Delegate, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids DelegateNew South Wales |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bombala St, the main street of Delegate - 2020
|
|||||||||
 Delegate
Location in New South Wales
|
|||||||||
| Population | 295 (2021 census) | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2633 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 761 m (2,497 ft) | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| LGA(s) | Snowy Monaro Regional Council | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Monaro | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Eden-Monaro | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
Delegate is a small town in the southern part of New South Wales, Australia. It's part of the Snowy Monaro Regional Council. It's about 523 kilometers (325 miles) southwest of Sydney, the state capital.
The town is located on the Delegate River, very close to the border between New South Wales and Victoria. In 2021, about 295 people lived in Delegate.
Contents
Discovering Delegate
The name 'Delegate' might come from an Aboriginal word meaning 'high mountains'. The first small settlement started in 1852 at a place called Hayden's Bog.
Mount Delegate
Mount Delegate, also known as "Delegate Hill", is just across the border in Victoria. It stands about 1,325 meters (4,347 feet) above sea level. It's a unique mountain in the Great Dividing Range because of its unusual shape. Because it's so tall, Mount Delegate now has several towers for telecommunications. These towers help people in both New South Wales and Victoria stay connected.
A Look Back: Delegate's History
The first people to live in the Delegate area were the Ngarigo Nation Aboriginal peoples.
Early European Settlement
Europeans began settling in the Delegate area in the 1820s. A man named Charles Campbell sent shepherds to move their animals towards the snowy areas. They traveled and set up a new station, which the Campbells called Delegate. This led to Robert Campbell owning a large amount of land. Later, his daughter Sophia and then her nephews, John and Fredrick Jeffreys, took over the property.
Schools and Churches
In 1870, people asked for schools in the area, and Delegate Public School opened in 1871. Today, this school teaches children from both New South Wales and Victoria.
The first church in the Monaro area was the "Deligat" chapel, built for the Church of England (now Anglican Church). It was a simple building with a grass roof. Later, St Philip's Anglican Church opened in 1880.
The first Catholic Church in Delegate was built in 1877. The current St Joseph's Catholic Church was built on the same spot in 1915. In 1921, the Sisters of St Joseph (also known as the "Brown Josephites") opened a school in Delegate. They taught both primary and secondary students for many years. The school closed in 1981 due to fewer students and teachers. In 2015, the church celebrated its 100th birthday.
St Andrew's Presbyterian Church opened in 1878. It was built by William Moore. Over the years, fewer Presbyterians lived in the area, so the church was sold in 2009. Now, the Delegate Progress Association owns it, and other local religious groups use it to keep it active for the community.
National Capital Proposal
Did you know that Delegate was once considered as a possible location for Australia's national capital? This was before Canberra was chosen!
Local Museum and Marches
The local School of Arts building has a museum that shows the history of the area. Inside, you can see lists of locals who served in World War I and World War II. There's also a special stone outside remembering the original Men from Snowy River March in 1916. This building also used to be a movie theater. Delegate was the starting point for the "Men from Snowy Marches" during both World War I and World War II.
Famous Artist Connection
In the early 1920s, a famous artist named Hilda Rix Nicholas spent time in the Delegate area. She painted some of her most important works there, like In Australia and His Land. She later moved back to the district with her husband and lived there until she passed away in 1961.
Delegate's Weather
Delegate has a cool oceanic climate. This means it has cool to mild summers, which can sometimes get cold. Winters and springs often have snow, and sometimes even summer sees a bit of snow! On average, it snows about 15 days a year.
The area gets a lot of rain in winter and spring. The average lowest temperature in Delegate is about 2.8 degrees Celsius (37 degrees Fahrenheit). This is quite cold for its height above sea level.
What's Happening in Delegate Today?
The Delegate Progress Association (DPA) is a very important group in the community. They work from part of an old bank building that was built in 1925. The DPA and the Bundian Way project (from the Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council) have opened an art gallery in the old banking area.
Border Recognition Ceremony
In 2006, after more than 130 years, the straight line that forms part of the border between New South Wales and Victoria was officially recognized. This happened at a special ceremony at Delegate River, just south of Delegate. More than 300 people attended, including the Governor of Victoria and the Governor of New South Wales.
Local History Book
In 2011, the Delegate Show Society launched a book about the local history called From Dizligit to Delegate. It was written by Malcolm Martin.
Sports in Delegate
Delegate has a strong history with rugby league, which is a popular sport in Australia. Even though the town is small and doesn't have its own team anymore, it used to have a team called the Delegate Tigers. They were very successful and even won the Clayton Cup in 1970, which is given to the best team in regional New South Wales.
Later, the Tigers joined with the nearby Bombala team to form Bombala-Delegate. Today, the Bombala Blue Heelers rugby league club still plays one home game each year in Delegate. Many players for the Bombala team come from Delegate, keeping the town's rugby league spirit alive!
