Tarcutta, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Tarcutta is a small town located 438 km south-west of Sydney
, three kilometres east of the Hume Highway
, in New South Wales
, Australia
. It was proclaimed as a village on 28 October 1890. As of 2006, village had a population of 243 people.
It serves a local farming community relying for its prosperity mainly on sheep and cattle, and the interstate truckie
s who use the town as a change-over point in the trade between the state capital cities of Sydney
and Melbourne
.
A decade after this first European contact around 1835-37, 'Hambledon', a U-shaped slab house
was built at Tarcutta. It was the first inn and post office to be built between Gundagai and Albury. Tarcutta Post Office opened on 1 January 1849.
By the 1880s Tarcutta locals actively lobbying for a rail branch line from Wagga Wagga to Tumbarumba via Tarcutta. By 1917 the Tumbarumba branch line became a reality though a section of the line sustained major flood damage in 1974 and the remainder of the line was closed in 1987.
Tarcutta is half way between Sydney and Melbourne on the Hume Highway
, and has long been popular in the trucking industry
as a stopping and changeover point for drivers.
The local park houses the National Truck Drivers' Memorial to the truck
drivers who have died on the infamous local stretch of the Hume Highway, as well as around the country. The country singer, Slim Dusty
, endorsed the memorial with a plaque.
The local café, which has sustained generations of truckies, has also been the source of inspiration for some of Australia's recent modern poets, Les Murray
and Bruce Dawe
. Murray wrote "The Burning Truck" while visiting the café in 1961 and Dawe immortalised the eatery in a couple of lines in his poem "Under Way". If The poem reads in part: 'there would be days / banging open and shut like the wire door of the cafe in Tarcutta / where the flies sang at the windows'.
There had been extensive political arguing since 1999 between Federal and State Governments over funding and where to site a proposed Tarcutta truck changeover facility. It was finally decided to place it off the main street and the project which was completed early 2007 was jointly funded at a cost of $6.5m.
Truck drivers are required to stop for 30 minutes every five hours.
champion tennis player Tony Roche
. A left-hander, Roche had a successful singles and double career and won 12 Grand Slam men's doubles tournaments.
Located nearby is the 432 ha Tarcutta Hills Reserve
, owned and managed by Bush Heritage Australia
. This reserve provides an important remnant of white box woodland with a relatively untouched grassy understory: a last refuge for endangered birds like the Swift Parrot
, the beautiful Squirrel Glider
and as many as 11 other threatened wildlife species. The site is listed on the Register of the National Estate
.
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...
, three kilometres east of the Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
, 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 was proclaimed as a village on 28 October 1890. As of 2006, village had a population of 243 people.
It serves a local farming community relying for its prosperity mainly on sheep and cattle, and the interstate truckie
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
s who use the town as a change-over point in the trade between the state capital cities 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 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...
.
History
The Tarcutta area was first visited by the European explorers Hume and Hovell as they passed through on their way from Sydney to Port Phillip in the Colony of Victoria. On 7 January 1825, near the present site of Tarcutta, they met a group of Wiradjuri Aborigines.A decade after this first European contact around 1835-37, 'Hambledon', a U-shaped slab house
Slab Hut
A Slab Hut is a kind of dwelling or shed made from slabs of split or sawn timber. It was a common form of construction used by settlers in Australia and New Zealand during their nations' Colonial periods.-The Australian Settler:...
was built at Tarcutta. It was the first inn and post office to be built between Gundagai and Albury. Tarcutta Post Office opened on 1 January 1849.
By the 1880s Tarcutta locals actively lobbying for a rail branch line from Wagga Wagga to Tumbarumba via Tarcutta. By 1917 the Tumbarumba branch line became a reality though a section of the line sustained major flood damage in 1974 and the remainder of the line was closed in 1987.
Trucking industry
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
, and has long been popular in the trucking industry
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
as a stopping and changeover point for drivers.
The local park houses the National Truck Drivers' Memorial to the truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
drivers who have died on the infamous local stretch of the Hume Highway, as well as around the country. The country singer, Slim Dusty
Slim Dusty
David Gordon "Slim Dusty " Kirkpatrick AO, MBE was an Australian country music singer-songwriter and producer, with a career spanning nearly eight decades. He was known to record songs in the legacy of Australian poets Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson that represented the Australian Bush...
, endorsed the memorial with a plaque.
The local café, which has sustained generations of truckies, has also been the source of inspiration for some of Australia's recent modern poets, Les Murray
Les Murray (poet)
Leslie Allan Murray, AO , known as Les Murray, is an Australian poet, anthologist and critic. His career spans over forty years, and he has published nearly 30 volumes of poetry, as well as two verse novels and collections of his prose writings...
and Bruce Dawe
Bruce Dawe
Donald Bruce Dawe AO is an Australian poet, and is considered by many as one of the most influential Australian poets of all time.-Early life:...
. Murray wrote "The Burning Truck" while visiting the café in 1961 and Dawe immortalised the eatery in a couple of lines in his poem "Under Way". If The poem reads in part: 'there would be days / banging open and shut like the wire door of the cafe in Tarcutta / where the flies sang at the windows'.
There had been extensive political arguing since 1999 between Federal and State Governments over funding and where to site a proposed Tarcutta truck changeover facility. It was finally decided to place it off the main street and the project which was completed early 2007 was jointly funded at a cost of $6.5m.
Truck drivers are required to stop for 30 minutes every five hours.
Tarcutta's other claims to fame
Tarcutta is also the birthplace of former Grand SlamGrand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
champion tennis player Tony Roche
Tony Roche
Anthony "Tony" Dalton Roche is a former professional Australian tennis player, native of Tarcutta. He played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagga Wagga. He won one Grand Slam singles title and twelve Grand Slam doubles titles. He is also very well known for coaching...
. A left-hander, Roche had a successful singles and double career and won 12 Grand Slam men's doubles tournaments.
Located nearby is the 432 ha Tarcutta Hills Reserve
Tarcutta Hills Reserve
Tarcutta Hills Reserve is a nature reserve on the lower western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in central west New South Wales, Australia. It is south-west of Sydney, close to the Hume Highway, and south of Tarcutta...
, owned and managed by Bush Heritage Australia
Bush Heritage Australia
Bush Heritage Australia is a non-profit organisation based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia that operates throughout Australia. It was previously known as the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, which is still its legal name. It purchases land, assessed as being of outstanding conservation value, from...
. This reserve provides an important remnant of white box woodland with a relatively untouched grassy understory: a last refuge for endangered birds like the Swift Parrot
Swift Parrot
The Swift Parrot breeds in Tasmania and migrates north to south eastern Australia from Griffith-Warialda in New South Wales and west to Adelaide in the winter. It is related to the rosellas, with the feeding habits of a lorikeet...
, the beautiful Squirrel Glider
Squirrel Glider
The Squirrel Glider is a nocturnal gliding possum, one of the wrist-winged gliders of the genus Petaurus.-Habitat:...
and as many as 11 other threatened wildlife species. The site is 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...
.