Wilcannia, New South Wales
| Wilcannia New South Wales |
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 Central Darling Council Chambers |
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 Wilcannia
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| Population: | 596[1] | ||||||
| Established: | 1866 | ||||||
| Postcode: | 2836 | ||||||
| Coordinates: | 31°34′S 143°22′E / 31.567°S 143.367°E | ||||||
| Elevation: | 75.0 m (246 ft) | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Central Darling Shire | ||||||
| County: | Young County | ||||||
| State electorate: | Murray-Darling | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Parkes | ||||||
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Wilcannia is a small town located within the Central Darling Shire in north western New South Wales, Australia. This was the third largest inland port in the country during the great river boat era of the mid-19th century.[2] At the 2006 census, Wilcannia had a population of 596.[1]
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[edit] Geography
Wilcannia is located where the Barrier Highway crosses the Darling River, 965 km from Sydney. The environment is borderline semi-arid to desert with an annual rainfall of 255 mm. Mean maximum daily temperature in summer is 34°C and in winter is 19°C. The highest temperature recorded in Wilcannia is 48.2 degrees C in 1973. (Bureau of Meteorology).
Wilcannia is located within the Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion (IBRA classification, Department of Environment), consisting of landscapes adapted to flooding. Common species include River Red Gum, Yellow Box, Oldman Saltbush and Lignum.
The surrounding area is very sparsely settled by pastoralists who have large land holdings, used primarily to run sheep. These holdings fall in the Western Division and the majority are held as 99-year leases.
The name Wilcannia is said to be derived from an Aboriginal term for either 'gap in the bank where floodwaters escape' or 'wild dog'. Neither meaning has been linguistically verified.[2]
[edit] Demography
From the 2006 Census, Wilcannia had a population of 759 with 410 (54%) people being of Aboriginal descent. Wilcannia has 358 private dwellings (Australian Bureau of Statistics).
[edit] Gallery
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Location of Wilcannia in New South Wales (red)
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from the bed of the Darling River
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Street Scene
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Street Scene
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Abandoned building by the Darling River
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Wilcannia Police Station with Melia azedarach
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Abandoned Building
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Residence near the Anglican Church
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Bridges over the Darling River
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Old Post Office
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Old warehouse
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The Bourke-Wilcannia road, near Bourke
[edit] Climate
Wilcannia has a semi-arid climate with hot summers and cool winters.
| Climate data for Wilcannia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 48.2 (118.8) |
47.1 (116.8) |
44.4 (111.9) |
38.4 (101.1) |
31.3 (88.3) |
29.3 (84.7) |
30.6 (87.1) |
32.4 (90.3) |
39.4 (102.9) |
40.7 (105.3) |
45.2 (113.4) |
46.8 (116.2) |
48.2 (118.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 35.4 (95.7) |
34.6 (94.3) |
31.3 (88.3) |
26.2 (79.2) |
21.2 (70.2) |
17.7 (63.9) |
17.1 (62.8) |
19.5 (67.1) |
23.5 (74.3) |
27.4 (81.3) |
31.2 (88.2) |
33.9 (93.0) |
26.6 (79.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 19.8 (67.6) |
19.3 (66.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
11.7 (53.1) |
7.9 (46.2) |
5.4 (41.7) |
4.2 (39.6) |
5.6 (42.1) |
8.5 (47.3) |
12.2 (54.0) |
15.6 (60.1) |
18.2 (64.8) |
12.0 (53.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 9.2 (48.6) |
8.8 (47.8) |
6.4 (43.5) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−5 (23.0) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
3.4 (38.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
8.4 (47.1) |
−5 (23.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 25.7 (1.012) |
26.1 (1.028) |
23.3 (0.917) |
17.2 (0.677) |
23.7 (0.933) |
22.4 (0.882) |
18.3 (0.72) |
17.6 (0.693) |
16.0 (0.63) |
25.4 (1) |
20.8 (0.819) |
26.0 (1.024) |
262.7 (10.343) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 42.5 |
| Source: [3] | |||||||||||||
[edit] References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Wilcannia (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL183800&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- ^ a b "Wilcannia". Geographical Names Register extract. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/name_search/extract?id=SXckjzWASX. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ^ "Climate statistics for Australian locations". http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_046043_All.shtml.
[edit] External links
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