Walcha, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
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...
.
The town serves as the seat of Walcha Shire. Walcha is located 425 kilometres by road from Sydney at the intersection of the Oxley Highway
Oxley Highway
The Oxley Highway is a rural highway in New South Wales, Australia. It starts at Nevertire where it joins the Mitchell Highway. It links Warren, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Gunnedah, Carroll, Tamworth, Bendemeer, Walcha, Yarrowitch, Ellenborough, Long Flat, Wauchope and ends at Port Macquarie on the...
and Thunderbolts Way
Thunderbolts Way
Thunderbolts Way is a New South Wales country road linking Gloucester to Walcha , Uralla, where it very briefly joins the New England Highway and, to Copes Creek, south of the Gwydir Highway intersection at Inverell...
. The Apsley River
Apsley River (New South Wales)
The Apsley River is a river on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. The headwaters of the river rise in high country about 11 kilometres west of Tia and approximately 29 km south of Walcha, New South Wales.- Geography :...
passes through the town to tumble over the Apsley Falls
Apsley Falls
The Apsley Falls are two waterfalls on the Apsley River on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The falls are located about east of Walcha, and 1 kilometre off the Oxley Highway in a deep gorge, that is part of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park...
before joining the Macleay River
Macleay River
The Macleay River is a major river on the Mid North Coast , Australia.The headwaters of the Macleay River rise as the Gara River on the eastern side of the Northern Tablelands near Armidale and Walcha, New South Wales. From here the Chandler River, Styx River and Apsley Rivers are important...
further on. Originally the river caused flooding in the town prior to a levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
bank being constructed and saving the town from more floods. 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,...
, Walcha had a population of 1,623 people.
The Main North railway line
Main North railway line, New South Wales
The Main North Line is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Central Coast, Hunter and the New England regions. The line was the original main line between Sydney and Brisbane, however this required a change of gauge at Wallangarra...
is located some distance away, at a separate village called Walcha Road
Walcha Road, New South Wales
Walcha Road is a rural village with a population of about 20, located west of Walcha in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia.The railway line through here from Sydney to Uralla was completed in 1882...
which serves as the railhead. This is served by the daily Countrylink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
Xplorer service between 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...
and Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
. The railway line was built at Walcha Road, because it was the closest point they could get to the town, due to the steep climb over 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...
.
The clear mountain climate here has an average temperature range from -2.0 to 11.9 °C in winter (July), and from 11.8 to 25.3 °C in summer (January). Average annual rainfall is about 808 mm and snow is not unusual.
History
The area is thought to have been occupied by the Ngayaywana and Dyangadi AborigineAustralian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
s prior to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an settlement. In 1818, John Oxley
John Oxley
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...
became the first white person to discover the area and the falls which were later to be named Apsley Falls
Apsley Falls
The Apsley Falls are two waterfalls on the Apsley River on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The falls are located about east of Walcha, and 1 kilometre off the Oxley Highway in a deep gorge, that is part of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park...
.
Hamilton Collins Sempill was the first settler 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...
area when he took up the 'Wolka' run in 1832, establishing slab huts where 'Langford' now stands. Other early runs around the district were Bergen-op-Zoom (1834), Ohio (1836), Europambela (c.1836), Surveyor’s Creek (1836), Emu Creek (c.1837), Ingalba (1837), Orandumbie (1837), Tiara (1837) and Winterbourne (1837). A severe from 1841 to 1843, and low demand for wool created hardship for many of these early settlers. In 1848 Walcha run is recorded as being 64000 acres (259 km²) and in the lease of David Lanarch. During 1854 Walcha was sold to Rundle and Dangar who held the for Jamison and Connal. Later John Fletcher acquired Walcha and moved from Branga Plains to Oorundumby. After being sold in 1905, Oorundumby was resumed for soldier settlement in 1947 and subdivided into 22 holdings.
A ‘wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
’ road to Port Macquarie (the Oxley Highway) was under construction in 1842 for the transportation of wool from New England to the coast.Walcha Post Office opened on 1 July 1850. The mail arrived from Macdonald River (now Bendemeer
Bendemeer, New South Wales
Bendemeer is a village of 485 people on the Macdonald River in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is situated at the junction of the New England and Oxley Highways.- History :...
