Albury, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Albury
is a major regional city in New South Wales
, Australia, located on the Hume Highway
on the northern side of the Murray River
. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury
Local Government Area. Albury is the second major city of the Riverina
and the second largest inland city in New South Wales
, behind Wagga Wagga.
Albury has an urban population of 53,507 people. It is separated from its twin city in Victoria, Wodonga
by the Murray River. Together the two cities form an urban area with a population of more than 90,000. It is 554 kilometres (344.2 mi) from the state capital Sydney and 326 kilometres (202.6 mi) from the Victoria
n capital Melbourne.
. At the airport, Albury is 164 metres above sea level (539 ft).
Albury's mean annual rainfall is about 701.3 millimetres, which is more than Melbourne but less than Sydney. Rain can occur all year round, but most of it falls in the winter months with July's high mean of 82.3 millimetres comparing with the March low of 37.9 millimetres.
The city itself comprises a number of suburbs.
Central Albury comprises the central business district (CBD) and lies between the railway line, the Murray River and Monument Hill. Much commercial activity is concentrated here, with Dean Street forming the axis of the main shopping and office district. A cultural precinct is centred around QE2 Square, including the Albury Library Museum, Albury Regional Art Gallery, Albury Performing Arts Centre and Convention Centre, and the Murray Conservatorium. In the same block are the Post Office, Police Station and Courthouse, as well St Matthew's Anglican Church which was rebuilt after being destroyed by fire in 1990. The Albury City council offices are located on Kiewa Street.
Forrest Hill lies directly north west and covers the saddle between Monument Hill and Nail Can Hill, whilst west over the ridge lies West Albury
. West Albury is primarily a residential area, but it is home to the First World War Memorial (locally known as the Monument), Riverwood Retirement Village, Albury Wodonga Private Hospital (which lies on the corner of Pemberton Street and the Riverina Highway), and the Albury sewerage treatment plant. All of West Albury was once wetland and bush. The only remnant of this is Horseshoe Lagoon to the south-west of the suburb, which has been declared a Wildlife Refuge by NSW Parks & Wildlife and incorporated into the Wonga Wetlands.
To the north-west of West Albury is Pemberton Park.
East Albury
lies east of the railway line/freeway from the CBD and houses cover the Eastern Hill alongside the Albury Base Hospital, while the flat land directly north of it is covered by parkland, housing and light industry, and a retail park
including Harvey Norman
and Spotlight franchises, as well as the city airport
. The Mungabareena Reserve lies on the Murray south of the airport, and is considered an Aboriginal cultural site of some significance. Mungabareena means "place of plenty talk" in the Wiradjuri
language.
South Albury
is a mix of residential and industrial areas, with the floodplains south of the railway line and freeway still used for farming and grazing. Flood mitigation works in the 1990s have dramatically reduced the risk of flooding in the residential areas of South Albury.
North Albury
was once covered by orchards and vineyards in the first half of the 20th century, as was a swamp where the James Fallon High School now stands, but after the second world war housing development in the area increased and Waugh Road was extended from David Street to the "Five Ways" intersection at Union Road, which ascribes the border between North Albury and Lavington
. The locality of Glenroy is adjacent to North Albury, west of the Bungambrawartha Creek, and housing development was developed in the 1970s, including a significant Housing Commission public housing estate.
Lavington
is the largest suburb of Albury, and the only suburb which has its own postcode (2641, as opposed to 2640 for the balance of Albury). The suburb was originally named Black Range in the 1850s and 1860s, before being renamed Lavington in 1910. Originally within the boundaries of Hume Shire, it was absorbed into the City of Albury Local Government Area
in the 1950s. Housing and commercial development has continued from that point until this day. Prior to 2007, the Hume Highway
– also known as Wagga Road – passed north-east through the suburb, with Urana Road passing north-west though the suburb from the "Five Ways" or "Roundabout" road junction. In 2007, an internal bypass of the Hume Freeway was opened, with the former name of the Hume Highway section officially reverting to the commonly used "Wagga Road". The suburb of Lavington also includes the localities of Springdale Heights, Hamilton Valley and Norris Park. A lawn cemetery and crematorium lies at the western end of Union Road.
Thurgoona
, to the east of Lavington, was established as a new residential suburb by the Albury Wodonga Development Corporation
in the 1970s. In the 1990s a new campus of the Charles Sturt University
was established here, as was an office of the Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre. A major golf club known as the Thurgoona Country Club Resort is also situated in this suburb.
Further outlying localities include Splitters Creek
– a small residential/farming community to the west, Ettamogah (home of the Ettamogah Pub
and OZ.e.Wildlife sanctuary), Bowna
and Table Top to the north, and Wirlinga and Lake Hume
village to the east. Howlong
(20 km west) and Jindera
(16 km north) are the closest towns outside of the Albury city area, and act as commuter dormitories as well as service centres for the local rural industry.
is situated on the Murray River 10 kilometres upstream of Albury. The Hume Dam (colloquially termed the Weir
locally) wall construction took 17 years, from 1919–1936. A hydro-electric power plant supplies 60 MW of power to the state grid. When full the lake covers 80 square kilometres.
The lake was created for irrigation
purposes and has caused significant changes to the flow patterns and ecology of the Murray River. Before the construction of the Hume Weir, flows in normal (non-drought) years were low in summer and autumn (though still significant overall), rising in winter due to seasonal rainfall and reaching a flood-peak in late spring due to snowmelt in the Murray and tributaries' alpine headwaters. The flow is effectively reversed now, with low flows in winter and sustained, relatively high flows in late spring, summer and early autumn to meet irrigation demands, although the spring flood peak has been virtually eliminated. In addition, the water released from the base of the Hume Weir is un-naturally cold. This flow reversal, temperature depression and removal of the spring flood peak has led to the drying out and loss of many billabongs and has harmed the populations of native fish of the Murray River such as the iconic Murray Cod
.
people occupied the area for many thousands of years before. Little history is documented about the relationship of Aboriginal people and the European settlers.
arrived at what is now known as the Murray River
at Albury on 16 November 1824 what their maps named 'Crossing Point'. They named the river the Hume River and the next day inscribed a tree by the riverbank before continuing their journey south to Westernport in Victoria. In 1829, explorer Captain Charles Sturt
discovered the Hume River downstream at its junction with the Murrumbidgee River
. Not realising it was the same river, he named it the Murray River. Both names persisted for some time, Hume falling into disuse eventually in favour of Murray. The aboriginal name for the river was Millewa. A crossing place for the Murray became popular close to where Hovell inscribed the tree. In summer it was usually possible to cross the river by foot.
.
The first European buildings erected at the crossing place were a provisions store and small huts. A survey for a town was commissioned in 1838 by Assistant Surveyor Thomas Townsend
who mapped out Woodonga Place (the present Wodonga Place) as the western boundary, Hume Street as the northern boundary, Kiewa Street to the east and Nurigong to the south, with Townsend Street being the only other north-south road, and Ebden and Hovell Streets being the other two east-west roads. Townsend proposed the settlement be named 'Bungambrewatha', the Aboriginal name for the area, but when his plan was eventually approved and published in the Government Gazette on 13 April 1839 the name had been changed to Albury.
Albury is said to be named after a village in Kent
, England which it resembled.
By 1847, the Albury settlement included two public house
s and a handful of huts, a police barracks and blacksmiths. A log punt established in 1844 serviced the crossing of the Murray River
. Albury Post Office opened on 1 April 1843, closed in 1845, then reopened in the township on 1 February 1847.
In 1851 with the separation of Victoria from New South Wales and the border falling on the Murray River, Albury found itself a frontier town. With increase in commerce with Melbourne, the first bridge was built in 1860 to the design of surveyor William Snell Chauncy
. Albury at this time became a customs post between the two colonies as New South Wales held a protectionist stance on gaining its constitution in 1856.
Albury was at this time starting to grow substantially with German speaking immigrants
using the area to grow grapes for wine. Albury boasted by the 1870s a butter factory, flour mill, wineries and locally brewed cider
and soft drinks.
In 1888 Albury built its first school house. The city's first mayor James Fallon was an innovator of the Public School, funding a demonstration High School to be built on Kiewa Street.
The railway line from Sydney arrived at Albury in 1881 (see Transport-Rail below). A temporary wooden railway bridge joined the line to the Victorian network 1883. New South Wales and Victoria had different railway gauges until 1962, when the first train ran straight through from Sydney to Melbourne. The states could not initially agree which should be the transfer point so they had an expensive and attractive iron lattice bridge sent from Scotland which accommodated both gauges. The bridge is still standing astride the Murray and is in daily use.
Albury's proximity to Wodonga has spurred several efforts to achieve some kind of municipal governmental union (see Albury-Wodonga
). In 1973 Albury-Wodonga was selected as the primary focus of the Whitlam federal government's scheme to redirect the uncontrolled growth of Australia's large coastal cities (Sydney and Melbourne in particular) by encouraging decentralisation. Grand plans were made to turn Albury-Wodonga into a major inland city and large areas of the surrounding farmland was compulsorily purchased by the government. Some industries were enticed to move there, and a certain amount of population movement resulted. However, the current population of approximately 101,597 residents is far below the 300,000 projected by Whitlam in the 1970s.
