Dundee (29°33′S 151°51′E) is a rural locality about 40 kilometres north of Glen Innes

Glen Innes, New South Wales

Glen Innes is a parish and town on the Northern Tablelands, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and the Gwydir Highway...

 on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales

Northern Tablelands, New South Wales

The Northern Tablelands, also known as the New England Tableland, is a plateau and a region of the Great Dividing Range in northern New South Wales, Australia. It includes the New England Range, the narrow highlands area of the New England region, stretching from the Moonbi Range in the south to...

, 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...

. It is situated on the New England Highway

New England Highway

The New England Highway is a highway in Australia running from Hexham near Newcastle at its southern end to Yarraman near Toowoomba at its northern end. At its southern end it connects to the Pacific Highway and at its northern end it connects to the D'Aguilar Highway. It traverses the Hunter...

 at the Severn River

Severn River (New South Wales)

The Severn River * is a river in the north of New South Wales, Australia. It rises on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales just north of Glen Innes and is wholly in NSW...

 in Severn parish, Gough County, New South Wales

Gough County, New South Wales

Gough County is one of the 141 Cadastral divisions of New South Wales.Gough County was named in honour of Field Marshal Sir Hugh Gough, first Viscount Gough .- Parishes :...

. The elevation is 985 metres.

History

In 1838 John Baker and several others left Sydney to seek land and setup stations

Station (Australian agriculture)

Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for livestock production. It corresponds to the North American term ranch or South American estancia...

 on the Northern Tablelands. After the others selected their land Baker continued north to secure the lease of 40000 acres (161.9 km²), which he called “Dareel Plains”, later to become Dundee. By 1844 the property had been sold several times before Major Archibald Clunes Innes

Archibald Clunes Innes

Archibald Clunes Innes was a soldier and pastoralist from Thrumster, Caithness, Scotland. When he arrived in Australia in 1822 he was a captain in the Third Regiment , on the ship “Eliza”, in charge of 170 convicts....

 took it over that year. At one stage Innes was one of the wealthiest men in the Colony, but suffered heavily during the 1840s depression and was declared bankrupt in 1852. In 1845 the newly established Dundee flour mill was the first flour mill north of Aberdeen, New South Wales. Major Innes built the ‘Golden Fleece’ Hotel at Dundee in 1847, to become one of the first three hotels built in New England. The large colonial style brick building was the first important building to be erected near the shallow river crossing.

Cobb and Co

Cobb and Co

Cobb and Co is the name of a transportation company in Australia. It was prominent in the late 19th century when it operated stagecoaches to many areas in the outback and at one point in several other countries, as well....

 coaches ran a coach service to Armidale

Armidale, New South Wales

Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...

, prior to the advent of the rail service. The Dundee Railway is 387 miles (705 km) north of Sydney and opened 1 September 1886 and closed 27 March 1976. The Public School opened in August 1853 and closed May l974. Another school opened as Dundee Railway Station School in August 1891, changed to Dundee Rail 1940 and closed 1949. The Post Office opened 1 October 1851 and closed in 1974; a second post office opened as Dundee Railway Station 16 August 1885 and closed 1955.

In 1989 the Severn River Rail Bridge, 6 km west-south-west of Dundee and 18 km north-north-east of Glen Innes on the Main North railway line

Main North railway line, New South Wales

The Main North Line is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Central Coast, Hunter and the New England regions. The line was the original main line between Sydney and Brisbane, however this required a change of gauge at Wallangarra...

, was listed on the Register of the National Estate

Register of the National Estate

The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...

. The bridge consists of a series of timber trusses which was considered a significant technical accomplishment. When completed it was the longest timber truss bridge in Australia.

Little else remains of the village that once existed there, aside from the church, a sports ground and the cemetery.

The surrounding district supports sheep and beef

Beef

Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...

cattle grazing plus some tourism.