Gundaroo, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Gundaroo is a small village in the Southern Tablelands
of New South Wales
, Australia
and in Yass Valley Council. It is situated to the east of the Yass River
, about 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of Sutton
, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) west of the Lake George range. At the 2006 census
, Gundaroo had a population of 331.
The explorers Charles Throsby
and Joseph Wild
travelled through the Yass River valley in 1820. The Aborigines called the valley Candariro meaning 'blue crane' and this name may have been the origin of Gundaroo. Governor Lachlan Macquarie
granted the first white settler, Peter Cooney, 30 acres (12.1 ha) in 1825. Settlement proceeded fairly quickly and there were about 400 residents in the 1840s. The first non-residential building in Gundaroo was the Harrow Inn, built in 1834. A post office was built in 1848 and an Anglican church, St Lukes in Upper Gundaroo (now part of a pottery business), in 1849. The first school opened in 1850 and a Police Station in 1852. A major impetus for the growth in the middle of the nineteenth century was the discovery of gold in the district in 1852.
Gundaroo has become something of a dormitory for Canberra
and is a fairly trendy village for tourists from Canberra and further afield because of its well preserved early and mid 19th century heritage.
Southern Tablelands
The Southern Tablelands is a geographic area of the State of New South Wales, Australia. This area is located west of the Great Dividing Range.The area is characterised by flat country which has generally been extensively cleared and used for grazing purposes...
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...
and in Yass Valley Council. It is situated to the east of the Yass River
Yass River
The Yass River is a river in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The town of Yass is located on the Yass River a short distance from its confluence with the Murrumbidgee River.There are two competing theories as to the origin of the name Yass...
, about 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of Sutton
Sutton, New South Wales
Sutton, meaning 'South Settlement' in Saxon, is a small village in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Yass Valley Shire. It is situated on the west bank of the Yass River, about 17 kilometres as the crow flies south of Gundaroo, near the Federal Highway, not far from Canberra...
, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) west of the Lake George range. 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,...
, Gundaroo had a population of 331.
The explorers Charles Throsby
Charles Throsby
Charles Throsby was an Australian explorer, pioneer and parliamentarian. He opened up much new land beyond the Blue Mountains for colonial settlement. He was a grazier, and became a prominent member of New South Wales society.- Early life :...
and Joseph Wild
Joseph Wild
Joseph Wild was an early explorer of Australia. He was sentenced on 21 August 1793 in Chester for burglary, together with his brother, George. Both were transported to Australia as convicts in 1797, arriving in Port Jackson on the ship the Ganges on 2 June...
travelled through the Yass River valley in 1820. The Aborigines called the valley Candariro meaning 'blue crane' and this name may have been the origin of Gundaroo. Governor Lachlan Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
granted the first white settler, Peter Cooney, 30 acres (12.1 ha) in 1825. Settlement proceeded fairly quickly and there were about 400 residents in the 1840s. The first non-residential building in Gundaroo was the Harrow Inn, built in 1834. A post office was built in 1848 and an Anglican church, St Lukes in Upper Gundaroo (now part of a pottery business), in 1849. The first school opened in 1850 and a Police Station in 1852. A major impetus for the growth in the middle of the nineteenth century was the discovery of gold in the district in 1852.
Gundaroo has become something of a dormitory for Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and is a fairly trendy village for tourists from Canberra and further afield because of its well preserved early and mid 19th century heritage.