Brewarrina, New South Wales

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Brewarrina New South Wales
Population:	1,121[1]
Established:	1863
Postcode:	2839
Elevation:	115 m (377 ft)
Location:	787 km (489 mi) NW of Sydney 378 km (235 mi) NW of Dubbo 96 km (60 mi) E of Bourke
LGA:	Brewarrina Shire Council
State District:	Barwon
Federal Division:	Parkes
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Rainfall 27.6 °C 82 °F 12.6 °C 55 °F 407.1 mm 16 in

Brewarrina is a small town (2006 population: 1,121^[1] ) in North West New South Wales, Australia on the banks of the Darling/Barwon River in Brewarrina Shire. It is 98 km east of Bourke and west of Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway, and 808km from Sydney. Brewarrina is a town that is feeling the effects of the drought, with its population decreasing from 1,197 persons in 2001, to 1,121 persons in 2006. Many businesses in Brewarrina have had to shut up shop, because of the lingering dought. In earlier times Brewarrina was one of the great inter-tribal meeting places of eastern Australia with the fishing traps, known in the Aboriginal language as Ngunnhu, sustaining thousands of Aboriginal people during tribal gatherings held prior to European settlement. The fisheries are estimated to be at least 40,000 years old and could be the oldest man-made structure on earth. Brewarrina is well known for its fishing. Other towns and villages in the Brewarrina district include; Goodooga, Gongolgon, Weilmoringle and Angledool.

Contents 1 History 2 Sport & Recreation 3 Events 4 Media 5 Education 6 Railway 7 References

[edit] History

The town is located amid the traditional lands of the Ngemba, Muwarrari and Yualwarri peoples. The area has a long Indigenous Australian history and was once the meetings grounds for over 5,000 people. The inhabitants built extensive fish traps that survived for thousands of years and are now a tourist attraction.

No one knows exactly what the word "Brewarrina" means. There are five competing interpretations of the name, several of them mutually exclusive. The most common translation is "clumps of acacias"; others are "where the gooseberry grows", "fishing", "acacia clumps" and, perhaps the most plausible, "place of gooseberries", coming from "warrina", meaning "place of", and "bre" or "burie" or "biree" meaning "gooseberries".

The first white settlers arrived in the district around 1839-40. The first people to own land where the town now stands were the Lawson brothers, who had two holdings - one called "Walcha" and another called "Moona". The first name given to the settlement was "Walcha Hut" but this later changed to "Fishery" and finally to "Brewarrina". In 1859 a riverboat called Gemini, skippered by William Randell, reached the town. This opened up the possibility of developing the town as a port, and by the early 1860s Brewarrina was recognised as the furthest navigable point on the Darling River. The town was formally surveyed and laid out in 1861, and proclaimed on 28 April 1863.

The 1870s were something of a boom time for Brewarrina. The Mechanics Institute was formed in 1873. The following year two hotels, two stores and the Commercial Bank all opened, and in 1875 a public school was established. All this development was largely due to Cobb and Co, which had a number of coach services passing through the town. There was a service from Byrock, one from Dubbo via Warren and, in 1874, a direct service from Brewarrina to Enngonia, north of Bourke. The number of people moving through the town at this time would have been considerable and would have given rise to the increase in stores and hotels.

[edit] Sport & Recreation

The townspeople of Brewarrina play a variety of sports. The town has a local Rugby Union club & team, the Brewarrina Brumbies. Rugby League is a very popular sport in Brewarrina, with the town sporting a number of different teams. Netball is a popular sport and is played weekly, there are over 12 teams playing in the local competition. The Brewarrina Golf Club is renowned throughout the western region as one of the best 'oiled' green golf courses. Other major played sports in Brewarrina include bowls, shooting, tennis & swimming. Brewarrina also has a very successful circus skills program, which trains local kids skills in circus training and gives them the opportunity to travel across the country to places like Adelaide and Melbourne. This program has also given particular kids the chance to travel overseas, with one girl travelling to South Africa to perform in the art of circus skills.

Brewarrina, on the wide Barwon River is an ideal place to fish. With the largest officially recorded cod being caught here, weighing 113 kilograms (250lbs), Brewarrina is always a buzz when "the fish are biting". The river is also used for swimming in the summer months, and is a great spot for water skiing.

[edit] Events

Brewarrina holds one of the most famous Rodeos in the far west of New South Wales, The Barwon River Rodeo. This is usually held on the Easter long weekend. Bre (as the locals call it) is well known for its 'Festival of the Fisheries'* which celebrates Brewarrina's Aboriginal and European History. Other events held in brewarrina include the local Show, and Races. Brewarrina often holds the 'Surfboat Classic'; the only one of its type, which is a race up the Barwon on canoes. This usually attracts hundreds fom up the coast and from neighboring communities.

• This festival hasn't been running consecutively for around 10 or so years.

[edit] Media

Brewarrina's only newspaper, The Brewarrina News is published by the Brewarrina Shire council, and is released monthly, usually on a Thursday. Brewarrina receives Imparja Television from the Northern Territory, along with Seven Central (Queensland), SBS & ABC NSW. Brewarrina receives 2WEB radio station along with [2CUZ FM] (both from Bourke), Brewarrina also recives ABC radio.

[edit] Education

Brewarrina boasts 2 schools, Brewarrina Central School (which consists of a high school and infants/ primary) and St. Patricks Catholic School (which only consists of infants/ primary). Brewarrina has 1 pre-school Gainmara Birilee pre-school. For higher education in Brewarrina, the Brewarrina TAFE offers a large range of courses.

[edit] Railway

In 1901 a railway branch line was opened to Brewarrina from Byrock, on the Nyngan to Bourke line. This closed in 1974.

[edit] References

Coordinates: 29°57′S, 148°52′E

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