Ivanhoe, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Ivanhoe is a small township on the Cobb Highway
between the Lachlan
and Darling
rivers in New South Wales
, Australia
. It is located within the Central Darling Shire
local government area. Ivanhoe functions as a service centre for the surrounding area. The township is characterised by a particularly wide main street. At the 2006 census
, Ivanhoe had a population of 265 people.
The town was founded in the early 1870s, and was named after Sir Walter Scott’s work of historical fiction, Ivanhoe
. The township was situated on well-used coach and stock routes connecting Wilcannia
on the Darling River
with Balranald
on the Murrumbidgee and Booligal
on the Lachlan.
A hotel was built at Ivanhoe in 1871 (the Ivanhoe Hotel); the licensee was James Eade, who remained publican until 1875 (apart from during 1873 when Joshua Smith held the license). A post office opened at Ivanhoe on 1 January 1874 at Williamson’s store (renamed ‘The Post Office Store’), with Charles Hiller in charge (though Williamson was the designated Postmaster). On 1 February 1876, after a ten-year stint at Booligal, George Williamson moved to Ivanhoe. In 1876 two new hotels opened at Ivanhoe: the Horse and Jockey (licensee, Duncan McGregor) and Mac’s Ivanhoe Hotel (licensee, Henry Gayson). The licensee of the Ivanhoe Hotel in 1876 was Roberick MacKenzie. In 1879 a police presence was maintained at Ivanhoe to protect local residents from the Hatfield Bushrangers.
The Ivanhoe Hotel ceased operating from 1882, leaving two hotels in the township. During 1882 work commenced on the erection of a telegraph line from Booligal to Wilcannia. A telegraph station was opened at Ivanhoe on 5 February 1883 under the charge of Alfred Webber Rice, who had been promoted from his position at Campbelltown. The township was described in 1883 as having about 50 residents, a blacksmith's shop, two hotels, two stores (Williamson's and Stewart's), and “a few cottages”. By 1884 Ivanhoe was a major change-station for Cobb & Co.’s horses on the coach routes to and from the Darling River. In 1884 businesses in the township included the Cobb & Co. Chaff House and Millie's Stable and Yards (Henry Thomas Millie was the licensee of Mac’s Ivanhoe Hotel at that time). The mounted police were established at Ivanhoe in 1885. The Ivanhoe Jockey Club held its first race meeting in May 1885. From 1887 race meetings were held twice a year (until the late 1930s) on a course which formed part of the town common. In 1889 a school opened in the township. The summer heat was a significant problem for the school. Refrigerating paint and a veranda were used to ward off the sun but the school was closed during the extended drought of 1904 to 1907.
Ivanhoe was officially proclaimed a township in 1890. A new Post Office building was constructed, which opened in January 1898. The Ivanhoe Post Office building, though it has been renovated in recent years, still stands adjacent to its original site.
The founder of Ivanhoe, George Williamson, died in 1907.
In 1925 Ivanhoe was linked by railway to Sydney via Parkes. Two years later the extension to Broken Hill was completed. The line through Ivanhoe later became part of the transcontinental Indian Pacific railway connecting Sydney to Perth.
is a minimum security correctional centre for male inmates, located at Ivanhoe. The Centre has accommodation for 55 prisoners, the majority of whom are Aboriginal. Inmates perform cleaning and maintenance tasks, as well as participating in community projects and the Mobile Outreach program. Inmates also undertake education programs, including numeracy and literacy, and self-awareness and alcohol- and substance-abuse management programs.
. The station is now unattended but it is still served by CountryLink
and Great Southern Railway
services. The Indian Pacific runs to Sydney
on Sundays and Thursdays, and to Adelaide
and Perth
on Tuesdays and Fridays. CountryLink's Broken Hill Outback Xplorer stops at the station on Mondays (heading to Broken Hill
) and Tuesdays (heading to Sydney).
The main town is located approximately three kilometres north of the railway station and from the original opening of the line a separate suburb was constructed by the railways adjacent the station to service the railways needs. This locality was generally referred to as rail town. Workshops, worker houses, locomotive depots, track maintenance depot, crew barracks, fuelling point and the station were all located in rail town. Rail town has now largely been taken over by the Correctional Centre Complex.
Ivanhoe remains a train crossing location where two trains can meet and pass one another on a 1,850 metre long section of double railway track, 816 rail kilometres from Sydney. Ivanhoe train crossing loop is between the adjacent crossing locations of Trida
(65km to the east) and Darnick (64km to the west).
and Wilcannia
. Ivanhoe is 182 km from Wilcannia to the north and 210km south to Hay
. There is a local road route from Ivanhoe to Menindee
, 205 km in length, this road is a gravel dry weather only road.
