Warragamba, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Warragamba is a town
in New South Wales
, Australia
, in Wollondilly Shire. Located on the eastern edge of the Blue Mountains, Warragamba is one and a half hour's drive west of Sydney
. The name Warragamba comes from the aboriginal
words Warra and Gamba meaning water running over rocks. At the 2006 census
, Warragamba had a population of 1,197.
, penetrating upstream to the present site of Warragamba Dam.
Originally constructed as a workers' settlement during the construction of Warragamba Dam
, Sydney's primary water source
, in the 1940s the modern town of Warragamba remains on the same site adjacent the dam. The town was built from scratch, including homes, shops, schools and other facilities.
On completion of the dam being built many workers bought their homes from the Water Board and stayed on in the township. Warragamba Public School celebrated its fiftieth anniversary
in September 1998 despite the fact it was to be demolished after the completion of Warragamba Dam in the 1960s.
Warragamba is unusual for an Australian town, as the streets do not have typical names, but are numbered (such as First Street and Eighteenth Street).
Ongoing dam works (including recent safety improvements) have severely reduced weekend visitors. The town also lost 30 homes and businesses in the Warragamba Bushfire of 2001. It was home to African Lion Safari
until 1991.
A new Warragamba Dam Visitor Centre and Haviland Park are becoming a popular tourist attractions thanks in part to the excellent picnic facilities.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
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...
, in Wollondilly Shire. Located on the eastern edge of the Blue Mountains, Warragamba is one and a half hour's drive 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...
. The name Warragamba comes from the 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....
words Warra and Gamba meaning water running over rocks. 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,...
, Warragamba had a population of 1,197.
History
In 1804, George William Evans discovered the Warragamba RiverWarragamba River
The Warragamba River is a tributary of the Nepean River, and hence of the Hawkesbury River, in New South Wales, Australia. It is best known for being the location of the Warragamba Dam and Lake Burragorang, which form a major part of the water supply to the Sydney region.Prior to the creation of...
, penetrating upstream to the present site of Warragamba Dam.
Originally constructed as a workers' settlement during the construction of Warragamba Dam
Warragamba Dam
Warragamba Dam is the primary water source for the Australian city of Sydney. It is approximately to the west of Sydney on the Warragamba River, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, and impounds Lake Burragorang.- Overview :...
, Sydney's primary water source
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
, in the 1940s the modern town of Warragamba remains on the same site adjacent the dam. The town was built from scratch, including homes, shops, schools and other facilities.
On completion of the dam being built many workers bought their homes from the Water Board and stayed on in the township. Warragamba Public School celebrated its fiftieth anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
in September 1998 despite the fact it was to be demolished after the completion of Warragamba Dam in the 1960s.
Warragamba is unusual for an Australian town, as the streets do not have typical names, but are numbered (such as First Street and Eighteenth Street).
Ongoing dam works (including recent safety improvements) have severely reduced weekend visitors. The town also lost 30 homes and businesses in the Warragamba Bushfire of 2001. It was home to African Lion Safari
African Lion Safari (Warragamba)
The African Lion Safari was a wildlife park that Stafford Bullen opened in 1968. It operated near Warragamba on the outskirts of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia until 1991.There was a dolphinarium in African Lion Safari.-History:...
until 1991.
A new Warragamba Dam Visitor Centre and Haviland Park are becoming a popular tourist attractions thanks in part to the excellent picnic facilities.