Dubbo
| Dubbo New South Wales | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Over looking the city from West Dubbo | |||||||||
  Dubbo | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°15′25″S 148°36′4″E / 32.25694°S 148.60111°E | ||||||||
| Population | 30,574[1] (37) | ||||||||
| Established | 1849 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2830 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 275 m (902 ft)[2] | ||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) | ||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | AEDT (UTC+11) | ||||||||
| Location | 408 km (254 mi) WNW of Sydney | ||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Dubbo | ||||||||
| Region | Central West | ||||||||
| County | Lincoln | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Dubbo | ||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Parkes | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Dubbo (Template:PronEng)[3] is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 30,574 at the time of the 2006 census, and serves an estimated catchment of 130,000.[4] It is located at the intersection of the Mitchell, Newell and Golden highways. Dubbo is located approximately 275 m (902 ft) above sea level, 416 km (258 mi) west-north-west of the state capital Sydney and is a major road and rail freight hub to other parts of New South Wales. Dubbo is considered the cross-roads of New South Wales.[citation needed] It is linked by national highways north to Brisbane, south to Melbourne, east to Sydney and Newcastle, and west to Broken Hill and Adelaide. Dubbo is included in the rainfall records and weather forecast region for the Central West Slopes[5] and in the Central West Slopes and Plains division of the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts.[6]
History
Evidence of habitation by Indigenous Australians dates back approximately 40,000 years.
John Oxley was the first European to report on the area now known as Dubbo in 1818.[7] The first permanent settler in the area was Robert Dulhunty, described as one of the wealthiest citizens in the Australian colony at the time. There are records of squatters being given permission to set up large sheep and cattle stations in the area in 1824 but these were not maintained.[citation needed] Dulhunty occupied a property, known as Dubbo station, from the early 1830s on a squatting basis. With the passing of the Squatting Act in 1836 he took out a licence on the property.[8]
Dulhunty showed an affinity with Indigenous Australians, his party included some 40 Aborigines and he favoured using Aboriginal names for properties, including Dubbo. Dubbo is now thought to be a mispronunciation of the local Wiradjuri word "Thubbo" but because of a lack of precise records from Dulhunty at the time and an incomplete knowledge of the Wiradjuri language today there is some conjecture over the word's meaning. A popular current theory is the word means "red earth," consistent with the local landscape. It is also possible that Thubbo or Tubbo is Wiradjuri for "head covering"[9] - a theory put forward to support this name is that the shape of Dulhunty's house may have looked like a hat to the local people. [citation needed]
Dundullimal Homestead is a farmhouse from that period, built around 1840 by John Maugham on his 26,000-acre (11,000 ha) sheep station. The building is one of the oldest homesteads still standing in western NSW and today is open to visitors.
In 1846, due to the number of settlers in the area, the government decided to establish a courthouse, police station and lock-up in the Dubbo area. A constables residence was completed in 1847 and a wooden slab construction courthouse and lock-up in early 1848. By this time the settlement had only four buildings; the constables residence, courthouse and lock-up, a store and an inn. Due to the lack of title for the land, in 1848 the storekeeper, Jean Emile Serisier, organised a petition asking for a land sale of town allotments. The plan was presented to the colony's Surveyor General in May 1849 by surveyor G. Boyle White.[8] The settlement was gazetted as a village in November 1849 with the first land sales taking place in 1850.[7] Population growth was slow until the Victorian gold rush of the 1860s brought an increase in north-south trade. The first bank was opened in 1867. Steady population growth saw the town proclaimed a municipality in 1872, when its population was 850. The coming of the railway in 1881 resulted in another boom period and by 1897 Dubbo had a general store, Carrier Arms, a slab courthouse, a gaol and a police hut. Dubbo was officially proclaimed a city in 1966.[10]
Economy
The city's largest employer is the Fletcher International Exports, which exports lamb to the world.[11] Other local industries reflect the city's status as a regional base in an area whose economic backbone is agricultural.
