Wingham, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Wingham is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales
, Australia in the City of Greater Taree
335 kilometres (208.2 mi) north of Sydney. At the 2006 census
, Wingham had a population of 4,812.
and was also located on the road from Raymond Terrace to Port Maquarie. Named after Wingham
in Kent, England, Wingham was proclaimed a village in 1844 but allotments were not made until 1854, the same year that Henry Flett laid out Taree
as a private settlement. In the meantime, Tinonee had also been established as a government settlement and in 1866 had a population of 100, compared to 90 at Wingham and 150 at Taree.
Wingham was proclaimed a municipality in 1889. By 1909, Wingham consisted of 285 houses and had a population of 900, but government services had been transferred to Taree, which had a population of 1300 in 269 houses. The municipalities were merged with each other and the Manning Valley Shire in 1981 to form the City of Great Taree.
, Central Park. Around the eastern end Central Park are the Wingham Brush Public School, the Victorian
style School of Arts
, built in 1907 and now a council building with Library at the rear, the state heritage listed Post Office, built in 1884, and a telephone exchange. Along the southern side of the park runs Farquhar Street which has a private residence, the Georgian Revival style Courthouse, built in 1934, the 1909 Federation
style police station, Catholic Presbytery, St. Joseph's Catholic School, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Church, the Manning Valley Historical Society rooms and Museum and a dental surgery. On the corner of Bent and Farquhar Streets stands the old Gibson and Skinner Butchery, built in 1911. Bent Street runs along the western side of Central Park and is home to the Australian Hotel (the Top Pub to the locals), the Wingham District Memorial Services Club , formerly a Returned Services League Social Club and various shops. Shops also dominate the northern side of the park. The Northeast corner was occupied by the Wingham Hotel or Bottom Pub from 1926 until it burned down on 5 July 2010.
Central Park itself is home to "The Log," a massive log felled in the surrounding countryside which serves to remind the townsfolk of the timber (and dairy) driven history of the area, a de Havilland Vampire
fighter plane (opposite the RSL Club), a cricket pitch
(Sir Donald Bradman played an exhibition match in Wingham in which he was bowled for a duck
in the first innings
, by Glenn Levine, but made a good fist of it in the second), some children’s play equipment, a drinking fountain commemorating the installation of mains water in the town, a small ornamental waterfall (which has been filled in with a garden), and two flag poles at opposite ends of the northern side of the park.
There are five schools in Wingham. Wingham Public School is located in Murray Road, and is known to the locals as Murray Road Public School. St Joseph's Catholic School is located between the Catholic Church and Presbytery on the southern side of Central Park, Wingham Special Education primary school for young mentally challenged children, located in the north end of Richardson Street and Wingham Brush Public School is around the corner between the eastern side of Central Park and Wingham Brush.
Wingham High School is located three blocks northeast of Central Park, and has an extensive agricultural science department, owning three properties and a feedlot. The WHS Agricultural Show Team breeds all their own cattle through both natural mating and artificial insemination. They specialise in commercial beef animals, and have won first ribbons for hoof and hook, steer competitions, as well as junior judging and parading, in such shows as the Royal Sydney Show, Royal Brisbane Show and Tamworth Show.
Along the Manning River
is Wingham Brush, an area of native bush including spectacular Moreton Bay Fig
trees and home to a colony of flying foxes
. For many years the flying foxes were considered pests and various initiatives were taken to remove them, including offering free ammunition to those willing to shoot them. These efforts proved ineffective and, in more recent years, moves have been taken to protect the flying foxes, which have become a tourist attraction. Wingham Brush is also home to a large number of Moreton Bay Fig
trees.
Wingham is the gateway to the Ellenborough Falls on the Bulga Plateau, the second longest single drop waterfall
in the Southern Hemisphere
. The Bank Guesthouse, formerly the local branch of the Westpac
Bank, featured on the Seven Network's
Sydney Weekender
with Mike Whitney
in 1999.
was incarcerated in Wingham immediately after his capture. The cell in which he was imprisoned is on display at the Manning Historical Society Museum. A memorial to Governor is located at the site of his capture, a 30 minute drive west along the Wingham-Elands road, outside the small town of Bobin.
radio station.
The Nine Network's
Afternoon News Presenter and Television presenter Mike Munro
was educated in Wingham at St Joseph's Catholic School.
linking Sydney with Grafton
, Casino, and Brisbane with complimenting bus services which travel to Newcastle and Broadmeadow
with Cityrail
, rail connections to Sydney. Daytime Countrylink XPT services stop at Wingham, however night time Countrylink XPT services proceed past Wingham to Taree or Gloucester depending on whether it is northbound or southbound respectively. Night time services stopping in Wingham ended in the early 1990s when the station became unattended. The station opened on 5 February 1913 and features single platform and a 780 metre crossing loop which is predominantly used for freight cargo travelling along the North Coast Railway Line.
