Humula, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Humula is a small country town between Tarcutta
and Tumbarumba
in New South Wales
, Australia
. Humula Station, which is just outside the town, is one of Australia's most historic farming and grazing properties. Humula was once named "American Yards" or "American Fields" during the gold rush
, where many Chinese came for gold years ago. At the 2006 census
, Humula had a population of 211 people.
Although Humula is a small town, it has its own fire brigade
, public school, post office
, and a recreation ground
. After surviving many fires
including the latest in February 2006, Humula is still in one piece.
Murraguldrie Post Office opened nearby on 20 March 1874 and was replaced by a Humula office in 1888.
Humula has been around for well over 100 years. Older buildings include the butcher's shop
at the end of Mate Street, the Humula Public School on School Street, and the ruins of the old Humula Hotel.
In earlier years, Humula's town centre
was on the southern side of the two creeks running through the town, but following a huge fire which burnt down the Humula Hotel
, and several flood
s which cut the town in half, the town centre was relocated to the north of the creeks.
Humula once had a police station
at the end of School Street. In the late 70s and 80s, Humula's activity and population peaked when logging
was the main industry in the area. The Humula sawmill
employed a large number of people; when it closed Humula became almost a ghost town
. The Sports Club and General Store/Post Office are the only businesses still operating. Outside the town is Humula's large farming area, most of which has been converted to pine plantations, which have forced many farmers to sell their land and leave the area.
Tarcutta, New South Wales
Tarcutta is a small town located 438 km south-west of Sydney, three kilometres east of the Hume Highway, in New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed as a village on 28 October 1890...
and Tumbarumba
Tumbarumba, New South Wales
Tumbarumba is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, about 500 km southwest of Sydney. Tumbarumba is located within the Riverina region and more specifically on the South West Slopes at the western edge of the Snowy Mountains. At the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, people lived...
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
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...
. Humula Station, which is just outside the town, is one of Australia's most historic farming and grazing properties. Humula was once named "American Yards" or "American Fields" during the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
, where many Chinese came for gold years ago. At 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,...
, Humula had a population of 211 people.
Although Humula is a small town, it has its own fire brigade
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
, public school, post office
Post 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...
, and a recreation ground
Recreation Ground
A recreation ground is a type of park.Recreation Ground is the name of the following stadiums in the United Kingdom:*Recreation Ground , the home ground of Aldershot Town F.C., located in Aldershot, England...
. After surviving many fires
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
including the latest in February 2006, Humula is still in one piece.
Murraguldrie Post Office opened nearby on 20 March 1874 and was replaced by a Humula office in 1888.
Humula has been around for well over 100 years. Older buildings include the butcher's shop
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
at the end of Mate Street, the Humula Public School on School Street, and the ruins of the old Humula Hotel.
In earlier years, Humula's town centre
Town centre
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town.Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train or bus stations...
was on the southern side of the two creeks running through the town, but following a huge fire which burnt down the Humula Hotel
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
, and several flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s which cut the town in half, the town centre was relocated to the north of the creeks.
Humula once had a police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
at the end of School Street. In the late 70s and 80s, Humula's activity and population peaked when logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
was the main industry in the area. The Humula sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
employed a large number of people; when it closed Humula became almost a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
. The Sports Club and General Store/Post Office are the only businesses still operating. Outside the town is Humula's large farming area, most of which has been converted to pine plantations, which have forced many farmers to sell their land and leave the area.