.
, Albury is a major transit point for interstate commerce. From March 2007, Albury was bypassed by the new Hume Freeway. The new freeway includes the new Spirit of Progress Bridge over the Murray River and cost $518 million, the most expensive road project ever built in regional Australia.
The other minor highways which connect to Albury are the Riverina Highway
, which continues west through Berrigan
to Deniliquin and east to Lake Hume
; and the Olympic Highway (renamed from the Olympic Way) which diverges left from the Hume 16 km north of Albury, into the centre of NSW, passing through Wagga Wagga
and terminating with the Mid-Western Highway
at Cowra
.
In 1888, the Smollett Street wrought iron arch bridge was constructed over Bungambrawatha Creek. Smollet Street was extended westward through the botanical gardens to give direct access from the Albury Railway Station to Howlong Road by a straight street. The bridge is near the botanic gardens and the local swimming pool. The bridge is a rare example of a metal arch bridge in New South Wales, and is the oldest of only two metal arch bridges in New South Wales, the other being the Sydney Harbour Bridge
.
Albury railway station is on the main Sydney-Melbourne railway line. Originally New South Wales and Victoria had different railway gauges, which meant that all travellers in either direction had to change trains at Albury. To accommodate this, a very long railway platform
was needed; the 450 metre long covered platform is possibly the longest in Australia. The station is still served by two different rail gauges; the thrice daily broad gauge V/Line
services from Melbourne as well as the standard gauge Countrylink
XPT services to Sydney which run twice daily.
In 1873 the broad gauge
(5 ft 3ins) railway line from Melbourne reached the township of Belvoir/Wodonga. In 1881 the New South Wales standard gauge
(4 ft 8½ins) railway line reached Albury, with a railway bridge joining the two colonies in 1883. Albury became the stop over, where passengers on the Melbourne-Sydney journey changed trains until 1962, when a standard gauge was opened between the two capitals. After World War II in an attempt to overcome the difference in gauges and speed up traffic, a bogie exchange
device lifted freight wagons and carriages allowing workers to refit rolling stock with different gauged wheel-sets.
The break of railway gauge at Albury was a major impediment to Australia's war effort and infrastructure during World Wars I and II; every soldier, every item of equipment and supplies were all off-loaded from the broad gauge and reloaded onto a standard gauge railway wagon on the opposite side of the platform. In his book Tramps Abroad, writer Mark Twain
spoke of the break of gauge at Albury and changing trains... "Now comes a singular thing, the oddest thing, the strangest thing, the unaccountable marvel that Australia can show, namely the break of gauge at Albury. Think of the paralysis of intellect that gave that idea birth."(cited by Fisher below)
Military armouries and warehouses were established in the vicinity of Albury. Similar stores were also established at Tocumwal
and Oaklands
.
In 2007, (with a government's view that there was a decline of traffic on the broad gauge
line) there are plans to convert this line to standard gauge
at least from Seymour
and obtain double track
for the standard gauge. This plan received approval in May 2008.
Albury Airport
, owned and operated by the City of Albury
, is the second busiest regional airport in New South Wales with around 300,000 passenger movements per year. The airport, 4 kilometres east of the city centre, has scheduled daily flights to Sydney and Melbourne through commercial carriers QantasLink
, Regional Express Airlines
and Virgin Australia; in addition to several charter services. Brindabella Airlines
flies to Canberra every day except Saturday. The ATA airport code for Albury is ABX. The road leading from Albury Airport to the city was re-named Borella Road in 1979, in honour of Victoria Cross
recipient Albert Chalmers Borella
, who was buried at Albury..
In 1934 a Douglas DC-2
airliner of KLM (the "Uiver"), a competitor in the London to Melbourne Air Race, made an emergency night landing at the town's race-track after becoming lost during severe thunderstorms. After signalling by Morse code
A-L-B-U-R-Y to the lost aircrew by using the entire town's public lighting system, the "Uiver" was guided in to land safely. The makeshift runway at the race-track was illuminated by the headlights of cars belonging to local residents who had responded to a special news bulletin on ABC Radio 2CO. After refuelling the next day, many local volunteers helped pull the stranded aircraft out of the race-track's mud and the aircraft was able to take off and continue to Melbourne where it won the first prize in the MacRobertson London to Melbourne Air Race
handicap catagory and became second overall.
There is a good network of bicycle paths in the city, including one to the outlying suburb of Thurgoona and across the state border to Wodonga. A new program has built many more bike tracks, including one from the riverside parks to Wonga Wetlands.
newsprint paper mill which processes the pine logs planted in the mountains to the east, an engineering plant which produces automatic transmissions for cars, a major processing centre of the Australian Taxation Office
, and many other smaller secondary industries. Other large employers are: The Commercial Club Albury and Hume Building Society.
Albury's major employer was ION Automotive Group. In 2003 it employed 1100 people in the city. In late 2005 it was undergoing a deed of company arrangement and Powertrain Products International was a prospective purchaser.
The Australian pizza chain Eagle Boys
was founded in Albury.
, the historic goldfield towns of Beechworth
and Yackandandah
, boating and fishing on the many rivers and lakes, including Lake Hume
, the forests and mountains of the Great Dividing Range
and slightly further afield are the snowfields Falls Creek
and Mount Hotham
.
Within the city of Albury itself, Monument Hill, at the western end of the CBD is the location of the city's distinctive First World War Memorial and provides a good view of the city. Wonga Wetlands, 2.5 km west of the city and adjacent to the River Murray is a key feature of Albury's use of treated wastewater and consists of a series of lagoons and billabongs. Wonga Wetlands features more than 150 species of birdlife and the Aquatic Environment Education Centre.
. The original Albury campus was located in the Northern part of the CBD between Kiewa and David Streets. Charles Sturt University relocated to a new purpose built campus at Thurgoona in 2009. CSU offers courses in Arts, Business, Education and Science. It plays a key role in drawing aspiring students to the area, taking candidates from all over Australia.
Riverina Institute
of TAFE operates a campus in Albury.
There is also a campus of the UNSW Rural Clinical School of Medicine adjacent to the Albury Base Hospital.
Albury is home to nine public primary schools (Albury Public School, Albury North Public School, Albury West Public School, Glenroy Public School, Hume Public School, Lavington Public School, Lavington East Public School, Springdale Heights Public School, and Thurgoona Public School) and three public high schools (Albury High School
, James Fallon High School
and Murray High School). Several non-government high schools operate in the area including Xavier High School
, The Scots School Albury
, Border Christian College, St Paul's College
and Trinity Anglican College. The city is the base for NSW Department of Education South West Riverina regional office.
Print
Albury serves as a regional media centre. A daily tabloid owned by Fairfax Media, the Border Mail
, is printed in Wodonga. The Border Mail has offices in both Albury and Wodonga. Along with an independently owned weekly publication called the Albury Wodonga NewsWeekly.
), WIN Television
(part of the Nine Network
), Southern Cross Ten
(part of Network Ten
), as well as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service
, more commonly known as SBS. Several of these networks also offer additional digital channels, including ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, SBS Two, 7Two, 7mate, One HD, Eleven, GEM and GO!.
Regional news coverage of Albury is featured on all three main commercial networks. Prime7 airs a 30-minute local news bulletin each weeknight at 6pm, produced from a newsroom in the Lavington suburb of the city and since March 2011, broadcast from Prime's Canberra studios. WIN Television
's 30-minute bulletin airs at 6:30pm, produced from a newsroom in the city and broadcast from studios in Ballarat. Southern Cross Ten also airs short local news updates from its Canberra studios throughout the day.
On 5 May 2011, Analogue television transmissions ceased in most areas of regional Victoria and some border regions including Albury-Wodonga. All local free-to-air television services are now broadcasting in digital transmission only. This was done as part of the Federal Government`s plan for Digital terrestrial television in Australia where all analogue transmission systems are gradually turned off and replaced with modern DVB-T
transmission systems.
, 105.7 The River, and Star FM
on 104.9 FM. Notably, Star FM's south eastern network is programmed out of the Albury/Wodonga Hub, going to centres around New South Wales
, Victoria, Tasmania and into South Australia. Broadcast out of the same building is 105.7 The River, which is also networked to local stations around New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
Albury/Wodonga is one radio market, thus advertisements are directed to both sides of the border. The Albury/Wodonga market underwent significant change in 2005 when Macquarie Southern Cross Media bought 105.7 The River from RG Capital Radio Network
, and 2AY and Star FM from the DMG Radio Australia
. Due to cross-media ownership laws preventing the ownership of more than two stations in one market, Macquarie was required to sell one of these stations and in September 2005 sold 2AY to the Ace Radio
network. 2AY takes its night time programming from 3AW
Melbourne.
The ABC
produces breakfast and morning radio programs through its local radio network, from the studios of ABC Goulburn Murray
located in Wodonga. The rest of their content is delivered from Melbourne. The ABC also deliver, ABC Radio National, ABC Classic FM
, and Triple J
on 103.3 FM.