Cobb Highway
The Cobb Highway is a State highway in western New South Wales, Australia. From north to south the Cobb Highway begins at its junction with the Barrier Highway near Wilcannia and runs south through the townships of Ivanhoe, Booligal, Hay and Deniliquin. It ends at Moama where the...
between the Lachlan
Lachlan River
- Course :The river rises in the central highland of New South Wales, part of the Great Dividing Range, 13 km east of Gunning. Its major headwaters, the Carcoar River, the Belubula River and the Abercrombie River converge near the town of Cowra. Minor tributaries include the Morongla Creek...
and Darling
Darling River
The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is long, making it the longest river system in Australia.The...
rivers in 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...
. It is located within the Central Darling Shire
Central Darling Shire
Central Darling Shire is a Local Government Area in the Far West of New South Wales, Australia on the Barrier Highway. Central Darling Shire was constituted in 1959 and it is the largest Local Government Area in New South Wales.-Incomes:...
local government area. Ivanhoe functions as a service centre for the surrounding area. The township is characterised by a particularly wide main street. 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,...
, Ivanhoe had a population of 265 people.
The town was founded in the early 1870s, and was named after Sir Walter Scott’s work of historical fiction, Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
. The township was situated on well-used coach and stock routes connecting Wilcannia
Wilcannia, New South Wales
Wilcannia is a small town located within the Central Darling Shire in north western New South Wales, Australia. This was the third largest inland port in the country during the great river boat era of the mid-19th century. At the 2006 census, Wilcannia had a population of 596.- Geography...
on the Darling River
Darling River
The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is long, making it the longest river system in Australia.The...
with Balranald
Balranald, New South Wales
Balranald is a town and local government area in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census the population was 1,216....
on the Murrumbidgee and Booligal
Booligal, New South Wales
Booligal is a village in the Riverina area of western New South Wales , Australia. It is located on the Cobb Highway, on the Lachlan River north of Hay...
on the Lachlan.
History
In 1869 George Brown Williamson, the postmaster and a storekeeper at Booligal, purchased 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) from the “Waiko” pastoral run at the site which was to become the township of Ivanhoe. Williamson selected the location as a business opportunity, being the junction of two roads from Booligal and Balranald leading to Wilcannia on the Darling River. Williamson began operating a branch store at the location under the charge of his employee Charles Hiller. George Williamson was a native of Morayshire in Scotland, and is believed to have chosen the name ‘Ivanhoe’. Initially the nearest water supply to Ivanhoe was at Kilfera Lake, 25 kilometres away, from which drinking water had to be carted by dray.A hotel was built at Ivanhoe in 1871 (the Ivanhoe Hotel); the licensee was James Eade, who remained publican until 1875 (apart from during 1873 when Joshua Smith held the license). A post office opened at Ivanhoe on 1 January 1874 at Williamson’s store (renamed ‘The Post Office Store’), with Charles Hiller in charge (though Williamson was the designated Postmaster). On 1 February 1876, after a ten-year stint at Booligal, George Williamson moved to Ivanhoe. In 1876 two new hotels opened at Ivanhoe: the Horse and Jockey (licensee, Duncan McGregor) and Mac’s Ivanhoe Hotel (licensee, Henry Gayson). The licensee of the Ivanhoe Hotel in 1876 was Roberick MacKenzie. In 1879 a police presence was maintained at Ivanhoe to protect local residents from the Hatfield Bushrangers.
The Ivanhoe Hotel ceased operating from 1882, leaving two hotels in the township. During 1882 work commenced on the erection of a telegraph line from Booligal to Wilcannia. A telegraph station was opened at Ivanhoe on 5 February 1883 under the charge of Alfred Webber Rice, who had been promoted from his position at Campbelltown. The township was described in 1883 as having about 50 residents, a blacksmith's shop, two hotels, two stores (Williamson's and Stewart's), and “a few cottages”. By 1884 Ivanhoe was a major change-station for Cobb & Co.’s horses on the coach routes to and from the Darling River. In 1884 businesses in the township included the Cobb & Co. Chaff House and Millie's Stable and Yards (Henry Thomas Millie was the licensee of Mac’s Ivanhoe Hotel at that time). The mounted police were established at Ivanhoe in 1885. The Ivanhoe Jockey Club held its first race meeting in May 1885. From 1887 race meetings were held twice a year (until the late 1930s) on a course which formed part of the town common. In 1889 a school opened in the township. The summer heat was a significant problem for the school. Refrigerating paint and a veranda were used to ward off the sun but the school was closed during the extended drought of 1904 to 1907.
Ivanhoe was officially proclaimed a township in 1890. A new Post Office building was constructed, which opened in January 1898. The Ivanhoe Post Office building, though it has been renovated in recent years, still stands adjacent to its original site.
The founder of Ivanhoe, George Williamson, died in 1907.
In 1925 Ivanhoe was linked by railway to Sydney via Parkes. Two years later the extension to Broken Hill was completed. The line through Ivanhoe later became part of the transcontinental Indian Pacific railway connecting Sydney to Perth.
