Quirindi
| Quirindi New South Wales | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Main Street of Quirindi | |||||||
  Quirindi | |||||||
| Coordinates | 31°30′29″S 150°40′48″E / 31.50806°S 150.68000°ECoordinates: 31°30′29″S 150°40′48″E / 31.50806°S 150.68000°E | ||||||
| Population | 2,580 (2011)[1] | ||||||
| Established | 1856[2] | ||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2343 | ||||||
| Elevation | 390 m (1,280 ft) | ||||||
| Location |
| ||||||
| LGA(s) | Liverpool Plains Shire | ||||||
| State electorate(s) | Upper Hunter | ||||||
| Federal Division(s) | New England | ||||||
| |||||||
Quirindi (/kwəˈrɪndaɪ/ or /kəˈrɪndaɪ/)[3] is a small town on the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, in Liverpool Plains Shire. At the 2011 census, Quirindi had a population of 2,580.[1] It is known as the Gateway to the North West — being the nearest link to Gunnedah to the west and Tamworth to the North. The local economy is based on agriculture, with broadacre farming dominant on the black soil plains to the west and livestock grazing in the hilly eastern part of the district.
The town is on the Kamilaroi Highway 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of its junction with the New England Highway at Willow Tree.
History
The Indigenous Kamilaroi people lived in the area for many thousands of years. The name Quirindi comes from the Gamilaraay language, with a number of meanings having been attributed it, which include ‘nest in the hills’, ‘place where fish breed’ and ‘dead tree on mountain top’.[2][4] Early spellings of the name included ‘Cuerindi’ and ‘Kuwherindi’.[4]
Quirindi Post Office opened on 1 January 1858.[5] The town was gazetted on 19 February 1884.[4]
Climate
| Climate data for Quirindi Post Office | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 42.9 (109.2) |
43.4 (110.1) |
39.3 (102.7) |
36.0 (96.8) |
27.8 (82) |
26.4 (79.5) |
24.0 (75.2) |
28.0 (82.4) |
33.3 (91.9) |
37.4 (99.3) |
42.2 (108) |
41.8 (107.2) |
43.4 (110.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 32.2 (90) |
31.3 (88.3) |
29.3 (84.7) |
24.9 (76.8) |
20.4 (68.7) |
16.6 (61.9) |
15.9 (60.6) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.5 (70.7) |
25.2 (77.4) |
28.5 (83.3) |
31.1 (88) |
24.6 (76.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 16.4 (61.5) |
16.1 (61) |
13.5 (56.3) |
8.9 (48) |
5.0 (41) |
2.8 (37) |
1.6 (34.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
5.0 (41) |
8.7 (47.7) |
12.0 (53.6) |
14.7 (58.5) |
8.9 (48) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.0 (41) |
7.2 (45) |
2.2 (36) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−5.0 (23) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
2.0 (35.6) |
4.5 (40.1) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 81.1 (3.193) |
65.9 (2.594) |
53.3 (2.098) |
41.9 (1.65) |
44.5 (1.752) |
50.9 (2.004) |
48.4 (1.906) |
45.1 (1.776) |
46.5 (1.831) |
60.1 (2.366) |
65.4 (2.575) |
80.5 (3.169) |
684.1 (26.933) |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology[6] | |||||||||||||
Sport
Quirindi has excellent sporting facilities, with several sporting ovals catering for athletics, cricket, both codes of rugby, soccer, basketball and netball.[citation needed] Other sporting complexes include the racecourse, better known as "The Randwick of the North", polo grounds, rodeo, campdrafting, a 9 hole Golf Course, two Tennis Clubs, three Bowling greens, gun club and swimming complex.
Quirindi Jockey Club plays host to seven race meetings each year including the popular Boxing Day Races which attracts thousands of people each year.
A motorcycle club is located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-east of Quirindi on the Borah Creek Road. The track, named Stu Johnson Park, is well-maintained 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) of black rich soil with plenty of woops, berms and table tops to cater for every motorcross class.
Quirindi annual events
- Quirindi Rural Heritage Festival- 1st weekend in May
- Quirindi Show- September
- Boxing Day Races- December
- Prime Stock Show/ Hook and Hoof- August
- ANZAC Day Services- Dawn Service and Day time Service 25 April
Monthly events
- Quota Markets- 2nd Saturday of each month
- Quirindi Motorcycle Club Meet- Last week of month
- Quirindi Jockey Club Race Day- Monthly
- Quirindi Miniature Railway- Fourth Sunday of every month at the Quirindi Rural Heritage Museum.
Surrounding towns
Werris Creek is 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Quirindi, following the path of the explorer Thomas Mitchell.
Wallabadah is located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) east of Quirindi on the New England Highway.
Spring Ridge is about 50 kilometres (30 mi) west of Quirindi. It has a shop and pub, as well as a state forest. Spring Ridge has vast black soil plains and is a rich agricultural area. North of the village is Goran Lake.
Railway station
Quirindi is located on the Main North railway line, 392 kilometres (244 mi) from Sydney. The station opened in 1877,[7] and continues to be served by daily rail services operated by a NSW TrainLink Xplorer train to and from Sydney and Armidale/Moree.
| Preceding station | NSW Main lines | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
towards Wallangarra |
Main North Line | towards Sydney |
||
| Preceding station | NSW TrainLink | Following station | ||
Werris Creek |
NSW TrainLink North Western | towards Sydney |
||
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "2011 Census QuickStats - Quirindi (Urban Centre)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Quirindi". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ↑ Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-876429-14-3
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Quirindi". Historical Towns Directory. Australian Heritage. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 2011-05-26.
- ↑ "Quirindi Post Office". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ↑ Quirindi Railway Station. NSWrail.net. Accessed 1 April 2008.