Coleambally facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ColeamballyNew South Wales |
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Main street of Coleambally looking toward the distinctive water tower
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 Coleambally
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 1,331 (2016 census) |
| Established | 1968 |
| Postcode(s) | 2707 |
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Murrumbidgee Council |
| County | Boyd |
| State electorate(s) | Murray |
| Federal Division(s) | Farrer |
Coleambally is a small town in the Riverina area of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Murrumbidgee Local Government Area.
Coleambally is one of the newest towns in New South Wales. It officially opened in June 1968. The Post Office started working there on April 1, 1970.
The town was planned to be the main hub for the farms around it, known as the Coleambally Irrigation Area. In 2016, about 1,331 people lived in Coleambally.
Its name comes from an Aboriginal word. It likely means "swift in flight," referring to a type of bird. The spine-tailed swift is a very fast bird. It flies quickly to find flying insects.
You can reach Coleambally by road from Sydney and Canberra. You would use the Hume Highway and Burley Griffin Way. From Melbourne, you can take the Hume Highway, Newell Highway, and the Kidman Way.
Coleambally is home to some rare animals in Australia. These include the Bittern bird and the Southern Bell Frog. Many other native plants and animals live here too. You can often see kangaroos, galahs, and noisy miners in Coleambally.
Contents
A Look at Coleambally's History
The Coleambally Irrigation Area project began in the 1950s. This project made new farmland available. People could get land through a special drawing system called a ballot.
To enter the ballot, people had to show they had enough money. This was needed to set up a farm. The land they received had no fences or buildings at first. Winners of the ballot also had to give up any other farming interests. They had to focus completely on their new Coleambally farm.
In 2008, the Australian government wanted to buy water from farmers. This was to help the Murray-Darling Basin river system. The Coleambally Irrigation Area offered to sell everything. This included all the farms, water rights, and the whole town. The price was $3.5 billion.
Who Lives in Coleambally?
In the 2021 Census, 1,152 people lived in Coleambally. About 51.3% were males and 48.1% were females. The average age of people living there was 43.
Most people, 86.7%, were born in Australia. Also, 89.3% of people spoke only English at home.
What Coleambally Does for Work
Coleambally's main industry used to be growing rice. There was a large rice mill just north of town. However, this rice mill closed in 2019. It was then changed into a factory that makes animal feed.
In 2018, the Coleambally Solar Farm started working. It is located a few kilometers north of the town. When it opened, it was the biggest solar farm in Australia. This farm creates clean energy from the sun.
Learning in Coleambally
There are two schools in Coleambally. Coleambally Central School is a government school. It teaches students from Kindergarten all the way to Year 12.
The other school is St Peter's Primary School. This is a Roman Catholic school. It is managed by the Diocese of Wagga Wagga.
Churches in Town
Coleambally has several churches. The Anglican Church is called St Mark's. It is part of the Anglican Diocese of Riverina.
The Roman Catholic Church is named after St Peter.
The church for the Uniting Church in Australia has an interesting history. It used to be a place where sheep shearers lived. It was then moved to its current spot.
Fun Things to See
Coleambally has a unique water tower. It is shaped like a wine glass and stands in the middle of town.
At the entrance to town, in Lions Park, you can see a large machine. It is a Bucyrus Class Erie Dragline. This machine is one of four brought from the United States in 1935. These machines were used to dig the main irrigation channels. They helped create the Murray Valley and Coleambally Irrigation Area in the early 1960s.
Sports in Coleambally
Coleambally has a strong sports community.
Darlington Point-Coleambally Roosters
The Darlington Point-Coleambally Roosters are a rugby league team. They play in the Group 20 Rugby League competition. This club was formed in 1973. It was a merger of the Darlington Point team and the Coleambally Greens.
The Roosters have won the First Grade Premiership five times. Their wins were in 1980, 1983, 1987, 1988, and 2019. Before the merger, Coleambally had its own team, the Coleambally Greens. They played in the Group 17 Rugby League.
- Team History
- Coleambally Greens: Played in Group 17 Rugby League from 1965 to 1972.
- Darlington Point-Coleambally Roosters: Play in Group 20 Rugby League from 1973 to present.
- Major Wins
- First Grade Premierships: 1980, 1983, 1987, 1988, 2019
- Reserve Grade Premierships: 2008, 2019
- Under 18s Premierships: 1987
- Under 16s Premierships: 1981, 2011, 2013, 2014
Coleambally Football Netball Club
The Coleambally FNC started in 1965. They have played in several different leagues over the years.
- Leagues Played In
- 1965 to 1971: Barellan and District Football League
- 1972 to 1979: Coreen & District Football League
- 1980 to 1983: Murray Football League
- 1984 to 2007: Coreen & District Football League
- 2008 to 2010: Hume Football League
- 2011 to present: Farrer Football League
- Football Premierships
- Coreen & District Football League
- Seniors: 1976, 1977, 1979, 1988, 1993, 2005
- Reserves: 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006
- Thirds / Under 16's: 1995, 2001
- Coreen & District Football League
Images for kids
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An overview of Coleambally Airfield.
