Gilgandra, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Gilgandra, is a town and Local Government Area (see Gilgandra Shire Council
) in the Central West
region of New South Wales
, Australia
. It is located on the junction of the Newell Highway
, Oxley Highway
and Castlereagh Highway
. It can be reached in about six hours by car from Sydney
. Like Coonabarabran
, Gilgandra can be considered to be a gateway to the Warrumbungles National Park. The population, according to the 2006 census
, was around 2,679 people. The name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "long waterhole" and may be related to fact that town stands on the Castlereagh River.
was established in 1867 and in 1881 a local school opened, and the first court hearing in the Gilgandra court house was in 1884. The shire
was constituted in 1906.
During World War I
, a recruitment march
to Sydney began in Gilgandra. The march was known as the Cooee March, after the distinct call of "cooee
" they shouted at each town along their journey to attract recruits. Twenty-six men left Gilgandra on 10 October 1915. They were feted at each town on the route and recruitment meetings were held. By the time they reached Sydney
just over one month later on 12 November, the numbers had swelled to 263 recruits.
, making it very porous and difficult to grow certain plants. The weather is hot and dry, reaching over 40°C for consecutive days during summer. In winter the temperature can reach as low as -2°C with large frosts leaving snow like blankets on the ground. During 1955, Gilgandra was flooded. This caused havoc throughout the small town with the water reaching a height of 5 feet, 7 inches in the main street
, Miller Street. Many were left homeless as over three hundred homes were flooded. People spent the night on rooftops, one woman perched on the top of a truck all night and watched as a house and other large debris rushed by in the swiftly flowing waters. Two men were killed. Mr. Edward Hobbs took refuge on a windmill
which the swirling waters undermined; when it fell it is believed Mr. Hobbs was crushed by its weight. In the area near the racecourse lived a small community of people who took refuge in the grandstand
. A 52 year old racecourse caretaker, Edward Ryan disappeared when his nearby home collapsed and was later washed away. The damage left behind was massive, and men came from all over including Sydney to help the town rebuild. The flood made worldwide headlines, the town received a message of condolence from the Pope
. In recent years, the town has suffered badly from drought until December 2009, where heavy rain fell for several weeks possibly ending a long drought
.
, and medical centres. In 2009, a Supa IGA
supermarket was opened. A tavern
, cafe, plaza, and public toilets were also recently opened whilst the town is already host to many cafes, another supermarket, museums, gift shops, two Chinese restaurants, an antique store, hardware store, photography services, fruit shop, three butcheries, various clothes stores including Target
Country and several hotels. Two clubs have bowling greens (bowling club and RSL club) and the golf club has a full sized golf course surrounded by a racecourse.
Gilgandra has many churches especially for a small town. There is a Catholic
, Anglican, United Churches, Lutheran, Jehovah's Witness, Church of Christ
, Presbyterian, and a local Indigenous church.
rugby league competition. In 2009, the team successfully made it to the grand final, but lost. In 2011 however, the Panthers defeated the Warren Bulldogs to win the premiership. There is also a junior rugby league and netball club which plays in the group 14 competition. The town is also home to a soccer club, swimming club, touch football and has local tennis competitions and a gym. Gilgandra hosts the Windmill Carnival every year. This basketball event attracts many teams from all over the state. Little Athletics is another popular sport among the youth of Gilgandra. The annual Gift again draws visitors to the town.
Gilgandra also has its own cricket
competition called the ABC Shield which has two Gilgandra teams, Biddon-Tooraweenah, Warren
, Coonamble, and Gulargambone teams playing in it. Gilgandra representative cricket takes part in the Brewery Shield competition, Country Plate knockout and the A.S. Gordon Shield which they are currently premiers of from the 2008–09 season. Gilgandra also has its very own Junior Cricket Association, with representative teams in the 12s, 14s and 16s competing in intertown competitions regularly. Gilgandra won the Dick Penberthy Shield under 16s competition in 2002–03 season and have been made the semi final every year since.
Gilgandra also has a sporting hall of fame
for all the local sportsmen and women who have done exceptionally well in a sporting field. The sporting hall of fame is displayed down at the local gym entrance and also at the information center. There is a wide range of different sports in the hall of fame such as cycling, swimming, running, football, basketball, and many other sports.
