Gilgandra, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids GilgandraNew South Wales |
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The main street of Gilgandra, 2008
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 Gilgandra
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 3,126 (2016 census) | ||||||||
| Established | 1888 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2827 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 282 m (925 ft) | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| LGA(s) | Gilgandra Shire | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Barwon | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Parkes | ||||||||
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Gilgandra is a country town in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. It is known for its farms, where people grow wheat and other crops, and raise sheep and cattle. Gilgandra is also the main town for the Gilgandra Shire area.
The town is located where three major highways meet: the Newell, Oxley, and Castlereagh highways. It sits on a wide bend of the Castlereagh River. Gilgandra is about 432 km north-west of Sydney, which is about a six-hour drive. It's also roughly halfway along the inland road from Melbourne to Brisbane. Gilgandra is famous for its many windmills and for being the starting point of the "Coo-ees" march. It is also a great place to start your trip to the Warrumbungles National Park.
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Gilgandra's Population
In 2016, about 2,600 people lived in Gilgandra. In the wider Gilgandra area, there were about 4,300 people. Most people (96.4%) were born in Australia, and 13.8% identified as Aboriginal. The most common job in the area was in farming and forestry, with 28.6% of people working in these areas.
The Castlereagh Waterhole
The name Gilgandra comes from an Aboriginal word. It means "long waterhole." The Castlereagh River often has low water levels or can even be dry. However, there used to be a large, permanent waterhole in the river near where the town grew. This waterhole was about 100 yards long and 12 feet deep. It was the reason for the town's name.
Windmills and Underground Water
Gilgandra is built over the Great Artesian Basin (GAB), which is a huge underground water source. This basin holds water in porous rocks called aquifers. When people dig bores (deep holes) to reach these aquifers, windmills can pump the water to the surface. This water is then stored in tanks.
More than a hundred years ago, people in Gilgandra used windmills to get fresh, drinkable water for their homes. Farmers also used them to get water for their animals. Windmills were advertised in the first Gilgandra newspapers in 1905. Many local people, like plumber Bill Hitchen, sold and installed them. Bill Hitchen later became famous for organizing the 1915 Cooee march. Because of all these windmills, people started calling Gilgandra the "town of windmills."
In 1948, there were over 300 windmills in Gilgandra. You can still see many of them around town, but most are not used anymore. In 1966, the Gilgandra Shire Council built a public water system. This meant people didn't need their private windmills as much. The council still uses water from the Great Artesian Basin. They have nine bores that supply water to Gilgandra. In 2016, Gilgandra had the largest amount of water allowed from the Great Artesian Basin for any council in NSW.
Gilgandra's History
The town of Gilgandra was officially created in 1888. The first plots of land were sold in 1889. Before that, people had already settled in the area. Gilgandra’s Post Office opened in 1867, a local school started in 1881, and the first court hearing was in 1884. The shire (local government area) was formed in 1906.
The Coo-ee March
During World War I, a special march to recruit soldiers for the army started in Gilgandra. This march was called the Coo-ee March. The marchers would shout "cooee" (a distinct Australian call) in each town to attract new recruits.
Twenty-six men left Gilgandra on October 10, 1915. They were celebrated in every town they passed through, and meetings were held to encourage more people to join. By the time they reached Sydney just over a month later, on November 12, the group had grown to 263 recruits.
Gilgandra's Climate
Gilgandra has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot summers and cool winters.
| Climate data for Gilgandra (Chelmsford Ave), New South Wales, Australia (rainfall: 1889–present; temperature, 1915–1975 (incomplete)); 282 metres (925 ft) AMSL | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 45.8 (114.4) |
43.9 (111.0) |
39.4 (102.9) |
36.7 (98.1) |
31.7 (89.1) |
27.2 (81.0) |
23.9 (75.0) |
28.9 (84.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
37.5 (99.5) |
43.3 (109.9) |
42.8 (109.0) |
45.8 (114.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.1 (91.6) |
32.2 (90.0) |
29.8 (85.6) |
24.8 (76.6) |
20.0 (68.0) |
16.4 (61.5) |
15.6 (60.1) |
17.2 (63.0) |
21.0 (69.8) |
25.2 (77.4) |
29.0 (84.2) |
31.9 (89.4) |
24.7 (76.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.2 (77.4) |
24.8 (76.6) |
22.2 (72.0) |
17.6 (63.7) |
13.1 (55.6) |
10.2 (50.4) |
9.1 (48.4) |
10.3 (50.5) |
13.5 (56.3) |
17.3 (63.1) |
20.8 (69.4) |
23.9 (75.0) |
17.3 (63.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.3 (63.1) |
17.4 (63.3) |
14.6 (58.3) |
10.3 (50.5) |
6.1 (43.0) |
3.9 (39.0) |
2.5 (36.5) |
3.4 (38.1) |
5.9 (42.6) |
9.4 (48.9) |
12.6 (54.7) |
15.9 (60.6) |
9.9 (49.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
4.4 (39.9) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
0.6 (33.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 63.8 (2.51) |
52.9 (2.08) |
49.4 (1.94) |
40.1 (1.58) |
42.0 (1.65) |
45.9 (1.81) |
42.6 (1.68) |
39.3 (1.55) |
40.1 (1.58) |
47.3 (1.86) |
49.1 (1.93) |
54.0 (2.13) |
566.5 (22.3) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 51.1 |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
Heritage Sites in Gilgandra
Gilgandra has some places that are listed for their historical importance:
- Myrtle Street: St Ambrose Church
Things to Do in Gilgandra
Sports and Fun
Gilgandra has many places for sports. Local clubs help people join in, train, and compete.
