Bowral

Bowral New South Wales
Bowral Railway Station
Bowral
Coordinates	34°28′S 150°25′E / 34.467°S 150.417°E / -34.467; 150.417Coordinates: 34°28′S 150°25′E / 34.467°S 150.417°E / -34.467; 150.417
Population	12,154 (2011)[1]
Established	1861
Postcode(s)	2576
Elevation	690 m (2,264 ft)
Location	136 km (85 mi) SW of Sydney 5 km (3 mi) SW of Mittagong 169 km (105 mi) north-east of Canberra 73 km (45 mi) SW of Wollongong
LGA(s)	Wingecarribee Shire
Region	Southern Highlands
State electorate(s)	Goulburn
Federal Division(s)	Throsby
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 18.7 °C 66 °F 7.8 °C 46 °F 905.5 mm 35.6 in
Localities around Bowral: Mittagong Berrima Bowral East Bowral Burradoo

Bowral /ˈbaʊrəl/^[2] is the largest town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, and the main business and entertainment precinct of the Wingecarribee Shire and Highlands. As of 2011 the population numbered 12,154.

In a past era, Bowral served as a rural retreat for the elite gentry of Sydney, resulting in the establishment of many historic estates and manor houses in the district. Today, Bowral is universally associated with the cricketer Sir Donald Bradman.

Bowral is close to several other historic towns, being 5 kilometres (3 mi) from Mittagong, 9 kilometres (6 mi) from both Moss Vale and Berrima. The suburb of East Bowral and the village of Burradoo are nearby.

History

Etymology

Bowral and the former spelling Bowrall.^[3] may have been derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "high and large".^[4]

Demographics

At the 2011 census, Bowral had a population of 12,154.^[1] In the 21st century, Bowral has become a haven for retirees and empty nesters, commonly from Sydney: 15% of Bowral's population is aged 55–64 years (compared with the national average of 11.6%) and 29% is aged over 64 years (compared with the national average of 14%).^[1] Consequently, the town has a number of retirement villages,^[5] some located only minutes' walk from the central business district and hospitals. Also, as measured during the 2011 census, 42.4% of the town's population are under the age of 45, whereas for the nation the figure is 60.7%.^[1]

Transportation

Bowral is about 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the Hume Highway, which goes north to Sydney and south to Canberra, the Snowy Mountains and Melbourne. In the past, Bowral served as an overnight stop-over for travellers.

Bowral railway station is served by the Southern Highlands Line with services between Sydney and Moss Vale or Goulburn. Long distance services operate to Canberra and Melbourne.

It has public bus routes to Nowra, Albion Park and Wollongong. A private operator provides a service six days a week from Bowral to Greater Sydney (Campbelltown, Liverpool and Parramatta) and to the Shoalhaven and south coast of New South Wales.

Climate

Bowral enjoys warm summers and quite cool to cold winters. Frost is common during winter although temperatures rarely fall below −5 degrees Celsius. Snow falls most winters, but settles less frequently and normally only for a few hours, although falls in excess of 15 cm have been recorded.

Tourist attractions

The Bradman Oval, pavilion and museum at Bowral, NSW

Tulip Time

Bowral is the best known of the towns and villages of the Southern Highlands and is noted for its boutiques, antique stores, gourmet restaurants, and rich coffee culture.

The Bradman Oval and International Cricket Hall of Fame are dedicated to the achievements of cricketer Sir Donald Bradman and to the game of cricket.

Bowral is the setting for Tulip Time,^[7] a springtime celebration with a profusion of tulips and other flowers planted in the town centre. Held each year in September and October, Tulip Time has become one of Australia's leading floral festivals, alongside which gardening enthusiasts may view some of the nation's most beautiful formal gardens.^[8] A comprehensive private not-for-profit botanic garden is being established to include a mix of exotic, native, and endemic species including a shale woodland, the endangered ecological community endemic to the site.^[9]

The town has a Vietnam War Memorial and Cherry Tree Walk, constructed along the Mittagong Rivulet that flows through the town. Along a walking/cycle track beside the stream are planted 526 cherry trees, each dedicated to a soldier who died in the service of his country.^[10]

Bowral and surrounding region was proclaimed a Booktown in 2000^[11] having numerous bookshops and associations with many literary figures including P. L. Travers, the author of the Mary Poppins novels,^[12] Arthur Upfield, Patrick White, and many others.^[13]

Panoramic view of Bowral from the Bowral Lookout on Mount Gibraltar. Moss Vale and the ranges near Bundanoon can be seen in the background.

The Bong Bong Picnic Races, commenced in 1886, attracted crowds of up to 35,000 but were suspended in 1985 and resumed in 1992 as a members-only event. The event still attracts around 5,000 people and is held annually in November,^[14] as well as other events during the year.

Bowral is also home to a few vineyards and cellar doors and is close to Mittagong, the winery centre of the Southern Highlands. There are 60 vineyards in the Southern Highlands, which is a recognised cool-climate wine district. Wineries around Bowral are listed in the Southern Highlands Wineries Index.^[15]

Bowral is overshadowed by Mount Gibraltar, which rises to 863 metres (2,831 ft) above sea level and has lookouts over Bowral Mittagong, Moss Vale and the ranges near Bundanoon.

Hospitals

• Bowral and District Hospital^[16]

Schools

Schools in Bowral:

• Bowral High School
• Bowral Public School
• Chevalier College (Burradoo)
• Oxley College (Burradoo)
• Southern Highlands Christian School (East Bowral)
• St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School

Churches

Churches in Bowral:

• The Fields Church an Acts 29 Network Church
• St Simon's and St Jude's Anglican Church
• St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church
• St Andrew's Presbyterian Church
• Bowral Uniting Church of Australia
• Bowral First Church of Christ, Scientist
• Bowral Baptist Church
• Bowral Salvation Army
• Bowral Church of Christ
• Bowral Seventh-day Adventist Church

Past and present notable residents of Bowral

• Jimmy Barnes: singer and band member of Cold Chisel
• Billy Birmingham: comedian, aka "The 12th Man"
• Sir Donald Bradman: Australian cricketer
• Noeline Brown: journalist, radio presenter and socialite
• Ita Buttrose: journalist, businesswoman, and Australian of the year 2013
• Richard Carleton: former 60 Minutes reporter. Born in Bowral
• Bryce Courtenay: South African novelist
• G. F. J. Dart: headmaster of Ballarat Grammar School 1942–1970
• Lorrae Desmond: actor (A Country Practice). Born in Mittagong
• Peter Garrett: former Gillard Government minister, and band member of Midnight Oil
• Merv Hicks: Rugby league international
• Nathan Hindmarsh: Parramatta Eels captain NRL
• Geoff Jansz: television chef
• James Kemsley: cartoonist, who held the Ginger Meggs franchise for some years.
• Graham Kennedy: "the King" of Australian television
• Geoff Morrell: artist, actor Blue Heelers
• Craig Reucassel: television satirist
• P. L. Travers: author of Mary Poppins
• Arthur Upfield: author of the Boney detective novels, lived in Bowral until his death in 1964
• John Fahey: former NSW Premier, federal parliamentarian, president of the (sports) World Anti-Doping Agency

References

External links

• Wingecaribee Shire Council – Administering and Based in Moss Vale
• Information on Bowral and its History
• BookTown Australia
• "The Southern Highlands News". (local newspaper).