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Tenterfield, New South Wales facts for kids

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For a field where tenters were kept, see Tenterground.
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Tenterfield
New South Wales
Tenterfield Post Office
Stannum House
Tenterfield Bluff Rock
Historic School of Arts
From left to right; Tenterfield Post Office, Historic Stannum House
Bluff Rock near Tenterfield, the historic School of Arts
Tenterfield is located in New South Wales
Tenterfield
Tenterfield
Location in New South Wales
Population 4,066 (2016 census)
Established 1851
Postcode(s) 2372
Elevation 850 m (2,789 ft)
Location
LGA(s) Tenterfield Shire
County Clive
State electorate(s) Lismore
Federal Division(s) New England
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
21.4 °C
71 °F		 8.0 °C
46 °F		 852.4 mm
33.6 in

Tenterfield is a regional town in New South Wales, Australia. At the 2016 census, Tenterfield had a population of 4,066. Tenterfield's proximity to many regional centres and its position on the route between Sydney and Brisbane led to its development as a centre for the promotion of the federation of Australia. The area of Tenterfield was named by German immigrant Sir Tye Cohn, who built Tenterfield station.

History

Tenterfield’s first inhabitants were the Jukembal people who travelled the area from near Glen Innes to Stanthorpe, Queensland.

View of Tenterfield Joseph Backler p2 00036h
Tenterfield in 1861
Tenterfield (2)
Tenterfield Post Office, Rouse Street
Tenterfield (10)
Railway Station, now a museum
Tenterfield rocks
Granite boulders on Kildare Road, Tenterfield

In 1841, Sir Stuart Donaldson was running 18,000 sheep on a property that he named Tenterfield Station, after a family home in Scotland. Donaldson was the first premier of NSW and made biannual trips to Tenterfield to inspect his holdings there, which covered 100,000 acres (400 km2) of unfenced land. Tenterfield Post Office opened on 1 January 1849 and the township was gazetted in 1851 with allotments being sold in 1854. In 1858 gold was discovered at Drake (Fairfield) and shortly afterwards at Timbarra and Boonoo Boonoo. During 1859 an AJS Bank opened and an Anglican church was built the following year. In the 1860s the Tenterfield Chronicle was published, the district court was established; the building of a hospital commenced and a public school was opened. In 1870 the population was less than 900, but the town had five hotels, a school of arts and three churches. The existing Tenterfield Post Office was constructed in 1881.

During World War II, Tenterfield was earmarked as a key battleground if the Japanese should invade Australia. During 1942 thousands of soldiers were set up in emergency camps, unbeknown to the locals, to cope with such an event. Overgrown tank traps and gun emplacements can still be seen on the Travelling Stock Route near the New England Highway. The highway was until the early 1950s the only all-weather road from Sydney to Brisbane.

Federation Speech

Sir Henry Parkes delivered his Federation Speech in the Tenterfield School of Arts on 24 October 1889. He was travelling from Brisbane to Sydney, via the new Main North railway. The speech is credited with re-igniting the debate that ultimately led to Federation on 1 January 1901.

Heritage

The following buildings and sites are listed on the Register of the National Estate.

  • Ayrdrie, Casino Road, country house built circa 1860
  • Tenterfield Post Office, built 1881
  • Court House, Gaol and Police Buildings, Molesworth Street, 1874–1882
  • Tenterfield School of Arts, 203 Rouse Street, 1876
  • Bald Rock National Park, 25 km north of Tenterfield
  • Tooloom Falls Area, south-west of Urbenville
  • Wellington Rock Aboriginal Site, Tenterfield area

Local geography

The local geography is dominated by prominent granite inselbergs and mountains, the most famous being that of Bald Rock, which sits within the Bald Rock National Park, and Bluff Rock which is located 12 minutes drive south of Tenterfield on the New England Highway.

Climate

Tenterfield has a subtropical highland climate, with cold, frosty winters and warm, wet summers. It sits at an altitude of 850 metres (2,790 ft) above sea level, meaning temperatures below freezing in winter are common, and Tenterfield averages 47 days where the minimum temperature drops below 0 °C each year. Summers are warm, but rarely hot and most of the rain falls as thunderstorms, which can be severe. Tenterfield's highest recorded temperature was 38.3 °C, which was recorded on 8 January 1994. Its coldest recorded temperature was -10.6 °C, which was recorded on 10 July 2006.


Climate data for Tenterfield (Federation Park)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 38.3
(100.9)		 36.7
(98.1)		 35.6
(96.1)		 32.9
(91.2)		 27.1
(80.8)		 24.6
(76.3)		 23.3
(73.9)		 30.0
(86.0)		 31.2
(88.2)		 33.9
(93.0)		 36.2
(97.2)		 36.2
(97.2)		 38.3
(100.9)
Average high °C (°F) 27.1
(80.8)		 26.1
(79.0)		 24.6
(76.3)		 21.7
(71.1)		 18.0
(64.4)		 15.0
(59.0)		 14.4
(57.9)		 16.1
(61.0)		 19.5
(67.1)		 22.4
(72.3)		 24.9
(76.8)		 26.6
(79.9)		 21.4
(70.5)
Average low °C (°F) 14.4
(57.9)		 14.3
(57.7)		 12.4
(54.3)		 8.5
(47.3)		 4.9
(40.8)		 2.4
(36.3)		 1.0
(33.8)		 1.8
(35.2)		 4.7
(40.5)		 8.0
(46.4)		 10.8
(51.4)		 13.0
(55.4)		 8.0
(46.4)
Record low °C (°F) 4.5
(40.1)		 4.0
(39.2)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 −5.0
(23.0)		 −8.8
(16.2)		 −9.3
(15.3)		 −10.6
(12.9)		 −9.5
(14.9)		 −7.2
(19.0)		 −3.4
(25.9)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 1.2
(34.2)		 −18.0
(−0.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 114.8
(4.52)		 93.4
(3.68)		 80.3
(3.16)		 47.3
(1.86)		 48.8
(1.92)		 50.5
(1.99)		 53.5
(2.11)		 43.9
(1.73)		 50.6
(1.99)		 76.3
(3.00)		 85.0
(3.35)		 105.3
(4.15)		 849.7
(33.46)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2mm) 10.5 9.9 9.7 7.1 7.4 7.6 7.3 6.5 6.4 8.1 8.7 9.9 99.1
Source: Bureau of Meteorology, [[1]]

