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Bowral

Coordinates: 34°28′55″S 150°25′05″E / 34.482°S 150.418°E / -34.482; 150.418
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Bowral
New South Wales
Bowral Railway Station
Bowral is located in New South Wales
Bowral
Bowral
Coordinates34°28′55″S 150°25′05″E / 34.482°S 150.418°E / -34.482; 150.418[1]
Population12,154[2]
Established1861
Postcode(s)2576
Elevation690 m (2,264 ft)
Location
LGA(s)Wingecarribee Shire
RegionSouthern Highlands
State electorate(s)Goulburn
Federal division(s)Throsby
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
18.7 °C
66 °F		 7.8 °C
46 °F		 905.5 mm
35.6 in
Localities around Bowral:
Mittagong
Berrima Bowral East Bowral
Burradoo

Bowral /ˈbaʊrəl/[3] is the largest town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in the Wingecarribee Shire. It has a population at the 2011 Census of 12,154 and the largest business and entertainment precinct in the Highlands.

In a past era, Bowral served as a rural retreat for the elite gentry of Sydney, resulting in the establishment of many historic estates and manor houses in the district. Today, Bowral is universally associated with the cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, who is commemorated by the International Cricket Hall of Fame and other monuments at Bradman Oval. It also hosts the annual Tulip-Time Festival held in the town in September.

Bowral is the national birthplace of fictional nanny Mary Poppins, as author P. L. Travers spent her childhood in the town and began her life as a storyteller there.[4]

It is within close driving distance to the other main Highland towns, being 5 kilometres (3 mi) from Mittagong, 9 kilometres (6 mi) from both Moss Vale and Berrima and within a reasonable distance of 27 kilometres (17 mi) from Bundanoon and 26 kilometres (16 mi) to Robertson.

The town of Bowral can include the suburb of East Bowral and the village of Burradoo which are located adjacent to the town.

History

Main article: History of Bowral

Bowral was first discovered by white people in 1789 by a man called John Wilson of the European settlement. Before that, it was part of the land that belonged to the Tharawal Aboriginal Tribe, though they rarely settle there because of its cooler temperature. About 30 years later, the land that came to be called Bowral was given to a man named John Oxley who developed it into a town.

By the middle of the 19th century, Bowral was beginning to grow quickly. By 1863 and by the end of the century, it had a church and a school, and by the end of the century it had everything from a blacksmith to a newsagency to a bakery and a post office and a train station. This caused Bowral to have a huge population increase.

During the early 20th century, Bowral really grew as a town. In 1906, Bowral's population increased once again with the creation of two new schools. In the 1920s, Bowral finally had a hospital built and was given access to electricity and in 1935 it developed a town sewerage system.

As a tribute to the man who had developed the town of Bowral - John Oxley - there was a mall built in the 1980s called Oxley Mall. Today the mall still stands and Bowral is a large country town with a population of 11,500.

Etymology

It was previously known by the name Bowrall.[5] The name could have derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "high and large".[6]

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Bowral had a population of 12,154 people.[2] The town is growing rapidly,[7][failed verification] owing partly to the completion of the M5 freeway from Sydney with links to Canberra.

In recent years, Bowral has become a haven for retirees and empty nesters, commonly from Sydney: 15% of Bowral's population is aged 55–64 years (compared with the national average of 11.6%) and 29% is aged over 64 years (compared with the national average of 14%).[2] Consequently, the town has many retirement villages,[8] some located only minutes' walk from its central business district and hospitals. Also, as measured during the 2011 census, 42.4% of the town's population are under the age of 45, whereas for the nation the figure is 60.7%.[2]

Transportation

Bowral is about 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the Hume Highway, which goes north to Sydney and south to Canberra, the Snowy Mountains and Melbourne. In the past, Bowral served as an overnight stop-over for travellers.

Bowral has a rail station on CityRail's Southern Highlands line which under Cityrail services goes to Sydney and Goulburn and under CountryLink goes to Canberra and Melbourne. It has public bus routes to Nowra, Albion Park and Wollongong. A private operator provides a service six days a week from Bowral to Greater Sydney (Campbelltown, Liverpool and Parramatta) and to the Shoalhaven and south coast of New South Wales.

Climate

Bowral enjoys warm summers and quite cool to cold winters. Frost is common during winter although temperatures rarely fall below -5 degrees Celsius. Snow falls most winters, but settles less frequently and normally only for a few hours, although falls in excess of 15 cm have been recorded.

Climate data for Bowral
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 40.0
(104.0) 		39.1
(102.4) 		35.7
(96.3) 		31.5
(88.7) 		25.5
(77.9) 		20.1
(68.2) 		20.3
(68.5) 		23.8
(74.8) 		29.1
(84.4) 		32.4
(90.3) 		37.1
(98.8) 		37.2
(99.0) 		40.0
(104.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 25.4
(77.7) 		24.9
(76.8) 		22.4
(72.3) 		19.3
(66.7) 		15.4
(59.7) 		12.4
(54.3) 		11.6
(52.9) 		13.4
(56.1) 		16.2
(61.2) 		19.1
(66.4) 		21.2
(70.2) 		23.9
(75.0) 		18.7
(65.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 13.3
(55.9) 		13.4
(56.1) 		11.5
(52.7) 		8.0
(46.4) 		5.3
(41.5) 		3.3
(37.9) 		1.9
(35.4) 		2.9
(37.2) 		5.1
(41.2) 		7.6
(45.7) 		9.5
(49.1) 		11.5
(52.7) 		7.8
(46.0)
Record low °C (°F) 2.1
(35.8) 		1.8
(35.2) 		−0.7
(30.7) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		−6.3
(20.7) 		−8.2
(17.2) 		−11.2
(11.8) 		−6.1
(21.0) 		−5.7
(21.7) 		−2.6
(27.3) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		−1.4
(29.5) 		−11.2
(11.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 82.0
(3.23) 		93.8
(3.69) 		91.2
(3.59) 		79.1
(3.11) 		72.1
(2.84) 		84.0
(3.31) 		46.2
(1.82) 		60.3
(2.37) 		57.8
(2.28) 		74.1
(2.92) 		92.2
(3.63) 		73.1
(2.88) 		905.5
(35.65)
Source: [9]