Ivanhoe Heritage Trail
The Ivanhoe Heritage Trail provides a good introduction to the town and its history. At separate sign-posted locations along the trail there are detailed descriptions of (1) the arrival of the railway (2) the Government Tank (3) the Post Office (4) bushrangers (5) watering holes (6) industrial trouble (7) the Cobb Highway and (8) reminiscences. With the exception of the railway station all sites are located within a block of the main street. A pamphlet with details of the heritage trail is available from the post office and other retail outlets; a book with more detailed information is also available for purchase.Climate
Climate records have been kept for Ivanhoe since 1884. Temperature extremes are quite marked over the full year: the average maximum temperature in January is 34.6 degrees Celsius and the average minimum temperature in July is 3.5 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature recorded at Ivanhoe was 48.5 °C (119.3 °F) on 15 February 2004; the lowest recorded was −6.2 °C on 21 July 1982. The average annual rainfall is 306.2 millimetres (12.1 in).Ivanhoe Warakirri Centre
Ivanhoe Warakirri CentreIvanhoe (Warakirri) Correctional Centre
Ivanhoe Correctional Centre is a minimum security Australian prison at Ivanhoe, New South Wales, Australia.The Ivanhoe Warakirri Centre has accommodation for 55 prisoners, the majority of whom are Aboriginal. Inmates perform cleaning and maintenance tasks, as well as participating in...
is a minimum security correctional centre for male inmates, located at Ivanhoe. The Centre has accommodation for 55 prisoners, the majority of whom are Aboriginal. Inmates perform cleaning and maintenance tasks, as well as participating in community projects and the Mobile Outreach program. Inmates also undertake education programs, including numeracy and literacy, and self-awareness and alcohol- and substance-abuse management programs.
Railway
The town's railway station opened on 19 August 1925 and is located on the Broken Hill Railway LineBroken Hill railway line, New South Wales
The Broken Hill railway line is now part of the transcontinental railway from Sydney to Perth.New South Wales's first line opened from Sydney to Parramatta Junction in 1855 and was extended as the Main Western line in stages to Orange in 1877. The Broken Hill line branched off the Main Western...
. The station is now unattended but it is still served by 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...
and Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway can refer to:* Great Southern Railway - tourism and rail operator* Great Southern Railway - Former railway serving the South Gippsland region in Victoria, Australia...
services. The Indian Pacific runs to 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...
on Sundays and Thursdays, and to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
on Tuesdays and Fridays. CountryLink's Broken Hill Outback Xplorer stops at the station on Mondays (heading to Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
) and Tuesdays (heading to Sydney).
The main town is located approximately three kilometres north of the railway station and from the original opening of the line a separate suburb was constructed by the railways adjacent the station to service the railways needs. This locality was generally referred to as rail town. Workshops, worker houses, locomotive depots, track maintenance depot, crew barracks, fuelling point and the station were all located in rail town. Rail town has now largely been taken over by the Correctional Centre Complex.
Ivanhoe remains a train crossing location where two trains can meet and pass one another on a 1,850 metre long section of double railway track, 816 rail kilometres from Sydney. Ivanhoe train crossing loop is between the adjacent crossing locations of Trida
Trida, New South Wales
Trida is a locality in Central Darling Shire in the Far West region of New South Wales, Australia.-Village:Records show that a Hotel existed at Trida with the license being established in 1889 by an Alexander Pearce...
(65km to the east) and Darnick (64km to the west).
Road routes
Ivanhoe is located on the Cobb Highway, National Route 75, which runs generally north/south between MoamaMoama, New South Wales
Moama is a town in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales, Australia, in the Murray Shire Local Government Area. The town is directly across the Murray River from the larger tourist town of Echuca in the neighbouring state of Victoria, to which it is connected by a bridge...
and Wilcannia
Wilcannia, New South Wales
Wilcannia is a small town located within the Central Darling Shire in north western New South Wales, Australia. This was the third largest inland port in the country during the great river boat era of the mid-19th century. At the 2006 census, Wilcannia had a population of 596.- Geography...
. Ivanhoe is 182 km from Wilcannia to the north and 210km south to Hay
Hay, New South Wales
Hay is a town in the western Riverina region of south western New South Wales , Australia. It is the administrative centre of Hay Shire Local Government Area and the centre of a prosperous and productive agricultural district on the wide Hay Plains....
. There is a local road route from Ivanhoe to Menindee
Menindee, New South Wales
Menindee is a small town in the far west of New South Wales, Australia, in Central Darling Shire, on the banks of the Darling River, with a sign-posted population of 980.-History:...
, 205 km in length, this road is a gravel dry weather only road.
External links
- ‘Ivanhoe’, Travel, Sydney Morning Herald, FairfaxDigital.
- Ivanhoe Information Information and Guide to Ivanhoe