Bellbrook, New South Wales
| Bellbrook New South Wales | |
|---|---|
  Bellbrook | |
| Coordinates | 30°49′00″S 152°30′00″E / 30.81667°S 152.50000°E |
| Population | 273 (2016 census)[1] |
| Postcode(s) | 2440 |
| Location | 43 km (27 mi) NW of Kempsey |
| LGA(s) | Kempsey Shire |
| State electorate(s) | Oxley |
| Federal division(s) | Cowper |
Bellbrook is a locality in the Kempsey Shire of New South Wales, Australia.[2] It had a population of 273 as of the 2016 census.[1]
Bellbrook is on the traditional lands of the Dunghutti Aboriginal people. It was first settled by Europeans in the mid-1830s, and there was "very active antagonism" between the Europeans and the Dunghutti, which slowed the development of the village.[3][4]
The name "Bellbrook" was adopted in 1882 with the opening of the post office.[3] A postal receiving office at Bellbrook opened on 16 January 1882, became a post office on 1 January 1884 and closed on 10 April 1987.[5]
Bellbrook Public School opened as a provisional school in 1883, went half-time with Pee Dee from 1887 to 1890, closed from 1890 to 1910, was half-time with Nulla Nulla from 1910 to 1911, and has been continually open since then.[6] The school had an enrolment of 32 students in 2017.[7] A former boarding school, the Mirriwinni Gardens Aboriginal Academy, also operated at Bellbrook for more than thirty years. It educated more than 1500 children, but was forced to close in 2009 after running into financial difficulties.[8][9]
The Bellbrook General Store is located in Main Street.[4]
A 36.4-hectare (90-acre) Aboriginal reserve was established at Bellbrook in 1885.[3] It was initially an unsupervised reserve, but was later managed by the Aboriginal Protection Board. Residents "came under intense government surveillance" from the APB and had to sign in and out. Many of the residents worked on local pastoral stations, generally poorly paid.[10]
In 2005, the town's raw water supply was contaminated by heavy metals and arsenic from former mines in the Hillgrove area. In 2008, water was reportedly having to be trucked into the town because the supply was so contaminated. A new $700,000 water treatment plant was installed in 2009 to address the issue.[11][12]
The childhood home of country music star Slim Dusty was at Nulla Nulla Creek at Bellbrook.[13]
Heritage listings
Bellbrook has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Bellbrook (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Extract". Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
- ^ a b c "Bellbrook". Kempsey Shire. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Discover historic Bellbrook". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 24 February 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Bellbrook". Post Office Reference. Premier Postal. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Bellbrook". School History Search. Department of Education. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Annual Report 2017" (PDF). Bellbrook Public School. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Misty Mountain must close". Macleay Argus. 23 July 2015.
- ^ "A Lender of Last Resort". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 April 2014.
- ^ Harrison, Rodney (2004). Shared Landscapes: Archaeologies of Attachment and the Pastoral Industry in New South Wales. UNSW Press. pp. 96–100.
- ^ "New water treatment plant for Bellbrook". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 11 June 2009.
- ^ "Bellbrook forced to truck in water". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 April 2008.
- ^ "Slim Dusty: The boy who lived his dream". The Age. 21 September 2003. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Homewood - Childhood Home of 'Slim Dusty'". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01870. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