There is also a community radio station known as 2REM 107.3 FM. The Albury Wodonga Community Radio station play a large amount of speciality programs including those for the retiree, ethnic and aboriginal communities throughout the day and a range of musical styles including underground and independent artists from 8:00 pm onwards.
In addition, the area is serviced by a Radio for the Print Handicapped
station, 2APH, on 101.7 FM. Wodonga
TAFE's broadcasting training station, 87.8 Wodonga TAFE Radio
. Albury-Wodonga Christian Broadcasters transmits as 98.5 The Light http://www.thelight.org.au/ and by the dance music station Raw FM
on 87.6 MHz.
. The local Ovens & Murray Football League
is one of the strongest regional leagues in the nation, with the Oven's & Murray Grand Final
regularly drawing 15,000 spectators. The league contains three teams from Albury; Current Premiers Albury Football Club
, Lavington Panthers Football Club and North Albury Football Club
. Many footballers from Albury have gone on to play in the Australian Football League
, including Haydn Bunton Senior, who won three Brownlow Medal
s and was an inaugural legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame
; and South Melbourne
Brownlow medallist Fred Goldsmith
.
Albury also has a rugby league
team, the Albury Thunder, competing in the Group 9 Rugby League
competition.
The Albury-Wodonga Steamers are the local Rugby Union
Club playing in the Southern Inland Rugby Union competition. The Steamers have produced several players for the Australian Rugby Union
National Talent Squad.
The Albury Wodonga Bandits
compete in the South East Australian Basketball League
(SEABL) East Conference of the Australian Basketball Association
(ABA) playing their home games at the Albury Sports Stadium. (known now as the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre) The Lady Bandits joined the women's SEABL in 2006. The Albury Gold Cup horse race is the major autumn event for the district. In 2005 it attracted a record crowd in excess of 18,600 racegoers. Albury has lately become a stronghold of junior hockey, boasting one of the few synthetic fields in the area. The town also has the Albury Grass Tennis Courts. V8 Supercar Team, Brad Jones Racing
and drivers Brad Jones and his nephew Andrew also calls Albury home.
Albury is the birthplace of women's tennis grand slam
winner Margaret Court, 2003&2007 WNBA MVP winner Lauren Jackson
, NRL Player Adrian Purtell (ex-Canberra Raider who is currently playing for Penrith Panthers) and Test cricket
er Steve Rixon
, among other champion sports people.
in 1979, and these days conducts many productions through the Hothouse Theatre located on Gateway Island between Albury and Wodonga – Though still in Victoria and not in New South Wales. Many notable actors and comics have performed with the MRPG. Jazz Albury Wodonga also regularly hosts national and international artists at the Jazz Basement which is located on Gateway Island.
Touring productions also often pass through the area.
Albury has a growing local scene of rock music bands and fans. The Youth Cafe is a supporter of local acts providing resources for young musicians and performers to be recognised. The Youth Cafe has been visited by bands such as Thy Art Is Murder, Sienna Skies, Addison and locals Bloodloss Vegas, Radio Shock therapy, Executor & Chelsea Wont Jump. The Sodens Australia Hotel previously hosted local and touring bands from Australia and overseas, but closed in mid 2009. A major youth music event, the Border Music Camp held at Scot's School, attracts people from as far as Sydney. Groovin The Moo Music Festival visits every November providing Albury with notable acts such as Hilltop Hoods
, Urthboy and Midnight Juggernauts
.
In 2003, a sister city relationship with Nanping
in north western Fujian
province, People's Republic of China, was formalised.
Albury is the largest city in the Federal electorate of Farrer
, of which the current representative is Sussan Ley
of the Liberal Party
. The previous Federal MP was Tim Fischer
, who was leader of the National Party
and Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
. In State politics, the Electoral district of Albury is currently represented by Greg Aplin
, also of the Liberal Party. The member for Albury between 1932 and 1946, Alexander Mair
, was the Premier of New South Wales from 1939 to 1941.
Local government is the responsibility of the Albury City Council
, whose area of responsibility has gradually been enlarged to cover new housing estates at Albury's fringes. Amanda Duncan-Strelec became Albury's first female Mayor in 1995, serving for one year. The current Mayor of Albury is Alice Glachan, who was elected in 2009.
Albury has a longstanding connection to conservative politics. Following the first convention in Canberra
to form the Liberal Party of Australia
, delegates, including Sir Robert Menzies
, met for a second conference in Albury at Mate's Department Store between 14 and 16 December 1944. The delegates agreed on the structure of the party organisation, adopted a provisional constitution and appointed a federal executive until one could be formally elected.
, singer Malcolm McEachern
, actors Richard Roxburgh
and Maggie Kirkpatrick
, actor/writer Noel Hodda
, and Australian rules football
er Brett Kirk
. The actor Matt Holmes
most notably known for his role as Swain
in Sea Patrol
, Olympic Games
swimmer Clementine Stoney
, anti-communist priest Dr `Paddy' Ryan, fashion designer Lisa Ho
, and cartoonist Ken Maynard
of Ettamogah Pub
fame, were all born in Albury. Basketballer Lauren Jackson
, who currently plays with the Seattle Storm
of the WNBA, was also born in Albury.
Others who lived in Albury – but weren't necessarily born there – include the filmmaker Dean Murphy (Strange Bedfellows), the writer Clint Morris
, the actor Malcolm Kennard (E Street) and singer/songwriter Lisa Mitchell
.
Book References
is a major regional city in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia, located on the Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
on the northern side of the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury
City of Albury
The City of Albury is a Local Government Area in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The LGA covers the entirety of the Albury urban area including the suburbs of Forrest Hill, Lavington, Thurgoona, Splitters Creek, Ettamogah, Bowna, Table Top and Wirlinga.The LGA is administered...
Local Government Area. Albury is the second major city of the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
and the second largest inland city in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, behind Wagga Wagga.
Albury has an urban population of 53,507 people. It is separated from its twin city in Victoria, Wodonga
Wodonga, Victoria
Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA...
by the Murray River. Together the two cities form an urban area with a population of more than 90,000. It is 554 kilometres (344.2 mi) from the state capital Sydney and 326 kilometres (202.6 mi) from the Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
n capital Melbourne.
Geography
Albury is situated above the river flats of the Murray River, in the foothills of the Great Dividing RangeGreat Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
. At the airport, Albury is 164 metres above sea level (539 ft).
Climate
Albury has a warm, temperate, four-season climate, with cool to mild winters and very warm to hot summers. In summer, the mean daily maximum temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius with low humidity; however, this is subject to substantial daily variation. An average of 17 days with a maximum above 35 degrees Celsius occur in this summer period. Mean winter maximums are around 14 degrees Celsius. Frosts are commonplace in winter, with approximately 20 days per year featuring minimums of below freezing.Albury's mean annual rainfall is about 701.3 millimetres, which is more than Melbourne but less than Sydney. Rain can occur all year round, but most of it falls in the winter months with July's high mean of 82.3 millimetres comparing with the March low of 37.9 millimetres.
City and suburbs
Central Albury comprises the central business district (CBD) and lies between the railway line, the Murray River and Monument Hill. Much commercial activity is concentrated here, with Dean Street forming the axis of the main shopping and office district. A cultural precinct is centred around QE2 Square, including the Albury Library Museum, Albury Regional Art Gallery, Albury Performing Arts Centre and Convention Centre, and the Murray Conservatorium. In the same block are the Post Office, Police Station and Courthouse, as well St Matthew's Anglican Church which was rebuilt after being destroyed by fire in 1990. The Albury City council offices are located on Kiewa Street.
Forrest Hill lies directly north west and covers the saddle between Monument Hill and Nail Can Hill, whilst west over the ridge lies West Albury
West Albury, New South Wales
West Albury is a suburb of the city of Albury, New South Wales, located west of the Albury Central Business District. At the 2006 census, West Albury had a population of 4,115....
. West Albury is primarily a residential area, but it is home to the First World War Memorial (locally known as the Monument), Riverwood Retirement Village, Albury Wodonga Private Hospital (which lies on the corner of Pemberton Street and the Riverina Highway), and the Albury sewerage treatment plant. All of West Albury was once wetland and bush. The only remnant of this is Horseshoe Lagoon to the south-west of the suburb, which has been declared a Wildlife Refuge by NSW Parks & Wildlife and incorporated into the Wonga Wetlands.
To the north-west of West Albury is Pemberton Park.
East Albury
East Albury, New South Wales
East Albury is a suburb of the city of Albury, New South Wales, located east of the Albury Central Business District. At the 2006 census, East Albury had a population of 5686....
lies east of the railway line/freeway from the CBD and houses cover the Eastern Hill alongside the Albury Base Hospital, while the flat land directly north of it is covered by parkland, housing and light industry, and a retail park
Retail park
In the United Kingdom, a retail park is a grouping of many retail warehouses and superstores with associated car parking. Its North American equivalent is a power centre. Retail parks are found on the fringes of most large towns and cities in highly accessible locations and are aimed at households...
including Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
and Spotlight franchises, as well as the city airport
Albury Airport
Albury Airport is a regional airport located near Albury, New South Wales, Australia. The airport also serves Albury's adjacent sister city of Wodonga, Victoria....