The tourist information centre is on the south side of town, on the Newell Highway
, as entering from Dubbo, on the right hand side after the silo
s.
There is a Rural Museum, which has old coaches, shearing sheds and equipment, as well as some of the old rooms, decked out as to how they were in the former days. There is Cactus World, which has a large range of cacti to look at. From the small to the large, there are all types.
Gilgandra has an observatory
open from Wednesday to Sunday.
There is the community radio
station WARFM, which is on 98.9FM, which has a broad range of shows. This is run by local volunteers, and if one feels like they want to present a show, an application will be taken, training given, and probably an available timeslot will be given.
There is also an aero club, where one can learn how to fly. The fees are reasonable, and it is a skill that many will miss out on in the bigger places.
Gilgandra has a technical college, which is managed by some fine ladies. There are courses such as business administration, digital photography
, and others at times.
There is a lovely park outside the swimming pool area, and a walk along the river is grand. Neat footpaths are established along the river for strolling along and enjoying the sound of Australia's parrots squawking. As the sun goes down, it is common to see hundreds of galah
s and cockatoo
s flock into the trees to settle for the night.
; 98.9 War FM. This is a volunteer run radio station with various shows running. These include old music, modern music and sport segments. The news is also played every hour.
Gilgandra Shire Council
Gilgandra Shire is a local government area in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the junction of the Newell Highway, Oxley Highway and Castlereagh Highway and can be reached in about six hours by car from Sydney. It lies on the Castlereagh River and includes part of...
) in the Central West
Central West, New South Wales
The Central West region refers to the area west of the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. It has an area of 63,262 square kilometers....
region of 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
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located on the junction of the Newell Highway
Newell Highway
The Newell Highway is the longest highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs parallel to the eastern coast about 400 kilometres inland, and is the main inland direct road link from Victoria to Queensland, bypassing the more congested coastal areas of New South Wales...
, Oxley Highway
Oxley Highway
The Oxley Highway is a rural highway in New South Wales, Australia. It starts at Nevertire where it joins the Mitchell Highway. It links Warren, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Gunnedah, Carroll, Tamworth, Bendemeer, Walcha, Yarrowitch, Ellenborough, Long Flat, Wauchope and ends at Port Macquarie on the...
and Castlereagh Highway
Castlereagh Highway
The Castlereagh Highway is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia, also extending some kilometres into Queensland. It has been given the route number 55. The highway was recently extended past Gilgandra to include state route 86...
. It can be reached in about six hours by car from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Like Coonabarabran
Coonabarabran, New South Wales
Coonabarabran is a town in Warrumbungle Shire in northern New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 2,609.-History and description:...
, Gilgandra can be considered to be a gateway to the Warrumbungles National Park. The population, according to the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, was around 2,679 people. The name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "long waterhole" and may be related to fact that town stands on the Castlereagh River.
History
The town was proclaimed in 1888, and the first town blocks were sold in 1889. The area had been previously settled and Gilgandra’s Post OfficePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established in 1867 and in 1881 a local school opened, and the first court hearing in the Gilgandra court house was in 1884. The shire
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
was constituted in 1906.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a recruitment march
Snowball marches
During World War I, recruitment marches or snowball marches to Sydney were a feature of volunteer recruiting drives for the Australian Imperial Force in rural New South Wales, Australia. Between October 1915 and February 1916, nine marches were held starting from various points in the state; the...
to Sydney began in Gilgandra. The march was known as the Cooee March, after the distinct call of "cooee
Cooee
Cooee! is a shout used in Australia, usually in the Bush, to attract attention, find missing people, or indicate one's own location. When done correctly - loudly and shrilly - a call of "cooee" can carry over a considerable distance....
" they shouted at each town along their journey to attract recruits. Twenty-six men left Gilgandra on 10 October 1915. They were feted at each town on the route and recruitment meetings were held. By the time they reached Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
just over one month later on 12 November, the numbers had swelled to 263 recruits.
