Moulamein, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Moulamein is a small town in New South Wales
, Australia
, in the Wakool Shire
. At the 2006 census
, Moulamein had a population of 349 people. Moulamein is the oldest town in the Riverina
.
The town is located between Balranald
, Hay
, Deniliquin and Swan Hill
, at the junction of the Edward River
and Billabong Creek
. The name Moulamein is derived from a local Aboriginal
word meaning "the meeting of the waters".
The climate of this area is semi-arid, and the area is rich in birdlife such as waterfowl, wedge-tailed Eagle
s and emu
s. This area also has quite a lot of kangaroo
s.
’s exploration along the Murrumbidgee River just to the north of this region.
In about 1842 Augustus Morris came to the Riverina seeking grazing land in association with the entrepreneur and speculator Benjamin Boyd
. Morris took up pastoral runs on the Edward River and explored the country surrounding the site of present-day Moulamein. Morris was apparently the first European to describe the confluence of the Edward River and Billabong Creek as “The Moulamein”.
Existing records of the Moulamein Court of Petty Sessions begin in 1847. In June 1848 a contract was let for a court-house and lock-up to be built at Moulamein (to be finished within six weeks). Moulamein Post Office opened on 1 October 1849 and the Clerk of Petty Sessions at Moulamein, Cornelius de Witt Jebb, applied for the position of postmaster. The post office closed in 1851 and was not reopened until 1859. Moulamein's court-house pre-dated the one at Albury
, so prisoners were brought there to be tried from far-flung regions of the Riverina. Richard Edward Wright established the Moulamein Inn at the location in 1848 and was granted a license for the hotel in February 1849. In November 1849 approval was granted for Moulamein to be laid out as a township. It was surveyed by Thomas Townsend 1851 and its township status gazetted on 9 September that year. Moulamein's first court-house was demolished in 1860.
During the period 1864 to 1866 George Ashcroft held the license of the Traveller’s Rest Hotel at Moulamein.
In 1866 it was reported that Moulamein had a population of 100 persons. At that time the township had two hotels, a post-office and "some stores". A tender was accepted for a school to be built at Moulamein in June 1866.
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...
, in the Wakool Shire
Wakool Shire
Wakool Shire is a Local Government Area located between the Murray River and the Murrumbidgee River and on the Sturt Highway.Towns in the Shire are: Barham , Moulamein , Tooleybuc , Wakool and Koraleigh.- Council :...
. 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,...
, Moulamein had a population of 349 people. Moulamein is the oldest town in the Riverina
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...
.
The town is located between 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....
, 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....
, Deniliquin and Swan Hill
Swan Hill, Victoria
Swan Hill is a city in the northwest of Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Murray Valley Highway, on the south bank of the Murray River, downstream from the junction of the Loddon River. At the 2006 census, Swan Hill had a population of 9,684.-History:...
, at the junction of the Edward River
Edward River
The Edward River is a river in the south west Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The river is an anabranch of the Murray River, the longest river in Australia....
and 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....
. The name Moulamein is derived from a local Aboriginal
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....
word meaning "the meeting of the waters".
The climate of this area is semi-arid, and the area is rich in birdlife such as waterfowl, wedge-tailed Eagle
Wedge-tailed Eagle
The Wedge-tailed Eagle , sometimes known as the Eaglehawk in its native range, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, but it is also found in southern New Guinea. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail...
s and emu
Emu
The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
s. This area also has quite a lot of kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s.
History
Some accounts of Moulamein’s history make unsourced statements such as: “settled as early as 1830 Moulamein is the oldest town in the Riverina”. However it is highly unlikely the township was established as early as 1830 considering that this was about the time of Charles SturtCharles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
’s exploration along the Murrumbidgee River just to the north of this region.
In about 1842 Augustus Morris came to the Riverina seeking grazing land in association with the entrepreneur and speculator Benjamin Boyd
Benjamin Boyd
Benjamin Boyd was a Scottish-born Australian pioneer and entrepreneur.Boyd was a man of "an imposing personal appearance, fluent oratory, aristocratic connexions, and a fair share of commercial acuteness". Mrs Georgiana McCrae, with whom he had dinner when he first came to Port Phillip, looked at...
. Morris took up pastoral runs on the Edward River and explored the country surrounding the site of present-day Moulamein. Morris was apparently the first European to describe the confluence of the Edward River and Billabong Creek as “The Moulamein”.
Existing records of the Moulamein Court of Petty Sessions begin in 1847. In June 1848 a contract was let for a court-house and lock-up to be built at Moulamein (to be finished within six weeks). Moulamein Post Office opened on 1 October 1849 and the Clerk of Petty Sessions at Moulamein, Cornelius de Witt Jebb, applied for the position of postmaster. The post office closed in 1851 and was not reopened until 1859. Moulamein's court-house pre-dated the one at 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...
, so prisoners were brought there to be tried from far-flung regions of the Riverina. Richard Edward Wright established the Moulamein Inn at the location in 1848 and was granted a license for the hotel in February 1849. In November 1849 approval was granted for Moulamein to be laid out as a township. It was surveyed by Thomas Townsend 1851 and its township status gazetted on 9 September that year. Moulamein's first court-house was demolished in 1860.
During the period 1864 to 1866 George Ashcroft held the license of the Traveller’s Rest Hotel at Moulamein.
In 1866 it was reported that Moulamein had a population of 100 persons. At that time the township had two hotels, a post-office and "some stores". A tender was accepted for a school to be built at Moulamein in June 1866.