Coolamon, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Coolamon is a town in the Riverina
region of south-west New South Wales
, Australia
. Coolamon is 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) north-west of Wagga Wagga and 506 kilometres (314.4 mi) south-west of Sydney
via the Hume
and Sturt Highway
s. The town is situated on the railway line between Junee and Narrandera. Coolamon had a population of 1,339 at the 2006 census
and is 290 metres (951.4 ft) above sea level. It is the administrative and service centre for the local government area which bears its name—Coolamon Shire.
and/or Wiradjuri
Aborigines
.
A property "Coleman" was first settled there by a Mr J. Atkinson in 1848. The town was surveyed prior to the coming of the railway and the railway station opened in 1881.
Cowabbie Post Office opened on 1 May 1881 and was renamed Ganmain on 1 July and Coolamon on 1 November of that year.
Firstly called Cowabbie Road, the station name was very shortly after changed to Coleman and finally the name Coolamon was settled on in 1895. The coming of the railway allowed greater ease in transporting the area's products to distant markets.
made and used by Australian Aborigines
. In the area around the town are thousands of naturally occurring indentations in the ground called Coolamon Holes which fill with water.
Coolamon is in the wheat
belt of New South Wales and is a leading state producer of wheat
and chaff
. Wheat
was first grown in the area in the 1850s. In addition, turkey
s and wool
are produced and the area is noted for the quality and plumpness of its lambs. A notable sight around about are the traditional sheaf haystacks which dot the local flat, clay countryside.
The town's railway station is served by the weekly Sydney to Griffith
Countrylink Xplorer service. The train stops heading to Griffith at 1:50pm on Saturdays and heading back to Sydney at 9:25am on Sundays
The town's broad main street, which has been restored, retains much of its old world charm with its wrought-iron verandahs and awnings. Various bric-a-brac and antique shops and a modern bakery decorated in a country style invite passing tourists to explore the town. The Up-to-Date store, designed by architect William Monks
, has what is probably the only cash ball cash railway
still in situ.
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
region of south-west 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...
. Coolamon is 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) north-west of Wagga Wagga and 506 kilometres (314.4 mi) south-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...
via the Hume
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
and Sturt Highway
Sturt Highway
The Sturt Highway is an Australian highway in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is part of the Auslink National network and is part of the main highway route between Sydney and Adelaide.-Route:...
s. The town is situated on the railway line between Junee and Narrandera. Coolamon had a population of 1,339 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,...
and is 290 metres (951.4 ft) above sea level. It is the administrative and service centre for the local government area which bears its name—Coolamon Shire.
History
The original land where Coolamon now stands, prior to European settlement, was occupied by the KamilaroiKamilaroi
The Kamilaroi or Gamilaraay are an Indigenous Australian people who are from the area between Tamworth and Goondiwindi, and west to Narrabri, Walgett and Lightning Ridge, in northern New South Wales...
and/or Wiradjuri
Wiradjuri
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...
Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
.
A property "Coleman" was first settled there by a Mr J. Atkinson in 1848. The town was surveyed prior to the coming of the railway and the railway station opened in 1881.
Cowabbie Post Office opened on 1 May 1881 and was renamed Ganmain on 1 July and Coolamon on 1 November of that year.
Firstly called Cowabbie Road, the station name was very shortly after changed to Coleman and finally the name Coolamon was settled on in 1895. The coming of the railway allowed greater ease in transporting the area's products to distant markets.
Modern Coolamon
The name of Coolamon comes from the Aboriginal word for a basin-shaped wooden dishCoolamon (vessel)
A coolamon is an Indigenous Australian carrying vessel.It is a multi-purpose shallow vessel, or dish with curved sides, ranging in length from 30–70 cm, and similar in shape to a canoe....
made and used by Australian Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. In the area around the town are thousands of naturally occurring indentations in the ground called Coolamon Holes which fill with water.
Coolamon is in the wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
belt of New South Wales and is a leading state producer of wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and chaff
Chaff
Chaff is the dry, scaly protective casings of the seeds of cereal grain, or similar fine, dry, scaly plant material such as scaly parts of flowers, or finely chopped straw...
. Wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
was first grown in the area in the 1850s. In addition, turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
s and wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
are produced and the area is noted for the quality and plumpness of its lambs. A notable sight around about are the traditional sheaf haystacks which dot the local flat, clay countryside.
The town's railway station is served by the weekly Sydney to Griffith
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...
Countrylink Xplorer service. The train stops heading to Griffith at 1:50pm on Saturdays and heading back to Sydney at 9:25am on Sundays
The town's broad main street, which has been restored, retains much of its old world charm with its wrought-iron verandahs and awnings. Various bric-a-brac and antique shops and a modern bakery decorated in a country style invite passing tourists to explore the town. The Up-to-Date store, designed by architect William Monks
William Monks
William John Monks, also known as Bill or Billy, was an Australian architect active in the last decade of the 19th century and first third of the 20th century. Monks "had one of the most successful and extensive architectural practices in country New South Wales...
, has what is probably the only cash ball cash railway
Cash carrier
Cash carriers were used in shops and department stores to carry customers' payments from the sales assistant to the cashier and to carry the change and receipt back again.-Cash balls:...
still in situ.