Geography
The geography of Gilgandra is very flat. The soil is composed mostly of sandSand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
, making it very porous and difficult to grow certain plants. The weather is hot and dry, reaching over 40°C for consecutive days during summer. In winter the temperature can reach as low as -2°C with large frosts leaving snow like blankets on the ground. During 1955, Gilgandra was flooded. This caused havoc throughout the small town with the water reaching a height of 5 feet, 7 inches in the main street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
, Miller Street. Many were left homeless as over three hundred homes were flooded. People spent the night on rooftops, one woman perched on the top of a truck all night and watched as a house and other large debris rushed by in the swiftly flowing waters. Two men were killed. Mr. Edward Hobbs took refuge on a windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
which the swirling waters undermined; when it fell it is believed Mr. Hobbs was crushed by its weight. In the area near the racecourse lived a small community of people who took refuge in the grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
. A 52 year old racecourse caretaker, Edward Ryan disappeared when his nearby home collapsed and was later washed away. The damage left behind was massive, and men came from all over including Sydney to help the town rebuild. The flood made worldwide headlines, the town received a message of condolence from the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
. In recent years, the town has suffered badly from drought until December 2009, where heavy rain fell for several weeks possibly ending a long drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
.
Shops and services
There is a hospital, pharmacyPharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, and medical centres. In 2009, a Supa IGA
IGA (supermarkets)
IGA is a brand of grocery stores active in more than 30 countries. Contrasting with the chain store business model, IGA operates as a franchise through stores that are owned separately from the brand. Many of these stores operate in small town markets and belong to families that manage them...
supermarket was opened. A tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
, cafe, plaza, and public toilets were also recently opened whilst the town is already host to many cafes, another supermarket, museums, gift shops, two Chinese restaurants, an antique store, hardware store, photography services, fruit shop, three butcheries, various clothes stores including Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
Country and several hotels. Two clubs have bowling greens (bowling club and RSL club) and the golf club has a full sized golf course surrounded by a racecourse.
Gilgandra has many churches especially for a small town. There is a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, Anglican, United Churches, Lutheran, Jehovah's Witness, Church of Christ
Church of Christ
Churches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another through common beliefs and practices. They seek to base doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, and seek to be New Testament congregations as originally established by the authority of Christ. Historically,...
, Presbyterian, and a local Indigenous church.
Schools
Gilgandra has 3 schools; Gilgandra High School, (North Gilgandra) (7-12), St. Joseph's School (North Gilgandra) (K-6) and Gilgandra Public School (North Gilgandra) (K-6). The town also has a local pre-school (East Gilgandra), Early Childhood Centre (West Gilgandra) and a TAFE Campus (South Gilgandra). St John's primary (West Gilgandra) was closed in 2004.Sport
The Gilgandra Panthers play in the Castlereagh CupCastlereagh Cup
The Castlereagh Cup is a rugby league competition in western New South Wales, Australia, run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. For all intents and purposes the competition is effectively the Group 14 senior competition.-Teams:...
rugby league competition. In 2009, the team successfully made it to the grand final, but lost. In 2011 however, the Panthers defeated the Warren Bulldogs to win the premiership. There is also a junior rugby league and netball club which plays in the group 14 competition. The town is also home to a soccer club, swimming club, touch football and has local tennis competitions and a gym. Gilgandra hosts the Windmill Carnival every year. This basketball event attracts many teams from all over the state. Little Athletics is another popular sport among the youth of Gilgandra. The annual Gift again draws visitors to the town.
Gilgandra also has its own cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
competition called the ABC Shield which has two Gilgandra teams, Biddon-Tooraweenah, Warren
Warren, New South Wales
Warren is a town and the seat of a local government area, Warren Shire, on the Macquarie River in central New South Wales, Australia. The town is located on the Oxley Highway 120 kilometres north west of Dubbo. It was laid out in the 1860s and incorporated as a municipality in 1895. The railway...
, Coonamble, and Gulargambone teams playing in it. Gilgandra representative cricket takes part in the Brewery Shield competition, Country Plate knockout and the A.S. Gordon Shield which they are currently premiers of from the 2008–09 season. Gilgandra also has its very own Junior Cricket Association, with representative teams in the 12s, 14s and 16s competing in intertown competitions regularly. Gilgandra won the Dick Penberthy Shield under 16s competition in 2002–03 season and have been made the semi final every year since.
