Bingara, New South Wales

Bingara (Aboriginal for 'creek'[4]) is a small town on the Gwydir River in Murchison County in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Bingara is currently the administrative centre for the Gwydir Shire that was created in 2003. Bingara is one of the few places in Australia where diamonds have been found. The Gwydir River being a main highlight of the town is a main catchment of the Murray-Darling System.

Bingara
New South Wales
View from HF Batterham Memorial Lookout
Bingara
Coordinates29°52′0″S 150°34′0″E
Population1,428 (2016 census)[1]
Establishedc.1840
Postcode(s)2404
Elevation296 m (971 ft)[2]
Location
LGA(s)Gwydir Shire
CountyMurchison
Federal Division(s)Parkes[3]
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
26.2 °C
79 °F		 10.2 °C
50 °F		 741.0 mm
29.2 in

Location

Bingara is located 141 km north of Tamworth, 54 km west of Inverell, 449 km north of Sydney[5] and 358 km south west of Brisbane.[6] Bingara is located very close to Myall Creek, the site of the massacre of 27 to 30 Indigenous Australians.

History

In 1827 Allan Cunningham 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 diamonds were discovered also, causing a rapid development of the town. Bingara is one of the few places in Australia where diamonds have been found. In fact, Bingara was the largest producer of diamonds in Australia at that time. Bingara changed the spelling of its name from Bingera to Bingara in 1890.[7] 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.[8]

Heritage listings

Bingara has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Population

According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 1,428 people in Bingara. 82.7% of people were born in Australia and 88.2% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were Anglican 38.6%, Catholic 16.8% and No Religion 15.2%.

It is a popular site for retirement with 57% of the population aged 55 years and over, compared to the national average of 27.6% and a median age of 61. The median weekly household income for Bingara is $743 which is lower than the national median of $1,438.[1]

Sport

Bingara sporting life consists of the Bingara Bullets (rugby league), Gwydir River Rats (rugby union) and the Bingara District Cricket Association (cricket) with the representative team being Gwydir First XI. Notable sporting people include Andrew Hart (ex St George), sports broadcaster David Fordham,[11][12] and Sydney jockey Adrian Robinson also originates from Bingara.

Climate

Bingara has a climate of spring in September and October and autumn in April and May. During the winter months of June to August the days are sunny while the nights are cold and frosty. Summer days during November to January are dry and hot with low humidity.

Notable people
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References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Bingara (Stat Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  2. "BINGARA POST OFFICE". Climate Averages for Australian Sites. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  3. "Profile of the electoral division of Parkes (NSW)". Australian Electoral Commission. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  4. "Bingara, New South Wales". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  5. "Great Circle Distance between BINGARA and SYDNEY". Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  6. "Great Circle Distance between BINGARA and BRISBANE". Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  7. Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Australian Places. Sydney, NSW: Reader's Digest. 1993. p. 185. ISBN 0-86438-399-1.
  8. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  9. "Roxy Theatre and Peters Greek Cafe Complex". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H01990. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  10. "Myall Creek Massacre and Memorial Site". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H01844. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  11. Fordham, John (27 December 2011). "Sports presenter had best seat in the house". theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  12. Ricketts, Steve (16 December 2011). "Sports commentator David Fordham dies of prostate cancer". couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  13. A. D. Parsons. "Butler, Athol Patrick (1902–1961)". Australian Dictionary of Biography.
  14. Bennet, Darryl (1993). "Cowper, Andrew King (1898–1980". Australia Dictionary of Biography. ANU.
  15. "Who's who farewells beloved 'boy from Bingara' John Fordham".

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