Blayney, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Blayney is a farming town and administrative centre with a population of 2,745 in 2006, in the Central West
region of New South Wales
, Australia
. Situated on the Mid-Western Highway
about 240 km west of Sydney
, 35 km west of Bathurst
and 863 m above sea-level, Blayney is the seat of Blayney Shire Council
.
or Gundungara Aborigines.
The first European to travel through area was surveyor George Evans
, in 1815 and unofficial occupation of the district began in 1821. The first land grant in the general area known as Coombing Park
was issued to Thomas Icely in 1829.
The area that would become the town also boasted a mill, an inn and several houses by 1837, and then Governor Gipps
proposed the creation of a village to be named Blayney in 1842. His proposed site however was about 9 km north-east of the present site in an area known as Kings Plains but once that spot proved unsuitable the Blayney village location was established on its present site in 1843.
In 1989, Nestlé
built a new pet food plant, Nestle Purina
, and purchased adjoining land including Blayney Foods. The Nestlé factory exports pet food to Asia and the Pacific.
The Cadia-Ridgeway Mine is a major employer in the area.
In 1994, Blayney became home to Australia's largest inland container
terminal, which is situated beside the railway station.
The Blayney Wind Farm, launched in 2000, is the largest of its type in Australia. It consists of 15 wind turbine generators on elevated ridges between Carcoar Dam and Mount Macquarie. Capacity is 10 megawatts, sufficient energy to supply 3,500 Australian homes.
and Dubbo, as well as several Countrylink Coach and private company bus services connecting with Bathurst
and Orange
. The weekly Broken Hill Countrylink
Outback Xplorer also services the station.
Central West, New South Wales
The Central West region refers to the area west of the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. It has an area of 63,262 square kilometers....
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...
. Situated on the Mid-Western Highway
Mid-Western Highway
The Mid-Western Highway starts at Bathurst New South Wales, where it joins with the Great Western Highway over the Blue Mountains from Sydney.It proceeds via Blayney, Carcoar and Cowra. It then heads west through Grenfell to West Wyalong where it crosses the Newell Highway...
about 240 km west of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, 35 km west of Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
and 863 m above sea-level, Blayney is the seat of Blayney Shire Council
Blayney Shire Council
Blayney Shire Council is a Local Government Area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Mid-Western Highway and the Main Western railway line....
.
History
Prior to European settlement the area was probably occupied by the WiradjuriWiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
or Gundungara Aborigines.
The first European to travel through area was surveyor George Evans
George Evans (explorer)
George William Evans was a surveyor and early explorer in the colony of New South Wales. Evans was born in Warwick, England, migrating to Australia in October 1802.-Early Career:...
, in 1815 and unofficial occupation of the district began in 1821. The first land grant in the general area known as Coombing Park
Coombing Park
Coombing Park is a farming property situated in western New South Wales just off the Mid Western Highway about 5 km west of Carcoar, 260 km west of Sydney and 54 km south-west of Bathurst. The property is of considerable note because of its relationship with convicts, bushrangers and the Cobb & Co...
was issued to Thomas Icely in 1829.
The area that would become the town also boasted a mill, an inn and several houses by 1837, and then Governor Gipps
George Gipps
Sir George Gipps was Governor of the colony of New South Wales, Australia, for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship was during a period of great change for New South Wales and Australia, as well as for New Zealand, which was administered as part of New South Wales for much of this...
proposed the creation of a village to be named Blayney in 1842. His proposed site however was about 9 km north-east of the present site in an area known as Kings Plains but once that spot proved unsuitable the Blayney village location was established on its present site in 1843.
Industry
The arrival of the railway in 1874 boosted development and Blayney replaced Carcoar as the major service centre to local farmlands. Blayney then became a municipality in 1882 and by 1900 a butter factory and freezing works employed many within the town. An abattoir opened in 1957 and this industry was later supplemented with tanneries and a pet food plant. The abbatoirs closed in 1999.In 1989, Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
built a new pet food plant, Nestle Purina
Nestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is the pet food division of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., following its acquisition of the American Ralston Purina Company on December 12, 2001 and subsequent merger with Nestlé's Friskies PetCare Company. As a wholly owned subsidiary, it is headquartered at the General...
, and purchased adjoining land including Blayney Foods. The Nestlé factory exports pet food to Asia and the Pacific.
The Cadia-Ridgeway Mine is a major employer in the area.
In 1994, Blayney became home to Australia's largest inland container
Shipping container
A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes...
terminal, which is situated beside the railway station.
The Blayney Wind Farm, launched in 2000, is the largest of its type in Australia. It consists of 15 wind turbine generators on elevated ridges between Carcoar Dam and Mount Macquarie. Capacity is 10 megawatts, sufficient energy to supply 3,500 Australian homes.
Transportation
The town's railway station is served by the daily Countrylink XPT service between SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Dubbo, as well as several Countrylink Coach and private company bus services connecting with Bathurst
Bathurst railway station, New South Wales
Bathurst Railway Station is a regional railway station on Main Western Line. It serves the city of Bathurst and its surrounding area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia...
and Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
. The weekly Broken Hill Countrylink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
Outback Xplorer also services the station.
Notable citizens
- Nathan BurnsNathan BurnsNathan Burns is an Australian international football player currently playing as a right winger for AEK Athens F.C. in the Greek Super League.-Adelaide United:He formerly played for Parramatta Eagles and trained at the AIS....
: professional football player with GreekGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
league AEK Athens, previously played for Adelaide United in the Australian Hyundai A-League. - Frank Cooper: Premier of Queensland from 1942 to 1946.
External links
- Biography of Thomas Icley at ADB online
- Blayney Wind Farm
- Blayney Shire Website
- Industries in the Blayney Shire
- Parish of St James The Great, Blayney
- Blayney High School
- Blayney Public School
- Large Gold Find Near Blayney
- Blayney Chronicle
- Blayney St Joseph's Catholic School
- History of Christ Church, Blayney
- Blayney Local Library
- Tourism info.