Forbes, New South Wales

Forbes New South Wales
Court house built in 1880
Forbes
Coordinates	33°23′0″S 148°01′0″E / 33.38333°S 148.01667°E / -33.38333; 148.01667Coordinates: 33°23′0″S 148°01′0″E / 33.38333°S 148.01667°E / -33.38333; 148.01667
Population	7,560 (2011 census)[1]
Established	1861
Postcode(s)	2871
Location	33 km (21 mi) SSW of Parkes 118 km (73 mi) W of Orange
LGA(s)	Forbes Shire Council
State electorate(s)	Orange
Federal Division(s)	Calare
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 23.8 °C 75 °F 10.0 °C 50 °F 526.3 mm 20.7 in

Lands Office at Forbes built 1898; an all timber building in the Federation style

Forbes Public School

de Havilland Vampire monument next to Lake Forbes

Forbes is a town in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia, located on the Newell Highway between Parkes and West Wyalong. At the 2011 census, Forbes had a population of 7,560.^[1] Forbes is probably named after Sir Francis Forbes, first Chief Justice of NSW.^[2]

It is on the banks of the Lachlan River. It is 245 metres (804 ft) above sea-level and about 380 kilometres (240 mi) west of Sydney. The district is a cropping area where wheat and similar crops are grown. Nearby towns and villages include Calarie, Parkes, Bedgerebong, Bundabarrah, Corradgery, Daroobalgie, Eugowra, Ooma North and Paytens Bridge.

History

The area was occupied by the Wiradjuri people prior to European settlement. John Oxley passed through in 1817 during one of the first inland expeditions. Oxley named the site Camp Hill. He was unimpressed with the clay soil, poor timber and swamps and he concluded, it is impossible to imagine a worse country.^[3] The first settlers moved into the district in 1834.^[4]

Gold was discovered by Harry Stephens, also known as "German Perry", in June 1861.^[4] Initially about 30,000 people moved to the goldfields, but by 1863 this had declined to about 3,500 because of the difficult mining conditions.

The goldfields were originally named "Black Ridge", and the name "Forbes" celebrating Sir Francis Forbes was declared from Sydney as the result of a possible government administrative error, it is said that the name was meant for the town now known as "Hill End" between Orange and Mudgee, New South Wales where gold was discovered around a similar time. Gold was initially found in the area known as Halpin's Flat. The Albion Hotel, once a Cobb and Co. stage coach stop, had tunnels situated underneath which were used during the gold rush to convey gold and money to and from the banks to minimise the chance of theft.^[4] The Albion Hotel burnt down on February 10, 2009, losing years worth of history and memorabilia.^[5]

One of Australia's most renowned bushrangers, Ben Hall, was shot dead in gun battle about 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the north-west of town on 5 May 1865. Hall and his gang were famous for stealing 77 kilograms (170 lb) of gold and £3,700 from the nearby town of Eugowra in 1862. He is buried in the Forbes Cemetery.^[6]

Kate Kelly, the sister of bushranger Ned Kelly, lived in the town. She drowned in Lake Forbes while saving an Aboriginal child during a flood in 1898 and was found in a lagoon of the Lachlan River, just outside Forbes.^[3][7] She is buried in Forbes Cemetery.^[6]

Transport

The Stockinbingal–Parkes railway line passes through Forbes. Passenger trains operated to Forbes until 1983.^[8] Forbes lies at or near the confluence of the Newell Highway, the Lachlan Valley Way and Henry Lawson Way.

Education

Forbes Shire has four public primary schools: Forbes Primary School, Forbes North Primary School, Corinella Public School and Bedgerebong Public School. There is one private primary school, St Laurences Primary School.^[9]

Forbes High School, a public school, is located to the north of town.

Red Bend Catholic College at Forbes is a co-educational high school, with the campus at the site of the former Marist Brothers' College, on the banks of the Lachlan River.

Local tertiary institutions are the Forbes College of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and the Forbes Conservatorium.^[10]

Sport

The Camel Cup is held along with 7 other camel races every Good Friday at Forbes Jockey Club Racecourse Road, Forbes NSW.

Climate

Forbes has a warm semi-arid climate, with relatively large temperature variation between seasons and mild rainfall spread evenly throughout the year. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 47.8 °C (118.0 °F) to −5.6 °C (21.9 °F).

Notable residents

• Chris Anderson, who played for and coached the Australian rugby league team, attended Red Bend Catholic College in Forbes
• Dave Cameron, an Australian Showjumping Champion 2014
• Paul Mitchell, a LGBT rights activist
• Carolyn Simpson, a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court^[12]
• Carmel Tebbutt, a former Deputy Premier of New South Wales, was born and raised in Forbes
• Richard Dixon, former national president of the Communist Party of Australia, was born in Forbes in 1905.^[13]
• Sir High Robert Denison, tobacco manufacturer, newspaper proprietor and philanthropist, was born in Forbes in 1865^[14]
• Eve Langley, New Zealand-famed novelist, was born in Forbes in 1904^[15]

See also

• Forbes railway line

References

External links

• Forbes - VisitNSW

Media related to Forbes, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons