Narrandera, New South Wales

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Narrandera
New South Wales

Location of Narrandera in New South Wales (red)

Population:

4,119 (2001 Census)

Postcode:

2700

Elevation:

173.0 m (568 ft)

Location:

549 km (341 mi) from Sydney
428 km (266 mi) from Melbourne
99 km (62 mi) from Wagga Wagga
97 km (60 mi) from Griffith

LGA:

Narrandera Shire Council

County:

Cooper

State District:

Murrumbidgee

Federal Division:

Riverina

Mean Max Temp	Mean Min Temp	Rainfall
23.3 °C ^{74 °F}	9.9 °C ^{50 °F}	471.5 mm ^{18.6 in}

Narrandera is a town and Local Government Area (see Narrandera Shire Council) in southern New South Wales, Australia. It is an important destination for travellers as it lays on the junction of the Newell and Sturt Highways and it is the gateway to the productive Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Its strong history is reflected by the various historic attractions present in the town.

1 History
2 Narrandera today
3 Climate
4 Notable citizens
5 Gallery
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

Main street

Charles Sturt memorial on the Murrumbidgee River

Narrandera is a River Town with a rich heritage. Captain Charles Sturt, the famous explorer, is credited with being the first white man to observe the area that later was to become known as Narrandera. However Sturt, who passed through the district on December 12, 1829, was not the first explorer to cast eyes on the Murrumbidgee River. The upper Murrumbidgee, the "Big Water", was first discovered in April 1821, by Charles Throsby. The name Narrandera is probably derived from Wiradjuri nharrang, meaning "frill-necked lizard".^[1]

The Narrungderra were the local indigenous people. They were all but destroyed by settlement, disease brought by European settlers, and clashes with the settlers. The last major battle between the indigenous people and European settlers took place near Massacre Island, and is said to have left only one survivor.^[2]

Narrandera had its first recorded mention as a pastoral station or "run" (Narrandera Run) in 1848, at which time the property held by Mr Edward Flood comprised approximately 76,800 acres. The Borough of Narrandera was constituted by proclamation dated March 17, 1885, and gazetted the following day. The centenary of Local Government in Narrandera was celebrated in 1985.

[edit] Narrandera today

The town of Narrandera is located on the Murrumbidgee River, at the intersection of the Newell Highway and the Sturt Highway at the centre of a diversely productive agricultural region. Its attractive tree-lined streets contrast with the open plains that surround it. The central Narrandera Memorial Gardens include an unusual ceramic fountain made by Royal Doulton and erected as a memorial to World War 1 in 1922.

Narrandera now marks the transition between an extensive dry-land area devoted to cereal crops and sheep and wool production to the east, and, to the west, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) fed by water from the Burrinjuck Dam. The MIA is a region where irrigation has opened the way to a diversity of enterprise, from the growing of rice and other cereals under irrigation to the production of citrus, wine grapes and potatoes.

The town also has number of historic attractions such as Royal Doulton Fountain located in the Memorial Gardens, Figtree on the corner of King and Cadell Streets which is thought to be 150 years old, Mon Repos is a residence built in a Queen Anne style which was built in the 1890's^[3].

[edit] Climate

*Source*: Averages for Narrandera Golf Club, 1969 - 2007, Bureau of Meteorology
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Temperatures (°C)
Mean daily maximum	32.4	32.0	28.4	23.5	18.7	14.9	14.1	16.0	19.1	23.0	27.2	30.5	23.3
Highest recorded maximum	47.0 (24th 1982)	44.9 (14th 2004)	41.6 (7th 1983)	37.0 (4th 1986)	29.2 (2nd 1978)	23.7 (9th 1995)	25.3 (29th 1975)	28.6 (30th 2007)	34.7 (30th 1980)	36.5 (30th 1990)	44.0 (18th 1980)	43.0 (31st 2005)
Lowest recorded maximum	16.7 (2nd 1970)	13.0 (3rd 2005)	15.5 (14th 1989)	12.4 (27th 1982)	9.4 (24th 1974)	7.2 (26th 1969)	6.0 (3rd 1984)	8.3 (18th 1996)	10.4 (13th 1990)	11.5 (11th 1975)	9.4 (7th 1971)	17.5 (27th 1993)
Mean daily minimum	17.0	17.3	14.1	10.0	6.8	4.2	3.1	4.1	6.1	9.0	12.3	15.1	9.9
Highest recorded minimum	30.0 (25th 1973)	29.0 (21st 1980)	27.8 (8th 1982)	20.9 (3rd 2005)	17.8 (28th 1982)	14.0 (9th 1995)	13.0 (31st 1975)	15.3 (31st 2005)	24.5 (30th 1980)	23.0 (21st 1991)	29.3 (18th 1980)	29.6 (21st 1994)
Lowest recorded minimum	6.3 (13th 1975)	6.0 (27th 1985)	3.0 (29th 2001)	-0.2 (22nd 2006)	−2.6 (30th 2006)	−4.4 (26th 1971)	−6.1 (1st 1971)	−4.0 (3rd 1997)	−3.0 (7th 1995)	0.0 (3rd 1989)	2.3 (3rd 2003)	4.4 (27th 1971)
Precipitation (millimetres)
Mean total rainfall	36.8	37.4	28.9	40.0	42.2	39.0	41.6	44.5	41.4	46.8	36.6	36.9	471.5
Highest recorded total	152.9 (1984)	139.3 (2002)	157.5 (1989)	206.4 (1974)	173.0 (1978)	121.5 (1991)	91.4 (1993)	95.7 (1970)	124.2 (1970)	137.4 (1974)	197.2 (1971)	153.1 (1992)	858.4 (1974)
Lowest recorded total	1.8 (1987)	0.0 (1991)	0.0 (2004)	0.0 (1993)	1.5 (2006)	1.4 (1992)	1.5 (1982)	2.0 (1977)	5.9 (2007)	0.0 (2006)	0.0 (1982)	0.0 (1979)	189.9 (2006)
Highest daily rainfall	76.8 (11th 1974)	66.5 (6th 1971)	62.8 (15th 1989)	62.8 (28th 1992)	76.0 (30th 1978)	33.6 (7th 1991)	42.2 (1st 1999)	56.6 (26th 1983)	33.3 (22nd 1970)	53.0 (17th 1974)	53.3 (14th 1971)	76.8 (11th 1974)
Notes: Temperatures are in degrees Celsius. Precipitation is in millimetres. Narrandera Golf Club Latitude: -34.73°S Longitude: 148.56°E Elevation: 173 m ASL

[edit] Notable citizens

Notable people from Narrandera include Her Excellency the Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir; Fr. Patrick Hartigan (poet and author who used the pen name, "John O'Brien"): the bush ethos celebrated by Hartigan in his writings is commemorated in the annual John O'Brien Bush Festival held in the town. Prima ballerina Kathleen Gorham was born in Narrandera.

[edit] Gallery

Aerial view of Narrandera

Lake Talbot Swimming Complex

[edit] See also

Narrandera Airport

[edit] References

^ McNicol, Sally; Hosking, Dianne (1994). "Wiradjuri", Macquarie Aboriginal Words. Sydney: Macquarie Library, 98.
^ History of Narrandera. Narrandera Shire Council (2005). Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
^ History of Narrandera. Narrandera Shire Council. Retrieved on 2008-03-24.