Liverpool Plains
Encyclopedia
The Liverpool Plains is a geographical area and Local Government Area (LGA) in the North West Slopes
, New South Wales
.
The Shire was formed on 17 March 2004 by the amalgamation of Quirindi Shire with parts of three other shires: Parry, Murrurundi and Gunnedah.
es such as that of the Liverpool Range
s to the southwest. To the south and east, it merges into the higher and cooler Northern Tablelands
.
The Liverpool Plains
is generally regarded as the richest agricultural region in Australia owing to its rich black soils
, which originally supported a mixed grassland
vegetation containing both annual
and perennial
grasses, which early in the region's history were used to feed cattle
and sheep.
Wheat
and cotton
are the chief crops, although production fluctuates wildly according to rainfall and soil erosion is a major problem occurring both after drought
s and flood
s. The climate is hot in summer, mild in winter, and of moderate rainfall. The average is generally around 635 millimetres (25 inches) with a slight summer maximum, but is quite erratic and can vary from 1,150 millimetres (45 inches) in very wet years to as little as 370 millimetres (15 inches). Temperatures in summer frequently exceed 35°C (95°F) and make cropping without irrigation risky without sophisticated meteorological forecasting techniques.
North West Slopes (New South Wales)
The North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia refers generally to the area west of the Northern Tablelands, to the north of the Central West region and to the east of the Far West region. The region corresponds generally to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's forecast area 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...
.
The Shire was formed on 17 March 2004 by the amalgamation of Quirindi Shire with parts of three other shires: Parry, Murrurundi and Gunnedah.
Main towns
- QuirindiQuirindi, New South WalesQuirindi is a small town on the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, in Liverpool Plains Shire Local Government Area ....
- ArdglenArdglen, New South WalesArdglen is a village on the Main North railway line and close to the New England Highway on the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
- Blackville
- Caroona
- CurrabubulaCurrabubula, New South WalesCurrabubula is a village on the North West Slopes of the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Werris Creek Road 30 kilometres south-west of Tamworth and 15 km north-east of Werris Creek. Currabubula is in the Liverpool Plains Shire Local Government...
- PremerPremer, New South WalesPremer is a small town North Western New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Premer had a population of 224 people.Premer consists of approximately 30 houses, it has a small primary school, a community hall, and a corner shop/post office.- Maps :*...
- Spring RidgeSpring Ridge, New South Wales-Transport:It is served by a station on the Binnaway- Werris Creek railway line.-Maps:*...
- WallabadahWallabadah, New South WalesWallabadah is a village in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia.The town is located 55 kilometres south of Tamworth on the New England Highway and is in the Liverpool Plains Shire. At the 2006 census, Wallabadah had a population of 746....
- Werris CreekWerris Creek, New South WalesWerris Creek is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, near Tamworth, in Liverpool Plains Shire. It is north of Quirindi and is at the junction of the Main North railway line to Armidale and Moree. At the 2006 census, Werris Creek had a population of 1,490.-History:The area is thought to...
- Willow TreeWillow Tree, New South WalesWillow Tree is a village composed of about 169 people, located in New South Wales, Australia. It is situated in the Liverpool Plains, 14 kilometers south of Quirindi near the junction of the Kamilaroi and New England Highways. The town itself is small but the farms extend southwest out to the...
Geography
The Liverpool Plains have a generally flat to undulating terrain formed from the remnants of old volcanoVolcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es such as that of the Liverpool Range
Liverpool Range
The Liverpool Range is a mountain range and a lava-field province in New South Wales, Australia.The Liverpool Range starts from the volcanic plateau known as the Barrington Tops and runs for about 100 km westwards, forming the northern boundary of the Hunter Valley district...
s to the southwest. To the south and east, it merges into the higher and cooler Northern Tablelands
Northern Tablelands, New South Wales
The Northern Tablelands, also known as the New England Tableland, is a plateau and a region of the Great Dividing Range in northern New South Wales, Australia. It includes the New England Range, the narrow highlands area of the New England region, stretching from the Moonbi Range in the south to...
.
The Liverpool Plains
Liverpool Plains
The Liverpool Plains is a geographical area and Local Government Area in the North West Slopes, New South Wales.The Shire was formed on 17 March 2004 by the amalgamation of Quirindi Shire with parts of three other shires: Parry, Murrurundi and Gunnedah.- Main towns :* Quirindi* Ardglen*...
is generally regarded as the richest agricultural region in Australia owing to its rich black soils
Vertisol
In both the FAO and USA soil taxonomy, a vertisol is a soil in which there is a high content of expansive clay known as montmorillonite that forms deep cracks in drier seasons or years. Alternate shrinking and swelling causes self-mulching, where the soil material consistently mixes itself, causing...
, which originally supported a mixed grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
vegetation containing both annual
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
and perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
grasses, which early in the region's history were used to feed cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and sheep.
Wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
are the chief crops, although production fluctuates wildly according to rainfall and soil erosion is a major problem occurring both after 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...
s and 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. The climate is hot in summer, mild in winter, and of moderate rainfall. The average is generally around 635 millimetres (25 inches) with a slight summer maximum, but is quite erratic and can vary from 1,150 millimetres (45 inches) in very wet years to as little as 370 millimetres (15 inches). Temperatures in summer frequently exceed 35°C (95°F) and make cropping without irrigation risky without sophisticated meteorological forecasting techniques.