Gulargambone New South Wales | |
---|---|
One of the many sculptured galahs and the post office, Gulargambone | |
Coordinates | 31°20′S 148°28′E / 31.333°S 148.467°E |
Population | 400 (2016 census)[1] |
Postcode(s) | 2828 |
Location | |
LGA(s) | Coonamble Shire Council |
County | Gowen |
State electorate(s) | Barwon |
Federal division(s) | Parkes |
Gulargambone is a small town in the central-west plains of New South Wales, Australia, on the banks of the Castlereagh River, in Coonamble Shire. It is 382 km (and 490 km by road) north-west of Sydney. At the 2016 census, Gulargambone had a population of 400.[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-19th century and gazetted as a village in 1883.
The town came to national attention in 2000, when the local government attempted to close down the post office, leading to the opening of 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, creating a multi-purpose health centre, the opening of a new cinema and the transformation of the old cinema, Simmo's Bazaar, into 2828, the community centre, featuring a café and a gift shop. It has also adopted a town logo, the galah. 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]