. The Mungabareena Reserve lies on the Murray south of the airport, and is considered an Aboriginal cultural site of some significance. Mungabareena means "place of plenty talk" in the Wiradjuri
Wiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
language.
South Albury
South Albury, New South Wales
South Albury is a suburb of the city of Albury, New South Wales, located south of the Albury Central Business District. At the 2006 census, South Albury had a population of 1102....
is a mix of residential and industrial areas, with the floodplains south of the railway line and freeway still used for farming and grazing. Flood mitigation works in the 1990s have dramatically reduced the risk of flooding in the residential areas of South Albury.
North Albury
North Albury, New South Wales
North Albury is a suburb of the city of Albury, New South Wales, located north of the Albury Central Business District. At the 2006 census, North Albury had a population of 6089....
was once covered by orchards and vineyards in the first half of the 20th century, as was a swamp where the James Fallon High School now stands, but after the second world war housing development in the area increased and Waugh Road was extended from David Street to the "Five Ways" intersection at Union Road, which ascribes the border between North Albury and Lavington
Lavington, New South Wales
Lavington is a suburb of the city of Albury, New South Wales, located north of the Albury Central Business District. At the 2006 census, Lavington had a population of 12 477....
. The locality of Glenroy is adjacent to North Albury, west of the Bungambrawartha Creek, and housing development was developed in the 1970s, including a significant Housing Commission public housing estate.
Lavington
Lavington, New South Wales
Lavington is a suburb of the city of Albury, New South Wales, located north of the Albury Central Business District. At the 2006 census, Lavington had a population of 12 477....
is the largest suburb of Albury, and the only suburb which has its own postcode (2641, as opposed to 2640 for the balance of Albury). The suburb was originally named Black Range in the 1850s and 1860s, before being renamed Lavington in 1910. Originally within the boundaries of Hume Shire, it was absorbed into the City of Albury Local Government Area
Local Government Area
A local government area is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory....
in the 1950s. Housing and commercial development has continued from that point until this day. Prior to 2007, the Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
– also known as Wagga Road – passed north-east through the suburb, with Urana Road passing north-west though the suburb from the "Five Ways" or "Roundabout" road junction. In 2007, an internal bypass of the Hume Freeway was opened, with the former name of the Hume Highway section officially reverting to the commonly used "Wagga Road". The suburb of Lavington also includes the localities of Springdale Heights, Hamilton Valley and Norris Park. A lawn cemetery and crematorium lies at the western end of Union Road.
Thurgoona
Thurgoona, New South Wales
Thurgoona is an outer suburb of the regional city of Albury in southern New South Wales, Australia. The suburb is located in the City of Albury Local government area.It is the site of one of the campuses of Charles Sturt University...
, to the east of Lavington, was established as a new residential suburb by the Albury Wodonga Development Corporation
Albury-Wodonga
Albury-Wodonga is the broad settlement incorporating the twin Australian cities of Albury and Wodonga, which are separated geographically by the Murray River and politically by a state border: Albury on the north of the river is part of New South Wales while Wodonga on the south bank is in...
in the 1970s. In the 1990s a new campus of the Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus university located in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. It has campuses at Bathurst, Canberra, Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Wagga Wagga and Burlington, Ontario...
was established here, as was an office of the Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre. A major golf club known as the Thurgoona Country Club Resort is also situated in this suburb.
Further outlying localities include Splitters Creek
Splitters Creek, New South Wales
Splitters Creek is a suburb of the city of Albury, New South Wales, located west of the Albury Central Business District.As its name suggests, Splitters Creek lies in the Splitters Creek valley in the hills of Nail Can Hill/Black Range on the Murray River floodplain...
– a small residential/farming community to the west, Ettamogah (home of the Ettamogah Pub
Ettamogah Pub
The Ettamogah Pub is a cartoon pub that was featured in the now defunct Australasian Post magazine. The cartoonist Ken Maynard, loving empty spaces and having nothing around him, enjoyed an area just outside of Albury at Table Top, named Ettamogah, thus christening the name of his now famous pub...
and OZ.e.Wildlife sanctuary), Bowna
Bowna, New South Wales
Bowna is a community in the south east part of the Riverina. It is situated by road, about 7 kilometres south west from Mullengandra and 18 kilometres east from Table Top....
and Table Top to the north, and Wirlinga and Lake Hume
Lake Hume
Lake Hume is an artificial lake in Australia formed by the Hume Weir east of Albury-Wodonga on the Murray River just downstream of its junction with the Mitta River. The small towns of Tallangatta, Bonegilla and Bellbridge are located on the shores of Lake Hume...
village to the east. Howlong
Howlong, New South Wales
Howlong is a town west of Albury, and is situated on the Murray River which separates the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. The town is located on the Riverina Highway. There is a bridge across the Murray into Victoria. Howlong is in the Corowa Shire Local government area...
(20 km west) and Jindera
Jindera, New South Wales
Jindera is a town in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is situated north of the regional centre of Albury, in the Greater Hume Shire Local government area...
(16 km north) are the closest towns outside of the Albury city area, and act as commuter dormitories as well as service centres for the local rural industry.
Lake Hume
Lake HumeLake Hume
Lake Hume is an artificial lake in Australia formed by the Hume Weir east of Albury-Wodonga on the Murray River just downstream of its junction with the Mitta River. The small towns of Tallangatta, Bonegilla and Bellbridge are located on the shores of Lake Hume...
is situated on the Murray River 10 kilometres upstream of Albury. The Hume Dam (colloquially termed the Weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
locally) wall construction took 17 years, from 1919–1936. A hydro-electric power plant supplies 60 MW of power to the state grid. When full the lake covers 80 square kilometres.
The lake was created for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
purposes and has caused significant changes to the flow patterns and ecology of the Murray River. Before the construction of the Hume Weir, flows in normal (non-drought) years were low in summer and autumn (though still significant overall), rising in winter due to seasonal rainfall and reaching a flood-peak in late spring due to snowmelt in the Murray and tributaries' alpine headwaters. The flow is effectively reversed now, with low flows in winter and sustained, relatively high flows in late spring, summer and early autumn to meet irrigation demands, although the spring flood peak has been virtually eliminated. In addition, the water released from the base of the Hume Weir is un-naturally cold. This flow reversal, temperature depression and removal of the spring flood peak has led to the drying out and loss of many billabongs and has harmed the populations of native fish of the Murray River such as the iconic Murray Cod
Murray Cod
The Murray cod is a large Australian predatory freshwater fish of the Maccullochella genus and the Percichthyidae family. Although the species is a called cod in the vernacular, it is not related to the northern hemisphere marine cod species...
.
History
There are few remainders of the indigenous population of the area, although the WiradjuriWiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
people occupied the area for many thousands of years before. Little history is documented about the relationship of Aboriginal people and the European settlers.
European exploration
The explorers Hume and HovellHume and Hovell expedition
The Hume and Hovell expedition was one of the most important journeys of explorations undertaken in eastern Australia. In 1824 the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, commissioned Hamilton Hume and former Royal Navy Captain William Hovell to lead an expedition to find new grazing land...
arrived at what is now known as the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
at Albury on 16 November 1824 what their maps named 'Crossing Point'. They named the river the Hume River and the next day inscribed a tree by the riverbank before continuing their journey south to Westernport in Victoria. In 1829, explorer Captain Charles Sturt
Charles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
discovered the Hume River downstream at its junction with the Murrumbidgee River
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
. Not realising it was the same river, he named it the Murray River. Both names persisted for some time, Hume falling into disuse eventually in favour of Murray. The aboriginal name for the river was Millewa. A crossing place for the Murray became popular close to where Hovell inscribed the tree. In summer it was usually possible to cross the river by foot.
European settlement
Among the first squatters to follow in the steps of the explorers and settle in the district were William Wyse and Charles EbdenCharles Ebden
Charles Hotson Ebden was an Australian pastoralist and politician.Ebden was born in 1811 at the Cape of Good Hope in the Cape Colony, the son of merchant and banker John Bardwell Ebden and his wife Antoinetta...
.
The first European buildings erected at the crossing place were a provisions store and small huts. A survey for a town was commissioned in 1838 by Assistant Surveyor Thomas Townsend
Thomas Townsend
Thomas Stewart Townsend was an Irish Anglican bishop in the Church of Ireland in the 19th century. He wasHe became Bishop of Meath in 1850. and died in post in Malaga on 16 September 1852. His Times obituary noted that “by his death the system of national education has lost an earnest...
who mapped out Woodonga Place (the present Wodonga Place) as the western boundary, Hume Street as the northern boundary, Kiewa Street to the east and Nurigong to the south, with Townsend Street being the only other north-south road, and Ebden and Hovell Streets being the other two east-west roads. Townsend proposed the settlement be named 'Bungambrewatha', the Aboriginal name for the area, but when his plan was eventually approved and published in the Government Gazette on 13 April 1839 the name had been changed to Albury.
Albury is said to be named after a village in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England which it resembled.
By 1847, the Albury settlement included two public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s and a handful of huts, a police barracks and blacksmiths. A log punt established in 1844 serviced the crossing of the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
. Albury Post Office opened on 1 April 1843, closed in 1845, then reopened in the township on 1 February 1847.
