Picton, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Picton is a small town in the Macarthur Region
of New South Wales
, Australia
, in the Wollondilly Shire. The town is located 80 kilometres South-west
of Sydney
, close to Camden
and Campbelltown
. It is also the administrative centre of Wollondilly Shire.
and the Goulburn
areas, Governor Macquarie
authorised the building of the new Great South Road
between Sydney and the Southern Highlands in 1819. This opened up the Picton area to settlers, including Henry Colden Antill, who established a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) property in 1822.
Picton developed when a new line of the Great South Road was cut over the Razorback Range from Camden, and especially after the railway arrived in 1863. Picton is the only town in the Southern Hemisphere where you can pass through it twice when travelling by train. It was established as Stonequarry in 1841 and was renamed Picton in 1845. It remained a stopping point on the Great South Road, later renamed the Hume Highway
, until it was bypassed in the 1970s.
Bushfires destroyed several homes in the Nangarin Estate located on the western outskirts of Picton, from a fire front originating from Lakesland in September 2006.
a timber trestle bridge that crosses Stonequarry Creek, opened in 1897, and the 'Picton Railway Viaduct' a stone viaduct
opened in 1863 to also cross Stonequarry Creek.
The viaduct is still in use by the railways. Ghost tours are conducted in some of the historic buildings and inside the disused railway tunnel on Redbank Range, where residents and visitors claim to have experienced paranormal activity. The abandoned tunnel was used to store mustard gas spray tanks during World War II
.
The George IV Inn, reputedly constructed in 1839, is considered to be one of the oldest hotel buildings in Australia. The cellar contains remnants of convict shackles as prisoners being transported from Sydney to Berrima prison would often be held in Picton overnight. The barn behind the hotel may date back to 1810 and is possibly the oldest building in Picton - it is used for functions such as birthday and engagement parties. The hotel is also the location of Scharer's Little Brewery, one of the first microbreweries in Australia and winner of numerous awards for its Burragorang Bock and Scharer's Lager beers.
is on the Southern Highlands line
with a relatively infrequent service with trains running every 30m (peak) – 2 hours (off peak).
The town is located on the Old Hume Highway
.
and soccer teams.
Picton is home to Australia's premier Skydiving centre Sydney Skydivers. Australia's largest turbine Drop Zone with over 40 years experience and over 1.5 Million skydives to date.
's Merrick and Rosso
programme played a parody song called "The Picton song" which depicted Picton teenagers as promiscuous and engaging in underage sex in an attempt to get pregnant and claim the Australian Government's baby bonus scheme. This caused community outrage and many residents rang the station to complain.
Macarthur, New South Wales
Macarthur is a region in south-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region includes the local government areas of the City of Campbelltown, Camden Council and Wollondilly Shire. It covers an area of 3,067 square kilometres and has a population of close to 240,000 residents...
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...
, in the Wollondilly Shire. The town is located 80 kilometres South-west
South-western Sydney
South-western Sydney is a general term which is used to describe the metropolitan area in south-west Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Greater Western Sydney area....
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...
, close to Camden
Camden, New South Wales
-Education:Camden is the location of research facilities for the veterinary and agricultural schools of the University of Sydney. The local government area has two public high schools, Camden High School and Elderslie High School, as well as eight Catholic and three Anglican schools.-Culture:The...
and Campbelltown
Campbelltown, New South Wales
Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...
. It is also the administrative centre of Wollondilly Shire.
History
Picton was first explored by Europeans in 1798 and remained beyond the limits of legal settlement until 1821. Following the discovery of good land in the interior and the settlement of Bong BongBong Bong, New South Wales
Bong Bong was a small township in the Southern Highlands in New South Wales, Australia. It is also the name for the surrounding parish.The site was chosen by Governor Macquarie in 1820 close to the ford on the Wingecarribee River...
and the Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
areas, Governor Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
authorised the building of the new Great South Road
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
between Sydney and the Southern Highlands in 1819. This opened up the Picton area to settlers, including Henry Colden Antill, who established a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) property in 1822.
