Tarrawingee, New South Wales facts for kids

Tarrawingee is a place in the Far West area of New South Wales, Australia. It's about 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of the city of Broken Hill. Today, Tarrawingee is known as a ghost town, which means it was once a busy place but is now mostly empty, with only a few signs of its past remaining.

Tarrawingee: A Mining Town's Story

What Was Tarrawingee?

Tarrawingee was started in 1889. Its main purpose was to dig up a special rock called limestone. This limestone was very important for the metal factories, called smelters, in nearby Broken Hill. The smelters used limestone as a "flux." Think of flux like a helper ingredient that makes it easier to melt metals and remove unwanted stuff.

The town grew quite a bit! About 400 people lived there. Tarrawingee had many important buildings. These included a post office, two pubs (places where people could eat and drink), a police station to keep everyone safe, a court house, and even a school for the children.

Why Did Tarrawingee Become a Ghost Town?

Tarrawingee's busy times didn't last forever. In 1898, the big metal factories in Broken Hill moved their main operations to a different place called Port Pirie. Because of this, the need for limestone from Tarrawingee stopped. The limestone quarry, which was the town's main reason for existing, closed down.

When the quarry closed, people started to leave Tarrawingee. There was no longer work for them there. Slowly, the town became empty, turning into the ghost town we see today.

The Tarrawingee Tramway

From 1890 to 1930, Tarrawingee was the end point of a special railway line called the Tarrawingee Tramway. At first, this tramway was used to carry the limestone from Tarrawingee back to Broken Hill.

Later on, after the quarry closed, the tramway still had a use. It became a starting point for coaches. These coaches would take people to other faraway places like Tibooburra and Milparinka. The tram line was very important for travel in the area. However, the tramway closed for good in 1932. The tracks were removed a few years later in 1936.

What Can You See There Today?

Today, if you visit Tarrawingee, you won't find many buildings standing. Most of what's left are just the stone foundations. These are the bottom parts of buildings that were once there. They are like clues that show where the old post office, pubs, police station, and school used to be. Tarrawingee is located near the beginning of Campbells Creek. It's a quiet reminder of a busy mining town from long ago.