). Walcha was gazetted as a village site in 1852, when town allotments were sold, with annual sales following. At that time there was a blacksmith's shop, a general store and a flour mill. A Roman Catholic chapel was erected in 1854, a police station and the first Presbyterian church was built in 1857 and the Walcha National School in 1859.
In 1861 the population was recorded at 355 and the Anglican church was built in 1862 of stone taken from the demolished homestead, 'Villa Walcha', erected on the Wolka run in the 1840s. The old church has fine stained-glass windows which bear tribute to some of the town's pioneers.
The population dropped in the 1860s but the town soon began to grow for two reasons: firstly, red cedar getters were active in the area's rainforests by about 1870. Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was discovered near Walcha in the 1870s at Glen Morrison, Tia
Tia, New South Wales
Tia, is a settlement and parish located approximately 30 kilometres east of Walcha, on the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia....
, The Cells River and Nowendoc
Nowendoc, New South Wales
Nowendoc is a parish and village on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 360 km north of the state capital, Sydney, 66 km south of Walcha and is in the Walcha Shire Local Government Area...
. Antimony
Antimony
Antimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
, copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
, manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and high quality slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
was also mined in the district.
On 5 April 1878 Walcha was proclaimed a town, when it was gazetted, the boundaries defined and a courthouse was built. A rail link to Sydney and Uralla opened at Walcha Road in 1882. The town became a municipality in 1889. On 19 March 1890 the Walcha Pastoral & Agricultural Association was formed. This annual show has excellent exhibits of livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
, produce, vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s, flowers, wool and handicrafts. Walcha Cottage Hospital founded in 1890 and was situated on the southern hill in South Street. The Shire of Apsley was constituted by proclamation on 7 March 1906. It is in the counties of Vernon
Vernon County, New South Wales
Vernon County is one of the 141 Cadastral divisions of New South Wales, Australia. The Macleay River is part of the border in the north-east. It includes Walcha.Vernon County was named in honour of George John Venables-Vernon, 5th Baron Vernon ....
, Hawes
Hawes County, New South Wales
Hawes County is one of the 141 Cadastral divisions of New South Wales. It is bounded on the south by the Manning River.Hawes County was named in honour of Sir Benjamin Hawes .- Parishes within this county:...
, and Inglis
Inglis County, New South Wales
Inglis County is one of the 141 Cadastral divisions of New South Wales. It contains Tamworth and Bendemeer.Inglis County was named in honour of Major-General, Sir John Eardley Wilmot Inglis .- Parishes within this county:...
and comprises about 60 parishes. The area is 1605590 acres (6,497.6 km²). The Shire of Walcha was constituted by the Union of the Municipality and the Shire of Apsley as from on 1 June 1955.
Other district villages are: Niangala
Niangala, New South Wales
Niangala is a village located on the south-eastern edge of the Northern Tablelands area of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Moonbi Range which is part of the Great Dividing Range, at approximately above sea level. The village is in Walcha parish in Parry County...
, Nowendoc
Nowendoc, New South Wales
Nowendoc is a parish and village on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 360 km north of the state capital, Sydney, 66 km south of Walcha and is in the Walcha Shire Local Government Area...
and part of Woolbrook
Woolbrook, New South Wales
Woolbrook is a village in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The nearest town, Walcha is 29 km to the east of Woolbrook. At the 2006 census, Woolbrook had a population of 220....
with settlements at Brackendale, Glen Morrison, Ingalba, Tia
Tia, New South Wales
Tia, is a settlement and parish located approximately 30 kilometres east of Walcha, on the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia....
and Yarrowitch
Yarrowitch, New South Wales
Yarrowitch is a parish and a small rural locality on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the picturesque Yarrowitch River Valley on the Oxley Highway 48 kilometres east of Walcha. The settlement is included in the Walcha Shire Local Government Area in the New...
.
