is a small and historic village on the macdonald river, new south wales, australia, about 94 kilometres (65&nbsp;mi) north west of sydney. at the 2006 census, st albans had a population of 72 people. ==history== the "village of macdonald" was surveyed in 1837 but renamed st albans on 26 january 1841 after the city of st albans in hertfordshire, england, north of london. in the early part of the colonial settlement of new south wales, the macdonald valley was an important agricultural area because of its accessibility by water. however with the development of railways and extensive agricultural development west of the great dividing range, the macdonald valley became less important and declined to become a remote backwater. the valley is often referred to by the locals as the "forgotten valley". st albans is on the banks of the macdonald river, a tributary of the hawkesbury river which is about 15 kilometres (9.5&nbsp;mi) to the south. the village was opened for settlement in 1842 largely because it had become an important stopping point for farmers and others in the area wanting to ship their goods down the hawkesbury river to sydney. st albans was at the navigational upper limit of the macdonald river. this upper portion of the river has since been drastically reduced to navigation with sand and silt. ==ferry and road access== two (free) 24-hour car ferries provide access to st albans from the sydney region along roads following the old goat and horse tracks on either side of the macdonald. both roads meander (one partly unsealed) through rich country and farms of cattle, melons, orchards and corn. on either side of the river are historic homes and spectacular sandstone towering hills. a route is through wisemans ferry township and north across the hawkesbury via wisemans ferry, then follow the eastern side of the macdonald. the first bridge to cross the river links the two roads at st albans. another route to st albans is
City_of_Hawkesbury Towns_in_New_South_Wales