Narrabri, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Narrabri is a town and seat of Narrabri Shire Council Local Government Area in the North West Slopes, New South Wales, Australia
. Narrabri is situated on the Namoi River
and lies 521 kilometres (324 mi) northwest of Sydney
. It sits on the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway
and the Newell Highway
. At the 2006 census
, Narrabri had a population of 6,102
As a result of the geography of Narrabri and the surrounding areas, Narrabri township is quite prone to flooding.
It is the centre of a major cotton
growing industry. Other agricultural industries in the area include wheat
, beef
and lamb. Nearby attractions are Mount Kaputar National Park
, the Australia Telescope Compact Array
at the Paul Wild Observatory
(administered by the CSIRO) and a number of agricultural centres, including the Australian Cotton Exhibition Centre. Just to the south of town is the Pilliga Forest
, the largest remnant temperate forest in Eastern Australia. Narrabri also boasts The Crossing Theatre, a 1000 seat auditorium and cinema complex of a standard normally only found in larger Australian communities.
In 2001, Narrabri Shire residents were voted by Channel 9's "Today Show" as the Sportiest District in Australia. It should be noted that the competition was aimed at sporty "towns" but Narrabri entered and won using people from the entire shire and some from the neighbouring Walgett Shire. The town still promotes itself as "Australia's Sportiest Town" and recently constructed a plaque to commemorate the title.
people, who still constitute a significant part of the local population. Narrabri derives its name from an early property in the district called the Narrabry Run. The most common Aboriginal meaning for Narrabri is forked waters.
Narrabri Post Office opened on 1 June 1861.
A local community radio
station, 2MAX FM also services the area. This volunteer run community radio
station broadcasts on 91.3 FM, from the nearby Mt Dowe, and is able to cover a very large area due to this height. The station has been running for 7 years full time. 2MAX FM has a focus on country music and older listeners.
News and up to date information about Narrabri can be found on the website Narrabri.net or on Narrabri Shire Council's website www.narrabri.nsw.gov.au
to Sydney
with Aeropelican Air Services
, Aeropelican also offers 5 times weekly services to Brisbane and 6 times weekly services to Newcastle. It is almost equally distant from Brisbane
and Sydney.
diesel railmotor between Sydney and Moree
. The train to Moree leaves in the late afternoon and the train to Sydney leaves in the morning.
Narrabri is an important centre for rail freight, with considerable infrastructure improvements since the mid-1990s.
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...
. Narrabri is situated on the Namoi River
Namoi River
The Namoi River is a major tributary of the Darling River in inland New South Wales, Australia.- Course :The headwaters of the Namoi, including the Macdonald River, the Peel River, the Cockburn River and the Manilla River, rise on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range on the Northern...
and lies 521 kilometres (324 mi) northwest of 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...
. It sits on the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway
Kamilaroi Highway
Kamilaroi Highway is a state highway in New South Wales. It has been given the national route number 37. Its status as a highway is fairly new....
and 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...
. 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,...
, Narrabri had a population of 6,102
As a result of the geography of Narrabri and the surrounding areas, Narrabri township is quite prone to flooding.
It is the centre of a major 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....
growing industry. Other agricultural industries in the area include 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...
, beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
and lamb. Nearby attractions are Mount Kaputar National Park
Mount Kaputar National Park
Mount Kaputar National Park is a national park in Australia, surrounding the proximities of Mount Kaputar, a volcano active between 17 and 21 million years ago. It is located east of Narrabri and northwest of Sydney. Millions of years of erosion have since carved the volcanic region into the...
, the Australia Telescope Compact Array
Australia Telescope Compact Array
The Australia Telescope Compact Array is a radio telescope at the Paul Wild Observatory, twenty five kilometres west of the town of Narrabri in Australia....
at the Paul Wild Observatory
Paul Wild Observatory
A number of major astronomical facilities are located at the Paul Wild Observatory near Narrabri, Australia, including:* The Australia Telescope Compact Array radio telescope...
(administered by the CSIRO) and a number of agricultural centres, including the Australian Cotton Exhibition Centre. Just to the south of town is the Pilliga Forest
Pilliga forest
The State Forests of The Pilliga, commonly known as the Pilliga Scrub , constitute some 3000 km2 of semi-arid woodland in temperate north-central New South Wales, Australia...
