▁was ▁regularly ▁over land ed ▁to ▁South ▁Australia ▁via ▁the ▁Lower ▁M urr umb idge e .   ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁stock hold ers ▁were ▁ed ging ▁west ward ▁along ▁and ▁the ▁L ach lan , ▁M urr umb idge e , ▁Bill ab ong ▁and ▁Murray ▁systems .   ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 3 9 ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁front ages ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁present - day ▁Hay ▁were ▁occupied ▁by ▁squ at ters . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 5 0 s ▁past oral ▁runs ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁River ina ▁were ▁well - est ab lished ▁and ▁prosper ous . ▁The ▁nearby ▁Victor ian ▁gold - r ush es ▁provided ▁an ▁expand ing ▁market ▁for ▁stock . ▁The ▁prime ▁f atten ing ▁country ▁of ▁the ▁River ina ▁became ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁holding ▁centre , ▁from ▁where ▁the ▁Victor ian ▁market ▁could ▁be ▁supplied ▁as ▁required .   ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁routes ▁established ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 5 0 s ▁crossed ▁the ▁M urr umb idge e ▁River ▁at ▁Lang ' s ▁Cross ing - place . ▁ ▁Lang ’ s ▁Cross ing ▁place ▁ ▁The ▁local ity ▁where ▁Hay ▁town ship ▁developed ▁was ▁originally ▁known ▁by ▁Europe ans ▁as ▁Lang ' s ▁Cross ing ▁place ▁( named ▁after ▁three ▁brothers ▁named ▁Lang ▁who ▁were ▁le ase hold ers ▁of ▁runs ▁on ▁the ▁southern ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁river ).   ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁crossing ▁on ▁the ▁M urr umb idge