Attractions

Bowral is perhaps the best known of the towns and villages of the Southern Highlands, and in recent years has become the commercial centre of the Wingecarribee Shire. Bowral is known for its boutiques, antique stores, gourmet restaurants, and rich coffee culture.

Bowral is home to the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame, which is dedicated to the achievements of cricketer Sir Donald Bradman and to the game of cricket. Occasionally, the Australian Cricket Team play a friendly game at the Bradman Oval, which is located adjacent to the museum.

Bowral is also the setting for Tulip Time a Spring celebration where over 100,000 tulips and 25,000 flowers are planted in the town centre. Held every September and October, Tulip Time has become one of Australia's leading floral festivals. In Spring, the town is also very popular with gardening enthusiasts who come to view some of the world's most beautiful formal gardens designed by landscape luminaries such as Paul Sorensen, who designed the gardens of Invergowrie.

Bowral is the site of the Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens, located on the corner of Kangaloon and Old South Roads in East Bowral. The garden is in its early stages with few plantings, but ultimately will include a mix of exotic, native, and endemic species including a shale woodland, the endangered ecological community endemic to the site. Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens website.

Bowral is the home of the Vietnam War Memorial and Cherry Tree Walk. The memorial consists of a series of upright granite faced panels inscribed with the names of those Australian soldiers who gave their life in the Vietnam War. Construction of the Bowral Vietnam Memorial commenced in 1995 along the Mittagong Rivulet that flows through the town. The purpose of the memorial was to create an environmental memorial that expressed the nation’s respect for Vietnam veterans and honoured their service. Along a walking/bike track beside the stream are planted 526 cherry trees, each dedicated to a soldier who died in the service of his country. The walk is particularly attractive in spring when the cherry trees are in flower.

Bowral lies at the heart of the Southern Highlands BOOKtrail, Australia's first booktown project.

Bowral is the site of the Bong Bong Picnic Races. The races commenced in 1886, and were regarded as the biggest picnic race meeting in the world during the 1980s with crowds of up to 35,000. Poor crowd behaviour saw the races suspended in 1985, resuming in 1992 as an exclusive event for its members. The event still attracts around 5,000 people and is held annually in November. The Bong Bong Picnic Race Club holds several other events each year on the site.

Bowral is also home to a few vineyards and cellar doors and is within a close proximity to Mittagong which is the winery and cellar door centre of the Southern Highlands. There are 60 vineyards in the Southern Highlands which is a recognised cool climate wine district. Wineries around Bowral can be found in the Southern Highlands Wineries Index

The population swells during winter, when thousands of visitors book into the local hotels and B&Bs to enjoy winter getaways. Bowral is home to a number of manor houses and hotels dating back to the 19th century which have served as retreats for the elite gentry of Sydney.

Panoramic view of Bowral from the Bowral Lookout on Mount Gibraltar. Moss Vale and the ranges near Bundanoon can clearly be seen in the background.

Bowral is overshadowed by Mount Gibraltar, which rises to 863 metres (2,831 ft) above sea level and has lookouts over Bowral and neighbouring villages and towns such as Mittagong, Moss Vale and the ranges near Bundanoon. Near some of the lookouts are picnic and barbecue areas. The mountain also serves as residential area and bushland reserve.

Hospitals

  • Bowral & District Hospital

Schools

Schools in Bowral:

Churches

Churches in Bowral:

  • The Fields Church an Acts 29 Network Church
  • St Simon's and St Jude's Anglican Church
  • St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church
  • St Andrew's Presbyterian Church
  • Bowral Uniting Church of Australia
  • Bowral First Church of Christ, Scientist
  • Bowral Baptist Church
  • Bowral Salvation Army
  • Bowral Church of Christ
  • Bowral Seventh-day Adventist Church

Past and present notable residents of Bowral

References

  1. ^ Commonwealth of Australia (16 January 2004). "Place Names Search: BOWRAL". Australian Government - Geosciences Australia. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Bowral". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 February 2013. Edit this at Wikidata
  3. ^ Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-876429-14-3
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ okTravel - Bowral Profile
  6. ^ "Bowral". Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  7. ^ AusStats : UCL112600 Bowral (Urban Centre/Locality) [dead link]
  8. ^ Retirement villages in Bowral at Villages.com.au directory
  9. ^ "Climate statistics for Bowral (Parry Drive)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 19 September 2009.

John Fahey: Former NSW Premier, Federal Parliamentarian, Current President sports World Anti-Doping Agency

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