History was made at Walcha in 1950 when a Tiger Moth
Tiger moth
Tiger moths are moths of the family Arctiidae.Tiger moth may also refer to:*de Havilland Tiger Moth, an aircraft; an aerobatic and trainer tailwheel biplane*de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth, an earlier monoplane produced by de Havilland...
was the first aircraft used to spread superphosphate by air in Australia. The ‘super’ was dropped on Mirani and other landholders soon followed suit to greatly increase the livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
carrying capacity of the district.
In 1992 the Walcha Telecottage was established to become the first telecentre established in Australia. The Telecottage is a not for profit community with the latest information communication facilities, in order to activate interactions between the local communities and to create employment opportunities. This Telecottage carries out not only the fundamental types of work such as job training, remote education, secretarial service and data analysis, but also Internet access service for individuals and small companies. Walcha Telecottage produces a weekly community newsletter, the Apsley Advocate, which is free and delivered to over 1,600 commercial and private addresses.
During 2008 Walcha recorded one of the state's highest rises in property values at 20 per cent over the last 5 years, according to a report from Australian Property Monitors.
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...
includes the following:
- Apsley Gorge National Park (1977 boundary), Oxley Highway
- Betts Farm, Irish Town, Thunderbolts Way
- Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves, now known as the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Hastings-Macleay Group)
- Europambela Homestead including outbuildings, grounds and Cemetery, Moona Plains Road
- Langford Homestead, Garden and Cemetery, Nowendoc Road
- Ohio Homestead, Ohio Road
- Rowleys Creek Gulf Nature Reserve
- St Andrews Anglican Church (former), South Street
- St Andrews Rectory (former) including garden and trees, Fitzroy Street
- St Pauls Presbyterian Church and Fletcher Memorial Hall, Hill Street
- The Hole Creek Nature Reserve (1977 boundary), Winterbourne Road
- Walcha Courthouse, Apsley Street
Flora
The district supports a wide range of plants across a variety of land forms. Some of the native plants that can be seen growing naturally in the Walcha township and close by include: acaciaAcacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
s (wattles), Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
huberiana (rough barked manna gum), Eucalyptus melliodora
Eucalyptus melliodora
Eucalyptus melliodora, commonly known as Yellow Box, is a medium sized to occasionally tall eucalypt. The bark is variable ranging from smooth with an irregular, short stocking, to covering most of the trunk, fibrous, dense or loosely held, grey, yellow or red-brown, occasionally very coarse,...
(yellow box), Eucalyptus nicholii
Eucalyptus nicholii
Eucalyptus nicholii, Narrow-Leaved Black Peppermint, Willow Peppermint is a small to medium sized tree with persistent, rough bark to small branches...
(Narrow-leaved Black Peppermint), Eucalyptus nova-anglica
Eucalyptus nova-anglica
Eucalyptus nova-anglica, New England Peppermint, is a small to medium-sized tree to 25 metres. The bark is persistent on the trunk and larger branches, fibrous, thick, grey to grey-brown, shedding in short ribbons. Small branches are green....
(New England peppermint), Eucalyptus viminalis (manna or white gum), Exocarpos cupressiformis (native cherry) and Jacksonia scoparia
Jacksonia scoparia
Jacksonia scoparia, commonly known as dogwood , is a native species of a pea-flowered, greyish leafless broom-like shrub or small tree that occurs in the south east of Queensland, Australia and eastern New South Wales...
(dogwood).
Some of the rare or endangered plants that may be found growing in the district include: Chiloglottis
Chiloglottis
Chiloglottis is a small genus in the orchid family Orchidaceae.The botanical name of the genus is derived from Greek words, referring to the tongue-shaped lip...
anaticeps (bird orchid), Eucalyptus michaeliana
Eucalyptus michaeliana
Eucalyptus michaeliana, commonly known as Hillgrove spotted gum, is a tree that grows to about 30 metres high and has a distinctive mottled, greenish trunk with peeling yellow-brown bark . These trees may be seen growing along the Long Point Road south of Hillgrove...
, (Hillgrove spotted gum) and Philotheca myoporoides
Philotheca myoporoides
Philotheca myoporoides , commonly known as Long-leaf Wax Flower, is a shrub in the family Rutaceae. The species is endemic to south-eastern Australia...
