Dundee, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dundee New South Wales
New England Highway, Dundee
Dundee Location in New South Wales

Church, Dundee, NSW

Dundee is a small rural area in New South Wales, Australia. It's located about 40 kilometres (about 25 miles) north of Glen Innes. You can find it on the New England Highway near the Severn River. Dundee sits on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, which is a high area of land. Its elevation is 985 metres (about 3,232 feet) above sea level.

A Look Back: Dundee's History

Early Days and First Settlers

In 1838, a man named John Baker and some friends left Sydney. They were looking for new land to set up large farms called stations. Baker found a huge area of land, about 40,000 acres (162 square kilometres). He called this land "Dareel Plains," which later became Dundee.

Major Innes and Early Buildings

Over the next few years, the property was sold a few times. In 1844, Major Archibald Clunes Innes took over the land. He was a very important person in the early colony. In 1845, the first flour mill north of Aberdeen, New South Wales, was built in Dundee. This mill helped process grain for the growing community.

Major Innes also built the 'Golden Fleece' Hotel in Dundee in 1847. This was one of the very first hotels in the New England area. It was a large brick building and became an important landmark near the river crossing.

Travel and Transport

Before trains arrived, Cobb and Co coaches provided a coach service. These horse-drawn coaches carried people and mail to places like Armidale. The railway line reached Dundee on September 1, 1886. This made travel much faster and easier. The Dundee Railway Station was about 705 kilometres (438 miles) north of Sydney. The railway service continued until March 27, 1976.

Schools and Post Offices

Dundee had its own public school, which opened in August 1853. It taught local children for many years before closing in May 1974. Another school, called Dundee Railway Station School, opened in August 1891. It later changed its name to Dundee Rail in 1940 and closed in 1949.

The first Post Office in Dundee opened on October 1, 1851, and closed in 1974. A second post office, called Dundee Railway Station, opened in August 1885 and closed in 1955.

The Famous Rail Bridge

About 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) west of Dundee is the Severn River Rail Bridge. This bridge was built for the Main North railway line. It was completed in 1989 and is very special. The bridge is made of many timber trusses, which are strong wooden frameworks. When it was finished, it was the longest timber truss bridge in all of Australia! It was even listed on the Register of the National Estate because of its importance.

Dundee Today

Not much of the old village remains today. You can still see the church, a sports ground, and the cemetery. The area around Dundee is mostly used for farming. Farmers raise sheep and beef cattle here. Some tourism also happens in the district.

Special Places: Heritage Listings

Dundee has a few places that are considered historically important. These are called "heritage-listed" sites. They are protected because they tell us about the past.

• The most famous heritage-listed site is the Severn River railway bridge. This bridge is part of the Main Northern railway line. It's listed because it was a big engineering achievement when it was built.

Connecting with the Community: Media

Dundee is served by a community radio station called 2CBD FM. This station broadcasts on two local frequencies: 91.1 FM in Deepwater and 105.9 FM in Glen Innes. You can also listen to it online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

2CBD FM is the only radio station with studios in Glen Innes. It's run by volunteers, which means people give their time to help. The station shares local news and information. It also plays a wide variety of music for everyone to enjoy.