A large employer is the Dubbo Base Hospital, and "health services" are the local area's largest employer [citation needed], as the town provides medical services to the surrounding region.
Retail
Dubbo is also considered a major shopping centre for the surrounding regional areas in the Central and Far Western districts of New South Wales. Dubbo has many shopping districts including, but not limited to, the large Orana Mall (East Dubbo), Macquarie and Talbragar Streets (City Centre), Centro Dubbo, Riverdale and Tamworth Street local stores (South Dubbo). Dubbo also has many boutiques and unique stores as well as major national stores including Target, Coles, Woolworths, Mitre 10 Home & Trade, Bunnings, Myer, Harris Scarfe, Big W, The Good Guys and Harvey Norman.
Planning is currently underway for a new suburban shopping centre in West Dubbo. The centre will contain a new Woolworths supermarket (Dubbo's third) and 15 smaller retail shops.[12]
Tourism
Tourism is also a significant local industry. Dubbo features the open-range Taronga Western Plains Zoo, which is home to various species of endangered animals, including the White, Black and Indian Rhinoceros', and runs a successful breeding program for a number of endangered species. The zoo is home to numerous specimens from around the world in spacious open-range moat enclosures, grouped according to their continent of origin. Other town attractions include the historic Dundullimal Homestead and the historic Old Dubbo Gaol in the middle of the commercial centre of Macquarie Street. The recently opened Western Plains Cultural Centre includes four gallery exhibition spaces, two Museum exhibition spaces and a Community Arts Centre.
Education
There are 20 schools and secondary colleges including the Dubbo school of Distance Education. Dubbo is home to one of the four main campuses of Charles Sturt University which is located next to the Dubbo College Senior Campus.
Geography
The Macquarie River runs through Dubbo, as does Troy Creek. The City of Dubbo lies within a transition zone between the ranges and tablelands of the Great Dividing Range to the east and the Darling Basin plains to the west.
Climate
| Climate data for Dubbo | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.0 (91.4) |
32.1 (89.8) |
29.4 (84.9) |
24.8 (76.6) |
19.8 (67.6) |
16.0 (60.8) |
15.2 (59.4) |
17.3 (63.1) |
20.8 (69.4) |
25.1 (77.2) |
29.0 (84.2) |
31.9 (89.4) |
24.5 (76.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.9 (64.2) |
17.6 (63.7) |
15.1 (59.2) |
10.6 (51.1) |
6.6 (43.9) |
4.1 (39.4) |
2.6 (36.7) |
3.5 (38.3) |
6.0 (42.8) |
9.6 (49.3) |
13.2 (55.8) |
16.2 (61.2) |
10.2 (50.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 60.7 (2.39) |
53.4 (2.10) |
47.5 (1.87) |
44.2 (1.74) |
46.5 (1.83) |
49.6 (1.95) |
44.3 (1.74) |
44.4 (1.75) |
42.7 (1.68) |
48.9 (1.93) |
51.7 (2.04) |
50.0 (1.97) |
583.9 (22.99) |
| Source: [13] | |||||||||||||
Notable people
- Jean Emile Serisier was Dubbo's first businessman and the leader. He held many important positions including Post Master, Justice to the Gaol and was Magistrate from 1862.[14] He is also credited with works to advance the town including schools, Catholic Church, bridge (named after him) and Hospital.[15][16][17]
- Reggie McNamara and Bob Spears - Early twentieth century international cycling stars
- Suzanne Grae, founder of the fashion label bearing her name, was born in Dubbo in 1968.[18]
- Andrew Ryan - Rugby League player
- Glenn McGrath - Former Australian cricket player
- Luke Priddis - Rugby League player
- David Peachey - Former NRL Rugby League player
- Geoffrey Lancaster - International concert pianist
- Thirsty Merc - Australian Rock Band
- Dean Pay - Former Rugby League International, grew up and retired in Dubbo
- Kirsty Lee Allan - Actress in Australian drama series Sea Patrol
- Kyle Noke - International MMA fighter, UFC fighter (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
- Megan Dunn - Cyclist winning two gold in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games
- The Reels - 1980s pop band
- Adrian Leijer - Australian international soccer player
- Jennifer Wellington - Yale University, Historian
Architecture
Dubbo has several fine examples of Victorian civic architecture including the (second) Courthouse (1887), the Lands Office with its use of timber and corrugated iron cladding, and the railway station (1881).[19] Towards the centre of the city the older residential areas contain numerous examples of red brick houses built in the "California Bungalow" style of the early 20th century, together with Victorian terraced houses (Mostly in the Darling Street area) and a few Edwardian semi-detached homes.
