Ben Lomond, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ben LomondNew South Wales |
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Soldiers Memorial Hall, 2017
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 Ben Lomond
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 152 (2016 census) |
| Postcode(s) | 2365 |
| Elevation | 1,364 m (4,475 ft) |
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| LGA(s) | Armidale Regional Council |
| County | Hardinge |
| State electorate(s) | Northern Tablelands |
| Federal Division(s) | New England |
Ben Lomond is a small village in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Northern Tablelands, a high plateau area. The village is about 6 kilometres off the New England Highway. This highway connects the towns of Armidale and Glen Innes.
Ben Lomond was once part of the Guyra Shire local government area. In 2016, it became part of the Armidale Regional Council. The area around Ben Lomond is mostly farmland. Many people living here work with sheep, cattle, and growing grain.
At 1,370 metres above sea level, Ben Lomond Village is the highest village in northern New South Wales. Even though it's not far from the Queensland border, it sometimes gets snow in winter. Two mountains called "The Two Brothers" overlook the village. Their highest point is 1,508 metres.
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History of Ben Lomond
The name Ben Lomond comes from a famous mountain in Scotland. This shows a link to the early European settlers.
Early Days and Bushrangers
In 1848, a large property called Manooan (or Marowan) covered 17,000 acres. The Ben Lomond Range formed its southern border. In the 1860s, there was a station named Ben Lomond. This area was known for bushrangers. One famous bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt, robbed people here. The slow climb and thick trees on the Ben Lomond Range made it a good spot for robberies.
The Railway Era
The Main North railway Line reached Ben Lomond on 19 August 1884. This line connected Dumaresq to Glen Innes. At 1,363 metres, Ben Lomond railway station was the highest in New South Wales. This was true until the Skitube opened in 1987. The Ben Lomond railway station closed on 10 December 1985. The railway section itself closed a few years later in 1993.
Community Services
Ben Lomond Post Office opened on 4 November 1879. It served the community for 100 years, closing in 1979. A school was started in January 1881. At first, it was a "provisional school" because there weren't enough children. In March 1883, it became a full Public School. For many years, a general store provided daily needs and farming supplies. This store closed in November 2007.
Heritage Sites
Ben Lomond has several places that are listed for their historical importance. These "heritage-listed" sites include:
- The old Ben Lomond railway station
- The Ben Lomond War Memorial Hall
- The Presbyterian Church
- St Patrick's Catholic Church and Cemetery
- St Pauls Anglican Church
Ben Lomond Today
Who Lives Here?
The 2016 census did not count just the village of Ben Lomond. Instead, it looked at a larger "Census area" of 816 square kilometres. This area includes small settlements like Llangothlin and Falconer. The total population for this larger area was 152 people.
The average age of people in this area was 53 years. This is older than the national average of 38 years. About 12.8% of the population were children aged 0–14 years. People aged 65 and over made up 27.0% of the population. Most residents (84.7%) were born in Australia. The next largest group (2.2%) was born in England.
Many people in Ben Lomond work in farming. About 28.6% work in beef cattle farming. Another 14.3% work in sheep and beef cattle farming. Sheep farming employs 7.1% of the people. Other jobs include government administration and primary education.
What's in Ben Lomond?
Ben Lomond Public School is on Inn Road. It used to have about thirty students in the 1990s. Now, it has around twelve students.
The village has three churches. These represent the Anglican, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic faiths.
Ben Lomond offers a few interesting things for visitors. You can find home stays, which are places to stay with local families. There's also the longest hand-cut railway cutting on the Great Northern Line. The village was home to the highest passenger railway station in the southern hemisphere when it was built. You can also see old historical items around the village. Other useful places include a community hall. There is also a volunteer fire brigade, part of the Rural Fire Service.
The high areas around Ben Lomond are being considered for large wind farms. These farms would use wind turbines to create electricity.
The Ben Lomond community is very active. They have several groups that work to improve the village and its surrounding area. The village also has a friendly cricket rivalry with nearby Glen Innes. They play an annual cricket match. Even though Ben Lomond is smaller, they have won four games and drawn one. These games are played at the Ben Lomond Recreational Ground.
