Bunnaloo is a village community in the central southern part of the Riverina and situated about west of Mathoura and south west of Deniliquin. In 2006, Bunnaloo had a population of 126.

History

The area that is now known as Bunnaloo originally was split between two properties: the Cobram Station and

Perricoota Perricoota is a wine region in the Big Rivers grape-growing area of Australia. It covers the area of New South Wales bordered on the south by the Murray River between Barmah and Torrumbarry (both are on the Victorian side of the river, so not i ...

. In 1899, a crown lease on part of the Perricoota land expired and the New South Wales Government split a paddock into six 700 acre homestead farms to be sold in 1901. Further subdividing of the Cobram Estate land allowed for more residents to move to the area. The first Post Office in Bunnaloo was run from the home of a Mrs Hawkins, replacing the weekly mail run from Mathoura by Syd Larcombe. In 1924 a new railway line was laid, with Bunnaloo homing a new station. This allowed for easy transport of wheat or stock (previously it had to be carted 18 miles to Mathoura). In 1926, Victor Hicks built a store in Bunnaloo. The Post Office was moved here, becoming the first official Bunnaloo Post Office (until its closure in 1974).

Education

In 1919 the parents of Bunnaloo purchased and moved a building from

Womboota Womboota is a locality in the centre south part of the Riverina. It is situated by road, about north from Moama and south west from Bunnaloo. At the , Womboota had a population of 105. Womboota is located in the Deniliquin land district and t ...

to a property to be used as a school. This was run by subsidised teachers prior to government teachers being supplied. For the school's final years it was again run by subsidised teachers. In 1927, the school was closed and the building sold to parents of the town of Walliston.

Bunnaloo Public School Bunnaloo Public School is a rural primary school that educates children from years Kindergarten to Year 6 from the Bunnaloo region of New South Wales. Founded in 1928, the school has five classrooms, an oval and a school residence. The principal ...

opened in 1928 and is still running (despite closing from 1944 to 1951 due to WWII). Currently, it has approx. 50 students attending. Students in Years K to 6 attend from all around the area. The current principal is Darren Devereux.

Sport

Until its disbandment at the end of the 1989 season, the

Bunnaloo Football Club The Bunnaloo Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in the town of Bunnaloo, New South Wales, which first formed in 1927, before disbanding in the 1929. The team reformed in 1952 to join the newly created Echuca Football Leagu ...

operated for many years. It won back-to-back premierships in 1988 and 1989. In the 1960s, the Bunnaloo Table Tennis Club was established and operated. Teams of four men and two women competed for the McHugh Holschier trophy. Bunnaloo in conjunction with Mathoura fields a cricket team in the Goulburn Murray Cricket League known as the Northern United Cricket Club. Prior to this, the Bunnaloo Cricket Club operated from the Bunnaloo Recreation Reserve.

Amenities

The first Bunnaloo Hall was built in 1927 at a cost of £702. A supper room was added in 1945, and throughout the late 1950s and 1960s fundraisers were held to refurbish the hall. In the early 1980s, a new Bunnaloo Hall was built as part of the Bunnaloo Recreation Reserve. This includes an oval, cricket nets, and tennis courts. The Bunnaloo Uniting Church (formerly the Bunnaloo Methodist Church) opened in 1966. A petrol station still operates, currently known as Riverine Petroleum. It resides on the intersection of Fitzroy Street and Bunnaloo Road.

Climate

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in the Riverina Towns in New South Wales Murray River Council