Wilcannia, New South Wales

Initially named Mt Murchison by the explorer Major Thomas Mitchell who passed through in 1835, Wilcannia was proclaimed in June 1866 and incorporated as a municipality in 1881. The township reached its height in the 1880s due to the booming sheep industry, when it boasted 13 hotels, a population of 3000, and a local newspaper - the Wilcannia Times.

Wilcannia is the home of the Barkindji people (also known as Paakantji) who have been living in the area for over 40,000 years. Wilcannia in the local language means a gap in the bank where flood waters escape.

Wilcannia Bridge

The centrelift bridge was built in 1896 and is now classified by the National Trust. It replaced a punt which was capable of moving 4000 sheep a day across the river.

In the early days Wilcannia was a port for riverboats on the Darling River. In 1887 alone over 200 paddle steamers stopped there. Known as 'Queen City of the West' there was a time when most of the wool from northwestern NSW passed through the port.

[edit] Geography

Wilcannia is located where the Barrier Highway crosses the Darling River, 965 km from Sydney. The environment is semi-arid with an annual rainfall of 255 mm. Mean maximum daily temperature in Summer is 34°C and in Winter is 19°C (Bureau of Meteorology).

Wilcannia is located within the Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion (IBRA classification, Department of Environment), consisting of landscapes adapted to flooding. Common species include River Red Gum, Yellow Box, Oldman Saltbush and Lignum.

The surrounding area is very sparsely settled by pastoralists who have large land holdings, used primarily to run sheep.

[edit] Demography

From the 2001 Census, Wilcannia had a population of 688 with 448 (65%) people being of Aboriginal descent. Wilcannia has 191 private dwellings (Australian Bureau of Statistics).