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| Courthouse | Lands Building | California Bungalow | Victorian Terraces | Edwardian 'Semis' |
Transport
Dubbo railway station lies on the Main Western railway line between Sydney and Bourke and opened in 1881.[20] The station is the terminus of a daily CountryLink XPT train service which operates to and from Sydney. Dubbo also has its own recently upgraded airport, Dubbo Airport, with daily flights to Sydney (Qantas, REX, Airlink), Broken Hill (REX and Airlink), and other small out-back New South Wales towns (Airlink). Buses also service Dubbo, with major runs to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Media
Local print media include:
- The Daily Liberal
- Dubbo Weekender
- The Weekly Dubbo Photo News
- The Weekly Mailbox Shopper
Dubbo is home to the Rural Press Central West Regional Hub, which prints many of Rural Press' local newspapers from across the state in the city. Regional Business magazine is also printed locally.
Three commercially licensed radio stations broadcast in the city:
- Star FM - broadcasts on FM 93.5, playing popular and hit music.
- 2DU - Local heritage station which broadcasts on AM 1251.
- Zoo FM - Rock music station which broadcasts on FM 92.7
ABC Radio also has a studio in the city:
- ABC Western Plains - Local news and talk on 95.9FM
ABC Radio broadcasts five services to the Dubbo area; ABC Local, ABC Radio National, Triple J, ABC Classic FM, and News Radio.
The city also has narrowcast stations on 90.3 FM Racing Radio, a tourist radio station and a country music station. The city has one community station, Rhema FM which broadcasts Christian music.
Dubbo has 5 television stations that broadcast in both analogue and digital transmission formats :
- Prime TV – an affiliate of the Seven Network
- WIN TV – an affiliate of the Nine Network
- Southern Cross Ten – an affiliate of the Ten Network
- ABC TV - ABC1
- SBS Television - SBS One
Ten additional free-to-air digital television channels are now available in Dubbo. These channels include ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, One HD, Eleven, GEM HD, GO!, 7TWO on Prime, 7mate and SBS Two.
Prime Television and WIN Television both produce half-hour long local news bulletins. Prime News screens at 6pm, while WIN News screens at 6.30pm from Monday to Friday.
Subscription Television services are provided by Austar.
Sport and recreation
Sport plays a big role in Dubbo's community life. Rugby league is popular in Dubbo. Two teams compete in the Group 11 Rugby League - the Dubbo CYMS and Dubbo Macquarie Raiders. The city also has an Australian rules football team, the Dubbo Demons who were premiers in the Central West Australian Football League in 2007. There are also two rugby union teams, the Dubbo Kangaroos (Roos) and the Dubbo Rhinos, which compete in the Central West Rugby competition.