(Mountain Wax-flower), which are growing in the local national parks.
Fauna
Grey kangaroos, wallabiesWallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
, possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
s, echidna
Echidna
Echidnas , also known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. There are four extant species, which, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of that order and are the only extant mammals that lay eggs...
s (spiny ant eaters), black and brown snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s, Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard
Eastern blue-tongued lizard
The Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard is a subspecies of large skink which is common throughout Eastern Australia, often found in bushland and suburban areas where conditions are suitable...
s and Amphibolurus muricatus
Amphibolurus muricatus
The Jacky Dragon, Amphibolurus muricatus, is a type of lizard native to Southeastern Australia. It was one of the first Australian reptiles to be named, originally described by English zoologist George Shaw in Surgeon-General White’s Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, which was published in...
(Jacky dragons) may be seen in and around the town. Birds that may be found in the local area include: magpie
Magpie
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae.In Europe, "magpie" is often used by English speakers as a synonym for the European Magpie, as there are no other magpies in Europe outside Iberia...
s, kookaburra
Kookaburra
Kookaburras are terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. They are large to very large, with a total length of . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, and is onomatopoeic of its call...
s, plover
Plover
Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.Plovers are found throughout...
s, wood duck
Wood Duck
The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
s, spoonbill
Spoonbill
Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises.All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side...
s, galah
Galah
The Galah , Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the Rose-breasted Cockatoo, Galah Cockatoo, Roseate Cockatoo or Pink and Grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.It is endemic on the mainland and was...
s, currawong
Currawong
Currawongs are three species of medium-sized passerine birds belonging to the genus Strepera in the family Artamidae native to Australasia. These are the Grey Currawong , Pied Currawong , and Black Currawong . The common name comes from the call of the familiar Pied Currawong of eastern Australia...
s, crimson rosella
Crimson Rosella
The Crimson Rosella is a parrot native to eastern and south eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It is commonly found in, but not restricted to, mountain forests and gardens. The species as it now stands has subsumed two former separate species, the Yellow...
s and cockatoo
Cockatoo
A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae and the Strigopidae , they make up the parrot order Psittaciformes . Placement of the cockatoos as a separate family is fairly undisputed, although many aspects of the other living lineages of...
s.
Demographics
The population of Walcha is overwhelmingly Christian (80.4%) and Australian-born (90.6%).The median age of 42 years is slightly older than the Australian average of 37. Less than one third (31.9%) of Walcha residents are over the age of 55, compared to a national average of 24%.
Industries
Walcha is known as the "Pasture Wonderland" as the dominant industry in the area is livestock grazing along with an expanding timber industry. The district usually runs about 937,000 sheep (mostly MerinoMerino
The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep...
s) and around 85,500 stud and commercial beef cattle. Livestock produced in the Walcha district is some best in the country and local superfine wool has been acknowledged as some of the best in the world. A large modern dairy that will be capable of producing five million litres of milk per year has been established south of the town.
Some good Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorses have been produced in the district including, Blue Spec
Blue Spec
Blue Spec was a good Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who established a new record in winning the Melbourne Cup in 1905. He was a brown stallion bred by Augustus Hooke, jnr...
(won the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
in record time), Kennaquhair
Kennaquhair (horse)
Kennaquhair was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse that won the Sydney Cup , and the AJC Metropolitan Handicap as well as finishing second in the 1918 Melbourne Cup.-Pedigree:...
(won Sydney Cup
Sydney Cup
The Sydney Cup is an Australian horse race, held for Thoroughbred horses and run over 3200 metres. It is run every year at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales in April/May...
in record time and AJC Metropolitan Handicap
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
), Eric and Tar Girl etc. There is a Thoroughbred stud near the town.
There are also several large trucking businesses, a communications business, along with an engineering business. All regular retail services are also available in the town.
Services
- A modern hospital was opened in 2007 to replace the old one.
- There is a modern Central School, a Roman Catholic primary school and a pre-school.
- Two full time doctors have surgeries in the town.
- Aged Care-permanent and respite services are available at the Riverview Hostel.
- Ambulance Station with two full-time Ambulance Officers in attendance. The Shire is also serviced by the Angel 3 Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service which is based in Tamworth.
- Community Nurse
- Police Station - (3 policemen). A local Court House which is open every Thursday.
- State Emergency Services have a brigade in Walcha.
- The New South Wales Fire Brigades have a Retained fire station (No. 481) in Walcha
- Walcha and surrounding districts are serviced by the NSW Rural Fire Service and a Brigade of Volunteers run the local Fire Station.
- Walcha Home and Community Care Service
- Walcha Saleyards hold fortnightly sheep and cattle sales, plus large annual autumn weaner (calf) sales.
- Walcha Telecottage
Attractions
Natural attractions abound in the area and include the Apsley FallsApsley Falls
The Apsley Falls are two waterfalls on the Apsley River on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The falls are located about east of Walcha, and 1 kilometre off the Oxley Highway in a deep gorge, that is part of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park...
located about 20 kilometres east of Walcha just off the Oxley Highway. The first drop of the Falls is about 85 metres in depth, and the second, about half a mile further on, drops around 65 metres to the bottom of the gorge. Walcha is the southern gateway to the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park
Oxley Wild Rivers National Park
Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is in New South Wales, Australia, 445 kilometres north of Sydney and is named in memory of the Australian explorer John Oxley, who passed through the area in 1818...
and Werrikimbe National Park
Werrikimbe National Park
Werrikimbe National Park is in the catchment zone of the Upper Hastings River, New South Wales, Australia, about 486 km north of Sydney. This national park is about 80 km west of Wauchope and 90 km east of Walcha on the eastern escarpment of the Great Dividing Range...
, which are registered with Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves
Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves
The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia formerly known as the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves, are the most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the world...
(CERRA). Composing of mainly scenic gorge country, 900 km² of it, part of it is listed on the register of World Heritage sites in recognition of its importance to nature conservation. Other interesting nearby national parks include: Mummel Gulf National Park
Mummel Gulf National Park
Mummel Gulf is a national park in New South Wales , about 487 kilometres by road north of Sydney. It is situated approximately 50 km southeast of Walcha on the unsealed Enfield Forest Road and 12 km south of the Oxley Highway....
and Cottan-Bimbang National Park
Cottan-Bimbang National Park
Cottan-Bimbang is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 443 km north of Sydney and 65 km south east of Walcha and was formerly a state forest. The Oxley Highway crosses the park south of Werrikimbe National Park...
.
Walcha has an Open Air Gallery where local, national and international artists have combined to create a unique streetscape with about 41 sculptures and artworks, plus 30 sculptured verandah posts in front of local businesses. There is approximately one artwork per every 85 citizens in the "Open Air Gallery", along with a large collection of works in the local gallery, making Walcha a very cultural and artistic community for its size.
The town has four churches representing the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Presbyterian denominations. There are many other tourist attractions including scenic 4WD trips, hiking, the State Forests, fishing, fossicking opportunities, Amaroo Museum & Cultural Centre, Pioneer Cottage museum and the local history archives.
The Walcha Jockey Club, Walcha Bushmen's Campdraft and Rodeo Association, Walcha Show Society and the Campdraft Club hold large annual events that extend over several days each. The Walcha Bushmen's Campdraft and Rodeo Association makes large annual donations to various local organisations and other worthy causes. The New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
Merino
Merino
The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep...
Field days which display local studs, wool and sheep are held every two years in even numbered years. A biennial Timber Expo was established to showcase the local timber industry. A biennial Garden Festival is held in the spring of even numbered years to display some of the beautiful local gardens. Proceeds from this event are donated to services such as Angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
, Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service
Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service
The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service was founded in 1973 by Surf Life Saving Australia. Since this time, the Service has carried out more than 50,000 flights ranging from patient transfers to search and rescue missions...
or Riverview Hostel.
There are numerous other sporting and general interest clubs in the town.
Notable people from Walcha
- Bob Beer is notable for his feats of endurance which included pedalling around Australia when he was 58 averaging 145 km every day, without support vehicle or backup. He was the first person to run the 420 km across the Simpson DesertSimpson DesertThe Simpson Desert is a large area of dry, red sandy plain and dunes in Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia. It is the fourth largest Australian desert, with an area of 176,500 km² ....