Development
William Snell Chauncy
William Snell Chauncy was an English civil engineer responsible for a number of important engineering works including the first steam railway opened in Australia.-Early life and work:...
. Albury at this time became a customs post between the two colonies as New South Wales held a protectionist stance on gaining its constitution in 1856.
Albury was at this time starting to grow substantially with German speaking immigrants
German settlements in the Riverina
In Australia, a number of German settlements in the Riverina were established in the late nineteenth century. The settlements were populated by Germans migrating both from established German settlements in South Australia and directly from Germany...
using the area to grow grapes for wine. Albury boasted by the 1870s a butter factory, flour mill, wineries and locally brewed cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
and soft drinks.
In 1888 Albury built its first school house. The city's first mayor James Fallon was an innovator of the Public School, funding a demonstration High School to be built on Kiewa Street.
The railway line from Sydney arrived at Albury in 1881 (see Transport-Rail below). A temporary wooden railway bridge joined the line to the Victorian network 1883. New South Wales and Victoria had different railway gauges until 1962, when the first train ran straight through from Sydney to Melbourne. The states could not initially agree which should be the transfer point so they had an expensive and attractive iron lattice bridge sent from Scotland which accommodated both gauges. The bridge is still standing astride the Murray and is in daily use.
Albury's proximity to Wodonga has spurred several efforts to achieve some kind of municipal governmental union (see Albury-Wodonga
Albury-Wodonga
Albury-Wodonga is the broad settlement incorporating the twin Australian cities of Albury and Wodonga, which are separated geographically by the Murray River and politically by a state border: Albury on the north of the river is part of New South Wales while Wodonga on the south bank is in...
). In 1973 Albury-Wodonga was selected as the primary focus of the Whitlam federal government's scheme to redirect the uncontrolled growth of Australia's large coastal cities (Sydney and Melbourne in particular) by encouraging decentralisation. Grand plans were made to turn Albury-Wodonga into a major inland city and large areas of the surrounding farmland was compulsorily purchased by the government. Some industries were enticed to move there, and a certain amount of population movement resulted. However, the current population of approximately 101,597 residents is far below the 300,000 projected by Whitlam in the 1970s.
Heritage
Albury has a large number of heritage buildings. The following are listed on the Register of the National EstateRegister of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
.
- Public School, designed by W.E.Kemp, circa 1881
- Soden's Hotel Australia, circa 1855
- Court House, designed by Alexander Dawson, circa 1860
- Post Office, circa 1875
- Town Hall, circa 1907
- Burrows House, circa 1860
- Technical College (formerly Telegraph Office), circa 1885
- CML Building, circa 1930
- ANZ Bank, designed by Walter Butler, circa 1915
- T&G Building, circa 1935
- Turk's Head Museum (formerly Turk's Head Hotel), circa 1860–70
- Bellevue home, circa 1860
- Headmaster's Cottage, Kiewa Street
- Railway Station, circa 1881
- Railway Stationmaster's Residence, circa 1881
- S M Abikhair Haberdashery Store, circa 1917
- Bellevue, circa 1860
- Albury Public School, circa 1861
Road
Situated on the old Hume HighwayHume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
, Albury is a major transit point for interstate commerce. From March 2007, Albury was bypassed by the new Hume Freeway. The new freeway includes the new Spirit of Progress Bridge over the Murray River and cost $518 million, the most expensive road project ever built in regional Australia.
The other minor highways which connect to Albury are the Riverina Highway
Riverina Highway
Riverina Highway is a highway in New South Wales, Australia.Westwards, the highway stretches from Hume Weir, immediately east of Albury to Deniliquin...
, which continues west through Berrigan
Berrigan, New South Wales
Berrigan is a town located on the Riverina Highway in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Berrigan is in the Berrigan Shire Local Government Area and is the location of the Berrigan Shire Council offices...
to Deniliquin and east to Lake Hume
Lake Hume
Lake Hume is an artificial lake in Australia formed by the Hume Weir east of Albury-Wodonga on the Murray River just downstream of its junction with the Mitta River. The small towns of Tallangatta, Bonegilla and Bellbridge are located on the shores of Lake Hume...
; and the Olympic Highway (renamed from the Olympic Way) which diverges left from the Hume 16 km north of Albury, into the centre of NSW, passing through Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
and terminating with the Mid-Western Highway
Mid-Western Highway
The Mid-Western Highway starts at Bathurst New South Wales, where it joins with the Great Western Highway over the Blue Mountains from Sydney.It proceeds via Blayney, Carcoar and Cowra. It then heads west through Grenfell to West Wyalong where it crosses the Newell Highway...
at Cowra
Cowra, New South Wales
Cowra is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia in the Cowra Shire. It is located on the Mid-Western Highway, 317 kilometres west of Sydney on the banks of the Lachlan River at an altitude of 310 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census Cowra had a population of 8,430...
.
In 1888, the Smollett Street wrought iron arch bridge was constructed over Bungambrawatha Creek. Smollet Street was extended westward through the botanical gardens to give direct access from the Albury Railway Station to Howlong Road by a straight street. The bridge is near the botanic gardens and the local swimming pool. The bridge is a rare example of a metal arch bridge in New South Wales, and is the oldest of only two metal arch bridges in New South Wales, the other being the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
.
Rail
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
was needed; the 450 metre long covered platform is possibly the longest in Australia. The station is still served by two different rail gauges; the thrice daily broad gauge V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
services from Melbourne as well as the standard gauge Countrylink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
XPT services to Sydney which run twice daily.
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
(5 ft 3ins) railway line from Melbourne reached the township of Belvoir/Wodonga. In 1881 the New South Wales standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
(4 ft 8½ins) railway line reached Albury, with a railway bridge joining the two colonies in 1883. Albury became the stop over, where passengers on the Melbourne-Sydney journey changed trains until 1962, when a standard gauge was opened between the two capitals. After World War II in an attempt to overcome the difference in gauges and speed up traffic, a bogie exchange
Bogie exchange
Bogie exchange is a system for operating railway wagons on two or more gauges to overcome difference in the track gauge. To perform a bogie exchange, a car is converted from one gauge to another by removing the chassis containing the wheels and axles of the car, and installing a new chassis with...
device lifted freight wagons and carriages allowing workers to refit rolling stock with different gauged wheel-sets.
The break of railway gauge at Albury was a major impediment to Australia's war effort and infrastructure during World Wars I and II; every soldier, every item of equipment and supplies were all off-loaded from the broad gauge and reloaded onto a standard gauge railway wagon on the opposite side of the platform. In his book Tramps Abroad, writer Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
spoke of the break of gauge at Albury and changing trains... "Now comes a singular thing, the oddest thing, the strangest thing, the unaccountable marvel that Australia can show, namely the break of gauge at Albury. Think of the paralysis of intellect that gave that idea birth."(cited by Fisher below)
Military armouries and warehouses were established in the vicinity of Albury. Similar stores were also established at Tocumwal
Tocumwal, New South Wales
Tocumwal is a town in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia in the Berrigan Shire Local Government Area, near the Victorian border. The town is situated on the banks of the Murray River, north of the city of Melbourne. The Newell Highway, part of the main road route between...
and Oaklands
Oaklands, New South Wales
Oaklands is a town in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 615 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney and 105 kilometres north west of Albury. Oaklands is in the Urana Shire Local government area and at the 2006 census, had a population of...
.
In 2007, (with a government's view that there was a decline of traffic on the broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line) there are plans to convert this line to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
at least from Seymour
Seymour, Victoria
Seymour is a township in the Shire of Mitchell in the state of Victoria, Australia and is located north of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Seymour had a population of 6,063...
and obtain double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
for the standard gauge. This plan received approval in May 2008.
Air
Albury Airport
Albury Airport is a regional airport located near Albury, New South Wales, Australia. The airport also serves Albury's adjacent sister city of Wodonga, Victoria....
, owned and operated by the City of Albury
City of Albury
The City of Albury is a Local Government Area in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The LGA covers the entirety of the Albury urban area including the suburbs of Forrest Hill, Lavington, Thurgoona, Splitters Creek, Ettamogah, Bowna, Table Top and Wirlinga.The LGA is administered...
, is the second busiest regional airport in New South Wales with around 300,000 passenger movements per year. The airport, 4 kilometres east of the city centre, has scheduled daily flights to Sydney and Melbourne through commercial carriers QantasLink
QantasLink
QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is a major competitor to Regional Express Airlines, Virgin Australia and Skywest Airlines. As of September 2010 QantasLink provides 1900 flights each week to 54 domestic and...
, Regional Express Airlines
Regional Express Airlines
Regional Express Pty Ltd is an airline based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. It operates scheduled regional services. It is Australia's largest regional airline outside the Qantas group of companies and serves New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, North Queensland and Tasmania...
and Virgin Australia; in addition to several charter services. Brindabella Airlines
Brindabella Airlines
Brindabella Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline based in Canberra, Australia. It is a Qantas affiliate airline operating a small regional network. Its main base is Canberra International Airport.- History :...
flies to Canberra every day except Saturday. The ATA airport code for Albury is ABX. The road leading from Albury Airport to the city was re-named Borella Road in 1979, in honour of Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
recipient Albert Chalmers Borella
Albert Chalmers Borella
Albert Chalmers Borella VC, MM was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, who was buried at Albury..
