Narromine

Narromine is a town located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Dubbo in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of Narromine Shire. At the 2016 census, Narromine had a population of 3,528.[1] The area is a popular area for gliding and the growing of citrus fruits. The Macquarie River passes through the town. The main road from Dubbo to the west also passes through, this being the Mitchell Highway named after the early explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell. Narromine is a station on the Main Western railway line. The area is characterised by hot summers and mild winters.

Narromine
New South Wales
Dandaloo St (Mitchell Highway) in Narromine, 2017.
Narromine
Coordinates32°14′S 148°14′E
Population3,528 (2016 census)[1]
Established1883[2]
Postcode(s)2821
Elevation236 m (774 ft)[3]
Location
LGA(s)Narromine Shire
State electorate(s)Dubbo
Federal Division(s)Parkes
WebsiteNarromine
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall[3]
? ? 526.8 mm
20.7 in

History

The town name comes from a pastoral property, which in turn came from the Wiradjuri word 'ngarru-mayiny' meaning 'honey people'.[4][5] The land lay within Wangaibon territory.

The first European to visit the district was John Oxley who traced the course of the Macquarie River in 1818.[6]

The Main West railway line extension between Dubbo and Nevertire, which included Narromine, was officially opened on 20 October 1882.[7] The town was established after the railway opened, the first structures in the town being the railway platforms.[8] The township was gazetted in 1883, and the railway station opened on 1 May 1883.[2][9] It was renamed to its current spelling in October 1889.[9] Narramine Post Office opened on 20 October 1882 and was renamed Narromine in November 1900.[10] The village of Narramine was proclaimed in July 1883, and numerous buildings followed, including the police station built in 1890, the store (1890) and the Royal Hotel (1890).[11][2][12] A bridge over the Macquarie River was built in 1897.[2] After federation, the population of Narromine was 2,228 in the 1911 census, and in 1947 the population was 1,816.[13][14]

Floods

In late March 1926, Narromine experienced its biggest flood since 1893, with the Macquarie River peaking at 50 feet (15 m) at 5 am on 27 March.[15][16] Narromine was isolated due to floodwaters cutting roads, telephone lines and the railway line.[16] A large area of country around the town was covered in water. Very little damage was reported.[16] In the floods of April 1990, the river peaked at Narromine at a record 15.93 metres (52.3 ft).[17]

Population

According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 3,528 people in Narromine.

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 24.4% of the population.
  • 86.4% of people were born in Australia and 89.6% of people spoke only English at home
  • The most common responses for religion were Catholic 28.8%, Anglican 25.9% and No Religion 17.2%.[1]

Personalities

The town of Narromine has produced several success stories, most recently sports personalities Glenn McGrath (Australian cricket team: Fast bowler ), Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (Sprinter: Commonwealth Games medallist), Disney animator Adam Phillips and Justin Smith (rugby league: North Queensland Cowboys). Other notable sportsmen to represent Australia at the International level include David Gillespie (Australian Rugby League) and David Jansen (International Gliding Championships).

The 1958 Melbourne Cup Winner, Baystone, was owned by the Burns family from Narromine - Robert Burns, and his two sons Norman and Noel.

A statue of Glenn McGrath was installed in Tom Perry Park in 2009.[18]

Sporting teams

Narromine is heavily involved in regional sport. As a result of Narromine's proud sporting heroes this town has a great involvement in a number of different sports.

In Rugby League, Narromine is represented by the Narromine Jets in the Group 11 Country Rugby League competition. Narromine has had a significant amount of success in this competition. Particularly, in 2002/2003 when their U18's took out the Group 11 competition with relative ease. The team defeated Dubbo Cyms in the 2002 grand final after completing the regular season undefeated. In 2003 the team lost only one game before defeating Dubbo Macquarie Raiders in a one sided affair.

The town also boasts a successful Rugby Union team known as the Narromine Gorillas. Founded in 1982, the Gorillas have been a major force across the central west competitions and currently compete in the Blowes Clothing Cup. The Gorillas had a successful 2017 season in which they won the Graincorp cup (north) without tasting defeat the entire year. The Grand Final saw them take on the Molong Magpies, with the final score being 31–10. Despite winning the premiership, the most significant achievement of 2017 might've been the reclaiming of "The Ashes" from cross shire rivals the Trangie Tigers. The infamous urn had never been held by Narromine in the 33 years since its inception, and this was the first time it had been contested since 1994. Prior to this recent success the first grade side won the 2009 Blowes Cup defeating the Bathurst Bulldogs in the grand final, and also registered three straight minor premierships from 2009–2011. As well as senior teams, the Gorillas has a fantastic junior rugby program with U/13's, U/15's and U/17's teams, plus sub-juniors.

Military history

During World War 2, Narromine was the location of RAAF No.19 Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot (IAFD), completed in 1942 and closed on 14 June 1944. Usually consisting of 4 tanks, 31 fuel depots were built across Australia for the storage and supply of aircraft fuel for the RAAF and the US Army Air Forces at a total cost of £900,000 ($1,800,000).[19]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Narromine (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  2. "Narromine". Australian Heritage. Heritage Australia Publishing. Archived from the original on 21 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  3. "Monthly Rainfall - Narromine (Alagalah St)". Climate Data Online. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  4. "Narromine". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  5. "PLACE NAMES". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 13 May 1964. p. 61. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  6. Narromine - A Railway History McKillop, Robert F. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, January 1997 pp 3-22.
  7. "EXTENSION OF THE RAILWAY FROM DUBBO TO NEVERTIRE". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 21 October 1882. p. 12. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  8. Developing the Inland: The Great Western Railway to Bourke McKillop, Bob Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, September 2002 pp 328-340.
  9. "Narromine Station". NSWrail.net. Rolfe Bozier. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  10. "Post Office Details - Narromine". Premier Postal. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  11. "SITE FOR VILLAGE AT NARROMINE". New South Wales Government Gazette (303). New South Wales, Australia. 16 July 1883. p. 3838. Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Narromine Timeline". Macquarie Regional Library. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  13. "CENSUS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 1911 – Part XIV Summary" (PDF). Census of the Commonwealth of Australia 1911. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1911. p. 229. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  14. "CENSUS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 30th June, 1947 – PART VIII. – POPULATION AND OCCUPIED DWELLINGS IN LOCALITIES" (PDF). CENSUS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 30th June, 1947. Australian Bureau of Statistics. p. 43. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  15. "THE FLOODS". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 29 March 1926. p. 11. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  16. "MACQUARIE RIVER". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 29 March 1926. p. 11. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  17. "Macquarie Region". FloodSafe. NSW State Emergency Service. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  18. Rowles, Lucy (7 June 2009). "Cricket star humbled by statue in his honour". Daily Liberal. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  19. Australia. Royal Australian Air Force. Historical Section (1995), Logistics units, AGPS Press, ISBN 978-0-644-42798-2

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