| Gulargambone New South Wales |
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One of the many sculptured galahs and the post office, Gulargambone |
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Gulargambone
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| Population: | 395[1] |
| Postcode: | 2828 |
| Location: | |
| LGA: | Coonamble Shire Council |
| County: | Gowen |
| State District: | Barwon |
| Federal Division: | Parkes |
Gulargambone is a village in the central west plains of New South Wales, Australia, on the banks of the Castlereagh River, in Coonamble Shire. It is 526 kilometres north west of Sydney. At the 2006 census, Gulargambone had a population of 395.[1]
Its name is derived from the local Wiradjuri people's word for "Watering place of many birds" or 'Gillahgambone' for 'place of galahs'.[2] Gulargambone was first occupied by Europeans in the mid nineteenth century and gazetted as a village in 1883. The town came to national attention in 2000 when it opened the first community owned post office in Australia, which has been followed by a number of other community led initiatives. These include the improvement of the local hospital, opening of a new cinema. This has led to Gulargambone becoming the model for self-sufficiency for other small towns in Australia.[3] Gulargambone has won several awards since its revival and most importantly was awarded the 2005 NSW Tidy Towns State winner.[4]