Gilgandra also has a sporting hall of fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
for all the local sportsmen and women who have done exceptionally well in a sporting field. The sporting hall of fame is displayed down at the local gym entrance and also at the information center. There is a wide range of different sports in the hall of fame such as cycling, swimming, running, football, basketball, and many other sports.
Attractions
In Gilgandra, there is much to do. In the hotter months, the swimming pool is open, and there are skateboard ramps for the youth. There is a youth club, which has squash courts, basketball courts, a gym, and an indoor area where the youth can gather for a safe, fun time. All can play.The tourist information centre is on the south side of town, on the Newell Highway
Newell Highway
The Newell Highway is the longest highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs parallel to the eastern coast about 400 kilometres inland, and is the main inland direct road link from Victoria to Queensland, bypassing the more congested coastal areas of New South Wales...
, as entering from Dubbo, on the right hand side after the silo
Silo
A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials.Silo may also refer to:* Silo , a 3D modeling software* Silo , a defunct chain of retail electronics stores* SILO , used in Linux...
s.
There is a Rural Museum, which has old coaches, shearing sheds and equipment, as well as some of the old rooms, decked out as to how they were in the former days. There is Cactus World, which has a large range of cacti to look at. From the small to the large, there are all types.
Gilgandra has an observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
open from Wednesday to Sunday.
There is the community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
station WARFM, which is on 98.9FM, which has a broad range of shows. This is run by local volunteers, and if one feels like they want to present a show, an application will be taken, training given, and probably an available timeslot will be given.
There is also an aero club, where one can learn how to fly. The fees are reasonable, and it is a skill that many will miss out on in the bigger places.
Gilgandra has a technical college, which is managed by some fine ladies. There are courses such as business administration, digital photography
Digital photography
Digital photography is a form of photography that uses an array of light sensitive sensors to capture the image focused by the lens, as opposed to an exposure on light sensitive film...
, and others at times.
There is a lovely park outside the swimming pool area, and a walk along the river is grand. Neat footpaths are established along the river for strolling along and enjoying the sound of Australia's parrots squawking. As the sun goes down, it is common to see hundreds of galah
Galah
The Galah , Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the Rose-breasted Cockatoo, Galah Cockatoo, Roseate Cockatoo or Pink and Grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.It is endemic on the mainland and was...
s and cockatoo
Cockatoo
A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae and the Strigopidae , they make up the parrot order Psittaciformes . Placement of the cockatoos as a separate family is fairly undisputed, although many aspects of the other living lineages of...
s flock into the trees to settle for the night.
Radio station
Gilgandra has one radio stationRadio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
; 98.9 War FM. This is a volunteer run radio station with various shows running. These include old music, modern music and sport segments. The news is also played every hour.
Notable people
- Donald Frederick Gregory O'ConnorDon O'ConnorDonald Frederick Gregory O'Connor was an Australian cricketer who played for the Tasmania and the South Australia. He was a talented left-handed batsman, who played interstate cricket from 1981 until 1990....
(born 1958), Australian cricketer who played for the Tasmanian Tigers and the Southern Redbacks. - William Thomas HitchenWilliam Thomas HitchenWilliam Thomas Hitchen was the captain of the local Rifle Club in Gilgandra, New South Wales, Australia. He organised a recruiting march from Gilgandra to Sydney in late 1915. The march was an enormous success, with 263 recruits at the end....
, organised a successful recruiting march from Gilgandra to Sydney in late 1915. - Tony McGraneTony McGraneAnthony Michael McGrane was an Australian politician.McGrane was born in Forbes. He had a lengthy career in local government, as a long serving councillor in Gilgandra and Dubbo....
, Mayor of Gilgandra for 16 years, member of State Parliament - Raymond John Bailey (1932–1958), found guilty and executed for the Sundown MurdersSundown MurdersThe Sundown Murders refer to the murder of Sally Bowman , her daughter Wendy Bowman , and family friend Thomas Whelan on Sundown Station in northern South Australia outback in December 1957...
.