In 1934 a Douglas DC-2
Douglas DC-2
The Douglas DC-2 was a 14-seat, twin-engine airliner produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247...
airliner of KLM (the "Uiver"), a competitor in the London to Melbourne Air Race, made an emergency night landing at the town's race-track after becoming lost during severe thunderstorms. After signalling by Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
A-L-B-U-R-Y to the lost aircrew by using the entire town's public lighting system, the "Uiver" was guided in to land safely. The makeshift runway at the race-track was illuminated by the headlights of cars belonging to local residents who had responded to a special news bulletin on ABC Radio 2CO. After refuelling the next day, many local volunteers helped pull the stranded aircraft out of the race-track's mud and the aircraft was able to take off and continue to Melbourne where it won the first prize in the MacRobertson London to Melbourne Air Race
MacRobertson Air Race
The MacRobertson Trophy Air Race took place October, 1934 as part of the Melbourne Centenary celebrations. The idea of the race was devised by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, and a prize fund of $75,000 was put up by Sir Macpherson Robertson, a wealthy Australian confectionery manufacturer, on the...
handicap catagory and became second overall.
Public transport and cycling
Local public transport is provided exclusively by private bus operators, Martin's Albury and the Dyson Group who run day time bus services. The overwhelming majority of local transport is by private car, however traffic is generally moderate. The opening of the Hume Freeway bypass on 4 March 2007, has greatly eased previous traffic congestion on the Lincoln Causeway, allowing vastly better flow between Albury and Wodonga.There is a good network of bicycle paths in the city, including one to the outlying suburb of Thurgoona and across the state border to Wodonga. A new program has built many more bike tracks, including one from the riverside parks to Wonga Wetlands.
Industry
Albury serves as an administrative centre for the agricultural communities around the area, and the city is the home of the Norske SkogNorske Skog
Norske Skogindustrier ASA or Norske Skog, which translates as Norwegian Forest Industries, is a Norwegian pulp and paper company based in Oslo, Norway and established in 1962...
newsprint paper mill which processes the pine logs planted in the mountains to the east, an engineering plant which produces automatic transmissions for cars, a major processing centre of the Australian Taxation Office
Australian Taxation Office
The Australian Taxation Office is an Australian Government statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system and superannuation legislation...
, and many other smaller secondary industries. Other large employers are: The Commercial Club Albury and Hume Building Society.
Albury's major employer was ION Automotive Group. In 2003 it employed 1100 people in the city. In late 2005 it was undergoing a deed of company arrangement and Powertrain Products International was a prospective purchaser.
The Australian pizza chain Eagle Boys
Eagle Boys
Eagle Boys is an Australian fast food chain specialising in pizza. Eagle Boys has over 300 stores throughout Australia,particularly in regional areas. Currently it has no stores in Tasmania. Eagle Boys was as of 2007 the third largest pizza chain in the country....
was founded in Albury.
Tourism
The region surrounding Albury provides a variety of tourist attractions, including the wine region around RutherglenRutherglen, Victoria
Rutherglen is a small town in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, near the Murray River border with New South Wales. The town was named after the Scottish town of Rutherglen which lies just outside Glasgow...
, the historic goldfield towns of Beechworth
Beechworth, Victoria
Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s...
and Yackandandah
Yackandandah, Victoria
Yackandandah is a small tourist town in northeast Victoria, Australia. It is near the regional cities of Wodonga and Albury, and is close to the tourist town of Beechworth. At the 2006 census, Yackandandah had a population of 663.- History :...
, boating and fishing on the many rivers and lakes, including Lake Hume
Lake Hume
Lake Hume is an artificial lake in Australia formed by the Hume Weir east of Albury-Wodonga on the Murray River just downstream of its junction with the Mitta River. The small towns of Tallangatta, Bonegilla and Bellbridge are located on the shores of Lake Hume...
, the forests and mountains of the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
and slightly further afield are the snowfields Falls Creek
Falls Creek
Falls Creek may refer to:* Falls Creek, New South Wales, Australia: a small town on the South Coast, New South Wales* Falls Creek, Victoria, Australia: ski resort* Falls Creek, British Columbia, Canada: a waterfall and creek in Wells Gray Provincial Park...
and Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham is a mountain in Victoria, Australia. It is home to Hotham Alpine Resort. The mountain is located approximately north east of Melbourne, from Sydney, and from Adelaide by road. Mt Hotham's summit rises to an altitude of above sea level...
.
Within the city of Albury itself, Monument Hill, at the western end of the CBD is the location of the city's distinctive First World War Memorial and provides a good view of the city. Wonga Wetlands, 2.5 km west of the city and adjacent to the River Murray is a key feature of Albury's use of treated wastewater and consists of a series of lagoons and billabongs. Wonga Wetlands features more than 150 species of birdlife and the Aquatic Environment Education Centre.
Education
Albury is home to one of the campuses of Charles Sturt UniversityCharles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus university located in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. It has campuses at Bathurst, Canberra, Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Wagga Wagga and Burlington, Ontario...
. The original Albury campus was located in the Northern part of the CBD between Kiewa and David Streets. Charles Sturt University relocated to a new purpose built campus at Thurgoona in 2009. CSU offers courses in Arts, Business, Education and Science. It plays a key role in drawing aspiring students to the area, taking candidates from all over Australia.
Riverina Institute
Riverina Institute
Riverina Institute is the group of TAFE NSW campuses that operate in Riverina and Sunraysia regions of New South Wales, Australia. They offer a large variety of courses at their numerous campuses throughout the region...
of TAFE operates a campus in Albury.
There is also a campus of the UNSW Rural Clinical School of Medicine adjacent to the Albury Base Hospital.
Albury is home to nine public primary schools (Albury Public School, Albury North Public School, Albury West Public School, Glenroy Public School, Hume Public School, Lavington Public School, Lavington East Public School, Springdale Heights Public School, and Thurgoona Public School) and three public high schools (Albury High School
Albury High School
Albury High School is a state high school located in the New South Wales city of Albury, Australia. Built in 1920, this large school hosts over 1300 students to this date.-Facilities:...
, James Fallon High School
James Fallon High School
James Fallon High School is a co-educational public school located in Albury, NSW, Australia. It caters for students between Years 7 and 12.- History :...
and Murray High School). Several non-government high schools operate in the area including Xavier High School
Xavier High School, Albury
Xavier High School Albury is a Catholic Secondary School located within the New South Wales city of Albury, Australia.Xavier High School is supported and partially funded by The Catholic School's Office, Diocese of Wagga Wagga, continuing a long history of Catholic education in the region, forming...
, The Scots School Albury
The Scots School Albury
The Scots School Albury is an independent, K-12, Uniting Church, co-educational, day and boarding School, located in Albury, New South Wales, Australia. It draws students from the local area and other parts of Australia....
, Border Christian College, St Paul's College
St Paul's College, Walla Walla
St Paul’s College is a coeducational day and boarding school providing secondary schooling in Walla Walla, New South Wales, Australia. It is a member school of Lutheran Education Australia, a network of 85 schools and 42 kindergarten/early childhood centres educating approximately 38,000...
and Trinity Anglican College. The city is the base for NSW Department of Education South West Riverina regional office.
The Border Mail
The Border Mail is a daily newspaper published in Albury-Wodonga, Australia, serving the twin cities and the surrounding region.The first edition was printed on 24 October 1903 by editor Hamilton Mott and his brother Decimus...
, is printed in Wodonga. The Border Mail has offices in both Albury and Wodonga. Along with an independently owned weekly publication called the Albury Wodonga NewsWeekly.
Television
Albury has access to all major TV networks, with channels available including Prime7 (part of the Seven NetworkSeven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
), WIN Television
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
(part of the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
), Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten is an Australian television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The channel is owned by the Macquarie Media Group as is affiliated to Network Ten...
(part of Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
), as well as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
, more commonly known as SBS. Several of these networks also offer additional digital channels, including ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, SBS Two, 7Two, 7mate, One HD, Eleven, GEM and GO!.
Regional news coverage of Albury is featured on all three main commercial networks. Prime7 airs a 30-minute local news bulletin each weeknight at 6pm, produced from a newsroom in the Lavington suburb of the city and since March 2011, broadcast from Prime's Canberra studios. WIN Television
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
's 30-minute bulletin airs at 6:30pm, produced from a newsroom in the city and broadcast from studios in Ballarat. Southern Cross Ten also airs short local news updates from its Canberra studios throughout the day.
On 5 May 2011, Analogue television transmissions ceased in most areas of regional Victoria and some border regions including Albury-Wodonga. All local free-to-air television services are now broadcasting in digital transmission only. This was done as part of the Federal Government`s plan for Digital terrestrial television in Australia where all analogue transmission systems are gradually turned off and replaced with modern DVB-T
DVB-T
DVB-T is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting — Terrestrial; it is the DVB European-based consortium standard for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television that was first published in 1997 and first broadcast in the UK in 1998...
transmission systems.
