Gulargambone
| Gulargambone New South Wales | |
|---|---|
 One of the many sculptured galahs and the post office, Gulargambone | |
| Population | 395 (2011 census)[1] |
| Postcode(s) | 2828 |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Coonamble Shire Council |
| County | Gowen |
| State electorate(s) | Barwon |
| Federal division(s) | Parkes |
Gulargambone is a village in the central west plains of New South Wales, Australia, on the banks of the Castlereagh River, in Coonamble Shire. It is 382km (and 490km by road) north west of Sydney. At the 2006 census, Gulargambone had a population of 395.[2]
Its name is derived from the local Wiradjuri people's word for "Watering place of many birds" or 'Gillahgambone' for 'place of galahs'.[3] Gulargambone was first occupied by Europeans in the mid nineteenth century and gazetted as a village in 1883.
The town came to national attention in 2000, when the local government attempted to close down the post office, leading to the opening of the first community owned post office in Australia, which has been followed by a number of other community led initiatives. These include the improvement of the local hospital, creating a multi-purpose health centre, the opening of a new cinema and the transformation of the old cinema, Simmo's Bazaar, into 2828, the community centre, featuring a cafe and a gift shop. It has also adopted a town logo, the galah. This has led to Gulargambone becoming the model for self-sufficiency for other small towns in Australia.[4] Gulargambone has won several awards since its revival and most importantly was awarded the 2005 NSW Tidy Towns State winner.[5]
Transport
Driving by car from Sydney to Gulargambone is 490km and takes approximately seven hours. Driving by car from Dubbo to Gulargambone is 114km and takes approximately 1.25hrs.[6]
NSW Trainlink operates coaches between Dubbo and Lightning Ridge, which stop at Coonamble street, Gulargambone. The coach to Lightning Ridge stops daily at 1545. The coach to Dubbo stops at 0900 from Tuesday to Thursday, and 1200 from Friday to Monday.[7]
Notable Gulargambonians
- Peter Andren – independent parliamentarian
- Alexander Henry Buckley – First World War Victoria Cross recipient
References
- ^ "2011 Census Community Profiles: Gulargambone (L)". www.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
- ^ "2011 Census Community Profiles: Gulargambone (L)". www.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
- ^ "Gulargambone". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
- ^ "Gulargambone's Story". communitybuilders.nsw. Retrieved 2006-11-10. Archived August 24, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Keep Australia Beautiful". Keep Australia Beautiful Pty Limited. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
- ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ^ "NSW Trainlink - Dubbo to Lightning Ridge - Bus Timetable". www.railmaps.com.au. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
External links
Media related to Gulargambone at Wikimedia Commons