, which he accomplished in six days. Bob Beer also made a remarkable solo journey across Australia by kayak from Port AlmaPort Alma, QueenslandPort Alma is a port in Queensland, Australia, approximately from Rockhampton, at the south end of the Fitzroy River delta. The port primarily handles cargoes consisting of class 1 explosives, ammonium nitrate, bulk tallow and equipment used in support of military exercises held at Shoalwater Bay....
to Murray MouthMurray MouthMurray Mouth is the point at which the River Murray meets the southern Southern Ocean. The Murray Mouth's location is changeable. Historical records show that the channel out to sea moves along the sand dunes over time...
. - Peter Fenwicke, rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player captained the Australian team on its first world tour in 1957-58. - Goodwin brothers, Paul, Maurice, Noel and Brian along with Bob Gill and John Nixon were members of the highly successful Walcha and New England polocrossePolocrossePolocrosse it is a team sport that is played all over the world. It is a combination of polo and lacrosse. It is played outside, on a field , on horseback. Each rider uses a cane stick to which is attached a racquet head with a loose, thread net, in which the ball is carried. The ball is made of...
team, whose wins included the NSW championships (twice) and Australian championships (as the first club team to do so) in 1962. - Julia Griffin, notable local artist, internationally recognised painter.
- John Heffernan, author of children's books
- Stephen King, internationally recognised sculptor.
- Andrew Laurie, a Australia national rugby union teamAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
("Wallaby") player who was hooker on two tours of New Zealand. - Ross Laurie, notable local artist.
- Bruce McNaughton five wins in the World Championship Sydney Royal Campdraft, three Risdon/Canning Downs campdraft cup wins, three ABCRA Horse of the Year titles, two ABCRA Australian Championship wins.
- Hume L'Estrange, founder of Betetec Industries and designer of Aaron Loudspeakers, Australia's largest selling Hi-Fi speaker company.
- Angus Nivison, Art Gallery of NSW’s annual Wynne Prize for landscape winner in 2002.
- Sam Payne, former Australia national rugby union team ("Wallaby") halfback
- Norman Roy held the NSW boxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
title on two occasions. - Mrs Esther Stace, who jumped 6 in 6 in (1.98 m), an unbroken world record in sidesaddleSidesaddleSidesaddle riding is a form of Equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows a rider to sit aside rather than astride a horse, mule or pony. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a way for women in skirts to ride a horse in a modest...
show jumpingShow jumpingShow jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
. - Casey StonerCasey StonerCasey Stoner is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career...
, World MotoGP Champion 2007 - Grand Prix motorcycle racingGrand Prix motorcycle racingRoad Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
(1985-); 2008 Young Australian of the YearAustralian of the YearSince 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
. - Dudley Towers represented NSW and QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in Rugby LeagueRugby leagueRugby 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...
as well as being one top runners in Australia. - Siblings, Graham and Kathryn Watts placed first and second in the World BowhuntingBowhuntingBowhunting is the practice of killing game animals by archery. It has been a normal use of archery in every culture that had bows.- Technique :...
Championships in SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1984.
Walcha residents who have been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(OAM) are:
- Ruth Louise Cotterill, in recognition of service to the community.
- Cecily Faith Hoare for service to the community of Port Macquarie, New South WalesPort Macquarie, New South WalesPort Macquarie is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The city is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and has an estimated population of 44,313....
. - Erle Lewis Hogan for service to the community.
- Irene Doris Hoy for community service and was also awarded the Australian Sports MedalAustralian Sports MedalThe Australian Sports Medal was an award given during 2000 to recognise achievements in Australian sport.Recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, office holders, and people who maintained sporting facilities and services. Over 18,000 Medals were...
. - Lindsay Edward McMillan for service to veterans and to the community.
- Stuart Norman Nivison for service to horse racingHorse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. - Jillian Anne Munro Nivison Oppenheimer for service to heritage conservation and the environment, particularly through the National Trust of AustraliaNational Trust of AustraliaThe Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
.