Bookham is a small village in the

Southern Tablelands The Southern Tablelands is a geographic area of New South Wales, Australia, located south-west of Sydney and west of the Great Dividing Range. The area is characterised by high, flat country which has generally been extensively cleared and ...

and

Riverina The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation ...

regions of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia in Yass Valley Shire. It is about 29 km west of Yass on the Hume Highway.

Overview

The general grazing area which now encompasses the village of Bookham was originally collectively called ''Bogolong'' and childhood memories of the races at ''Bogalong Racetrack'' inspired

Banjo Paterson Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, (17 February 18645 February 1941) was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the ...

to write his poem ''Old Pardon the Son of Reprieve''. The name change came about in 1839 when Lady Jane Franklin, wife of

John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through t ...

, the Lieutenant Governor of

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sep ...

between 1837 and 1843, became the first European woman to travel overland from

Port Phillip Port Phillip ( Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, narrow channel known as The Rip, and is com ...

to Sydney and stayed in the area in 1839. Shortly after a design for the village at ''Cumbookambookinah'' near Bogolong was drawn up and that name was shortened either through general usage or by design to the current name of Bookham. The name Bookham was being used officially, by August 1839. There is an urban legend of the town once being a frequent spot for hiding police to 'book em' motorists speeding through town. Further to the legend, truck drivers would jettison some of their goods (e.g. a newspaper from a paper truck) next to the hiding spot before speeding off, hence the police focusing on cars. Iron was smelted from locally mined iron ore at a site on

Jugiong Creek The Jugiong Creek, a mostlyperennial river that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Formed by the confluence ...

approximately 3 km north of Bookham in 1874, by the Bogolong Iron Mining Company. Remnants of the blast furnace still exist, one of only three 19th-Century blast furnace ruins in Australia and the only one in New South Wales. It is included in the N.S.W. heritage database. The southern extremity of the locality of Bookham, along Burringjuck Road, was a part of a proposed site for the national capital city of Australia, known as Mahkoolma. Had that proposed site been adopted, the village of Bookham would have become a part of the capital territory. Bookham Post Office opened on 1 September 1864, following the establishment of a mail run from Tumut in 1882. This involved crossing the Murrumbidgee at Roche's crossing. Bookham Post Office closed in 1993. While the Post Office had a number of homes, its most recent has now been turned into a cafe, Barney's of Bookham. There are two churches: the Uniting Church (''c.'' 1926) and St. Columba's Catholic Church, (''c.'' 1910) still standing in the town.Tourism Australia Bookham Churches
St Columba's Catholic Church has been transformed into stylish accommodation for up to 8 people. Now called The Old Bookham Church it has been lovingly restored in keeping with its heritage. At the , Bookham had a population of 161 people. 82.7% of people were born in Australia and 87.7% of people spoke only English at home.

Climate

Owing to Bookham's location in between the western plains of New South Wales and the dividing range, it varies greatly in maximum temperatures between seasons with a distinct winter rainfall peak. Falls of

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

are by no means uncommon.

Gallery

File:BookhamMemorialHall.jpg, Bookham Memorial Hall. File:St Columbas Bookham.jpg, alt=The former St Columba's Catholic Church now The Old Bookham Church, St Columba's Catholic Church. File:Bogolong Blast Furnace from Public Land on Illalong Rd (October 2019).jpg, Upper part of Bogolong blast furnace ruin File:Welcome to Bookham.jpg, alt= File:Barney's Cafe, Bookham.jpg, alt=

References

{{authority control Towns in New South Wales Southern Tablelands Yass Valley Council