Gulargambone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids GulargamboneNew South Wales |
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One of the many sculptured galahs and the post office, Gulargambone
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 Gulargambone
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 400 (2016 census) |
| Postcode(s) | 2828 |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Coonamble Shire Council |
| County | Gowen |
| State electorate(s) | Barwon |
| Federal Division(s) | Parkes |
Gulargambone is a small town in the central-west plains of New South Wales, Australia. It sits on the banks of the Castlereagh River, within the Coonamble Shire. The town is about 490 km by road north-west of Sydney.
In 2016, Gulargambone had a population of 400 people. The town's name comes from the local Wiradjuri people. It means "Watering place of many birds" or "place of galahs". Europeans first settled here in the mid-1800s. Gulargambone officially became a village in 1883.
The town became famous in 2000 when its post office was almost closed. The community worked together to open Australia's first community-owned post office. This success led to many other community projects. These include improving the local hospital and opening a new cinema. The old cinema, Simmo's Bazaar, became a community center called 2828. It now has a café and a gift shop. The town even adopted the galah bird as its logo. Gulargambone is now a great example of how small towns can become self-sufficient.
Gulargambone has won several awards for its efforts. In 2005, it was named the NSW Tidy Towns State winner.
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People of Gulargambone
The 2016 census counted 400 people living in Gulargambone.
- About 45% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
- Most people (around 79.8%) were born in Australia.
- About 80.8% of people spoke only English at home.
- The most common religions were Anglican (27.8%) and no religion (26.8%).
Getting to Gulargambone
Driving from Sydney to Gulargambone takes about seven hours. The distance is 490 km. If you are driving from Dubbo, it's about 114 km and takes roughly 1.25 hours.
NSW TrainLink operates coaches that stop in Gulargambone. These coaches travel between Dubbo and Lightning Ridge. The stop is on Coonamble Street.
- The coach to Lightning Ridge stops daily at 3:45 PM.
- The coach to Dubbo stops at 9:00 AM from Tuesday to Thursday.
- On Friday to Monday, the coach to Dubbo stops at 12:00 PM.
Sports in Gulargambone
Gulargambone has a rugby union team called the Gulargambone Galahs. They play in the Western Plains Rugby Union competition.
The town also used to have a rugby league club with the same name. This team played in the Castlereagh League and reached the Grand Final in 2004.
Famous People from Gulargambone
Several notable people have connections to Gulargambone:
- Peter Andren – An independent politician.
- Alexander Henry Buckley – A soldier who received the Victoria Cross in World War I.
- Harry Chandler – A farmer from Gulargambone who was a pilot navigator in the RAAF during World War II. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944.
- Neil Lambell – A grazier (someone who raises livestock) who grew up near Gulargambone. He also received the Distinguished Flying Cross in World War II.
- Sam Irwin – A current rugby union player for the Uni-Norths Owls club.
- Alan Ridley – An Australian Rugby League test player.
Images for kids
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Gulargambone Spar Supermarket
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Gulargambone War Memorial
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Gulargambone Post Office
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Gulargambone Bank of New South Wales Building
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Gulargambone Castlereagh River Bridge
