Gunning, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Gunning is a town on the Old Hume Highway
, between Goulburn
and Yass
in the Southern Tablelands
of New South Wales
, Australia
, about 260 km south-west of Sydney
and 75 km north of the national capital, Canberra
. (Nearby towns are Cullerin
, Gundaroo
, Dalton
, Yass
, and Murrumbateman
, Goulburn
.)
On Census night 2006, Gunning had a population of 487 people. The Shire
of Gunning (which was amalgamated into Upper Lachlan Shire in 2004) had a population of 2,280.
sheep. It had a police station and court house, post office, and school.
The main railway from Sydney
arrived in 1875 and was completed through to Melbourne, Victoria in 1881. The town is served by the daily Countrylink
XPT service that operates between Sydney Central station
and Melbourne Southern Cross Station
. The train stops at 11am (to Melbourne) and at 4:01pm (to Sydney). This station is an optional stop.
Its main streets were built very wide, for the time of horse and bullock-drawn wagons. This served the town well when the main highway between Sydney and Melbourne
carried cars and trucks through, until the by-pass was completed several years ago. The town has been able to resume a more rural pace of life, and develop something of an industry in providing bed and breakfast
accommodation.
The establishment of the main trunk telegraph line is remembered by the Telegraph Hotel.
in the south.
The region (specifically Gundaroo
) was first explored by Europeans in 1820, and settled the next year by Hamilton Hume
. In 1824, Hume and William Hovell
left here to discover the overland route to Port Phillip Bay where Melbourne is sited. Land sales began in 1838. The nearby town of Dalton
, now best known as the earthquake
centre, was settled in 1847. In 1865, Bushranger
Ben Hall and his gang held up Kimberley's Inn, and a constable was shot dead.
Old Hume Highway
The Old Hume Highway may be described as any part of an earlier route of the Hume Highway, which traverses Victoria and New South Wales between the cities of Melbourne and Sydney in Australia...
, between Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
and Yass
Yass, New South Wales
Yass is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Yass Valley Shire. The name appears to have been derived from an Aboriginal word, "Yarrh" , said to mean 'running water'....
in the Southern Tablelands
Southern Tablelands
The Southern Tablelands is a geographic area of the State of New South Wales, Australia. This area is located west of the Great Dividing Range.The area is characterised by flat country which has generally been extensively cleared and used for grazing purposes...
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...
, about 260 km 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...
and 75 km north of the national capital, 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...
. (Nearby towns are Cullerin
Cullerin, New South Wales
Cullerin is a small township in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Upper Lachlan Shire. It is located on the Old Hume Highway and Main South railway line in southern New South Wales, Australia. The railway station opened in 1880 and closed in 1973.- Transport :Cullerin is at...
, Gundaroo
Gundaroo, New South Wales
Gundaroo is a small village in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and in Yass Valley Council. It is situated to the east of the Yass River, about north of Sutton, about west of the Lake George range. At the 2006 census, Gundaroo had a population of 331.The explorers Charles...
, Dalton
Dalton, New South Wales
Dalton is a small inland country town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Upper Lachlan Shire. Its claim to fame is that it is reputed to have the nation's highest rate of earthquakes and tremors....
, Yass
Yass, New South Wales
Yass is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Yass Valley Shire. The name appears to have been derived from an Aboriginal word, "Yarrh" , said to mean 'running water'....
, and Murrumbateman
Murrumbateman, New South Wales
Murrumbateman is a small village in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Barton Highway, approximately 30 kilometres north-west of Canberra, and is part of the Yass Valley Shire. At the 2006 census, Murrumbateman had a population of 1,758 people.Some of the...
, Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
.)
On Census night 2006, Gunning had a population of 487 people. The Shire
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
of Gunning (which was amalgamated into Upper Lachlan Shire in 2004) had a population of 2,280.
Transportation
Gunning was originally a coach stop, and service centre for the surrounding farms mainly growing MerinoMerino
The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep...
sheep. It had a police station and court house, post office, and school.
The main railway 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...
arrived in 1875 and was completed through to Melbourne, Victoria in 1881. The town is served by the daily 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 that operates between Sydney Central station
Central railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
and Melbourne Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
. The train stops at 11am (to Melbourne) and at 4:01pm (to Sydney). This station is an optional stop.
Its main streets were built very wide, for the time of horse and bullock-drawn wagons. This served the town well when the main highway between Sydney 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...
carried cars and trucks through, until the by-pass was completed several years ago. The town has been able to resume a more rural pace of life, and develop something of an industry in providing bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
accommodation.
The establishment of the main trunk telegraph line is remembered by the Telegraph Hotel.
History
The Gunning region was originally home to two Australian Aboriginal language groups, the Gundungurra people in the north and the Ngunnawal peopleNgunnawal people
The Ngunnawal people are the Indigenous Australian inhabitants whose traditional lands encompass much of the area now occupied by the city of Canberra, Australia and the surrounding Australian Capital Territory...
in the south.
The region (specifically Gundaroo
Gundaroo, New South Wales
Gundaroo is a small village in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and in Yass Valley Council. It is situated to the east of the Yass River, about north of Sutton, about west of the Lake George range. At the 2006 census, Gundaroo had a population of 331.The explorers Charles...
) was first explored by Europeans in 1820, and settled the next year by Hamilton Hume
Hamilton Hume
Hamilton Hume was the first Australian born explorer. Along with Hovell in 1824, Hume was part of an expedition that first took an overland route from Sydney to Port Phillip near the site of present day Melbourne...
. In 1824, Hume and William Hovell
William Hovell
William Hilton Hovell was an English explorer of Australia.-Early life:Hovell was born in Yarmouth, Norfolk, England and went to sea as a boy, becoming a Royal Navy captain before settling in New South Wales, arriving in October 1813 aboard the Earl Spencer with his wife Esther née Arndell...
left here to discover the overland route to Port Phillip Bay where Melbourne is sited. Land sales began in 1838. The nearby town of Dalton
Dalton, New South Wales
Dalton is a small inland country town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Upper Lachlan Shire. Its claim to fame is that it is reputed to have the nation's highest rate of earthquakes and tremors....
, now best known as the earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
centre, was settled in 1847. In 1865, 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...
Ben Hall and his gang held up Kimberley's Inn, and a constable was shot dead.
External links