Boorowa, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Boorowa is a farming town in the South West Slopes of New South Wales
, Australia
. At the 2006 census
, Boorowa had a population of 1,070 people. It is located in a valley 243 km west of Sydney
and 487 m above sea-level. The Local Government Area surrounding the town, known as Boorowa Council
, has a strong agricultural and mining base.
The town was serviced by the Boorowa railway line before it was closed.
or Gundungura Indigenous Australians
. The first European to travel through what is now Boorowa Shire was surveyor George Evans
, in 1815. Unofficial occupation of the district began in 1821 with Rodger Corcoran and fellow convict Ned Ryan. The first land grant in the general area was issued to Thomas Icely in 1829. A mill was operating on the future town site of Boorowa by 1837, along with an inn and several houses.
Governor Gipps
proposed the creation of a village named 'Burrowa' in 1842, to be located 9 km north-east of the present site at Kings Plains which had been surveyed in 1828. However, that spot proved unsuitable and the village was established on its present site in 1843.
The district was given over to farming, although it received a push along when gold was found at Carcoar, Browns Creek and Kings Plains. Gold
mines were established although copper
and iron
were also extracted. Samuel Marsden
's copper mine operated until 1900.
The arrival of the railway in 1874 spurred on development and Burrowa's name was then changed to "Boorowa". Boorowa replaced Carcoar
as the major service centre to local farmlands. It became a municipality in 1888. By the turn of the century a butter factory and freezing works were major employers in the town.
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...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Boorowa had a population of 1,070 people. It is located in a valley 243 km west of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and 487 m above sea-level. The Local Government Area surrounding the town, known as Boorowa Council
Boorowa Council
Boorowa Shire is a local government area in New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Lachlan Valley Way.It includes Boorowa and the small towns of Rye Park, Rugby, Frogmore and Reids Flat.- Council :...
, has a strong agricultural and mining base.
The town was serviced by the Boorowa railway line before it was closed.
History
Prior to European settlement the area is thought to have been occupied by the WiradjuriWiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
or Gundungura Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. The first European to travel through what is now Boorowa Shire was surveyor George Evans
George Evans (explorer)
George William Evans was a surveyor and early explorer in the colony of New South Wales. Evans was born in Warwick, England, migrating to Australia in October 1802.-Early Career:...
, in 1815. Unofficial occupation of the district began in 1821 with Rodger Corcoran and fellow convict Ned Ryan. The first land grant in the general area was issued to Thomas Icely in 1829. A mill was operating on the future town site of Boorowa by 1837, along with an inn and several houses.
Governor Gipps
George Gipps
Sir George Gipps was Governor of the colony of New South Wales, Australia, for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship was during a period of great change for New South Wales and Australia, as well as for New Zealand, which was administered as part of New South Wales for much of this...
proposed the creation of a village named 'Burrowa' in 1842, to be located 9 km north-east of the present site at Kings Plains which had been surveyed in 1828. However, that spot proved unsuitable and the village was established on its present site in 1843.
The district was given over to farming, although it received a push along when gold was found at Carcoar, Browns Creek and Kings Plains. Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mines were established although copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
were also extracted. Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden was an English born Anglican cleric and a prominent member of the Church Missionary Society, believed to have introduced Christianity to New Zealand...
's copper mine operated until 1900.
The arrival of the railway in 1874 spurred on development and Burrowa's name was then changed to "Boorowa". Boorowa replaced Carcoar
Carcoar, New South Wales
Carcoar is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, in Blayney Shire. In 2006, the town had a population of 218 people. It is situated just off the Mid-Western Highway 258 km west of Sydney and 52 km south-west of Bathurst and is 720 m above sea-level...
as the major service centre to local farmlands. It became a municipality in 1888. By the turn of the century a butter factory and freezing works were major employers in the town.
Events
- Boorowa's agricultural show is held in March.
- October long weekend - The “Running of the Sheep” down the main street of Boorowa during the Irish Woolfest http://www.irishwoolfest.boorowa.net/.
Trivia
- Prominent Australian jazz musician James MorrisonJames Morrison (musician)James Morrison AM is an Australian jazz musician who plays numerous instruments, but is best known for his trumpet playing...
was born in Boorowa.