Burragorang
| Burragorang New South Wales | |
|---|---|
 View of the Burragorang Valley | |
| LGA(s) | Wollondilly Shire |
| Region | Macarthur |
Burragorang or Burragorang Valley is a locality in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia, in Wollondilly Shire. It is home to Lake Burragorang, which is impounded by Warragamba Dam. It is partially encompassed by Blue Mountains National Park and Nattai National Park.
History
[edit]For tens of thousands of years before European colonisation, the Burragorang area was inhabited by the Gandangara (or Gundagurra) people, who lived throughout the south-east region of New South Wales.[1][2][3]
In 1827, the town of Burragorang was established.[citation needed] Coal mining commenced in 1878 and, up to the 1960s, the area was a major supplier of coal.[4][5] Lead and silver were also mined in the valley until about 1927.[citation needed]
With the boom in Sydney's population after World War II, the Warragamba Dam was constructed between 1948 and 1960[6] on the Warragamba River, inundating the Burragorang Valley, creating Lake Burragorang. Consequently, the town of Burragorang and others like it in the valley were lost under water.[4]
The area around Burragorang and Nattai had been home to numerous collieries from the 1920s to the 1990s, such as the Nattai-Bulli, Oakleigh, Wollondlly, Nattai North and Valley collieries. It is estimated 72 million tonnes of coal was mined in the Burragorang-Nattai region.[4] The area also had deposits of oil shale, and some mining of shale occurred.[7][8]
The ABC programme, A Drowned Valley,[9] by ABC Open producer, Sean O'Brien, documented former residents' memories of living in the valley before its inundation.
Attractions
[edit]The Burragorang Valley has some scenic lookouts over the valley and lake.[10][11]
Etymology
[edit]The name Burragorang derives from the language of the indigenous Gandangara people, perhaps from the word "burro", which means "kangaroo", or perhaps from "booroon", which means "small animal", and the word "gang", which means to hunt. Therefore, Burragorang is believed to mean "place to hunt kangaroo" or "place to hunt small animals".[4] However, another reference claims that Burragorang is a Gandangara word which means "home or place of the giant Kangaroo".[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Gandangara /Gundungurra". Native Land Digital. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Burragorang Valley". A History of Aboriginal Sydney. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "The Burragorang". Oatley Flora & Fauna Conservation Society. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Burragorang State Recreation Area". The Wollondilly Region of New South Wales. Geoff. A. Hinde and Furry Software Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 22 February 2001. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Burragorang Valley Miners Memorial" (PDF). Camden History. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Sydney Catchment Authority". Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- ^ "PETROLEUM SHALE". Goulburn Evening Penny Post. 24 March 1930. p. 2. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ "SHALE OIL". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 May 1931. p. 14. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ "#ABCMyPhoto - ABC News". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "McMahon's Point ride". NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Burragorang lookout and picnic area". NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "The Lost Valley – Burragorang". Wild. Adventure Entertainment International Pty Ltd. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Burragorang, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons