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 in the City of Greater Taree
City of Greater Taree
The City of Greater Taree is a Local Government Area on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, centered on Taree. It is on the Manning River, the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line.- History :...
335 kilometres (208.2 mi) north of Sydney. 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,...
, Wingham had a population of 4,812.
History
The first land grant in the area was made at The Bight to George Rowley in 1841. Wingham was chosen as a location for a government settlement because supply boats could not proceed any further up the Manning RiverManning River
The Manning River is a river in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia that flows through the Manning Valley. It is one of Australia's few large river systems not to be dammed for water supply purposes anywhere along its catchment...
and was also located on the road from Raymond Terrace to Port Maquarie. Named after Wingham
Wingham, Kent
Wingham is a civil parish and English Kent village situated along the ancient coastal road, now the A257, from Richborough to London and close to Canterbury. It has existed since the Stone Age but only became established as a village in Roman times. The Domesday book tells us that during Saxon...
in Kent, England, Wingham was proclaimed a village in 1844 but allotments were not made until 1854, the same year that Henry Flett laid out Taree
Taree, New South Wales
Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,...
as a private settlement. In the meantime, Tinonee had also been established as a government settlement and in 1866 had a population of 100, compared to 90 at Wingham and 150 at Taree.
Wingham was proclaimed a municipality in 1889. By 1909, Wingham consisted of 285 houses and had a population of 900, but government services had been transferred to Taree, which had a population of 1300 in 269 houses. The municipalities were merged with each other and the Manning Valley Shire in 1981 to form the City of Great Taree.
Town
Wingham's main street, Isabella Street runs east west and fronts the typically English town squareTown square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
, Central Park. Around the eastern end Central Park are the Wingham Brush Public School, the Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
style School of Arts
School of Arts
School of Arts may refer to:*Art school*Mechanics' Institutes...
, built in 1907 and now a council building with Library at the rear, the state heritage listed Post Office, built in 1884, and a telephone exchange. Along the southern side of the park runs Farquhar Street which has a private residence, the Georgian Revival style Courthouse, built in 1934, the 1909 Federation
Federation architecture
Federation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
style police station, Catholic Presbytery, St. Joseph's Catholic School, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Church, the Manning Valley Historical Society rooms and Museum and a dental surgery. On the corner of Bent and Farquhar Streets stands the old Gibson and Skinner Butchery, built in 1911. Bent Street runs along the western side of Central Park and is home to the Australian Hotel (the Top Pub to the locals), the Wingham District Memorial Services Club , formerly a Returned Services League Social Club and various shops. Shops also dominate the northern side of the park. The Northeast corner was occupied by the Wingham Hotel or Bottom Pub from 1926 until it burned down on 5 July 2010.
Central Park itself is home to "The Log," a massive log felled in the surrounding countryside which serves to remind the townsfolk of the timber (and dairy) driven history of the area, a de Havilland Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
fighter plane (opposite the RSL Club), a cricket pitch
Cricket pitch
In the game of cricket, the cricket pitch consists of the central strip of the cricket field between the wickets - 1 chain or 22 yards long and 10 feet wide. The surface is very flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the...
(Sir Donald Bradman played an exhibition match in Wingham in which he was bowled for a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
in the first innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
, by Glenn Levine, but made a good fist of it in the second), some children’s play equipment, a drinking fountain commemorating the installation of mains water in the town, a small ornamental waterfall (which has been filled in with a garden), and two flag poles at opposite ends of the northern side of the park.
Education
Wingham High School is located three blocks northeast of Central Park, and has an extensive agricultural science department, owning three properties and a feedlot. The WHS Agricultural Show Team breeds all their own cattle through both natural mating and artificial insemination. They specialise in commercial beef animals, and have won first ribbons for hoof and hook, steer competitions, as well as junior judging and parading, in such shows as the Royal Sydney Show, Royal Brisbane Show and Tamworth Show.
Tourism
Manning River
The Manning River is a river in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia that flows through the Manning Valley. It is one of Australia's few large river systems not to be dammed for water supply purposes anywhere along its catchment...
is Wingham Brush, an area of native bush including spectacular Moreton Bay Fig
Moreton Bay Fig
Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay Fig, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the Moraceae family that is a native of most of the eastern coast of Australia, from the Atherton Tableland in the north to the Illawarra in New South Wales, and Lord Howe Island. Its common name is...
trees and home to a colony of flying foxes
Megabat
Megabats constitute the suborder Megachiroptera, family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera . They are also called fruit bats, old world fruit bats, or flying foxes.-Description:...
. For many years the flying foxes were considered pests and various initiatives were taken to remove them, including offering free ammunition to those willing to shoot them. These efforts proved ineffective and, in more recent years, moves have been taken to protect the flying foxes, which have become a tourist attraction. Wingham Brush is also home to a large number of Moreton Bay Fig
Moreton Bay Fig
Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay Fig, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the Moraceae family that is a native of most of the eastern coast of Australia, from the Atherton Tableland in the north to the Illawarra in New South Wales, and Lord Howe Island. Its common name is...
trees.
Wingham is the gateway to the Ellenborough Falls on the Bulga Plateau, the second longest single drop waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. The Bank Guesthouse, formerly the local branch of the Westpac
Westpac
Westpac , is a multinational financial services, one of the Australian "big four" banks and the second-largest bank in New Zealand....
Bank, featured on the Seven Network's
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
Sydney Weekender
Sydney Weekender
Sydney Weekender is a travel show featuring destinations throughout New South Wales, Australia, and airs on Channel Seven in that state. The show is hosted by Mike Whitney, a former Australian Test Cricketer. This program visits various locations in Sydney and New South Wales, and looks at...
with Mike Whitney
Mike Whitney
Michael Roy Whitney is an Australian television personality and former cricketer, who played in 12 Tests and 38 ODIs from 1981 to 1993....
in 1999.
Jimmy Governor
The infamous murderer and fugitive Jimmy GovernorJimmy Governor
Jimmy Governor was one of the Governor brothers, two Indigenous Australian men who committed a series of murders in the Central West region of New South Wales around the turn of the twentieth century....
was incarcerated in Wingham immediately after his capture. The cell in which he was imprisoned is on display at the Manning Historical Society Museum. A memorial to Governor is located at the site of his capture, a 30 minute drive west along the Wingham-Elands road, outside the small town of Bobin.
Communications
Wingham is also home to the Wingham Chronicle and the Rhema FM Manning Great LakesRhema FM Manning Great Lakes
Rhema FM Manning Great Lakes is a Christian community radio station broadcasting to the Manning and Great Lakes regions of New South Wales, Australia.Rhema FM is operated by Manning Great Lakes Christian Broadcasters Incorporated...
radio station.
The Nine Network's
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
Afternoon News Presenter and Television presenter Mike Munro
Mike Munro
Michael Munro is an Australian television presenter.- Early life :Munro cites a tough childhood with an abusive and alcoholic mother, as one of the main reasons behind his motivation to succeed. Munro attended Sacred Heart Primary School in Mosman, New South Wales and Marist College North Shore in...
was educated in Wingham at St Joseph's Catholic School.
Transport
Wingham is served by the Grafton, Casino and Brisbane XPT service on the North Coast Railway LineNorth Coast railway line, New South Wales
The North Coast Line is the primary rail route in the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales, and forms a major part of the Sydney-Brisbane rail corridor....
linking Sydney with Grafton
Grafton, New South Wales
The city of Grafton is the commercial hub of the Clarence River Valley. Established in 1851, Grafton features many historic buildings and tree-lined streets. Located approximately 630 kilometres north of Sydney and 340 km south of Brisbane, Grafton and the Clarence Valley can be reached...
, Casino, and Brisbane with complimenting bus services which travel to Newcastle and Broadmeadow
Broadmeadow railway station, New South Wales
Broadmeadow railway station serves the suburb of Broadmeadow located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The station opened on 15 August 1887 and has three platforms...
with Cityrail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
, rail connections to Sydney. Daytime Countrylink XPT services stop at Wingham, however night time Countrylink XPT services proceed past Wingham to Taree or Gloucester depending on whether it is northbound or southbound respectively. Night time services stopping in Wingham ended in the early 1990s when the station became unattended. The station opened on 5 February 1913 and features single platform and a 780 metre crossing loop which is predominantly used for freight cargo travelling along the North Coast Railway Line.
Annual events
- Wingham Summertime Rodeo. Events include rodeoRodeoRodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
, bucking horses, saddlebroncBronc ridingBronc riding, either saddle bronc or bareback bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding on a horse , that attempts to throw or buck off the rider...
, rodeo clownRodeo clownA rodeo clown, also known as a bullfighter or rodeo protection athlete, is a rodeo performer who works in bull riding competitions. The primary job of the rodeo clown is to protect a fallen rider from the bull, whether the rider has been bucked off or has jumped off of the animal...
s, and bucking bulls. First week in January. - Wingham Show held annually at Wingham Showground.
- Wingham Beef Week, a series of beef-oriented activities held the fourth week of April in Wingham and surrounding areas.
- Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival usually held first weekend in June.
- Wingham Campdraft at Wingham Showgrounds, first week in November.
- Wingham Akoostik Music Festival held in Wingham Central Park each October long weekend, presenting various genres of music.