Woolbrook, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids WoolbrookNew South Wales |
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St John's church
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 Woolbrook
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 248 (2011 census) | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2354 | ||||||||
| LGA(s) | Walcha Shire, Tamworth Regional Council | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Tamworth | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | New England | ||||||||
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Woolbrook is a small village located in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is about 29 kilometers east of the town of Walcha. In 2011, Woolbrook had a population of 248 people.
The village is built along the Macdonald River. This river is one of the main sources for the larger Namoi River. Woolbrook is part of the Tamworth Regional Council area. It is also close to the Oxley Highway, just a few kilometers east of where it meets the New England Highway. Some parts of the Woolbrook area are also in the Walcha Shire local government area.
Contents
History of Woolbrook
The land around Woolbrook has a long history. In 1836, a person named Robert Rodd settled on a large area of land called Surveyor's Creek Run. This area was about 40,000 acres (160 square kilometers). It covered the future sites of Woolbrook and Walcha Road.
In 1879, the Amos Brothers built the MacDonald River Private Hospital. This hospital helped the workers who were building the railway. The railway line from Sydney reached Woolbrook and continued to Uralla in 1882.
Around 1950, Norm, Don, and Geoff Goodwin started the Goodwin Brothers sawmill in Woolbrook. This sawmill was sold a few times after Don passed away. It finally closed down in 2004.
The Macdonald River Post Office opened on December 1, 1889. It was renamed Woolbrook in 1891 and closed in 1990. There was also a bakery in Woolbrook that operated until about 1998.
A Weather Bureau site was set up in 1958 to record weather information. Today, the Watson family helps monitor this site. Woolbrook still has a public school with about 20 students, a local store, the AIF Memorial Hall, and St John's church, which was built in 1929. The main jobs in the area involve raising sheep and beef cattle. The population of the Woolbrook area is now around 220 people.
In November 2008, Woolbrook experienced very heavy rain. This caused severe flooding in the Macdonald River. The area was officially declared a natural disaster zone because of the floods.
Fun Events and Activities
Woolbrook hosts some exciting annual events!
- The Woolbrook Stampede happens every Easter. This event features horse sports like campdrafting, where riders guide horses to separate cattle from a herd. There are also other fun sporting and novelty events.
- The Woolbrook Spring Fair takes place in October. You can see draught horse events, exciting goat racing, and dog trials. There is also other entertainment for everyone to enjoy.
- The Macdonald River is a great place for swimming and fishing. There are also picnic areas where families can relax and enjoy the outdoors.
Weather in Woolbrook
Woolbrook has a typical climate for the Northern Tablelands region. This means it has cool to cold winters and mild to warm summers. Because the town is located in a deep valley, it often records some of the coldest temperatures in the region. Sometimes, it even records some of the coldest temperatures in all of Australia during winter.
Woolbrook is a fairly sunny place, with about 118 clear days each year. On June 19, 1994, a temperature of -14.5°C (5.9°F) was recorded in the town. This is one of the lowest temperatures ever recorded in Australia outside of the Australian Alps.
| Climate data for Woolbrook Road (1970–2020, rainfall to 1958); 925 m AMSL; 30.97° S, 151.35° E | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 38.7 (101.7) |
38.0 (100.4) |
34.5 (94.1) |
30.6 (87.1) |
24.0 (75.2) |
21.0 (69.8) |
20.5 (68.9) |
26.5 (79.7) |
29.0 (84.2) |
33.0 (91.4) |
36.5 (97.7) |
38.0 (100.4) |
38.7 (101.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.8 (82.0) |
26.8 (80.2) |
24.9 (76.8) |
21.3 (70.3) |
17.0 (62.6) |
13.5 (56.3) |
12.8 (55.0) |
14.4 (57.9) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.2 (70.2) |
23.7 (74.7) |
26.4 (79.5) |
20.6 (69.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.8 (55.0) |
12.6 (54.7) |
10.1 (50.2) |
5.7 (42.3) |
2.0 (35.6) |
0.2 (32.4) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
2.0 (35.6) |
5.3 (41.5) |
8.4 (47.1) |
10.9 (51.6) |
5.7 (42.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −1.0 (30.2) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−9.0 (15.8) |
−10.5 (13.1) |
−14.5 (5.9) |
−13.5 (7.7) |
−11.5 (11.3) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−14.5 (5.9) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 98.1 (3.86) |
75.6 (2.98) |
53.2 (2.09) |
40.7 (1.60) |
45.6 (1.80) |
45.2 (1.78) |
50.5 (1.99) |
52.0 (2.05) |
54.4 (2.14) |
71.8 (2.83) |
84.5 (3.33) |
98.9 (3.89) |
770.5 (30.34) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 8.5 | 6.8 | 6.2 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 7.9 | 8.6 | 9.7 | 84.7 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 45 | 49 | 46 | 49 | 55 | 60 | 58 | 49 | 46 | 44 | 47 | 44 | 49 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
Famous People from Woolbrook
- Barnaby Joyce is an Australian politician who grew up in Woolbrook. He went to school there until he was 11 years old.
Important Heritage Sites
Heritage-listed sites are places that are important because of their history or special features. The heritage-listed site in Woolbrook is:
- Woolbrook rail bridge over Macdonald River
The Old Railway Station
The Woolbrook railway station first opened on August 2, 1882. It was originally called Macdonald River station. On October 30, 1891, its name was changed to Woolbrook. The station closed sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s. The closest railway station that is still open today is Walcha Road.
| Preceding station | Former Services | Following station | ||
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| Walcha Road
towards Wallangarra
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Main North Line | Danglemah
towards Sydney
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