Forbes, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ForbesNew South Wales |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Court house built in 1880
|
|||||||||
 Forbes
Location in New South Wales
|
|||||||||
| Population | 9,319 (2021 census) | ||||||||
| Established | 1861 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2871 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 245 m (804 ft) | ||||||||
| Location |
|
||||||||
| LGA(s) | Forbes Shire Council | ||||||||
| County | Ashburnham | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Orange | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Riverina | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
Forbes is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It sits on the Newell Highway, between the towns of Parkes and West Wyalong. In 2021, about 9,319 people lived in Forbes.
The town is probably named after Sir Francis Forbes, who was the first Chief Justice of NSW. Forbes is located on the banks of the Lachlan River, about 245 metres (804 feet) above sea-level. It is also about 380 kilometres (236 miles) west of Sydney. The area around Forbes is known for growing crops like wheat. Nearby towns include Calarie, Parkes, and Eugowra. Forbes sometimes experiences floods, which can be quite significant, as seen in 2016 and 2022.
Contents
Discovering Forbes' Past
Before European settlers arrived, the Wiradjuri people lived in this area. In 1817, John Oxley explored the region during one of the first trips into inland Australia. He called the spot Camp Hill. Oxley wasn't very impressed with the land, describing it as "impossible to imagine a worse country." However, the first settlers began to move into the district in 1834.
The Gold Rush Era
Gold was found in Forbes in June 1861 by Harry Stephan, also known as "German Harry." At first, around 30,000 people rushed to the goldfields, hoping to strike it rich. But by 1863, this number dropped to about 3,500 because mining conditions were tough.
The Post Office opened on 1 December 1861, originally planned to be called Black Ridge. The Forbes Telegraph Office opened on 27 October 1862, after a telegraph line was built from Orange. These two offices joined together on 1 January 1870. On the first day the Telegraph Office opened in 1862, the results of three days of races were sent by telegraph to Bathurst!
The goldfields were first called "Black Ridge." The name "Forbes" was chosen to honour Sir Francis Forbes, possibly due to a government mistake. Some say the name was meant for the town now known as "Hill End," where gold was also found around the same time. Gold was first discovered in an area called Halpin's Flat.
The Albion Hotel, which used to be a stop for Cobb and Co. stage coaches, had secret tunnels underneath. These tunnels were used during the gold rush to move gold and money safely to and from the banks, helping to prevent theft. Sadly, the Albion Hotel burned down on 10 February 2009, losing many years of history.
Famous Bushrangers
One of Australia's most well-known bushrangers, Ben Hall, was shot dead near Forbes on 5 May 1865. This happened in an early morning police ambush about 20 kilometres (12 miles) north-west of the town. Hall and his gang were famous for stealing 77 kilograms (170 pounds) of gold and £3,700 from the nearby town of Eugowra in 1862. He is buried in Forbes Cemetery.
Kate Kelly, who was the sister of the famous bushranger Ned Kelly, also lived in Forbes. She drowned in Lake Forbes in 1898 while trying to save an Aboriginal child during a flood. She was found in a lagoon of the Lachlan River just outside Forbes and is also buried in Forbes Cemetery.
Important Heritage Places
Forbes has several places that are listed as heritage sites, meaning they are important historical locations. These include:
- Billabong Creek, Ben Halls Road: Ben Hall's Death Site
- Forbes Cemetery, Bogan Gate Road: Grave of Ben Hall
- 118 Lachlan Street: Forbes Post Office
- Parkes-Stockinbingal railway: Forbes railway station
Understanding the Population
The 2021 census showed that 9,319 people live in Forbes.
- About 13.3% of the population are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Most people (86.6%) were born in Australia.
- About 89.7% of people spoke only English at home.
- The most common religions were Catholic (31.9%), No Religion (25.4%), and Anglican (20.8%).
Getting Around Forbes
The Stockinbingal–Parkes railway line goes through Forbes, but passenger trains stopped running here in 1983. Forbes is also where several important roads meet, including the Newell Highway, the Lachlan Valley Way, and Henry Lawson Way.
Learning in Forbes
Forbes Shire has four public primary schools: Forbes Primary School, Forbes North Primary School, Corinella Public School, and Bedgerebong Public School. There is also one Catholic primary school, St Laurence's Primary School.
