Nundle is a village in the New England

New England (Australia)

New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The region has been occupied by Indigenous...

 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 was formerly the centre of Nundle Shire Local Government Area, but most of this area, including the village of Nundle, was absorbed into Tamworth Regional Council

Tamworth Regional Council

Tamworth Regional Council is a Local Government Area in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the New England Highway and the Main North railway line.- Incomes :According to the during 2003-04, there:...

 in 2004. The village is 400 km north of Sydney and about 56 km south east of Tamworth past Chaffey Dam via a good sealed road. At the 2006 census Nundle had a population of 289. Nundle is located at the southern end of Fossickers Way

Fossickers Way

Fossickers Way runs from Nundle in the south to Warialda and eastwards on the Gwydir Highway to Inverell and Glen Innes on the Northern Tablelands. It is designated as State Route 95....

.

History

Nundle was established at the foot 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...

 when gold was discovered at “The Hanging Rock

Hanging Rock, New South Wales

Hanging Rock is a gold mining village and also rock face on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. This former gold mining town is situated about 10 km south east of Nundle. The village is part of the Tamworth Regional Council district and Parry County...

” and nearby Swamp Creek in 1852. By June 1852 there were 300 diggers on the fields at Oakenville Creek. Prospectors from California, Europe and China were also digging along the Peel River and up the mountain slopes. By 1865 the population was around 500 with about 50 businesses in operation. A public school was completed during December, 1871 and lessons commenced there in 1872. Nundle was declared a town in 1885. In 1924 the Peel River Bridge was constructed and in 1941 electricity was connected to the town. During 1966 the swimming pool was opened by the Rt Hon. Ian Sinclair

Ian Sinclair

Ian McCahon Sinclair AC , is an Australian politician and former leader of the National Party of Australia.Sinclair was born in Sydney, the son of a suburban accountant. He was educated at Knox Grammar School and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in arts and law...

. The population of Nundle Shire was 1350 in 1969. In 1979 Premier Neville Wran

Neville Wran

Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...

 opened the newly completed Chaffey Dam. Sheep, cattle and timber are the economic mainstays of this village nowadays.

This is a scenic village, with historic buildings, the Nundle Woollen Mill, old Court House, Peel Inn and Primitive Methodist Church which are a few examples of existing 19th century architecture there. Nundle Courthouse (former) and Police Station have been placed on the Register of the National Estate

Register 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...

. Nundle is noted as one of the best areas in the State for crystals. Some gold and other precious stones to be found include zircon

Zircon

Zircon is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates. Its chemical name is zirconium silicate and its corresponding chemical formula is ZrSiO4. A common empirical formula showing some of the range of substitution in zircon is 1–x4x–y...

s, green jasper, sapphire

Sapphire

Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...

s and serpentine minerals. Nundle is a popular tourist destination for both casual travellers and motorcycle enthusiasts. Nearby is the interesting Hanging Rock mining village with good views of the Nundle valley.

In 1948, the Douglas DC-3 Lutana crashed

1948 Lutana crash

The 1948 Lutana crash occurred on 2 September 1948 near Nundle, New South Wales, Australia, when the Lutana, a Douglas DC-3 operated by Australian National Airways en route to Sydney from Brisbane, crashed into high terrain due to navigation equipment errors, killing all 13 on board.-Flight:On 2...

 into Square Peak, west-south-west of Nundle during a fllight between Brisbane and Sydney. All 13 occupants of the Lutana were killed. The plane was found two days after the accident, 60 miles off course. One of the propellers from the plane was recovered and is now a memorial in the town.

A new bridge across the Peel River

Peel River (New South Wales)

The Peel River is a river in New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Murray-Darling Basin.The Peel rises on the northern slopes of the Liverpool Range south of the village of Nundle. It flows generally north and west through the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, through Woolomin and...

 at Nundle was completed in early 2008, with the funding of $683,000 provided by the NSW State Government.

In July 2008 the rare Euphrasia arguta

Euphrasia arguta

Euphrasa arguta is a plant from the genus Euphrasia within the family Orobanchaceae.The species was last recorded in June 1904 near Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia, and was presumed extinct until rediscovered in 2008 by Forests worker Graham Marshall in NSW's Nundle State Forest.Some...

was rediscovered in a State Forest near Nundle. This plant was last recorded in 1904 and is believed to have been regenerated after fire control activities the previous summer.

Facilities

• Caravan and cabin park
• Bus service to Tamworth secondary schools
• General Store
• Nundle Pre-School
• Nundle Public School
• Rural Health Service
• Post office
• Pony Club
• Golf and Bowling Club
• Tennis Club with synthetic surface tennis courts
• Nundle Branch Library ( Part of Central Northern Regional Library )

Events

The annual Go for Gold Festival is held each Easter long-weekend, attracting around 4,000 visitors. Independent State Member for Tamworth told Parliament “that visitors had come to Nundle from all points of the compass during the Easter

Easter

Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...

weekend to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the beautiful setting.” The Great Nundle Dog Race, only open to working dogs, is run on the first Sunday in May and attracts many visitors. This event helped to raise money for sporting equipment, computers, books and excursions for students at the Nundle Public School.
The first Sunday in November sees the running of both the Le Tour do Rocque (cycle race) & King of the Rock fun run, raising money for the Westpac Helicopter Service