Picton developed when a new line of the Great South Road was cut over the Razorback Range from Camden, and especially after the railway arrived in 1863. Picton is the only town in the Southern Hemisphere where you can pass through it twice when travelling by train. It was established as Stonequarry in 1841 and was renamed Picton in 1845. It remained a stopping point on the Great South Road, later renamed the Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
, until it was bypassed in the 1970s.
Bushfires destroyed several homes in the Nangarin Estate located on the western outskirts of Picton, from a fire front originating from Lakesland in September 2006.
Landmarks
Picton is home to many historic buildings, including two types of bridges not found easily anymore elsewhere in the state - Victoria BridgeVictoria Bridge, Picton
Victoria Bridge crosses Stonequarry Creek in Picton, New South Wales, Australia.Opened on 7 October 1897, Victoria Bridge is a timber trestle bridge employing Allan trusses - it was designed by Percy Allan and built by C.J. Ford of Sydney....
a timber trestle bridge that crosses Stonequarry Creek, opened in 1897, and the 'Picton Railway Viaduct' a stone viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
opened in 1863 to also cross Stonequarry Creek.
The viaduct is still in use by the railways. Ghost tours are conducted in some of the historic buildings and inside the disused railway tunnel on Redbank Range, where residents and visitors claim to have experienced paranormal activity. The abandoned tunnel was used to store mustard gas spray tanks during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The George IV Inn, reputedly constructed in 1839, is considered to be one of the oldest hotel buildings in Australia. The cellar contains remnants of convict shackles as prisoners being transported from Sydney to Berrima prison would often be held in Picton overnight. The barn behind the hotel may date back to 1810 and is possibly the oldest building in Picton - it is used for functions such as birthday and engagement parties. The hotel is also the location of Scharer's Little Brewery, one of the first microbreweries in Australia and winner of numerous awards for its Burragorang Bock and Scharer's Lager beers.
Transport
Picton railway stationPicton railway station, New South Wales
-Transport links:Picton Buslines runs seven routes to and from Picton railway station:*900 - to Campbelltown*901 - to Wilton and Douglas Park*911 - to Buxton and Bargo*912 - to Bargo and Yanderra*913 - to Buxton and Thirlmere...
is on the Southern Highlands line
Southern Highlands railway line, New South Wales
The Southern Highlands Line is a section of the Main South railway line, and part of the CityRail outer suburban network. Its main service areas are the Southern Highlands Region , the Southern Tablelands Region and the Wollondilly section of the Macarthur Region of New South Wales...
with a relatively infrequent service with trains running every 30m (peak) – 2 hours (off peak).
The town is located on the Old Hume Highway
Old Hume Highway
The Old Hume Highway may be described as any part of an earlier route of the Hume Highway, which traverses Victoria and New South Wales between the cities of Melbourne and Sydney in Australia...
.
Sport and recreation
Picton also has both senior and junior rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and soccer teams.
Picton is home to Australia's premier Skydiving centre Sydney Skydivers. Australia's largest turbine Drop Zone with over 40 years experience and over 1.5 Million skydives to date.
Pop culture
In October 2007, radio station Nova 96.9Nova 96.9
Nova 96.9 is a commercial radio station operating in Sydney, Australia, owned by the DMG Radio Network.-History:One of the driving forces behind the creation of Nova was the growing demographic of youth who were embracing the commercialised anti-pop movement fronted by such artists as Daft Punk...
's Merrick and Rosso
Merrick and Rosso
Merrick and Rosso are an Australian comedy duo, Merrick Watts and Tim Ross. The duo began in stand up comedy and first came together when they teamed up for a one off comedy show in 1996...
programme played a parody song called "The Picton song" which depicted Picton teenagers as promiscuous and engaging in underage sex in an attempt to get pregnant and claim the Australian Government's baby bonus scheme. This caused community outrage and many residents rang the station to complain.