Urana, New South Wales

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Urana
New South Wales

Population:

340

Postcode:

2645

Elevation:

125.0 m

Location:

561 km from Sydney
366 km from Melbourne
111 km from Wagga Wagga
125 km from Albury, New South Wales

LGA:

Urana Shire Council

State District:

Murrumbidgee

Federal Division:

Farrer

Mean Max Temp	Mean Min Temp	Rainfall
23.6 °C ^{74 °F}	9.6 °C ^{49 °F}	442.2 mm ^{17.4 in}

Urana is a small town and Local government area (see Urana Shire Council) in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia.

Urana is located between Lockhart and Jerilderie about 578 kilometres southwest of Sydney, with a postcode of 2645.

Urana in the major town and headquarters of Urana Shire. The shire includes the localities of Boree Creek, Morundah, Oaklands and Rand.

The area is used for raising sheep and for growing wheat and other grain crops.

1 History
2 Notable Residents
3 External links
4 References

[edit] History

Urana was first settled by Europeans during the 1850s. In May 1859 a design for the "Town of Urana" by Surveyor Hayes was approved by the New South Wales Executive Council. The name Urana comes from the Aboriginal word 'airana', meaning a temporary shelter (usually consisting of a simple frame of branches covered with bark, leaves, or grass).^[1]

In August 1863 near Urana the notorious bushranger, Dan 'Mad Dog' Morgan, and his accomplice Clarke held up the Police Magistrate based at Wagga Wagga, Henry Baylis. A few days after this incident Baylis led a party of policemen to the bushrangers' camp; shots were exchanged and both Baylis and the bushranger Clarke were wounded. Morgan and Clarke both escaped on this occasion.^[2]

In 1866 Urana township consisted of two public houses, the Urana Hotal and the Royal Hotel. In addition there was a post-office, two large stores, and a police-station and lock-up.

A new court-house was erected at Urana in 1879. During 1882 a Roman Catholic church was completed, with Father Burmingham celebrating the first service on 7 January 1883.^[3]

Urana Shire Council was proclaimed in 1906.

[edit] Notable Residents

Notable people from Urana include:

Singer Billy Field
Resident Bernard Mansell

[edit] External links

Urana Shire Council

[edit] References

^ Jervis, James, 'The Western Riverina: A History of Its Development', Royal Australian Historical Society Journal and Proceedings, Vol. XXXVIII 1952, pp. 242-3.
^ ‘Baylis, Henry (1826 - 1905)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography (online edition)
^ Jervis, op. cit.

Coordinates: 35°19′S 146°16′E