Ben Lomond, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Ben Lomond is a village on the Northern Tablelands
in the New England
region of New South Wales
, Australia
. The village is situated 6 km off the New England Highway
between Armidale
and Glen Innes
. It is located in Guyra Shire with part of the surrounding district in Glen Innes Severn Shire and Inverell Shire.
Ben Lomond Village is at 1,370 m elevation, the highest village in northern New South Wales. As such, even though located only a few hours drive from the New South Wales and Queensland
border, it receives occasional falls of snow in winter. Overlooking the village are The Two Brothers with a peak elevation of 1,508 metres.
in Scotland
.
In 1848, the Manooan run of 17000 acres (68.8 km²) had the Ben Lomond Range as its southern boundary. In the 1860s there was a station named Ben Lomond which had been robbed by Captain Thunderbolt
, who frequented the region. The slow climb and timber on the Ben Lomond Range proved an ideal place for the robbery of coaches and travellers.
The Dumaresq to Glen Innes
section of the Main North Line, which included Ben Lomond, opened on 19 August 1884. The railway station closed on 10 December 1985, followed by the Dumaresq-Glen Innes section on 3 October 1993. At 1363 metres (4,471.8 ft), Ben Lomond railway station was the highest railway station in New South Wales until the Skitube
opened in 1987. Ben Lomond Post Office opened on 4 November 1879 and closed in 1979.
, Anglican, and Presbyterian) denominations.
Ben Lomond Public School, located on Inn Road, has been reduced in recent years from thirty students in the mid nineties to a current enrolment of around twelve students. The lack of jobs in the immediate area, drought, as well as the proximity to Glen Innes and Guyra
has been a factor in this change in school size.
At the 2006 census
, the Census area containing Ben Lomond village and district, but also containing a considerable area to the east, had a recorded population of 389. A more accurate though anecdotal estimate of population is about 30 persons in the village, and approximately a further 70 persons in the surrounding district of mostly farming families that identify themselves as part of the Ben Lomond area. The district’s primary industries are agriculture and tourism.
Ben Lomond community has traditionally been active through several groups and local initiatives to maintain and progress the village and district.
Ben Lomond is home to several tourist attractions; including home stays, the longest hand cut railway cutting in Australia, the highest passenger railway station in the southern hemisphere (at the time of the construction of the railway), and a scattering of old and historical relics of past times in and around the village.
The highland areas that include the Ben Lomond district are the focus areas for possible development of large scale wind farms.
In recent years the village has formed something of a local rivalry with neighbouring Glen Innes in the form of an annual inter-town friendly cricket match. Whilst at a substantial size disadvantage, Ben Lomond have won four of the games so far, and drawn the other. Games are played on the Ben Lomond Recreational Ground, which once played host to regular games but is seldom used outside of the fixture.
Ben Lomond General Cemetery: http://cemindex.arkangles.com/cemetery.php?id=139
Northern Tablelands, New South Wales
The Northern Tablelands, also known as the New England Tableland, is a plateau and a region of the Great Dividing Range in northern New South Wales, Australia. It includes the New England Range, the narrow highlands area of the New England region, stretching from the Moonbi Range in the south to...
in the New England
New England (Australia)
New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The region has been occupied by Indigenous...
region of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The village is situated 6 km off the New England Highway
New England Highway
The New England Highway is a highway in Australia running from Hexham near Newcastle at its southern end to Yarraman near Toowoomba at its northern end. At its southern end it connects to the Pacific Highway and at its northern end it connects to the D'Aguilar Highway. It traverses the Hunter...
between Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
and Glen Innes
Glen Innes, New South Wales
Glen Innes is a parish and town on the Northern Tablelands, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and the Gwydir Highway...
. It is located in Guyra Shire with part of the surrounding district in Glen Innes Severn Shire and Inverell Shire.
Ben Lomond Village is at 1,370 m elevation, the highest village in northern New South Wales. As such, even though located only a few hours drive from the New South Wales and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
border, it receives occasional falls of snow in winter. Overlooking the village are The Two Brothers with a peak elevation of 1,508 metres.
History
The name Ben Lomond originated from Ben LomondBen Lomond
Ben Lomond , , is a distinctive mountain in the Scottish Highlands. Situated on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, it is the most southerly of the Munros...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
In 1848, the Manooan run of 17000 acres (68.8 km²) had the Ben Lomond Range as its southern boundary. In the 1860s there was a station named Ben Lomond which had been robbed by Captain Thunderbolt
Captain Thunderbolt
Frederick Wordsworth Ward was an Australian bushranger renowned for escaping from Cockatoo Island, and also for his reputation as the "gentleman bushranger" and his lengthy survival, being the longest roaming bushranger in Australian history.-Early years:Frederick Ward was the son of convict...
, who frequented the region. The slow climb and timber on the Ben Lomond Range proved an ideal place for the robbery of coaches and travellers.
The Dumaresq to Glen Innes
Glen Innes, New South Wales
Glen Innes is a parish and town on the Northern Tablelands, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and the Gwydir Highway...
section of the Main North Line, which included Ben Lomond, opened on 19 August 1884. The railway station closed on 10 December 1985, followed by the Dumaresq-Glen Innes section on 3 October 1993. At 1363 metres (4,471.8 ft), Ben Lomond railway station was the highest railway station in New South Wales until the Skitube
Skitube Alpine Railway
The Skitube Alpine Railway is an , standard gauge track electric rack railway in the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Australia. It provides access to the snowfields at Blue Cow Mountain and the Perisher Valley.- History :...
opened in 1987. Ben Lomond Post Office opened on 4 November 1879 and closed in 1979.
Present day
Ben Lomond was serviced by a general store providing the majority of day to day needs as well as farming supplies until November, 2007. It also has three Churches representing the (CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, Anglican, and Presbyterian) denominations.
Ben Lomond Public School, located on Inn Road, has been reduced in recent years from thirty students in the mid nineties to a current enrolment of around twelve students. The lack of jobs in the immediate area, drought, as well as the proximity to Glen Innes and Guyra
Guyra, New South Wales
-References:...
has been a factor in this change in school size.
At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, the Census area containing Ben Lomond village and district, but also containing a considerable area to the east, had a recorded population of 389. A more accurate though anecdotal estimate of population is about 30 persons in the village, and approximately a further 70 persons in the surrounding district of mostly farming families that identify themselves as part of the Ben Lomond area. The district’s primary industries are agriculture and tourism.
Ben Lomond community has traditionally been active through several groups and local initiatives to maintain and progress the village and district.
Ben Lomond is home to several tourist attractions; including home stays, the longest hand cut railway cutting in Australia, the highest passenger railway station in the southern hemisphere (at the time of the construction of the railway), and a scattering of old and historical relics of past times in and around the village.
The highland areas that include the Ben Lomond district are the focus areas for possible development of large scale wind farms.
In recent years the village has formed something of a local rivalry with neighbouring Glen Innes in the form of an annual inter-town friendly cricket match. Whilst at a substantial size disadvantage, Ben Lomond have won four of the games so far, and drawn the other. Games are played on the Ben Lomond Recreational Ground, which once played host to regular games but is seldom used outside of the fixture.
See also
Ben Lomond Catholic Cemetery: http://cemindex.arkangles.com/cemetery.php?id=140Ben Lomond General Cemetery: http://cemindex.arkangles.com/cemetery.php?id=139