Dunedoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids DunedooNew South Wales |
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Bolaro Street (Castlereagh Highway), the main street of Dunedoo, 2017
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 Dunedoo
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 1,021 (2021 census) | ||||||||
| Established | 1840s | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2844 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 399 m (1,309 ft) | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| LGA(s) | Warrumbungle Shire | ||||||||
| County | Bligh | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Upper Hunter | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Parkes | ||||||||
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Dunedoo is a small village in central western New South Wales, Australia. About 1,021 people live here. Its name sounds a bit funny in Australia, but it actually comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "swan". You can often see swans in the lagoons around the area.
Dunedoo is located on the edge of the Sydney basin.
Contents
Exploring Dunedoo's Location
Dunedoo sits about 399 meters above sea level. It's on the southern bank of the Talbragar River. You'll find it where the Golden and Castlereagh Highways meet.
What Makes Dunedoo Special?
Dunedoo is a bit far from bigger towns. Mudgee is about 90 km south, and Dubbo is about 100 km west. Because it's a bit isolated, Dunedoo has many services you might not expect in a small village. It acts as a hub for the farms nearby. These farms grow wheat, raise cattle, and produce timber, lambs, and wool.
You'll see a big silo in Dunedoo, which is common in wheat-growing areas. This silo even has a picture of the famous racehorse Winx on it!
Facilities in Dunedoo
Dunedoo has a hospital, two schools (one government, one Catholic), a hotel, and a shopping area. There's also a small train station for freight. You can find Catholic, Anglican, and Presbyterian churches here too.
A Look Back: Dunedoo's History
Before Europeans arrived, the Gamilaroi and Wiradjuri Aboriginal peoples lived in the Dunedoo area.
Early Days and European Settlement
In 1823, a British explorer named Allan Cunningham was the first European to discover this area. He was traveling through Pandoras Pass. Surveyors came in 1832, and then settlers started to live here. The town began in the 1840s. It was first called Bolaro, then Redbank.
For many years, Dunedoo was a tiny village. A nearby town called Cobbora was more important. But Dunedoo grew a lot after the Gwabegar railway line was built. Passenger trains started running in 1910. The Bolaro Post Office opened in 1876 and changed its name to Dunedoo in 1909.
Dunedoo in the 20th Century
Many people from Dunedoo fought in World War I and World War II. There's a war memorial in the town park to remember them. In the 1960s, passenger train services stopped, but freight trains still use the line. Some other services, like the town's cinema, have also closed over time.
The "Big Dunny" Idea
In 2002, a TV show called "A Loo with a View" featured Dunedoo. The town was thinking about building "The Big Dunny" to attract tourists. This was like other "big things" in Australia, such as the Big Banana. The idea was a three-story building with fancy toilets, a visitor center, and even a radio station.
Some local people were against it, thinking it would be embarrassing. A study found that it wouldn't attract enough visitors to be worth it. In the end, nothing was built.
Changes in Local Government
In 2005, Dunedoo became part of the new Warrumbungle Shire. This shire was made from the old Coolah and Coonabarabran Shires. Some people in Dunedoo wanted to join the Mid-Western Regional Council instead.
People of Dunedoo
In the 2016 Census, there were 747 people living in Dunedoo. Most people (84.8%) were born in Australia. About 91.0% of people spoke only English at home. The most common religions were Anglican (38.1%), Catholic (24.8%), and No Religion (18.2%).
Dunedoo's Weather
Dunedoo has a climate that is on the drier side of a subtropical climate. This means there's a big difference between summer and winter temperatures.
| Climate data for Dunedoo | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 43.4 (110.1) |
43.1 (109.6) |
39.2 (102.6) |
34.1 (93.4) |
28.6 (83.5) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.0 (75.2) |
28.5 (83.3) |
34.2 (93.6) |
36.7 (98.1) |
43.0 (109.4) |
41.7 (107.1) |
43.4 (110.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.9 (89.4) |
30.8 (87.4) |
28.3 (82.9) |
24.2 (75.6) |
19.5 (67.1) |
16.0 (60.8) |
15.3 (59.5) |
17.1 (62.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
24.2 (75.6) |
27.6 (81.7) |
30.8 (87.4) |
23.9 (75.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 16.9 (62.4) |
17.2 (63.0) |
14.3 (57.7) |
9.7 (49.5) |
6.2 (43.2) |
3.6 (38.5) |
2.0 (35.6) |
3.0 (37.4) |
5.8 (42.4) |
9.1 (48.4) |
12.3 (54.1) |
15.0 (59.0) |
9.6 (49.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
1.0 (33.8) |
1.2 (34.2) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 69.6 (2.74) |
64.3 (2.53) |
52.6 (2.07) |
41.5 (1.63) |
44.4 (1.75) |
44.5 (1.75) |
46.9 (1.85) |
40.8 (1.61) |
42.5 (1.67) |
52.6 (2.07) |
54.7 (2.15) |
62.7 (2.47) |
617.2 (24.30) |
| Average precipitation days | 6.2 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 77.2 |
Fun and Games: Sports and Culture
Dunedoo has many places for sports!
Sports Teams and Facilities
- Robertson Oval is used for rugby league and netball.
- The Dunedoo Sports Club has a 9-hole golf course and four grass tennis courts.
- You can also find two squash courts there.
- Touch football is played in summer on the golf course.
- Dunedoo also has a lawn bowls club.
- The Dunedoo Swans rugby league team plays in the Castlereagh Cup. Their colors are green and white. A famous player, Brian Johnston, who played for St George and NSW, came from this team.
Between 1957 and 1959, the Dunedoo Car Club held motor races on a track near the town. The track was on private land, and it eventually closed down.
Festivals and Events
Dunedoo hosts fun festivals throughout the year:
- The Dunedoo Bush Poetry Festival happens every April.
- The Dunedoo Show is held in February. It has carnival rides and rodeo events like whip-cracking and bull riding.
- The town also has annual ANZAC Day marches and Christmas parades.
Community Radio
Dunedoo has its own community radio station called Three Rivers Radio. You can listen to it on 96.1 MHz. It plays music, jazz, hymns, and has shows from the local schools.
Important Places: Heritage
Dunedoo has some places that are important to its history. These are called heritage-listed sites.
- The Dunedoo railway station is one of these sites. It's part of the Wallerawang-Gwabegar railway line.
