Capertee, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Capertee is a village 45km north of Lithgow, New South Wales
, Australia
located on an elevated site (800 metres) above the Capertee Valley
. In 2006, the town had a population of 72 people. Situated on the Castlereagh Highway
(previously known as the Mudgee Road) between Lithgow
and Mudgee, Capertee is surrounded by National Parks and grazing land. Principal employment is in coal mining, farming and tourism related services. The Capertee Valley forms a part of the catchment area of the Hawkesbury River
.
people. The first European explorer to traverse the district was James Blackman, who journeyed through to the Mudgee area in 1821. Sheep properties were later established in the area during the 1840s, producing quality wool.
The town itself dates from the time of the establishment of the railway station in 1882. The station and nearby station master's residence date from this period while several other extant buildings date from the late 19th and early 20th century. Henry Lawson
mentions the wild beauty of the Capertee area in his poem Song of the Old Bullock Driver which was published in Verses Popular and Humorous (1900).
Capertee has a public school, police station, bush fire brigade hall, community hall (Progress Hall), public house (Royal Hotel), public telephone, two (rare) fibro
constructed churches, and a combined garage/shop/post office. A community market is held on the third Sunday of each month in the Progress Hall.
Dating from 1882 Capertee was a temporary terminus of a railway branch line from Wallerawang on the main Western railway line
. When the line was extended to Mudgee, there was no flat ground on which to build a crossing loop, so Capertee ended up with an unusual dead-end crossing siding instead. The line still operates although the railway station is closed.
(Xanthomyza phrygia). Pearsons Lookout located 2km south of the town offers panoramic views of Capertee valley.
Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
, 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...
located on an elevated site (800 metres) above the Capertee Valley
Capertee Valley
The Capertee Valley is a large valley in New South Wales, Australia, north-west of Sydney. It is longer and about wider than the Grand Canyon of Arizona...
. In 2006, the town had a population of 72 people. Situated on the Castlereagh Highway
Castlereagh Highway
The Castlereagh Highway is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia, also extending some kilometres into Queensland. It has been given the route number 55. The highway was recently extended past Gilgandra to include state route 86...
(previously known as the Mudgee Road) between Lithgow
Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
and Mudgee, Capertee is surrounded by National Parks and grazing land. Principal employment is in coal mining, farming and tourism related services. The Capertee Valley forms a part of the catchment area of the Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
.
History
Prior to European settlement, the Caperteee district was 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...
people. The first European explorer to traverse the district was James Blackman, who journeyed through to the Mudgee area in 1821. Sheep properties were later established in the area during the 1840s, producing quality wool.
The town itself dates from the time of the establishment of the railway station in 1882. The station and nearby station master's residence date from this period while several other extant buildings date from the late 19th and early 20th century. Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson was an Australian writer and poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period and is often called Australia's "greatest writer"...
mentions the wild beauty of the Capertee area in his poem Song of the Old Bullock Driver which was published in Verses Popular and Humorous (1900).
Capertee has a public school, police station, bush fire brigade hall, community hall (Progress Hall), public house (Royal Hotel), public telephone, two (rare) fibro
Fibro
Fibro, the shortened form of "Fibrous Cement" - or "Fibrous Asbestos Cement", FAC, is a building material made of compressed fibres cemented into rigid sheets....
constructed churches, and a combined garage/shop/post office. A community market is held on the third Sunday of each month in the Progress Hall.
Dating from 1882 Capertee was a temporary terminus of a railway branch line from Wallerawang on the main Western railway line
Main Western railway line, New South Wales
The Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions.- Description of route :...
. When the line was extended to Mudgee, there was no flat ground on which to build a crossing loop, so Capertee ended up with an unusual dead-end crossing siding instead. The line still operates although the railway station is closed.
Attractions
Capertee is located in an area of great natural beauty and is popular with landscape painters, photographers, bird watchers and walkers. In the (2007) US published book Fifty Places to Go Birding Before You Die, author, Chris Santella lists Capertee Valley as one of only two locations in Australia selected in his top 50 world bird watching locations. Bird watchers are attracted by the diverse birdlife in the area. One 'destination' bird is the rare Regent HoneyeaterRegent Honeyeater
The Regent Honeyeater, Xanthomyza phrygia, is an endangered bird endemic to Australia. It feeds on nectar and insects within eucalyptus forests. Recent genetic research suggests it is closely related to the wattlebirds.-Distribution:...
(Xanthomyza phrygia). Pearsons Lookout located 2km south of the town offers panoramic views of Capertee valley.
Accommodation
Overnight accommodation is limited but is available at the Royal Hotel in the middle of the town. Houses and cabins, of varying quality and price range, are also available in Capertee and the surrounding area.See also
- Ben BullenBen Bullen, New South WalesBen Bullen is a small mountain village in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. The cool community is located on the Castlereagh Highway halfway between the small towns of Cullen Bullen and Capertee...
- Cullen BullenCullen Bullen, New South WalesCullen Bullen is located on the Mudgee Road, 168 km north-west of Sydney, 28 km north of Lithgow. At the 2006 census, Cullen Bullen had a population of 198 people...
- Glen DavisGlen Davis, New South WalesGlen Davis is a village in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. The village is located in the local government area of the City of Lithgow. It is located 250 km north-west of Sydney and approximately 80 kilometres north of Lithgow...
- IlfordIlford, New South WalesIlford is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, in the Mid-Western Regional Council. It is named after the small English town of Ilford , where the founders of this town came from. It is situated around 220 km north west of Sydney. It is located on the Castlereagh Highway, which is...