- Rugby League: The most popular sport is rugby league. The Gilgandra Panthers team plays in the Castlereagh Cup. They have won this competition six times, most recently in 2018.
- Swimming Pool: Gilgandra's public swimming pool is next to the town's main park. It is open during the warmer months, from October to March. The pool is 33 meters long and opened in 1939. There is also a children's play pool with good sun protection.
- Tennis Courts: Grass tennis courts are located across from the swimming pool.
- Golf Course: There is a 9-hole public golf course with grass greens and a clubhouse. It is on Racecourse Road, across the bridge from the main part of town. Golf competitions happen regularly. The golf course is inside the town's horse racing track.
- Race Course: The town has a race course for horse racing on Racecourse Road. The Gilgandra Jockey Club holds races here, including the Gilgandra Cup every January.
- Youth Club: There is a youth club with squash courts, basketball courts, and an indoor area. A fitness center also operates here.
- Recreation Grounds: Gilgandra has two main grassed recreation grounds for team sports like cricket, rugby league, football, and Little Athletics.
- Speedway: Gilgandra Speedway is a popular track for motor (car) racing. It hosts regular events and has held state and national titles. The track is well-fenced and lit for night racing. It is located 4 km south of town on the Newell Highway.
Tourist Spots
The main tourist information center is the Cooee Heritage and Visitor Information Centre. You can find it at the south end of town on the Newell Highway.
- Cooee Heritage and Visitor Information Centre: This center has several museums and galleries.
- The Gilgandra Art Gallery shows art by local and visiting artists.
- The Joy Trudgett Gallery displays Aboriginal artifacts, ancient fossils, and shells.
- The Allan Wise Gallery shows family history, including details of Gilgandra locals who joined the army in WW2.
- Gilgandra Rural Museum: This museum shows a large collection of old farming equipment and machinery. It is run by volunteers from the Gilgandra Historical Society. You can spot it by a large windmill outside.
- Windmill Walk: This walking path starts at the Rural Museum and follows the Castlereagh River to the town center. There are picnic and BBQ spots along the way.
- Gilgandra Native Flora Reserve: This 8.5-hectare area of bushland has many native plant species. The wildflowers are best seen from September to November. It also has picnic and barbecue facilities.
- Observatory: Gilgandra has a privately owned observatory that is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday.
- Hitchen House Museum: This museum is in the house where Bill Hitchen once lived. He was the person who organized the Cooee March. The museum tells the story of the Cooee March and has many items from World War I.
- Cooee March Memorial: This is a stone monument in Bridge Street. It marks the exact spot where the Coo-ee March began on October 10, 1915. A nearby wall mural also helps remember the event.
Yearly Events
- January – The Gilgandra Cup: This is a horse race held every January at the Gilgandra Race Course. It's part of the two-day Gilgandra Cup Carnival.
- April or May – The Gilgandra Show: This is an agricultural show held every year at the Gilgandra Showground. It's a big event for the community with displays of farm animals, crops, and machinery. There are also horse riding events, woodchopping, fun rides, and food stalls.
- October Long Weekend – Gilgandra Cooee Festival: Gilgandra holds a fun festival every October long weekend. It includes a main street parade, entertainment in the town park, wood chopping, stalls, rides, music, games, and a coo-ee calling competition. There are also sports competitions like golf and live entertainment in the evenings.
Shops and Services
Retail Stores
Miller Street is the main street in Gilgandra with many shops. You can find clothing, home goods, books, and jewelry. There are also antique shops, beauty salons, hairdressers, a pharmacy, a newsagent, and an electronics store.
For groceries, there's a bakery, a butcher, and a grocery/liquor store. Farmers and the community can also find timber, farm supplies, farm machinery, and hardware stores.