Dubbo has a turf club, which incorporates a pony club, horse racing and organises shows and gymkhana. Ultimate Frisbee is a new sport to the town and is rapidly growing in popularity. The Dubbo Meerkats have been Champions of Western NSW for the years 2005-2007 and are hosting the inaugural National Country Ultimate Championships in 2008.[needs update] The 'Dubbo Rams' compete in the men's and women's NSW State Basketball Leagues. Netball is also popular in Dubbo with competitions every weekend for all age groups during netball season at the Nita McGrath netball courts near the Macquarie River in Central Dubbo. Dubbo has a large Junior and Senior Hockey Association with over 1500 registered members, playing on one of the best[citation needed] synthetic hockey fields in the central west. Soccer is very popular particularly among children. Dubbo has its own all-age men's and women's competition and has three teams - Dubbo FC Bulls, Westside Panthers and Orana Spurs - who compete in the Western Premier League.
In 2007 Dubbo hosted the Junior World Orienteering Championships with most of the events held in the granite outcrops of the nearby Sappa Bulga Range. From this event the orienteering club Western Plains Orienteers was born. Other sports popular in Dubbo include cricket, lawn bowls, golf.
Annual events
Dubbo Multicultural Festival
Every September, the Multicultural Festival has a Parade & Festival in Victoria park, & the following weekend a Dinner and Concert, held at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre. The festival is about celebrating the unity of cultural diversity within the region with over 70 nationalities represented in the community. Enjoy the performances by local and state-wide performers of all cultures and partake of the multicultural cuisine on offer.
Dubbo Show
The annual agricultural show, held around April/May of each year, is a major event for Dubbo and surrounding areas.
Dubbo National Steer Show
This event is the annual domestic steer and heifer (cattle) hoof and hook show. Each year over 100 beef carcase cattle are judged live (hoof) as led or un-led and dead (hook). It is also the annual young judges, auctioneers and paraders competition. These events are very popular among the schools and colleges of the New South Wales area. [citation needed]
Dubbo City Eisteddfod
The Dubbo Eisteddfod is held annually at Dubbo Civic Centre, with students from Dubbo as well as surrounding regions including Gilgandra, Wellington, Orange, Gulgong, Narromine and Bathurst competing in the various sections.This involves Speech, Drama, Instrumental & Dance. The Eisteddfod runs from May until July each year.
See also
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Dubbo (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ "DCC Annual Report" (PDF). Dubbo City Council. published 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) (refer page 7) - ^ Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-876429-14-3
- ^ "Dubbo City - Moving online and moving ahead". Australian Government. Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-04-19..
- ^ Weather, The Land newspaper, 2009-10-29, Rural Press, North Richmond, NSW
- ^ New South Wales Forecast Areas Map Retrieved 2010-1-27
- ^ a b Australian Heritage - Historical Towns Directory
- ^ a b Hornage, Bill (1974). Old Dubbo Gaol. Gaol Restoration Committee of the Dubbo Museum and Historical Society. pp. 4–5. ISBN 0959843604.
- ^ "PLACE NAMES". The Australian Women's Weekly (1932-1982). 1932-1982: National Library of Australia. 13 May 1964. p. 61. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ "Geographical Names register Extract: Dubbo". Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- ^ "Program aims to cut Dubbo unemployment". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2005-06-24. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help). - ^ "Application lodged for west Dubbo shopping centre". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2005-03-11. Retrieved 2009-07-07.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help). - ^ "Climate statistics for Dubbo". Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
- ^ "Serisier, Jean Emile (1824 - 1881)". Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help). - ^ "Shoyoen Sister City Garden & Jurian Ceremonial Tea House Points of Interest" (PDF). Dubbo City Council. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) [dead link]. - ^ Dubbo The City and its History by Bill Hornage
- ^ Dubbo City on the Plains by Marion Dormer
- ^ "Suzanne Grae, About Us". Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help). - ^ "Dubbo". WalkAbout. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Text "work" ignored (help). - ^ "Dubbo railway station". www.nswrail.net. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
External links
| Preceding station | NSW Main lines | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:NSW Country lines lines | ||||
| Preceding station | CountryLink Services | Following station | ||
| Terminus | Template:CountryLink lines Dubbo XPT |