Bingara, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Bingara is a small town on the Gwydir River
in Murchison County
in the New England
region of New South Wales
, Australia
. In 2006, Bingara had a population of 1,207 people. and is currently the Administrative centre for the Gwydir Shire
that was created in 2003. It has a culturally homogeneous population as residents are mostly of Anglo-Celtic background. Only 4.7% of the population is born overseas and 2.4% is of Indigenous background. It is a popular site for retirement and hence has an old population, with 49.9% aged 55 years and over. Bingara's socioeconomic status is comparatively lower than that of Australia. Bingara is one of the few places in Australia where diamond
s have been found. The Gwydir River being a main highlight of the town is a main catchment of the Murray-Darling System.
crossed the Gwydir River
near Bingara. At the time he mistook the river to be the Peel River
, but realised his mistake on his return journey. The discovery of gold in 1852 brought prospectors to the area. In the 1880s, copper and diamond
s were discovered also, causing a rapid development of the town. Bingara is one of the few places in Australia where diamond
s have been found. In fact, Bingara was the largest producer of diamond
s in Australia at that time. Bingara changed the spelling of its name from Bingera to Bingara in 1890. The first Bingera Post Office opened on 1 January 1853 and was renamed Upper Bingera in 1862 and closed in 1868. The second Bingera office opened in 1862 and was renamed Bingara in 1890.
Gwydir River
The Gwydir River is a large inland river in the northern part of the Australian state of New South Wales which is part of the Murray-Darling Basin. The river has two main tributaries—the Horton River and the Rocky River...
in Murchison County
Murchison County, New South Wales
Murchison County is one of the 141 Cadastral divisions of New South Wales.Murchison County is named in honour of Sir Roderick Impey Murchison First Baronet and geologist.- Parishes :...
in the New England
New England (Australia)
New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The region has been occupied by Indigenous...
region of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In 2006, Bingara had a population of 1,207 people. and is currently the Administrative centre for the Gwydir Shire
Gwydir Shire
Gwydir Shire is a Local Government Area located in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia along the state's border with Queensland...
that was created in 2003. It has a culturally homogeneous population as residents are mostly of Anglo-Celtic background. Only 4.7% of the population is born overseas and 2.4% is of Indigenous background. It is a popular site for retirement and hence has an old population, with 49.9% aged 55 years and over. Bingara's socioeconomic status is comparatively lower than that of Australia. Bingara is one of the few places in Australia where diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s have been found. The Gwydir River being a main highlight of the town is a main catchment of the Murray-Darling System.
Location
Bingara is located 150 km north of Tamworth, 70 km west of Inverell, 604 km north of Sydney and 500 km south west of Brisbane. Bingara is located very close to Myall Creek, the site of the massacre of 27 to 30 Indigenous Australians.History
In 1827 Allan CunninghamAllan Cunningham
Allan Cunningham was a Scottish poet and author.He was born at Keir, near Dalswinton, Dumfriesshire, and first worked as a stonemason's apprentice. His father was a neighbour of Robert Burns at Ellisland, and Allan with his brother James visited James Hogg, the "Ettrick shepherd", who became a...
crossed the Gwydir River
Gwydir River
The Gwydir River is a large inland river in the northern part of the Australian state of New South Wales which is part of the Murray-Darling Basin. The river has two main tributaries—the Horton River and the Rocky River...
near Bingara. At the time he mistook the river to be the Peel River
Peel River
The Peel River may refer to:*Peel River in Australia*Peel River in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, Canada...
, but realised his mistake on his return journey. The discovery of gold in 1852 brought prospectors to the area. In the 1880s, copper and diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s were discovered also, causing a rapid development of the town. Bingara is one of the few places in Australia where diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s have been found. In fact, Bingara was the largest producer of diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s in Australia at that time. Bingara changed the spelling of its name from Bingera to Bingara in 1890. The first Bingera Post Office opened on 1 January 1853 and was renamed Upper Bingera in 1862 and closed in 1868. The second Bingera office opened in 1862 and was renamed Bingara in 1890.