Oolong, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids OolongNew South Wales |
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 Oolong
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 61 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2581 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 593 m (1,946 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Upper Lachlan Shire | ||||||||||||||
| County | King | ||||||||||||||
| Parish | Dalton | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Goulburn | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Hume | ||||||||||||||
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Oolong is a small place, or 'locality', in the southern part of New South Wales, Australia. It's known for being where a small railway station once stood on the important Main South railway line. This railway section, between Gunning and Bowning, first opened on July 3, 1876, as a single track. Oolong is also found along the busy Hume Highway, which connects the towns of Goulburn and Yass.
A Look Back: Oolong's Railway Story
The Oolong railway station and a special track called a 'crossing loop' (where trains could wait for others to pass) started operating on November 25, 1890. The train platform, which was about 33 meters long (that's like two school buses end-to-end!), was built soon after, on December 18, 1890.
Changes to the Railway Line
In 1914, the railway line was made wider, or 'duplicated', meaning it had two tracks instead of one. This also involved making some changes to the original path of the tracks. Because of these changes, a brand new station building was built on the new part of the railway line. This new station had a 'siding' (an extra track for trains to park), a 'crossover' (a way for trains to switch tracks), and a 'signal box' (a small building where workers controlled the train signals).
The platform at Oolong station was closed on February 13, 1972. It was completely taken apart in the late 1980s.
What is a Level Crossing?
A level crossing is a place where a road crosses a railway track at the same level. In 2006, there was a plan to close the level crossing near where the old Oolong station used to be. Even though only about 55 vehicles used the crossing each day, the people living in the area were very upset about the idea of it closing.
