Booroorban facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BooroorbanNew South Wales |
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Royal Mail Hotel
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 Booroorban
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 33 (2016 census) |
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| LGA(s) | Edward River Council |
| County | Townsend |
| State electorate(s) | Murray |
| Federal Division(s) | Farrer |
Booroorban is a tiny village located in the central part of the Riverina region of New South Wales. It's part of the Edward River Council area. You can find it on the Cobb Highway, which runs between the towns of Hay and Deniliquin. Booroorban is about 769 kilometres (478 miles) southwest of Sydney, the state capital. In 2016, only 33 people lived there.
The village is right next to the Booroorban State Forest. It has a few important places, like the Royal Mail Hotel (which is a pub) and a public hall.
Booroorban's Past
The area where Booroorban now stands was once a busy route for moving livestock. This route became popular in the 1850s, as farmers moved animals to sell in Victoria. It was located on a flat area called the Old Man Plain, between the Murrumbidgee River and Billabong Creek. The spot that became Booroorban was known as Pine Ridge. It was where the track crossed a place called Box Creek.
The Start: Pine Ridge
In 1859, a police officer named Henry Shiell, who worked in Hay, started a project. He asked people to donate money to dig a well at Pine Ridge. This well was very important because it would provide water for travellers crossing the dry Old Man Plain. Work on the well began in September 1859.
By late 1860, a public house, or inn, was built near the new well. It was built by businessmen from Deniliquin and became known as the Pine Ridge Inn or Hotel. When a coach route started between Deniliquin and Hay, the inn became a place where coaches could stop and change horses. Some of the first people to run the inn were Chapman in 1862 and William Kiely in 1864. Later, in 1864, Samuel Porter bought the Pine Ridge Hotel. He fixed it up because it was in bad shape and also built a dam on nearby Box Creek. In 1866, Porter officially received a license to run the Pine Ridge Hotel.
Becoming Booroorban Village
In December 1867, the government officially set aside land for a new village. They decided to call it "Booroorban." However, for many years after, even into the late 1870s, people in the local newspaper still often called the area Pine Ridge.
In 1868, Samuel Porter, who owned the old Pine Ridge Hotel, built a brand new hotel in Booroorban. He named it the Royal Mail. The license for the older Pine Ridge Hotel was then given to John Edmondson in 1868.
The Booroorban Post Office opened its doors on September 16, 1881. It served the community for many years before closing in 1986.
