Jennings, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids JenningsNew South Wales |
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Hotel and NSW Agriculture warning
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 Jennings
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 211 (2011 census) | ||||||||
| Established | 1888 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4383 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 875 m (2,871 ft) | ||||||||
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| LGA(s) | Tenterfield Shire | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Lismore | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | New England | ||||||||
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Jennings is a small town in the Northern Tablelands area of New South Wales, Australia. It's part of the Tenterfield Shire local government area. The town is about 718 kilometers (446 miles) from Sydney, the state capital. It's also about 256 kilometers (159 miles) from Brisbane.
Jennings is special because it sits right on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. Its neighbor, Wallangarra, is just across the border in Queensland. In 2011, Jennings had a population of 211 people. The New England Highway and the Main North railway line both cross the state border here. The town was named after Sir Patrick Jennings. He was the first Roman Catholic Premier (or leader of the state government) of New South Wales.
Contents
A Look Back: Jennings' History
Jennings has an interesting past, especially because of its location on the state border.
The Border Railway Story
The railway line from Brisbane reached Wallangarra in 1887. A year later, in 1888, the Main North railway line from Sydney arrived in Jennings. This created a unique situation. Trains from Queensland used a different track width (called a gauge) than trains from New South Wales. This meant passengers and goods had to switch trains at the border.
A special station was built right on the border. The northern part of the station was for Queensland trains. The southern part was for New South Wales trains. The station's name changed a few times between Jennings and Wallangarra. Finally, in 1904, it was officially named Wallangarra.
A telegraph office called Jennings Railway Station opened in 1888. It was later renamed Wallangarra in 1904. The Wallangarra Post Office in Queensland had opened even earlier, in 1885. Passenger train services to Brisbane stopped in 1972. The New South Wales line north of Tenterfield closed in 1989. The old station was fixed up in 2001 and is now a protected historical site.
School and War Time
Jennings Public School opened in 1889. It's still open today and is located almost directly across from the Wallangarra School in Queensland. This happened because the Customs Officer for New South Wales at Wallangarra asked for a school.
During World War II, an ammunition dump was set up in Jennings. This was because of the different train track widths at Wallangarra station. Supplies could be easily moved and stored there. This dump, along with a general army store in Wallangarra, still exists today.
The Border Mystery
In 2001, a modern survey checked the Queensland/New South Wales border. This was done as a project for the 100th birthday of Federation (when Australia became one country). The survey found a mistake of about 200 meters (656 feet) in the original border survey. This original survey was done between 1863 and 1866 near Jennings. This means that if the border had been placed exactly where it was first planned, Jennings would actually be located in Queensland instead of New South Wales!
