Guyra, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids GuyraNew South Wales |
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Main street of Guyra
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 Guyra
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 2,077 (2021 census) | ||||||||
| Established | 1885 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2365 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 1,330 m (4,364 ft) | ||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Armidale Regional Council | ||||||||
| County | Hardinge | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Northern Tablelands | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | New England | ||||||||
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Guyra is a town in New South Wales, Australia. It's located on the Northern Tablelands, a high area between the towns of Armidale and Glen Innes. In 2021, about 2,077 people lived there.
The main road to Guyra is the New England Highway. Train tracks also go through the town. However, the train line is not used north of Armidale anymore.
Guyra is next to the Mother of Ducks Lagoon. This lagoon is actually inside an old volcano crater! The Mother of Ducks Lagoon Nature Reserve is a special protected area. You can find a golf course, picnic spots, and a walkway to a viewing platform near the lagoon.
Interestingly, rivers on the eastern side of the railway line flow towards the Pacific Ocean. Rivers on the western side flow west. They eventually join the big Murray River.
Contents
Guyra's History and Past
The land around Guyra was first home to Aboriginal people. The Gamilaaray group lived here. They called the area Hillgo'el or Illgoel, meaning "swamp." The name Guyra is thought to come from the Gamilaraay language. It might mean 'white cockatoo' or 'fishing place'. The Gumbayniggir group also lived in the eastern Guyra area. They knew Guyra as "Black Cockatoo."
European farmers started settling here in 1835. Alexander Campbell set up Guyra Station. This included the area where the town is now. The Great Northern Railway reached Guyra in 1884. Guyra officially became a village on March 20, 1885.
The Story of Little Boy Lost
Guyra became famous across Australia on February 5, 1960. A four-year-old boy named Steven Walls got lost. He wandered away from his father on a farm north of town. Hundreds of people searched for him for four days. Finally, he was found asleep next to a log. His first words were, "Where's my daddy?"
This event inspired a popular song. Singer Johnny Ashcroft wrote a hit song called 'Little Boy Lost'. Later, a movie was made about the story. Many local people from Guyra were in the film.
Past Industries
Guyra used to have a large meat processing factory. It employed up to 350 people. But it closed in 1995. Now, the building is used for breeding angora rabbits.
Guyra's Heritage Sites
Guyra has some places that are important to its history. These are called heritage-listed sites.
- The Guyra railway station on the Main Northern railway line is one of them.
Guyra's Geography and Climate
Guyra is on a high plateau called the Northern Tablelands. It is the highest town in Australia! It sits 1,330 metres (about 4,364 feet) above sea level.
Guyra's Cold Winters
The town is known for its cold winters. On average, it has 42 nights below 0°C (32°F) each year. Sometimes, it even snows! Because Guyra is so high up, it rarely gets hotter than 30°C (86°F) in summer. This is quite unusual for an Australian town.
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Guyra was 35.1°C (95.2°F) on February 11, 2017. The coldest temperature ever was -7.8°C (18°F) on June 26, 1971.
In July 1984, there was a very cold period. Guyra had heavy snowfalls. On July 3, the highest temperature for the day was -0.3°C (31.5°F). This is the most northern place in Australia to record a maximum temperature below freezing!
| Climate data for Guyra Hospital (1981–2018); 1,329 m AMSL; 30.21° S, 151.68° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.4 (93.9) |
35.1 (95.2) |
30.2 (86.4) |
27.0 (80.6) |
21.6 (70.9) |
19.1 (66.4) |
18.7 (65.7) |
25.2 (77.4) |
26.0 (78.8) |
29.3 (84.7) |
33.2 (91.8) |
34.6 (94.3) |
35.1 (95.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 24.3 (75.7) |
23.3 (73.9) |
21.3 (70.3) |
18.1 (64.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
11.2 (52.2) |
10.6 (51.1) |
12.2 (54.0) |
15.5 (59.9) |
18.6 (65.5) |
20.8 (69.4) |
22.8 (73.0) |
17.8 (64.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.3 (54.1) |
11.9 (53.4) |
10.1 (50.2) |
7.0 (44.6) |
4.0 (39.2) |
1.9 (35.4) |
0.8 (33.4) |
1.2 (34.2) |
3.9 (39.0) |
6.5 (43.7) |
9.0 (48.2) |
10.9 (51.6) |
6.6 (43.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.4 (34.5) |
3.5 (38.3) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 119.3 (4.70) |
100.5 (3.96) |
70.9 (2.79) |
51.4 (2.02) |
52.4 (2.06) |
51.5 (2.03) |
56.4 (2.22) |
53.1 (2.09) |
58.1 (2.29) |
75.9 (2.99) |
104.5 (4.11) |
109.7 (4.32) |
913.2 (35.95) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2mm) | 11.5 | 10.9 | 10.2 | 8.9 | 9.6 | 11.3 | 10.9 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 10.1 | 11.4 | 11.8 | 123.9 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 54 | 58 | 56 | 56 | 59 | 63 | 59 | 52 | 51 | 50 | 55 | 53 | 55 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
Guyra's Industries and Events
Guyra's main industries include:
A large greenhouse was built in Guyra. It's about 20 hectares big. This greenhouse can employ up to 240 people. It produces 12 million kilograms of tomatoes. This makes Guyra the largest tomato producer in Australia! The company, Top of the Range Tomatoes, has won awards for its innovation.
Annual Celebrations and Activities
The main yearly event is the Lamb and Potato Festival. It's held every January. Other fun events include:
- The Guyra Show, held in February.
- The Rotary Christmas Carnival in December.
- A Mountain Bike Challenge, which raises money for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter service.
Trout fishing is also a popular activity. Local streams are stocked with trout every year. You can find fishing cabins and cottages nearby.
Guyra has many local groups like Lions and Rotary. The town also loves sports! It has teams for rugby league, polocrosse, soccer, field hockey, and cricket. There are also bowling greens, tennis courts, a cricket field, and a gun and rifle range.
Guyra's Population Over Time
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1954 | 1,557 | — |
| 1961 | 1,628 | +4.6% |
| 1966 | 1,700 | +4.4% |
| 1971 | 1,790 | +5.3% |
| 1976 | 1,933 | +8.0% |
| 1981 | 1,840 | −4.8% |
| 1986 | 1,999 | +8.6% |
| 1991 | 1,942 | −2.9% |
| 1996 | 1,801 | −7.3% |
| 2001 | 1,725 | −4.2% |
| 2006 | 1,758 | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 1,947 | +10.8% |
| 2016 | 1,983 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 2,077 | +4.7% |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics data. | ||
According to the 2021 census:
- There were 2,077 people living in Guyra.
- About 9.5% of the population were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Most people (73.2%) were born in Australia.
- Most people (77.4%) spoke only English at home.
- The most common religions were No Religion (27.5%), Anglican (22.4%), and Catholic (19.0%).
