Bundarra, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Bundarra
state = nsw


caption = Thunderbolts Way, Bundarra, NSW
lga = Uralla Shire Council
county = Hardinge
postcode = 2359
est =
pop = 331
elevation= 660
maxtemp = 23.0
mintemp = 7.6
rainfall = 765.4
stategov = Northern Tablelands
fedgov = New England
dist1 = 563
dir1 = NW
location1= Sydney
dist2 = 82
dir2 = NW
location2= Armidale
dist3 = 51
dir3 = S
location3= Inverell
dist4 = 76
dir4 = NW
location4= Uralla
dist5 = 66
dir5 = ENE
location5= Barraba

Bundarra is a small town on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located on Thunderbolts Way and on the banks of the Gwydir River, in the Uralla Shire Local Government Area, 563 kilometres (350 mi) kilometres from the state capital, Sydney. At the 2006 census, Bundarra had a population of 331 and the surrounding area had 463 persons.Census 2006 AUS
id=UCL115000
name=Bundarra (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)
accessdate=2007-10-25
quick=on]

History

Bundarra is named for the Kamilaroi Indigenous Australian word for the Grey Kangaroo.cite web
url = http://www.bundarra.com/
title = Welcome to Bundarra
accessdate = 2007-06-23] The Kamilaroi and Anaiwan groups were the original inhabitants of the Bundarra area. A local hill nearby Bundarra called "Rumbling Mountain" is the subject of an Aboriginal myth that attempts to explain its periodic rumbling and shaking.cite web
url = http://www.bundarra.com/html/indigenous_hist.html
title = Bundarra - Indigenous History
accessdate = 2007-06-23]

Bundarra Station was founded in 1836 by Edward G. Clerk and a hotel and store were established on the future townsite. A church was constructed on the site in 1857 around the same time as the town survey. The old buildings in Bundarra’s main street were constructed between 1860 and 1880. A school was established in 1869, becoming a central school in 1955. The Roman Catholic convent was built in 1908 and a newspaper, the Bundarra Advocate was founded. At one stage the town included three hotels. three stores, three butchers and a bank. Copper and gold were also found in the area.cite web
url = http://www.bundarra.com/html/old_bundarra.html
title = Old Bundarra
accessdate = 2007-06-24] While property owners were digging for gold, many Aboriginal shepherds and harvest workers were employed and contributed greatly to the development of the town. The bushranger, Fred Ward, known as Captain Thunderbolt, stole two horses belonging to a police inspector from Abington station, near Bundarra in 1868.cite web
url = http://www.walkabout.fairfax.com.au/fairfax/locations/NSWBundarra.shtml
title = Walkabout - Bundarra
publisher = Fairfax
accessdate = 2007-06-24]

The Bundarra bridge, a five-span iron lattice truss bridge, was constructed in 1881. The bridge, crossing the Gwydir River, is 204 metres in length and 5.6 metres wide between kerbs. The bridge has been listed on the Register of the National Estate, being of state significance due to its design, historical value and aesthetic appearance. The bridge was the focus of a large community celebration for its centenary and is still in use today.cite web
url = http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=heritage.show&id=4301681
title = Bridge over Gwydir River at Bundarra
publisher = Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW)
accessdate = 2007-06-24]

The historic townscape of Bundarra lead to the town hosting some on location filming for the Fred Schepisi directed film, "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith", based on the Booker Prize winning novel by Thomas Keneally.cite web
url = http://www.bundarra.com/html/trivia.html
title = Bundarra - Trivia
accessdate = 2007-06-24]

Bundarra Police Station and Courthouse (former) together with The Basin Nature Reserve, Baldersleigh Road have been placed on the Register of the National Estate. [ [http://www.aussieheritage.com.au/listings/nsw/Bundarra Aussie Heritage] ]

Fauna

Bundarra is home to one of only three breeding areas in New South Wales for the endangered Regent Honeyeater. The colony consists of around 30 birds of around 1,500 remaining in total. Platypus can be seen in the Gwydir River at Bundarra near the Bundarra bridge.cite web
url = http://www.bundarra.com/html/flora_and_fauna.html
title = Flora and Fauna of Bundarra
accessdate = 2007-06-24]

Facilities

The town today includes a K-12 central school, police station, two churches, the Grace Munro Centre (a state of the art aged care facility), post office and Commonwealth Bank agency, an agricultural supplies store, garage, hotel, sporting club and golf course, rural transaction centre (with Centrelink access), community technology centre, general store/liquor/newsagency/gift shop and a takeaway store that’s open 7 days a week. Camping is possible at the camping ground with powered sites and hot shower facilities, and at a free site on the edge of town and on the river.

Annual events in town include the Agricultural show in January, the Goat Races in April and the rodeo in November.

There are good fishing spots along the Gwydir River where it is possible to catch some big Murray cod.

References