The Brindabella Valley is a
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...
situated below the western ridge-line of the
Brindabella Range
The Brindabella Range, commonly called The Brindabellas or The Brindies, is a mountain range located in Australia, on a state and territory border of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The range rises to the west of C ...
, located midway along the
Goodradigbee River
Goodradigbee River, a perennial stream that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Snowy Mountains district of New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
The river rises below Mount Mo ...
, in the south 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
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
Location and features
The valley is framed by the Brindabella Range and the Fiery Mountain Range, most notably by Mount Bramina and Bulls Head in the north and Black Bottle Mountain and
Mount Franklin in the south. The valley is largely gentle, undulating farmland rising from
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
in the north to above sea level in the south. Most of the native vegetation in the valley has been removed in favour of pasture, fruit trees and other exotic species, however the surrounding mountains are largely
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
s, populated entirely with native flora.
The traditional custodians of the area now known as the Brindabella Valley are the
Ngunawal
The Ngunnawal people, also spelt Ngunawal, are an Aboriginal people of southern New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory in Australia.
Language
Ngunnawal and Gundungurra are Australian Aboriginal languages from the Pama-Nyungan ...
,
Walgalu
The Walgalu are an Aboriginal people of New South Wales, Australia. The Ngambri may belong to the Walgalu grouping, but are often treated separately.
Language
According to some scholars, the Walgalu language is a form of Ngarigo.
Country
Acc ...
and
Djimantan indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
. The valley was first settled by Europeans as a stock outstation for the ''
Yarralumla'' station in the 1830s, with the first land grant made in 1849.
[ Gold was found in 1860 and mined from the 1880s. In 1887 the Brindabella Gold Mining Company was formed and mining continued until 1910. The valley is now an agricultural area and consists of a number of small cattle farms including the heritage-listed ]Brindabella Station
Brindabella Station, sometimes referred to as the Brindabella Homestead, is located within the Brindabella Ranges in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It was the childhood home of the Australian author Miles Franklin. Brindabella was first ...
, the childhood home of Miles Franklin
Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin (14 October 187919 September 1954), known as Miles Franklin, was an Australian writer and feminist who is best known for her novel ''My Brilliant Career'', published by Blackwoods of Edinburgh in 1901. While ...
, an early 20th-century Australian author.Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
or Tumut
Tumut () is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the banks of the Tumut River.
Tumut sits on the north-west foothills of the Snowy Mountains and is located on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri, Wolgalu ...
. A private road runs through Long Plain toward Rules Point and , and access is rarely permitted. All roads are subject to frequent closures during heavy snow in winter.
The Goodbradigbee River is a popular trout fishing location for Canberra anglers and camp sites were once provided on the east bank of the river within the valley, but since 2017 this area has been rezoned as a travelling stock route and camping is now no longer permitted anywhere in the valley. Much of the river is difficult to reach without crossing private property and anglers should be aware that certain landowners are unlikely to grant access. In 1968 the National Capital Development Commission
The National Capital Authority (NCA) is a statutory authority of the Australian Government that was established to manage the Commonwealth's interest in the planning and development of Canberra as the capital city of Australia.
Timeline of the ...
considered dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
ing the Brindabella Valley for the purpose of sending water from the Goodbradigbee River into the Cotter River
The Cotter River, a perennial river of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The Cotter River, together with the Queanbeyan River, is one of two rivers that pr ...
via a tunnel.Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme
The Snowy Mountains Scheme or Snowy scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in south-east Australia. The Scheme consists of sixteen major dams; nine power stations; two pumping stations; and of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts that ...
to Canberra.
See also
* Brindabella
* Brindabella Range
The Brindabella Range, commonly called The Brindabellas or The Brindies, is a mountain range located in Australia, on a state and territory border of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The range rises to the west of C ...
* Brindabella Station
Brindabella Station, sometimes referred to as the Brindabella Homestead, is located within the Brindabella Ranges in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It was the childhood home of the Australian author Miles Franklin. Brindabella was first ...
* Brindabella National Park
Brindabella National Park is an national park in New South Wales, Australia, that is located approximately southwest of Sydney central business district in the Brindabella Range. Much of the eastern boundary of the national park forms part o ...
References
External links
* {{cite web , url=http://theaustralianalps.wordpress.com/the-alps-partnership/the-parks/brindabella-national-park/ , title=Brindabella National Park , work=Australian Alps National Parks , publisher=Australian Government , date=2013
Brindabella Ranges