Armidale, New South Wales

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Armidale
New South Wales

Looking south across Armidale City
Population: 22,000
Established: 1849
Postcode: 2350
Elevation: 1000 m
LGA: Armidale Dumaresq Council
State District: Northern Tablelands
Federal Division: New England
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Rainfall
20.3 °C
69 °F		 7.1 °C
45 °F		 790.1 mm
31.1 in

Armidale (population 22,000) is a university and cathedral city in northern New South Wales, Australia, in Armidale Dumaresq Council. It is the administrative centre for the New England region. It is the seat of The University of New England. It is located approximately half way between Sydney and Brisbane on the New England Highway, national route 15. It is 1000m AHD, with coordinates of 30°30′S 151°40′E.

Contents

[edit] Geography and climate

Armidale is situated on the Northern Tablelands, a plateau atop the Great Dividing Range. To the east are heavily forested steep sandstone gorges dropping down to the eastern coastal plain. Some parts of the highlands are composed of granite and decomposed granite soil, which is slightly deficient in nutrients. There are also basalt intrusions which are more fertile than the granite country. To the west are gently undulating pastures and bushland. The area contains a number of areas of outstanding natural beauty and scientific interest, and there are several World Heritage national parks in the area including the New England National Park and the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. To the west is Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve. Armidale's elevation gives it a mild climate, with pleasant warm summers, extended spring and autumn seasons, and a short cold winter. Snow falls on an average of 2-3 days a year. The presence of four distinct seasons, unlike most of the rest of Australia, is the reason for the 'New England' moniker and the autumn colours are a notable feature of the city. The coastal plain can be reached directly at Coffs Harbour via Dorrigo and Bellingen on the Bellinger River, a 2 hour drive. Armidale is the terminus of the Northern Railway, with direct links to Sydney via the daily Countrylink Xplorer service. There is also a modern airport with connections to Sydney and Brisbane, as well as local and regional connections.

[edit] History

Before colonial New South Wales, The Aniwan (Anaiwan or Nganaywana) people were the traditional owners of the country that encompasses current day Armidale.

Armidale was first settled in the early 1830s, following the earlier exploration of the area by John Oxley. It was named after Armadale on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, but seemingly the city fathers were not good spellers. The Scottish Armadale was the ancestral home of George James McDonald who was the Commissioner for Crown Lands in the late 1830s.

Oxley recommended the region for grazing, and soon early pioneers set up small farms in the locality. The town, which was surveyed in 1848 and gazetted in 1849, was established to provide a market and administration for the farms, but soon after gold was discovered at nearby Rocky River and Gara Gorges, and a gold rush ensued, enlarging the town rapidly in the 1850s. The gold mining settlement of Hillgrove, about 10km east of Armidale was the site of Australia's first hydro-electric scheme, remains of which are still visible. The nearby town of Uralla was home to the infamous Captain Thunderbolt - outlaw Fred Ward - who caused trouble in the area in the 1860s. As with Ned Kelly, the locals have adopted him as a larrikin hero and make the most of him as a tourist attraction.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visited Armidale in 1970.

[edit] University of New England

Main article: University of New England

The university was founded in 1938, at first as an outpost of the University of Sydney, but then in its own right (1954). The UNE changed Armidale from a rural market town into a city of great culture and diversity, with a much greater artistic and cultural element than might be expected for a country region. The university has strong links to the rural community, with a lot of agricultural research and learning. However there is also a high-technology presence as well as notable humanities teaching. The university is built around the old country house of Booloominbah, which is now used for official functions and contains one of the university's restaurants. UNE is one of the city's main employers.

[edit] City of Armidale

The Catholic Cathedral of St Mary and St Joseph, Armidale
Enlarge
The Catholic Cathedral of St Mary and St Joseph, Armidale

Armidale was proclaimed a city in 1885. It is a cathedral city being the seat of the Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops of Armidale. St Peter's Anglican Cathedral, which replaced the original St Peter's Church, was designed by the Canadian architect, John Horbury Hunt who also designed Booloominbah at the University of New England. St Peter's Cathedral opened for worship in 1875 and the tower was added in 1938. The Catholic Cathedral of St Mary and St Joseph was consecrated in 1912.

The city is laid out in a grid around the centre. The main street is called Beardy Street, named for two of the founding settlers who wore beards. The court house was built in the 1850s and is still a prominent feature of the central district. Beardy Street is pedestrianised in the centre to form a pleasant outdoor mall with many shops and cafes and leafy outdoor eating and sitting areas. It also features some notable architecture, including the Tattersalls Hotel, built in the Art Deco Moderne style in the 1930s. Much of the rest of the city is residential. The city is a regional centre for bushwalking, with easy access by road to the various World Heritage National Parks, and there are several outdoor and camping shops in the city. Armidale also hosts a number of education facilities, including New England Girls' School (1895), The Armidale School (1894), and Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale (1887), schools of the Australian private education sector. O'Connor Catholic High School (1974) and St Mary's Primary School are systemic Catholic schools. Duval High School (1972) and Armidale High School (1911) are government-funded higher education facilities.

Armidale is well known for its annual event, the Autumn Festival. The festival features a street parade, stalls and celebrations throughout the township. It is a regular part of the city's attractions, often promoting Armidale's diverse culture (for instance, posters set up by the local council attempt to attract tourists with the motto 'Foodies Thrive In Armidale') and autumn colours.

[edit] Media

The city is served by three newspapers and four radio stations:

  • The Independant
  • The Express
  • The Extra
  • 2AD/100.3 FM The Heat is a commercial broadcaster owned by the SuperNetwork.
  • 2ARM is a community radio station which focuses on country music and mature listeners.
  • 2UNE TUNE! FM is a narrowcast station run by UNE.
  • 88.0 is a narrowcast tourist radio station.

[edit] Attractions

[edit] Notable people from Armidale

[edit] External links

Countrylink North Western
Uralla ↔ Armidale

This is about the town of Armidale in New South Wales. For other places named Armidale or Armadale see also:


Flag of New South Wales

Cities of New South Wales
Capital:

Sydney
Cities:

Albury | Armidale | Bathurst | Blue Mountains | Broken Hill | Cessnock | Coffs Harbour | Dubbo | Gosford | Goulburn | Grafton | Griffith | Greater Taree | Hawkesbury | Lake Macquarie | Lismore | Lithgow | Maitland | Newcastle | Orange | Queanbeyan | Shellharbour | Shoalhaven | Tamworth | Wagga Wagga | Wollongong

Coordinates: 30°30′S 151°40′E

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