Mittagong, New South Wales
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| Mittagong New South Wales |
|
 Location of Mittagong in New South Wales |
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| Population: | 6,270 (2001 census) |
| Postcode: | 2575 |
| Location: | |
| LGA: | Wingecarribee |
| State District: | Southern Highlands |
| Federal Division: | Hume |
Mittagong (; postcode: 2575) is a town with a population of approximately 6,000 in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. It is close to Bowral, Berrima, Moss Vale and Yerrinbool. It was formerly on the Hume Highway that linked Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
The name Mittagong is said to mean "little mountain". Other suggested meanings are "a companion" and "plenty of native dogs", as the Mittagong range was home to many dingos at one time.
The opening of the bypass in the 1992 was expected by some to negatively affect business in Mittagong, but instead the location has become a rest stop for drivers and a daytripper destination from Sydney, only one hour away. An antique retail industry is also present. The town lies between two hills, Mount Alexandra and Mount Gibraltar, and a small lake, Lake Alexandra, feeds into the nearby Nattai River. Mittagong is the gateway to the Southern Highlands when coming from Sydney.
Today the town invites visitors to explore its history, scenery, small waterfalls, bushwalks and it's famed "Waratah" flowering in November. A chamber music festival is held each Easter. You can picnic at peaceful Lake Alexandra and feed the ducks, and take a peaceful stroll around the Lake - no more than 250 metres from Mittagong's main street. The main street boasts a wide array of retailers and many antique shops.
[edit] History
Mittagong was settled in the early 1800's, as the first settlement in the district. One of the first settlers was William Chalker.
Mittagong has been home to many industries, with iron being first smelted in the area. The Box Vale Coal Mine, Joadja Kerosene Shale, and the first supply of fresh milk and butter to Sydney by the Fresh Food & Ice Company all operated out of Mittagong in years gone by.
Mittagong is the birthplace of famous Australian personality Ita Buttrose.
Until the 1980s the town was dominated by trucks and in winter it was also busy with skiers' traffic on the way to the Australian Alps. Today the Hume Highway bypasses Mittagong and all the towns of the Southern Tablelands. The highway bypass was first evaluated as having a slightly negative impact on the economy about a year after its opening, due to the loss of traffic-serving business. Expectations were re-evaluated as mildly positive in 1994 taking into account hard-to-quantify benefits such as the increased appeal of the town as a place to live.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Australia. Bureau of Transport and Communications Economics (BTCE) Working Paper, 11, 1994, pp 22p, AGPS, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, 1036-739X, 0-642-20440-3. PY: 1994