Education Services
Gilgandra has two primary schools and one public high school:
- Gilgandra Public School: This school teaches children from Kindergarten to Year 6, with about 190 students. It opened in 1881.
- St Joseph's Primary School: This is a Catholic school for students from Kindergarten to Year 6, with about 200 students. It was started in 1909 by the Sisters of St. Joseph.
- Gilgandra High School: This school teaches about 230 teenagers from Year 7 to Year 12.
A Technical College (TAFE) campus offers training in different trades and industries, like business and digital photography. For younger children, there is a community pre-school and a private childcare center that also offers a pre-school program.
Churches and Religious Services
Gilgandra has several churches that offer services for their communities:
- Catholic: St Joseph's Church on Wrigley St. The Catholic community also runs St Joseph's primary school.
- Anglican: St Ambrose Church on the corner of Myrtle and Wamboin Streets.
- Uniting Church: On the corner of Wamboin and Myrtle Streets.
- Presbyterian: At 42 Myrtle Street.
- Lutheran: Located on the Newell Highway.
- Assemblies of God: New Life Centre, 74 Warren Road.
- Australian Indigenous Ministries (AIM): 89 Wrigley St.
- Heartland Church: 44 Miller Street.
Famous People from Gilgandra
Community Leaders
- Gerald Colin McKellar (1903–1970): A farmer and politician who was born near Gilgandra. He was involved in farming groups and led the local Country Party for many years. He became a Senator in 1958 and a Minister for Repatriation.
- Jim Curran (1927–2005): Born and raised in Gilgandra, he was a member of the NSW State Parliament for the Castlereagh area from 1980 to 1981.
- William Thomas Hitchen (1864–1916): A plumber from Gilgandra who organized the famous Coo-ee March in 1915. He joined the march himself but sadly died in England during the war.
- Ernie Knight (1943–1995): An Indigenous Australian who worked for the Gilgandra Shire Council for 30 years, taking care of the town's parks and sports grounds. The Railway Oval was renamed 'Ernie Knight Oval' in his memory.
- Tony McGrane (1946–2004): He was the Mayor of Gilgandra for 16 years. Later, he became the Mayor of Dubbo and then a member of the NSW State Parliament for the Dubbo area.
Inventors
- Arthur Clifford Howard (1893–1971): Known as "Cliff," he invented the rotary hoe, a type of cultivator. His family moved near Gilgandra in 1908. In 1912, he had the idea to use a tractor's power to turn soil with blades instead of a plow. He created a prototype and patented his invention in 1919.
Pioneers
- Hannah Morris (1829–1911): An important pioneer in Gilgandra. She lived in the area from 1852, owned an inn and land, and played a big part in establishing the town.
Sports Stars
- Bob Foran (1938–2018): Born and raised in Gilgandra, he was a horse trainer, owner, and race caller. He was well-known in western NSW racing and called his 60th Gilgandra Cup in 2015.
- John Farragher (b.1957): Born and raised in Gilgandra, he played rugby league for Penrith Panthers. In 1978, during a game, he became quadriplegic after a scrum collapsed. After his recovery, he worked for the Penrith Panthers club. He received an OAM award in 2016 for his service to rugby league and the Penrith community.
- Johnny King (b.1942): A rugby league winger who played for St George's for 12 years, winning seven grand finals. He also played for Australia 15 times. Johnny King was born and raised in Gilgandra.
- Don O'Connor (b.1958): Born and raised in Gilgandra, he was a cricketer who played for Tasmania and South Australia in the Sheffield Shield competition from 1981 to 1990.
World War I Heroes
- Herbert Foran (1893–1973): Born near Gilgandra, he was a farmer who joined the army early in WWI. He was awarded the French Medaille Militare in 1918.
- Leslie Greenleaf (1899–1980): A British immigrant who was one of the original Coo-ee marchers from Gilgandra in 1915, joining at just 17 years old. He received the Military Medal for his bravery in France in 1918. He was the last survivor of the original 35 men who started the Coo-ee march.
- Thomas Henry Turvey (1893–1965): Raised in Gilgandra, he was also one of the original 35 men who started the Coo-ee March in 1915. He was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in France in 1917.
World War II Heroes
- Malcolm Foran DFC (1922–1979): Born and raised in Gilgandra, he was a bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force during WWII. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944.
- Allan Donald McKellar (1917–1975): Born in Gilgandra, he was also a bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force during WWII. He received the King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in 1944.
- Rawdon Middleton VC (1916–1942): Known as Ron Middleton, he grew up in Gilgandra as a teenager. He became a bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942 and was awarded the Victoria Cross after he died for his bravery.
- Frank Morris DFC: Raised near Gilgandra, he was a bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force during WWII. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944.