Radio
There are three commercial radio stations in Albury, namely 1494 2AY2AY
2AY is an AM radio station broadcasting from Albury, New South Wales, to South West New South Wales and North East Victoria.-History:2AY Albury was started by Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited, and opened on December 17, 1930. In recent times, 2AY, and Star FM Albury, were owned by DMG Radio...
, 105.7 The River, and Star FM
Star FM (Australian radio network)
Star FM is an Australian radio network, consisting of stations in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.The brand was created in 1999 by DMG Radio Australia. In 2004 Macquarie Regional RadioWorks bought all the stations except Star 104.5FM on the New South Wales Central Coast which is...
on 104.9 FM. Notably, Star FM's south eastern network is programmed out of the Albury/Wodonga Hub, going to centres around New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria, Tasmania and into South Australia. Broadcast out of the same building is 105.7 The River, which is also networked to local stations around New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
Albury/Wodonga is one radio market, thus advertisements are directed to both sides of the border. The Albury/Wodonga market underwent significant change in 2005 when Macquarie Southern Cross Media bought 105.7 The River from RG Capital Radio Network
RG Capital Radio Network
Before being sold to Macquarie Bank, RG Capital was in a majority ownership by Australian gameshow king Reg Grundy.-Timeline:*1995 - Reg Grundy acquires SEA FM radio group for $66m*2000 - Floated on ASX...
, and 2AY and Star FM from the DMG Radio Australia
DMG Radio Australia
DMG Radio Australia operates commercial radio networks in metropolitan and regional areas of Australia. The company is 50% owned by United Kingdom company, Daily Mail and General Trust Group. Lachlan Murdoch's Illyria Pty Ltd bought 50% of the company in November 2009.DMG Radio Australia was formed...
. Due to cross-media ownership laws preventing the ownership of more than two stations in one market, Macquarie was required to sell one of these stations and in September 2005 sold 2AY to the Ace Radio
Ace Radio
ACE Radio is an Australian radio company, owning several AM and FM stations in Victoria.Its latest acquisition is 2AY Albury Wodonga, purchased from Macquarie Regional RadioWorks in 2005.-AM network:*1494 2AY Albury-Wodonga...
network. 2AY takes its night time programming from 3AW
3AW
3AW is a talkback radio station in Melbourne, Australia on 693 kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station.-History:...
Melbourne.
The ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
produces breakfast and morning radio programs through its local radio network, from the studios of ABC Goulburn Murray
ABC Goulburn Murray
ABC Goulburn Murray is an ABC Local Radio station based in Albury-Wodonga, formerly known as 2CO. From studios located in Wodonga, the station covers parts of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales including Albury, Wodonga, Wangaratta, and Benalla.The station's lineup of local programming...
located in Wodonga. The rest of their content is delivered from Melbourne. The ABC also deliver, ABC Radio National, ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM is a classical music radio station available in Australia, and internationally online. It is operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established in 1976 as "ABC-FM", and later for a short time was known as "ABC Fine Music" , before adopting its current name...
, and Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
on 103.3 FM.
There is also a community radio station known as 2REM 107.3 FM. The Albury Wodonga Community Radio station play a large amount of speciality programs including those for the retiree, ethnic and aboriginal communities throughout the day and a range of musical styles including underground and independent artists from 8:00 pm onwards.
In addition, the area is serviced by a Radio for the Print Handicapped
Radio Print Handicapped Network
RPH Australia is the national peak representative organisaion for a unique Australian network of radio reading service designed to meet the daily information needs of people who, for any reason, are unable to access normal printed material...
station, 2APH, on 101.7 FM. Wodonga
Wodonga, Victoria
Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA...
TAFE's broadcasting training station, 87.8 Wodonga TAFE Radio
Wodonga TAFE Radio
Wodonga TAFE Radio is a narrowcast radio station broadcasting on 87.8 MHz. It operates from a studio at the Wodonga Institute of TAFE, McCoy Street, Wodonga, and began broadcasting in June 2005. The station is staffed entirely by students of the Institute's broadcasting course...
. Albury-Wodonga Christian Broadcasters transmits as 98.5 The Light http://www.thelight.org.au/ and by the dance music station Raw FM
Raw FM (Australian radio network)
Raw FM is an Australian narrowcast radio network, consisting of stations in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Queensland....
on 87.6 MHz.
Sport
Despite being located in New South Wales, Albury is a stronghold of Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
. The local Ovens & Murray Football League
Ovens & Murray Football League
The Ovens and Murray Football League, often referred to locally as the O&M, is a semi-professional Australian rules football league based around ten clubs in north-eastern Victoria and the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, and affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League...
is one of the strongest regional leagues in the nation, with the Oven's & Murray Grand Final
Grand Final
Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
regularly drawing 15,000 spectators. The league contains three teams from Albury; Current Premiers Albury Football Club
Albury Football Club
The Albury Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Ovens & Murray Football League.The club is based in Albury, New South Wales.Two Brownlow Medallists, Haydn Bunton senior and Denis Ryan, both started their career at Albury....
, Lavington Panthers Football Club and North Albury Football Club
North Albury Football Club
The North Albury Football Club, nicknamed The Hoppers, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Ovens & Murray Football League . They are incorporated as part of the North Albury Sports Club licensed club at Bunton Park in North Albury, where they play their home matches. The club has...
. Many footballers from Albury have gone on to play in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, including Haydn Bunton Senior, who won three Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
s and was an inaugural legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame
Australian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
; and South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
Brownlow medallist Fred Goldsmith
Fred Goldsmith (Australian rules footballer)
Fred Goldsmith is a former Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League....
.
Albury also has a rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team, the Albury Thunder, competing in the Group 9 Rugby League
Group 9 Rugby League
Group 9 is a rugby league competition based around the surrounding areas of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. The competition is played in five grades, these being the under 16s , the under 18s , women's league-tag, Reserve Grade and the XXXX Gold Group 9 First Grade.-History:Group 9 Rugby League was...
competition.
The Albury-Wodonga Steamers are the local Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Club playing in the Southern Inland Rugby Union competition. The Steamers have produced several players for the Australian Rugby Union
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
National Talent Squad.
The Albury Wodonga Bandits
Albury Wodonga Bandits
The Albury-Wodonga Bandits play in the South Conference of the SEABL in the ABA.They have won just the solitary championship in 2001 and have endured a luckless existence since then, several times they were on the brink of extinction with large financial debts but are attempting a long-term return...
compete in the South East Australian Basketball League
South East Australian Basketball League
The South East Australian Basketball League, often abbreviated to the SEABL consists of two men's and one women's conferences in the Australian Basketball Association . The SEABL conferences are considered the strongest in the ABA, developing many emerging Australian Boomers players, as well as...
(SEABL) East Conference of the Australian Basketball Association
Australian Basketball Association
The Australian Basketball Association, often abbreviated to the ABA, is the second-tiered semi-professional men's and women's basketball minor leagues in Australia which sit under the professional National Basketball League and Women's National Basketball League .The ABA is representative of the...
(ABA) playing their home games at the Albury Sports Stadium. (known now as the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre) The Lady Bandits joined the women's SEABL in 2006. The Albury Gold Cup horse race is the major autumn event for the district. In 2005 it attracted a record crowd in excess of 18,600 racegoers. Albury has lately become a stronghold of junior hockey, boasting one of the few synthetic fields in the area. The town also has the Albury Grass Tennis Courts. V8 Supercar Team, Brad Jones Racing
Brad Jones Racing
Brad Jones Racing is an Australian motor racing team centred around brothers Kim and Brad Jones and is based in Albury, New South Wales. Presently the team compete in the V8 Supercar Series, which they joined in 2000. Recently they have also returned to the Australian Formula Ford Championship...
and drivers Brad Jones and his nephew Andrew also calls Albury home.
Albury is the birthplace of women's tennis grand slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
winner Margaret Court, 2003&2007 WNBA MVP winner Lauren Jackson
Lauren Jackson
Lauren Elizabeth Jackson is an Australian professional basketball player. Jackson began her professional career at the Australian Institute of Sport in the WNBL before moving on to the Canberra Capitals. She is currently a forward/centre with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA and the Australian...
, NRL Player Adrian Purtell (ex-Canberra Raider who is currently playing for Penrith Panthers) and Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
er Steve Rixon
Steve Rixon
Stephen John Rixon is the newly appointed Australian cricket fielding coach.He played in 13 Tests and 6 One Day Internationals between 1977 and 1985. He came into the Australian side as wicket-keeper in 1977–78 after Rodney Marsh joined World Series Cricket, losing his place on Marsh's return...
, among other champion sports people.
Culture
There is a strong regional theatre scene, with the Murray River Performing Group (MRPG) being the most notable company. It spawned The Flying Fruit Fly CircusThe Flying Fruit Fly Circus
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus is a full-time children's circus in Australia, on the Murray River in the twin towns Albury-Wodonga on the Victoria New South Wales border. . Many of the children attend their schooling at the Flying Fruit Fly Circus School where they undertake educational studies as...
in 1979, and these days conducts many productions through the Hothouse Theatre located on Gateway Island between Albury and Wodonga – Though still in Victoria and not in New South Wales. Many notable actors and comics have performed with the MRPG. Jazz Albury Wodonga also regularly hosts national and international artists at the Jazz Basement which is located on Gateway Island.