, the largest remnant temperate forest in Eastern Australia. Narrabri also boasts The Crossing Theatre, a 1000 seat auditorium and cinema complex of a standard normally only found in larger Australian communities.
In 2001, Narrabri Shire residents were voted by Channel 9's "Today Show" as the Sportiest District in Australia. It should be noted that the competition was aimed at sporty "towns" but Narrabri entered and won using people from the entire shire and some from the neighbouring Walgett Shire. The town still promotes itself as "Australia's Sportiest Town" and recently constructed a plaque to commemorate the title.
History
Before the arrival of the Europeans in the early 19th century, Narrabri was the home of the KamilaroiKamilaroi
The Kamilaroi or Gamilaraay are an Indigenous Australian people who are from the area between Tamworth and Goondiwindi, and west to Narrabri, Walgett and Lightning Ridge, in northern New South Wales...
people, who still constitute a significant part of the local population. Narrabri derives its name from an early property in the district called the Narrabry Run. The most common Aboriginal meaning for Narrabri is forked waters.
Narrabri Post Office opened on 1 June 1861.
Media
Narrabri has a twice-weekly published newspaper, The Courier. This is one of the few remaining independent regional newspapers in Australia.A local 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, 2MAX FM also services the area. This volunteer run 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 broadcasts on 91.3 FM, from the nearby Mt Dowe, and is able to cover a very large area due to this height. The station has been running for 7 years full time. 2MAX FM has a focus on country music and older listeners.
News and up to date information about Narrabri can be found on the website Narrabri.net or on Narrabri Shire Council's website www.narrabri.nsw.gov.au
Transport
The town is served by twice daily flights from Narrabri AirportNarrabri Airport
Narrabri Airport is an airport in Narrabri, New South Wales, Australia. The airport is 10 km from the city centre.-External links:* on Council web site...
to 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...
with Aeropelican Air Services
Aeropelican Air Services
Aeropelican Air Services Pty Ltd is a regional airline based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Its main base is Newcastle Airport , with a hub at Sydney Airport.- History :...
, Aeropelican also offers 5 times weekly services to Brisbane and 6 times weekly services to Newcastle. It is almost equally distant from Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and Sydney.
Railway station
Narrabri railway station is situated on the Mungindi railway line, 569 km from Sydney. The station opened in 1897 and is currently served by a single daily XplorerCountryLink Xplorer
The Xplorer is a Diesel Multiple Unit train used on country passenger rail services in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of two types of passenger rollingstock used by CountryLink, the government owned operator of country trains . The Xplorer trains entered service in 1993, and are externally...
diesel railmotor between Sydney and Moree
Moree, New South Wales
Moree is a large town in Moree Plains Shire in northern New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the banks of the Mehi River in the centre of the rich black-soil plains....
. The train to Moree leaves in the late afternoon and the train to Sydney leaves in the morning.
Narrabri is an important centre for rail freight, with considerable infrastructure improvements since the mid-1990s.
Local churches
- Anglican Church
- Baptist Church
- Catholic Church
- Christian Outreach Centre
- New Life Christian Fellowship
- Presbyterian Church
- Uniting Church
Notable residents
- Ernest RiddleErnest RiddleSir Ernest Cooper Riddle was an Australian banker and Governor of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, then Australia's central bank, from 1927 to 1938.-Early life:...
, former Governor of the Commonwealth Bank of AustraliaCommonwealth Bank of AustraliaThe Commonwealth Bank of Australia is a multinational bank with businesses across New Zealand, Fiji, Asia, USA and the United Kingdom. Commonwealth Bank provides a variety of financial services including retail, business and institutional banking, funds management, superannuation, insurance,... - Jason StoltenbergJason StoltenbergJason Stoltenberg is a former professional tennis player from Australia.Stoltenberg began playing tennis at age ten on an antbed court where his father owned a cotton farm in the Far West of New South Wales. In 1987, he won the boys' singles title at the Australian Open and was ranked the World No...
, former international tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player - Chris Latham,former Australian Wallaby Rugby Union player
- Jeff Hardy, vision impaired swimmer with two gold Paralympic Games medals for 400m freestyle in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, record holder for the 800m and 1500m freestyle as well as holding 7 Australian records