Taralga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids TaralgaNew South Wales |
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A basalt house after snowfall
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 Taralga
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 467 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2580 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 845 m (2,772 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Upper Lachlan Shire | ||||||||||||||
| County | Argyle | ||||||||||||||
| Parish | Guineacor | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Goulburn | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Hume | ||||||||||||||
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Taralga is a small village in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Upper Lachlan Shire. You can find it where the Goulburn-Oberon Road meets the Laggan-Taralga Road. It's easy to reach from places like Oberon (north), Mittagong (east), Goulburn (south), and Crookwell (west).
In 2016, about 467 people lived in Taralga. The village is also quite close to the famous Wombeyan Caves. Taralga has changing weather, and it often gets snow in winter. The number of people living in Taralga has changed over the years. In 1863, there were about 100 residents. By the 1890s, this grew to over 700. After a tough time in the 1890s, the population dropped. But it grew back by the mid-1950s. Today, around 400 people call Taralga home.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Taralga has a few possible beginnings. One idea is that it was first called "Trial Gang." This is because it was a place where trials for convicts and bushrangers happened long ago. Another idea is that Taralga comes from a Gundungurra Aboriginal word. This word means "Brolga," which is a type of bird.
In 1886, a newspaper suggested that Taralga might come from 'Trialgong'. This was an Indigenous word meaning 'three stony hills'. The explorer Thomas Mitchell also wrote about 'Trialgong creek' in 1828.
Taralga's Past
The land around Taralga was originally home to the Burra Burra people. They were part of the Gundungurra Nation. There are no records of big fights with European settlers. But their last large gathering, called a corroboree, was in the 1830s. After this, they were not recorded by European history. It is thought they moved west due to diseases brought by Europeans.
Charles Throsby traveled through the Taralga area in 1819. He was looking for new land for animals to graze. By 1824, John Macarthur's son, James, and his nephew, Hannibal, settled here. They helped start Australia's wool industry.
A private village was built on land given by James Macarthur. Convicts cleared the land to build homes for the Macarthur family and their workers. Orchard Street, which is now the main street, was once Macarthur's fruit orchard. In the early days, Macarthur Street was the main road. Many old buildings can still be seen there today.
A count of people in 1828 showed a few residents in Taralga. This means the village was starting to form. For the first few decades, many settlers were convicts. They were sent to work for landowners. These convicts cleared land, built homes, and ran farms. Taralga began to look like a town in the 1840s. It grew faster in the 1860s. This was partly because of the Robertson Land Acts. These laws made it easier for settlers to own land.
Taralga officially became a town in the 1860s. A school opened in 1857. Churches were built too:
- Presbyterian Church in 1861
- St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church in 1864
- St. Lukes Anglican Church in 1866
- Methodist Church in 1868 (now the Historical Society building)
By 1866, there were stores, blacksmiths, and two hotels. The population grew a lot after the 1860s. This was mainly due to the gold rush, which brought many new people to the area.
In 1923, the Premier, Sir George Fuller, visited Taralga. This showed new interest in the town. During his visit, he opened a war memorial for those who served in World War I. He also started work on a new railway line. And he laid the first stone for a new butter factory. The Taralga railway line was about 25 kilometers long. It opened in 1926 and closed in 1957. Not much of the old railway line is left today. Electricity came to Taralga in the 1930s. A local person, Sid Holt, set up a power plant.
Historic Places
Taralga has some important historic places. These include:
- Macarthur Street: Catholic Church of Christ the King
Taralga Today
Even though the population of Taralga went down after the gold rush, the town's special feel did not change. Today, you can see many old and important buildings. There are also small vineyards around the town. Taralga has two historic hotels and a sports club. The club has lawn bowling greens and tennis courts. There is also a 9-hole golf course.
The town hosts the yearly "Australia Day Rodeo." The Taralga Tigers Rugby Club also brings in many people during winter. In summer, people play touch football.
Taralga is on the Goulburn-Oberon Road. This road was improved between 2002 and 2008. Taralga is the biggest town between Goulburn and Bathurst. It's a good place for travelers to stop. You can also get to Taralga from Crookwell and Marulan using country roads.
Taralga Wind Farm
On February 20, 2012, the New South Wales Government approved the start of the Taralga Wind Farm. This project built 51 wind turbines. These turbines make 106.8 Megawatts of electricity. This power goes into the national electricity grid. It travels through a 38 km power line to Marulan. The project was expected to create up to 200 local jobs. Some people tried to stop the wind farm. They were worried about how it would look and sound. But the court decided that the long-term benefit of less greenhouse gas emissions was more important. By February 2015, 30 turbines were set up and working. The project was finished around June 2015.
You can see where the wind farm is located on this map link.
Taralga Wildlife Park
Taralga has a small wildlife park. It is home to many Australian native animals and some farm animals. You can see:
- Bare-nosed wombats
- Eastern grey kangaroos
- Hill wallaroos
- Red-necked wallabies
- Dingoes
- Camels and llamas
- Alpacas and donkeys
- Miniature horses
- Fallow deer and blackbuck
- Different types of lizards like bearded dragons and blue-tongued lizards
- Many birds, including wedge-tailed eagles, kookaburras, macaws, and cockatoos.
- Swans, geese, ducks, and other water birds.
Taralga's Climate
Taralga has a mild oceanic climate. This is because it is high up. Summers are usually mild to warm. Winters are cool to cold during the day. Nights often have frost. It rains quite often throughout the year, especially in June. Sometimes, there is sleet and snow in cooler months. Summers can sometimes have frost too. This is due to big temperature changes between day and night. The area can also have strong thunderstorms.
The coldest high temperature ever recorded was 1.1°C in August 1962. The hottest temperature was 40.5°C in January 2020. The coldest temperature ever was -9.6°C in July 1982. The warmest low temperature was 24.2°C in February 1973.
Images for kids
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Taralga around 1900
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Taralga Church
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Taralga Catholic Church
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Taralga Main Street
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Taralga Main Street
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Taralga railway station
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Winter in Taralga
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