Dalgety, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Dalgety is a small town in New South Wales
Australia
, on the banks of the Snowy River
between Melbourne
and Sydney
.
The town is located at what was once an important river crossing along the Travelling Stock route
from Gippsland
to the Snowy Mountains
High Country dating from the 1840s.
in Victoria and the Snowy Mountains
in New South Wales. In 1874 the town was formally survey
ed and named Dalgety after the maiden name of the wife of surveyor J. R. Campbell.
At the time of the survey the population was 23 and it was recorded that a punt
was operating across the river. A Catholic school opened in 1874 to cater for the children of Irish
gold
prospector
s, and the first bridge over the river was constructed in 1888.
The town also became a meeting place between white settlers and local Aborigines
(who would camp along the river bank on the way to the Snowy Mountains. The Thaua people
and Ngarigo
people lived in this area seasonally.
named Dalgety as the location for Australia's national capital city
. The choice was based on criteria including climate, food supply, land ownership and ability to support major industries, and was formalised in the Seat of Government Act 1904
. In an early demonstration of Sydney-Melbourne rivalry, the decision was immediately opposed by the Parliament of New South Wales
which argued that Dalgety was too close to Melbourne
and too far from Sydney
. A more practical objection was the distance to the main Sydney-Melbourne railway line and the expense involved in constructing a spur to the proposed capital.
These objections were resolved with the passage of the Seat of Government Act 1908
which passed over Dalgety in favour of Canberra
.
The town depends on the Snowy River
for water supplies. In October 2007 the New South Wales Department of Water and Energy
recommended a cut in river flows through the nearby Lake Jindabyne
, to a level which may require Dalgety to import drinking water.
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...
, on the banks of the Snowy River
Snowy River
The Snowy River is a major river in south-eastern Australia. It originates on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mainland peak, draining the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, before flowing through the Snowy River National Park in Victoria and emptying into...
between 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 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...
.
The town is located at what was once an important river crossing along the Travelling Stock route
Stock route
In Australia, the Travelling Stock Route is an authorised thoroughfare for the walking of domestic livestock such as sheep or cattle from one location to another...
from Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
to the Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australian mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres AHD, approximately 7310 feet....
High Country dating from the 1840s.
History
The first settlement was originally known as Buckley's Crossing after Edward Buckley who established a farm near the river crossing in 1832. It was renamed Barnes Crossing in 1848, by which time it had become an important waypoint on the stock route between GippslandGippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
in Victoria and the Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australian mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres AHD, approximately 7310 feet....
in New South Wales. In 1874 the town was formally survey
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
ed and named Dalgety after the maiden name of the wife of surveyor J. R. Campbell.
At the time of the survey the population was 23 and it was recorded that a punt
Cable ferry
A cable ferry is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger body of water by cables connected to both shores. They are also called chain ferries, floating bridges, or punts....
was operating across the river. A Catholic school opened in 1874 to cater for the children of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
s, and the first bridge over the river was constructed in 1888.
The town also became a meeting place between white settlers and local 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....
(who would camp along the river bank on the way to the Snowy Mountains. The Thaua people
Thaua people
Thaua people, or Thauaira or Thawa or Tharawal people of the Yuin nation of the South Coast of New South Wales.The associated language name is Thurga /Thoorga / Durga/ Dhurga.-Country:...
and Ngarigo
Ngarigo
The Ngarigo is the Aboriginal people group whose traditional lands lie south-east of the Canberra area.According to Norman Tindale in his 1974 catalogue of Australian Aboriginal people groups, the specific areas lands of the Ngarigo are:...
people lived in this area seasonally.
Location for National Capital
In 1903 a Federal Royal CommissionRoyal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
named Dalgety as the location for Australia's national capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
. The choice was based on criteria including climate, food supply, land ownership and ability to support major industries, and was formalised in the Seat of Government Act 1904
Seat of Government Act 1904
The Seat of Government Act 1904 was an Australian Commonwealth Government Act selecting the Area around Dalgety, New South Wales as the site for the Federal Capital Territory ....
. In an early demonstration of Sydney-Melbourne rivalry, the decision was immediately opposed by the Parliament of New South Wales
Parliament of New South Wales
The Parliament of New South Wales, located in Parliament House on Macquarie Street, Sydney, is the main legislative body in the Australian state of New South Wales . It is a bicameral parliament elected by the people of the state in general elections. The parliament shares law making powers with...
which argued that Dalgety was too close to 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 too far from 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...
. A more practical objection was the distance to the main Sydney-Melbourne railway line and the expense involved in constructing a spur to the proposed capital.
These objections were resolved with the passage of the Seat of Government Act 1908
Seat of Government Act 1908
The Seat of Government Act 1908 was enacted by the Australian Government on 14 December 1908. The act selected the Yass-Queanbeyan region as the site for Canberra, the new capital city of Australia....
which passed over Dalgety in favour of Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.
Geography
Situated on the Monaro Plains and in the rain shadow of the Snowy Mountains, Dalgety is a relatively dry area of rolling hills with granite boulders scattered across the landscape.The town depends on the Snowy River
Snowy River
The Snowy River is a major river in south-eastern Australia. It originates on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mainland peak, draining the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, before flowing through the Snowy River National Park in Victoria and emptying into...
for water supplies. In October 2007 the New South Wales Department of Water and Energy
New South Wales Department of Water and Energy
The Department of Water and Energy was formed by the Government of New South Wales in 2007 and dissolved in 2009. It was succeeded by the Office of Water in the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water and the Division of Minerals and Energy in Industry & Investment New South Wales....
recommended a cut in river flows through the nearby Lake Jindabyne
Lake Jindabyne
Lake Jindabyne is a man-made lake on the Snowy River on the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in Southern New South Wales. The lake was created by the damming of the River as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.-Flow of water:...
, to a level which may require Dalgety to import drinking water.