Molong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids MolongNew South Wales |
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The main shopping area of Molong, Bank Street
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 Molong
Location in New South Wales
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| Established | 1849 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2866 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 565 m (1,854 ft) | ||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Cabonne Shire Council | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Orange | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Calare | ||||||||
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Molong is a cool small town in the middle of New South Wales, Australia. It's part of the Cabonne Shire area, which is in the Central West region.
Contents
Molong's Past: A Look at Its History
The name Molong comes from the Aboriginal people. It means 'all rocks', which makes sense because there are lots of rocks around!
Early Days and Settlement
Around 1819, a man named William Lee brought his cattle to this area. Later, in 1826, a special military and police camp was set up here. This was ordered by Governor Darling to help open up new land for people to settle. The first settlement was a bit east of where Molong is today. The town we know as Molong was officially started in March 1849.
In 1845, people found copper at Copper Hill, which is just north of Molong. This was an exciting discovery for the area!
Molong's Historical Museum
The Molong Historical Museum is in an old hotel building from 1856. A builder named James Mortal built it. In 1969, the Historical Society got the building to use as a museum. They had help from the Molong Shire Council. It's a great place to learn about the town's past!
Railways and Recent Events
In 1885, a railway line was built through Molong. This made it easier for people and goods to travel.
In November 2022, Molong faced a big flood. Many buildings in the town were damaged.
Special Places: Heritage Listings
Molong has some important historical sites. These are called heritage-listed places. They are protected because they are special parts of history.
- The Molong railway station is one of these places. It's part of the Main Western railway line.
- The Grave of Yuranigh is another important site. It's about 3 kilometers southeast of Molong on Yuranigh Road.
Molong's Location and Surroundings
Molong is located on the Mitchell Highway. It's about 300 kilometers west of Sydney. The city of Orange is also close by, about 30 kilometers away. Molong is 529 meters above sea level.
In 2021, about 1,621 people lived in Molong. A famous explorer named Charles Sturt visited Molong in 1828. As mentioned before, Molong was also home to one of Australia's first copper mines at Copper Hill.
Molong's Railway Connections
The railway line from Sydney reached Molong in 1886. This line was later extended to Parkes. A different railway line, which went to Dubbo, opened in 1925 but closed in 1987.
Molong's Weather: Climate Information
Molong has a type of weather called a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm to hot summers. The winters are cool to cold, and sometimes it even snows!
One of the most amazing weather events in Molong happened on July 5, 1900. Snow fell to a depth of 38 centimeters in town! In some areas, snow drifts were reported to be as deep as 3.4 meters. Imagine that much snow!
| Climate data for Molong (Hill St, 1907–1975, rainfall 1884–2022); 565 m AMSL; 33.09° S, 148.86° E | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 42.3 (108.1) |
40.0 (104.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
32.8 (91.0) |
27.2 (81.0) |
23.3 (73.9) |
21.7 (71.1) |
25.7 (78.3) |
32.8 (91.0) |
33.9 (93.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
40.3 (104.5) |
42.3 (108.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.0 (87.8) |
30.1 (86.2) |
27.5 (81.5) |
22.5 (72.5) |
17.4 (63.3) |
14.0 (57.2) |
12.9 (55.2) |
14.7 (58.5) |
18.6 (65.5) |
22.6 (72.7) |
26.4 (79.5) |
29.5 (85.1) |
22.3 (72.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) |
13.2 (55.8) |
10.3 (50.5) |
6.0 (42.8) |
2.8 (37.0) |
0.9 (33.6) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
0.6 (33.1) |
2.4 (36.3) |
5.4 (41.7) |
8.4 (47.1) |
11.4 (52.5) |
6.2 (43.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 3.4 (38.1) |
2.2 (36.0) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 69.8 (2.75) |
57.0 (2.24) |
58.2 (2.29) |
51.4 (2.02) |
52.3 (2.06) |
59.9 (2.36) |
59.4 (2.34) |
61.5 (2.42) |
54.0 (2.13) |
58.4 (2.30) |
60.6 (2.39) |
64.1 (2.52) |
707.7 (27.86) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 6.6 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 7.3 | 9.6 | 10.4 | 9.5 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 89.6 |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1921 | 1,503 | — |
| 1933 | 1,531 | +1.9% |
| 1947 | 1,662 | +8.6% |
| 1954 | 1,791 | +7.8% |
| 1961 | 1,655 | −7.6% |
| 1966 | 1,430 | −13.6% |
| 1971 | 1,383 | −3.3% |
| 1976 | 1,504 | +8.7% |
| 1981 | 1,374 | −8.6% |
| 1986 | 1,400 | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 1,563 | +11.6% |
| 1996 | 1,604 | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 1,560 | −2.7% |
| 2006 | 1,569 | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 1,629 | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 1,674 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 1,621 | −3.2% |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics data. | ||
Learning in Molong: Schools
Molong has schools for kids to learn and grow:
- Molong Central School
- St Joseph's Catholic Schools
