Tingha, New South Wales
| Tingha New South Wales | |
|---|---|
 Tingha entry sign | |
| Population | 887 (2006 census)[1] |
| Established | 1885 |
| Postcode(s) | 2369 |
| Elevation | 780 m (2,559 ft) |
| Location | 30 km (19 mi) from Inverell |
| LGA(s) | Armidale Regional Council |
| County | Hardinge |
| Federal division(s) | New England |
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Tingha is a small town on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia in Armidale Regional Council. It is 30 kilometres south of Inverell and 629 kilometres north-north-east of Sydney. Tingha is an Aboriginal word for "flat or level".[2]
History
Before European settlement the Tingha area was occupied by the Nucoorilma, a sub-group of the Murri Aboriginal people. Many of their descendants still live in the surrounding area.
Tingha was first settled in 1841 by Sydney Hudson Darby and became a mining town after tin was discovered there in the 1870s.[3] Within a year Australia’s first commercial tin mines were operating at a private settlement known as Armidale Crossing. Over 6,000 people arrived and more than 25% of the miners were Chinese. The Wing Hing Long Museum is a reminder of that heritage. Armidale Crossing Post Office opened on 1 September 1872 and was renamed Tingha the next month.[4]
The village was proclaimed a town in 1885. Initially there were enough readily accessible surface deposits to make a good living without using machinery as the Chinese did. The first school was established by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1890. In the 1890s drought came to the district and the easily obtained deposits of tin were exhausted leading to a loss in population.[5]
By the early 1900s the mining boom was over and Tingha's population had dwindled to just a few hundred people. Shortly after this, large companies moved into the area to mine the less accessible tin.
Today
The main industry nowadays is agriculture with some fossicking in the area. Tin dredging and mining has continued on a scale that varies according to international price fluctuations.
Tingha has a hospital, pre-school, caravan park, sports and recreation club, a first aid post, hotels plus other shops and services to supply daily needs. Tingha's "swimming hole" is a large man made pool which was once a mining excavation.[6] One of the main attractions around Tingha is "Green Valley Farm" Entertainment Park.
Notable people
- Nathan Blacklock former NRL Australia national rugby league team, St George Illawarra Dragons, Hull and New South Wales Waratahs player.
- Preston Campbell former Gold Coast Titans, Cronulla Sharks, Penrith Panthers and Gold Coast Chargers player.
- Bevan French current Parramatta Eels professional rugby league player who played junior rugby league for the Tingha Tigers.
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Tingha (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- ^ "Tingha". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ "Armidale, Guyra, Uralla, Walcha", June 2007
- ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
- ^ Readers Digest Guide to Australian Places, Readers Digest, Sydney
- ^ New England Holiday, Express Print, Armidale, nd
