Gunning, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids GunningNew South Wales |
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Gunning's high street
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 Gunning
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 659 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1821 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2581 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 566 m (1,857 ft) | ||||||||||||||
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| LGA(s) | Upper Lachlan Shire | ||||||||||||||
| County | King | ||||||||||||||
| Parish | Gunning | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Goulburn | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Hume | ||||||||||||||
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Gunning is a small town in New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the Southern Tablelands, between the towns of Goulburn and Yass. Sydney is about 260 km southwest, and Canberra, Australia's capital, is about 75 km north.
In 2021, Gunning had a population of 820 people. The Gunning Wind Farm has been built nearby. You can see it from the Hume Highway. This wind farm helps produce clean energy.
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Gunning's Past
The land around Gunning was originally home to two Australian Aboriginal groups. These were the Gundungurra people in the north and the Ngunnawal people in the south.
European explorers first came to this area in 1820. A year later, in 1821, Hamilton Hume started the first European settlement. In 1824, Hume and William Hovell began their famous journey from here. They discovered an overland route to Port Phillip Bay, which is where the city of Melbourne is now located. People started buying land in Gunning in 1838.
In 1865, a famous Australian bushranger named Ben Hall and his gang visited Kimberley's Inn in Gunning. During this event, a police officer was shot.
By 1886, Gunning was known for growing crops like wheat, maize, barley, and oats. The area also had good natural grass for sheep and cattle. The Great Southern Railway Line passed near the town. At that time, Gunning had a population of 409 people.
How Many People Live in Gunning?
In the 2016 Census, there were 659 people living in Gunning. Most people, about 86.9%, were born in Australia. Also, 91.4% of people spoke only English at home. The most common religions were Anglican (30.4%), No Religion (25.8%), and Catholic (22.6%).
Getting Around Gunning
Gunning was first an important stop for coaches and a service centre for local farms. These farms mainly raised Merino sheep. The town has a police station, a court house, a post office, and a school.
The Main Southern railway line from Sydney reached Gunning in 1875. This railway line was completed all the way to Albury in 1882. Today, Gunning railway station has daily NSW TrainLink XPT services. These trains travel between Sydney and Melbourne. There are also weekly Xplorer services between Sydney and Griffith.
The main streets in Gunning were built very wide. This was for the horse and bullock-drawn wagons of the past. This wide design was helpful when the main highway between Sydney and Melbourne passed through the town. However, the Hume Highway by-pass was finished on 5 April 1993. Now, the town has a quieter, more rural feel. It has also developed a business in providing bed and breakfast places for visitors.
The Telegraph Hotel in Gunning reminds people of when the main telegraph line was set up here.
Things to See in Gunning
One interesting feature of the town is Bailey's Garage. This used to be a very busy dealership for Holden cars. One long outside wall of the garage has large pictures of nine famous Holden car models.
Gunning's Weather
Rainfall records have been kept in Gunning since 1886. The town is generally wetter than Goulburn, especially in winter and early spring.
| Climate data for Gunning Rural Supplies (1886–2024); 578 m AMSL; 34.78° S, 149.27° E | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 57.1 (2.25) |
45.9 (1.81) |
51.5 (2.03) |
47.1 (1.85) |
48.7 (1.92) |
56.7 (2.23) |
53.6 (2.11) |
56.2 (2.21) |
55.7 (2.19) |
60.9 (2.40) |
58.8 (2.31) |
57.5 (2.26) |
658.3 (25.92) |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Gunning Rural Supplies | |||||||||||||
Famous People from Gunning
- Millicent Armstrong was a playwright and farmer who lived in Gunning. She wrote plays about life in the Australian countryside in the early 1900s. Her plays written while living in Gunning were very popular and won awards.
Images for kids
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Uniting Church, Gunning
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Old Gunning Court House
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Telegraph Hotel, Gunning
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Old St Francis Xavier church building
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Holden Wall of Fame 1948 model 215 "FX"
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Holden Wall of Fame 1965 HD and 1968 HK
