Culcairn, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Culcairn is a town in the south east Riverina
region of New South Wales
, Australia
. Culcairn is located in the Greater Hume Shire Council
Local government area on the Olympic Highway between Albury
and Wagga Wagga
. The town is located 514 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney
and at the 2006 census
had a population of 1,120.
The town is an important supply centre for nearby towns and villages including, Morven
, Gerogery
, Henty
, Walla Walla
and Pleasant Hills
. Billabong Creek
runs along the southern edge of town, lending its name to the local high school.
European settlement of Culcairn began in 1834, following favourable reports on grazing potential and grass cover by the explorers Hume and Hovell
when travelling overland to the Port Phillip district in 1824. A number of stations were gazetted and between 1862 and 1865 the district was terrorised by the bushranger
, Dan "Mad Dog" Morgan
. The reward for Morgan would reach £1,000. He was ambushed and killed in Victoria
after his final holdup in 1865.
The town itself was laid out in 1880 by James Balfour, a local landowner, who named it after a property in the parish of Kiltearn, his mother's birthplace. Culcairn Post Office opened on 1 September 1880.
Early industries included chaff mills, a cereal grain company and a quarry. The extension of the Main Southern railway line
to Albury to meet the broad gauge
line from Melbourne
saw Culcairn prosper. The Culcairn Hotel, constructed in 1891, was the largest on the line between Melbourne and Sydney.
between Sydney
and Melbourne
and is serviced by the Countrylink
XPT service which runs twice daily and stops at the local railway station
. The station was once the junction for the Corowa and Holbrook branch lines.
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 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...
. Culcairn is located in the Greater Hume Shire Council
Greater Hume Shire Council
Greater Hume Shire Council is a Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia. The Council was formed in 2004 incorporating Culcairn Shire, the majority of Holbrook Shire and part of Hume Shire....
Local government area on the Olympic Highway between Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
and Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
. The town is located 514 kilometres south west of the state capital, 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...
and 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,...
had a population of 1,120.
The town is an important supply centre for nearby towns and villages including, Morven
Morven, New South Wales
Morven is a small village about 7 kilometres west of Culcairn in the eastern Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Morven had a population of 464 people.-History:Morven commenced its existence as a Cobb and Co Staging Post...
, Gerogery
Gerogery, New South Wales
Gerogery is a small village in Greater Hume Shire Council in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gerogery serves a rural farming community. The village is located on the Main South railway line between Sydney and Melbourne, where it intersects with the Olympic Way. At the 2006 census,...
, Henty
Henty, New South Wales
Henty is a town on the Olympic Highway almost midway between Albury and Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, Australia. Henty is situated on the border of the South West Slopes and the Riverina districts. At the 2006 census, Henty had a population of 863 people....
, Walla Walla
Walla Walla, New South Wales
Walla Walla is a town in Greater Hume Shire Council in New South Wales, Australia. It is about north of Albury-Wodonga and south of Wagga Wagga.Walla Walla had a population of 581 people in 2006 and has the largest Lutheran church in New South Wales....
and Pleasant Hills
Pleasant Hills, New South Wales
Pleasant Hills is a small village about 26 kilometres west of Henty in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Pleasant Hills had a population of 393 people....
. Billabong Creek
Billabong Creek
Billabong Creek is a creek in the Riverina region in New South Wales, Australia. The creek is part of the Murray-Darling River system. It is held to be the longest creek in New South Wales....
runs along the southern edge of town, lending its name to the local high school.
History
Hume and Hovell expedition
The Hume and Hovell expedition was one of the most important journeys of explorations undertaken in eastern Australia. In 1824 the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, commissioned Hamilton Hume and former Royal Navy Captain William Hovell to lead an expedition to find new grazing land...
when travelling overland to the Port Phillip district in 1824. A number of stations were gazetted and between 1862 and 1865 the district was terrorised by the bushranger
Bushranger
Bushrangers, or bush rangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities...
, Dan "Mad Dog" Morgan
Dan Morgan (bushranger)
John Fuller was an Australian bushranger.Fuller was born in Appin, New South Wales, Australia around 1830 to George Fuller and Mary Owen. He was their illigitimate son and from the ages of 2 to 17 he lived with an adoptive father, John Roberts...
. The reward for Morgan would reach £1,000. He was ambushed and killed in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
after his final holdup in 1865.
The town itself was laid out in 1880 by James Balfour, a local landowner, who named it after a property in the parish of Kiltearn, his mother's birthplace. Culcairn Post Office opened on 1 September 1880.
Early industries included chaff mills, a cereal grain company and a quarry. The extension of the Main Southern railway line
Main Southern railway line, New South Wales
The Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and the Riverina regions.- Description of route :...
to Albury to meet the broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
saw Culcairn prosper. The Culcairn Hotel, constructed in 1891, was the largest on the line between Melbourne and Sydney.
Notable residents
- Triple OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
equestrianEquestrianismEquestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
Gold medallist Andrew HoyAndrew HoyAndrew Hoy is an Olympic-level equestrian rider, who competes for Australia. The Athens 2004 Summer Olympics were his sixth games....
was born and raised in Culcairn.
Transport
Culcairn sits on the main railway lineMain Southern railway line, New South Wales
The Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and the Riverina regions.- Description of route :...
between 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...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and is serviced by the 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...
XPT service which runs twice daily and stops at the local railway station
Culcairn railway station, New South Wales
Culcairn railway station is located in the centre of the Riverina town of Culcairn, New South Wales, Australia on the Main Southern railway line — the main line connecting Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne...
. The station was once the junction for the Corowa and Holbrook branch lines.
External links
- Greater Hume Shire Council - Greater Hume Shire Website
- Culcairn Railway Station