Touring productions also often pass through the area.
Albury has a growing local scene of rock music bands and fans. The Youth Cafe is a supporter of local acts providing resources for young musicians and performers to be recognised. The Youth Cafe has been visited by bands such as Thy Art Is Murder, Sienna Skies, Addison and locals Bloodloss Vegas, Radio Shock therapy, Executor & Chelsea Wont Jump. The Sodens Australia Hotel previously hosted local and touring bands from Australia and overseas, but closed in mid 2009. A major youth music event, the Border Music Camp held at Scot's School, attracts people from as far as Sydney. Groovin The Moo Music Festival visits every November providing Albury with notable acts such as Hilltop Hoods
Hilltop Hoods
The Hilltop Hoods are an ARIA Award winning Australian hip hop group, from Adelaide, South Australia. Their members are MCs Suffa , MC Pressure , DJ Debris and formerly DJ Next. They have been at the centre of the Australian hip hop scene for the better part of two decades, originally forming back...
, Urthboy and Midnight Juggernauts
Midnight Juggernauts
Midnight Juggernauts are a band from Melbourne, Australia composed of Andrew Szekeres, Vincent Vendetta, and Daniel Stricker. The band has been described as anything from 'prog dance meets cosmic film scores', to 'slasher-flick disco' to 'deadpan landscape',...
.
In 2003, a sister city relationship with Nanping
Nanping
Nanping is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders Ningde City to the east, Sanming City to the south, and the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangxi to the north and west respectively...
in north western Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
province, People's Republic of China, was formalised.
Notable crime
Albury's most famous crime is also one of Australia's most famous, the 'Pyjama Girl Murder'. In 1996, a local teenager, Kim Meredith was murdered in Albury; a memorial to Kim was later placed in Queen Elizabeth 2 Square (QEII2) by the citizens of Albury.Politics
Division of Farrer
The Division of Farrer is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for William Farrer, agricultural scientist. It is located in the southern rural area of the state and includes Albury, Balranald, Deniliquin and Jerilderie. It has always...
, of which the current representative is Sussan Ley
Sussan Ley
Sussan Penelope Ley , Australian politician, has been a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives since November 2001, representing the Division of Farrer, New South Wales....
of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
. The previous Federal MP was Tim Fischer
Tim Fischer
Timothy Andrew Fischer, AC , is a former Australian politician. He served as Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard Government from 1996 before retiring from Cabinet in 1999...
, who was leader of the National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
and Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the second-most senior officer in the Government of Australia. The Deputy Prime Ministership has been a ministerial portfolio since 1968, and the Deputy Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime...
. In State politics, the Electoral district of Albury is currently represented by Greg Aplin
Greg Aplin
Gregory John "Greg" Aplin MP , an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Albury for the Liberal Party of Australia since 2003.-Early life and background:...
, also of the Liberal Party. The member for Albury between 1932 and 1946, Alexander Mair
Alexander Mair
Alexander Mair was an Australian politician and served as the Premier of New South Wales from 5 August 1939 to 16 May 1941. Born in Melbourne, working in various businesses, Mair moved to Albury, New South Wales and went on to be a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for fourteen...
, was the Premier of New South Wales from 1939 to 1941.
Local government is the responsibility of the Albury City Council
City of Albury
The City of Albury is a Local Government Area in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The LGA covers the entirety of the Albury urban area including the suburbs of Forrest Hill, Lavington, Thurgoona, Splitters Creek, Ettamogah, Bowna, Table Top and Wirlinga.The LGA is administered...
, whose area of responsibility has gradually been enlarged to cover new housing estates at Albury's fringes. Amanda Duncan-Strelec became Albury's first female Mayor in 1995, serving for one year. The current Mayor of Albury is Alice Glachan, who was elected in 2009.
Albury has a longstanding connection to conservative politics. Following the first convention in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
to form the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
, delegates, including Sir Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
, met for a second conference in Albury at Mate's Department Store between 14 and 16 December 1944. The delegates agreed on the structure of the party organisation, adopted a provisional constitution and appointed a federal executive until one could be formally elected.
Notable people
Tennis players Margaret Court and Dianne FromholtzDianne Fromholtz
Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat is a former professional tennis player.-Career:Balestrat began playing tennis at the age of 7. She left school at the age of 16 to play in international tournaments...
, singer Malcolm McEachern
Malcolm McEachern
Walter Malcom Neil McEachern was a noted Australian bass singer who enjoyed a successful career in the United Kingdom, both as a concert soloist and as one half of the comic musical duo Flotsam and Jetsam....
, actors Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh is an Australian actor who has starred in many Australian films and has appeared in supporting roles in a number of Hollywood productions, usually as villains.-Early life:...
and Maggie Kirkpatrick
Maggie Kirkpatrick
Maggie Kirkpatrick is an Australian actress, who is best known for her portrayal of the iconic character Joan Ferguson, a sadistic and corrupt lesbian prison officer known to the prisoners as "The Freak" in the popular Australian television soap opera, Prisoner...
, actor/writer Noel Hodda
Noel Hodda
Noel Hodda is an Australian actor, writer, dramaturge, director and teacher.He is a graduate of The National Institute of Dramatic Art at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.-Stage Work:...
, and Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er Brett Kirk
Brett Kirk
Brett Kirk is a former Australian rules football player of the Sydney Swans, and is known colloquially as "Kirky", "Captain Kirk", during the 2005 AFL Finals Series, "Captain Blood" and by teammates as "Hippy". Kirk is a hard working and onfield leader who has played in a premiership with the...
. The actor Matt Holmes
Matt Holmes
Matthew Theodore Holmes is an Australian actor.-Early life:Holmes attended Newington College . He gained an Advanced Diploma in Acting at the Actors College of Theatre and Television....
most notably known for his role as Swain
Chris Blake (TV character)
Petty Officer Christopher "Chris" Blake, CV was a fictional TV character on the show Sea Patrol. He was portrayed by Matthew Holmes.-Season one :...
in Sea Patrol
Sea Patrol
Sea Patrol may refer to:*Sea Patrol, an Australian television series from 2007-2011**Sea Patrol **Sea Patrol , known as Sea Patrol II: The Coup**Sea Patrol , known as Sea Patrol: Red Gold...
, Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
swimmer Clementine Stoney
Clementine Stoney
Clementine Stoney is a former backstroke swimmer from Australia, who competed for her native country at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. There she finished in thirteenth position in the 200m Backstroke. Stoney won the silver medal in the 200m Backstroke at the 2000 FINA Short Course...
, anti-communist priest Dr `Paddy' Ryan, fashion designer Lisa Ho
Lisa Ho
Lisa Ho is an Australian fashion designer born in Albury, on the New South Wales and Victorian border. She is married to Philip Smouha....
, and cartoonist Ken Maynard
Ken Maynard (cartoonist)
Ken Maynard was an Australian cartoonist.Originally a police officer, he got his break as a cartoonist in 1958 contributing his Ettamogah Pub cartoons to the Australasian Post...
of Ettamogah Pub
Ettamogah Pub
The Ettamogah Pub is a cartoon pub that was featured in the now defunct Australasian Post magazine. The cartoonist Ken Maynard, loving empty spaces and having nothing around him, enjoyed an area just outside of Albury at Table Top, named Ettamogah, thus christening the name of his now famous pub...
fame, were all born in Albury. Basketballer Lauren Jackson
Lauren Jackson
Lauren Elizabeth Jackson is an Australian professional basketball player. Jackson began her professional career at the Australian Institute of Sport in the WNBL before moving on to the Canberra Capitals. She is currently a forward/centre with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA and the Australian...
, who currently plays with the Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
of the WNBA, was also born in Albury.
Others who lived in Albury – but weren't necessarily born there – include the filmmaker Dean Murphy (Strange Bedfellows), the writer Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Clint Morris is a journalist and film producer. After a career in radio, film publicity and journalism, Morris, with actors Christopher Showerman of George of the Jungle 2 fame, and Muse Watson of TVs Prison Break, opened Shorris Film, located in Los Angeles, in August 2006.Morris began his film...
, the actor Malcolm Kennard (E Street) and singer/songwriter Lisa Mitchell
Lisa Mitchell
Lisa Helen Mitchell is an Australian singer-songwriter who grew up in Albury, New South Wales. Her debut EP, Said One To The Other topped iTunes in Australia and this success brought her to the attention of boutique London-based publisher, Little Victories , a subsidiary of Sony/ATV, with whom she...
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See also
- Hume Power Station
- the DVD on Albury's break of gauge railway, 'Journey of a Nation' (1947) on Film Australia, Just Australian Trains (1986) by the ABC
Book References
- Tim Fisher, "Forward", in Bill 'Swampy' Marsh, Great Australian Railway Stories, ABC Books, 2005.
External links
- Albury City Council
- Albury Wodonga – Official government tourism site.