Mount Hope, New South Wales
Mount Hope (elevation 223 m) is a settlement in western New South Wales, Australia. It is situated on the Kidman Way, 94 kilometres north of Hillston and 160 km south of Cobar.
Mount Hope New South Wales | |
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Royal Hotel at Mount Hope | |
Mount Hope | |
Coordinates | 32°50′25″S 145°52′36.1″E |
Elevation | 223 m (732 ft) |
Location | 94 km (58 mi) N of Hillston |
LGA(s) | Cobar Shire |
Federal Division(s) | Parkes |
History
The town was once a busy copper mining town in the 1890-1920s. At the 2006 census, Mount Hope had a population of 53 people.[1] Much of the township was destroyed in a major bushfire in the 1950s. There is no longer fuel available near the hotel in this village. It has its own crossover air strips still being used today. The only visible business open in the village is the Royal Hotel, commonly known as the "Mount Hope Pub".
Railway
The Mount Hope Railway briefly connected the Broken Hill Railway Line with Mount Hope, New South Wales, Australia. The copper mine for which this branch was constructed to service ceased full-time operations four months before the line was opened. After a bare five years, the branch itself was closed—possibly the first step of rationalisation to be practiced by the New South Wales Government Railways.[2]
Environment
Blocks of remnant mallee to the south, west and north-west of the town are included in the 2500 km2 Central NSW Mallee Important Bird Area because of its significance for bird conservation, especially of the malleefowl and red-lored whistler.[3]
Notes and references
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Mount Hope (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 November 2009.
- The Railway News N.S.W. School Railway Clubs Association November–December, 1977 pp104-108
- "IBA: Central NSW Mallee". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 14 June 2011.