Wandsworth, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Wandsworth is a locality on the Northern Tablelands
in the New England
region of New South Wales
, Australia
.
This locality is situated at the junction of Guyra and Wandsworth Roads, 63 kilometres north of Armidale
and 54 km south of Glen Innes
. It is located in Guyra Shire with part of the surrounding district in Inverell Shire Council Local Government
areas. Wandsworth is situated at approximately 1,100 metres elevation and has Limestone Creek passing nearby.
run in the Pastoral District of New England. In 1838 John and George Everett had taken up the Ollera run in the same area and later with Francis Halhed, they occupied Wandsworth Station. The station by 1850 was carrying 7,250 sheep, 1,150 cattle and 250 horses. A decade later, it carried 12,000 sheep, 2,000 cattle and 400 horses.
Ollera became essentially a semi-autonomous village with its own bakery, post office, store, bank, school (1862) and church. Masons
, journeymen, farrier
s, shepherd
s, jobber
s, stockmen, sheep shearers, carpenter
s and their families were all resident employees with their own houses. There was a medical fund and an amateur theatrical group. A cricket pitch (still in use) had been established by 1862 and it was the venue for a match with a touring English team in 1885. A wool scouring works was set up in 1895. Ollera Post Office opened on 1 July 1870, was renamed Wandsworth the same year and closed in 1968.
In 1876-77 St Bartholomew’s Church, was built on Ollera Road, Wandsworth for use by both the Anglican, and Presbyterian religions, on land which had been donated by Ollera Station. This church and Ollera Station have now been listed on the Register of the National Estate
..
The Ollera Cemetery is one of the earliest cemeteries in the New England Region, believed to have commenced in 1843. Although now closed to general burials, it is still available to descendants of the original owners, and depicts the life of the early pioneers of the area.
, the census area around Wandsworth had a recorded population of 80 of which 52.5% were males and 47.5% females. The region had 24 families and 64 private dwellings (which includes unoccupied private dwellings).
The district’s primary industries are agriculture, with that being mostly dedicated to sheep and beef cattle breeding.
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...
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...
.
This locality is situated at the junction of Guyra and Wandsworth Roads, 63 kilometres north of 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...
and 54 km south of Glen Innes
Glen Innes, New South Wales
Glen Innes is a parish and town on the Northern Tablelands, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and the Gwydir Highway...
. It is located in Guyra Shire with part of the surrounding district in Inverell Shire Council Local Government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
areas. Wandsworth is situated at approximately 1,100 metres elevation and has Limestone Creek passing nearby.
History
Wandsworth was so named after the English counterpart in London. The name was originally used here for a squattingSquatting (pastoral)
In Australian history, a squatter was one who occupied a large tract of Crown land in order to graze livestock. Initially often having no legal rights to the land, they gained its usage by being the first Europeans in the area....
run in the Pastoral District of New England. In 1838 John and George Everett had taken up the Ollera run in the same area and later with Francis Halhed, they occupied Wandsworth Station. The station by 1850 was carrying 7,250 sheep, 1,150 cattle and 250 horses. A decade later, it carried 12,000 sheep, 2,000 cattle and 400 horses.
Ollera became essentially a semi-autonomous village with its own bakery, post office, store, bank, school (1862) and church. Masons
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
, journeymen, farrier
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
s, shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
s, jobber
Jobber
Jobber may refer to:* A being or tool that "jobs", pecks, or stabs, such as:**Jobber, a length of drill bit**Nut-jobber, a nuthatch**Tree-jobber or wood-jobber, a woodpecker* A brand of printing press by Golding & Company...
s, stockmen, sheep shearers, carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
s and their families were all resident employees with their own houses. There was a medical fund and an amateur theatrical group. A cricket pitch (still in use) had been established by 1862 and it was the venue for a match with a touring English team in 1885. A wool scouring works was set up in 1895. Ollera Post Office opened on 1 July 1870, was renamed Wandsworth the same year and closed in 1968.
In 1876-77 St Bartholomew’s Church, was built on Ollera Road, Wandsworth for use by both the Anglican, and Presbyterian religions, on land which had been donated by Ollera Station. This church and Ollera Station have now been listed 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...
..
The Ollera Cemetery is one of the earliest cemeteries in the New England Region, believed to have commenced in 1843. Although now closed to general burials, it is still available to descendants of the original owners, and depicts the life of the early pioneers of the area.
Present day
At the 2006 censusCensus 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,...
, the census area around Wandsworth had a recorded population of 80 of which 52.5% were males and 47.5% females. The region had 24 families and 64 private dwellings (which includes unoccupied private dwellings).
The district’s primary industries are agriculture, with that being mostly dedicated to sheep and beef cattle breeding.