Sporting records

  • The first campdraft ever held (to rules) was held in Tenterfield in c.1885.
  • The Australian showjumping record was broken at Tenterfield in 1926 Mrs A. A. Laidlaw's "Lookout", ridden by A. McPhee jumped 7’10¼".
  • The world showjumping record was broken at Tenterfield in 1936 by C. H. Perry's "Lookout", ridden by W Marton when he jumped 8’3½".
  • Guinness World Record achieved by then local Police Sergeant Troy Grant at the Tenterfield Golf Club in 2004 for the most holes of golf completed in 7 days.
  • Tenterfield entrance sign

    Entrance sign to Tenterfield.

  • View of Tenterfield Joseph Backler p2 00036h

    Tenterfield in 1861.

  • StateLibQld 1 236927 View of Tenterfield, New South Wales, 1887

    View of Tenterfield 1887.

  • StateLibQld 2 236899 Main street through Tenterfield with Queensland's ranges in the background

    Main street 1887.

  • Drovers, Roseneath sheep station, Tenterfield, 1942 - unknown photographer for Walkabout magazine (5038009366)

    Drovers, 1942.

  • Tenterfield Post Office 009

    Tenterfield Post Office.

  • Tenterfield (2)

    Post Office, Rouse Street.

  • Tenterfield Post Office 005

    Plaque with postcode.

  • Tenterfield (10)

    Railway Station, now a museum.

  • Picking cherries at the Miller orchard "The Poplars" - Tenterfield, NSW, ca. 1900 - photographer A.B. Butler (5222268381)

    Cherry pickers 1900.

  • Scrub School - Tenterfield area, NSW, 1923 - Billy Butter's Studio, Tenterfield (3523860399)

    Scrub school 1923.

  • Tenterfield Rural Bank 002

    Tenterfield Rural Bank.

  • Polling booth at Mingoola Hall, Mingoola, Mole Crossing, Tenterfield. 1924 Buick on right - Tenterfield area, NSW, c. 1925 (9666083743)

    Polling booth c1925.

  • Tenterfield Telegraph Hotel 004

    Telegraph Hotel.

  • Weather Predicting Rock - panoramio

    Weather predicting rock.

  • Tenterfield Creek-1 (17300606016)

    Tenterfield Creek.

  • Tenterfield Blue Belle Cafe

    Blue Belle Café.

  • Tenterfield Shops-1 (14009675628)

    Shops in Tenterfield

  • Tenterfield Countryside in Autumn-1 (8713175322)

    Autumn colours.

  • Tenterfield rocks

    Granite boulders on Kildare Road, Tenterfield.

  • Three women spinning wool to knit socks for soldiers during World War I - Tenterfield, NSW, ca. 1915

    Spinning wool to knit socks for soldiers during World War I 1915.

  • Tenterfield Boer War Memorial 001

    Boer War memorial.

  • Tenterfield Rail Bridge - panoramio

    Rail bridge.

  • Tenterfield Home-1 (13986027560)

    House in Tenterfield.

Notable residents

Tenterfield (4)
The "Tenterfield Saddlery" made famous by Peter Allen
  • Peter Allen, an entertainer who was born in and spent much of his childhood in Tenterfield, where he lived with his grandfather George Woolnough
  • Bronwyn Bancroft, an indigenous Australian artist
  • William Blakely, born in Tenterfield in 1875, a botanist and plant collector
  • Sir Harry Chauvel, born at nearby Tabulam, the first Australian to command a military Corps
  • William Folster, politician
  • Robert Guy Howarth, born in Tenterfield in 1906, scholar, literary critic and poet
  • Billy Moore, NRL footballer
  • A.B. "Banjo" Paterson
  • Jenny Saville, professional golfer
  • Gary Shearston (1939–2013), singer and songwriter .
  • Dr. Leonard Smith, Aboriginal Artist, Writer, Professional Rugby League Player，Australian Army Veteran and Philanthropist. Attended Tenterfield High in 1959
  • Charlie Tapscott, 2 x paralympian silver medalist
  • Major J.F. Thomas, a solicitor known for his vigorous defence of Harry "Breaker" Morant, and once owned and operated the Tenterfield Star newspaper. Jack Thompson portrayed Thomas in the 1980 film Breaker Morant
  • George Woolnough, Allen's grandfather, a saddler, the third person to own the saddlery and the subject of Allen's song "Tenterfield Saddler"
  • Oliver Woodward, decorated First World War veteran and metallurgist
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