Forbes High School is a public secondary school located north of town. Red Bend Catholic College at Forbes is a co-educational secondary school. It is located on the banks of the Lachlan River.
For older students, there is the Forbes College of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and the Forbes Conservatorium, where you can study music.
Sports and Fun
The Forbes Camel Races have been held every year since 2001 on Good Friday at the Forbes Racecourse. It's a unique and exciting event!
Forbes Weather and Climate
Forbes has a climate that changes a lot between seasons, with warm summers and cool winters. It gets a moderate amount of rain throughout the year. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 47.8°C (118°F) in January 1882. The coldest was -5.6°C (22°F) in July 1958 and June 1959. Snow has even fallen a few times, with 9 inches (23 cm) falling on 5 July 1900! Forbes is also quite sunny, with over 130 clear days each year.
| Climate data for Forbes (Camp Street, 1873–1998); 240 m AMSL; 33.39° S, 148.01° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 47.8 (118.0) |
44.7 (112.5) |
42.2 (108.0) |
36.7 (98.1) |
30.8 (87.4) |
24.5 (76.1) |
25.0 (77.0) |
29.4 (84.9) |
34.6 (94.3) |
39.4 (102.9) |
42.9 (109.2) |
45.6 (114.1) |
47.8 (118.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.7 (90.9) |
32.1 (89.8) |
29.1 (84.4) |
24.0 (75.2) |
19.0 (66.2) |
15.1 (59.2) |
14.2 (57.6) |
16.3 (61.3) |
19.8 (67.6) |
24.2 (75.6) |
28.2 (82.8) |
31.2 (88.2) |
23.8 (74.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) |
17.1 (62.8) |
14.2 (57.6) |
9.8 (49.6) |
6.1 (43.0) |
4.1 (39.4) |
2.7 (36.9) |
3.9 (39.0) |
6.2 (43.2) |
9.5 (49.1) |
12.8 (55.0) |
15.6 (60.1) |
10.0 (50.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) |
6.1 (43.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
1.1 (34.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 49.9 (1.96) |
43.8 (1.72) |
42.7 (1.68) |
40.3 (1.59) |
44.5 (1.75) |
43.4 (1.71) |
42.4 (1.67) |
42.6 (1.68) |
42.3 (1.67) |
48.9 (1.93) |
40.3 (1.59) |
45.2 (1.78) |
526.3 (20.73) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 6.8 | 8.5 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 78.5 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 35 | 38 | 41 | 46 | 55 | 64 | 63 | 57 | 48 | 43 | 36 | 35 | 47 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
Flooding in Forbes
Since 1887, Forbes has experienced a major flood about every seven years. Some big floods happened in June 1952, September 2016, and August 1990.
The most recent big flood was in late September 2016. Heavy rain fell across inland NSW, making 2016 the third-wettest winter on record. This caused the Wyangala Dam to fill up quickly. Water NSW had to release water from the dam to prevent it from overflowing. By late September, the flood in Forbes reached 10.67 metres (35 feet), and about 1,000 people had to leave their homes. The main highway was even cut off. Forbes was declared a natural disaster zone. The State Emergency Service and the Australian Defence Force helped out during this time.
Local Newspapers
Forbes has two local newspapers:
- The Forbes Advocate is owned by Fairfax Media.
- The Forbes Phoenix is a free weekly paper published on Fridays.
Famous People from Forbes
Many interesting people have connections to Forbes:
- Phil Adams, an Olympian and medal winner in sport shooting.
- Chris Anderson, who played for and coached the Australian rugby league team.
- Janet Dawson, a well-known Australian artist.
- Sir Hugh Robert Denison, a famous tobacco maker and newspaper owner.
- Malcolm Johnston, an Australian Racing Hall of Fame jockey.
- Eve Langley, a novelist from New Zealand.
- Celia Pavey, known as Vera Blue, an Australian singer-songwriter.
- Cec Pepper, a first-class cricketer.
- Charlie Staines, a rugby league player.
- Carolyn Simpson, a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
- Carmel Tebbutt, a former Deputy Premier of New South Wales.
- Nedd Brockmann, a famous ultra-marathon runner.
