Burren Junction is a
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 ...
village 51 km west of
Wee Waa
Wee Waa () is a town located on the north-western slopes of the New England region in New South Wales, Australia. The town is within the Narrabri Shire local government area and is on the Namoi River. Wee Waa is north-west of Narrabri and n ...
, on the
Kamilaroi Highway
Kamilaroi Highway is a state highway located in the north-western region of New South Wales, Australia, and links via and to . The highway is named after the Kamilaroi Indigenous Australian people who live in the area.
Route
The highway be ...
to
Walgett
Walgett is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is near the junctions of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers and the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways. In 2016, Walgett had a population of 2,145.
In the 2 ...
. The name is from the local
Aboriginal word for
boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...
or 'big creek'. Burren Junction grew from a railway encampment which came from the extension of the
north-western rail line in 1902.
Burren Junction Post Office opened on 16 May 1904.
Burren Junction is in the
Walgett Shire
Walgett Shire is a local government area in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The northern boundary of the Shire is located adjacent to the border between New South Wales and Queensland. The town of Walgett is located on the Namoi ...
local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
area and
Jamison County. The village sits at an elevation of 163 metres and recorded a population of 276 at the .
Wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
and
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
growing are the main agricultural industries along with some
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
and
beef cattle
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production (as distinguished from dairy cattle, used for milk production). The meat of mature or almost mature cattle is mostly known as beef.
In beef production there are three main stages: cow-calf operat ...
breeding.
The town has two churches,
RSL and Sporting Club (now closed), sports ground, plus a
hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
. The Burren Junction Bore is a hot mineral water pool complex that is floodlit to provide day and night bathing that is popular with tourists but is now shunned by the locals who consider it ruined by the Walgett Shire Council. The bore baths at Lightning Ridge remain the same.
Burren Junction Bore Baths Upgrade
Retrieved 6 October 2008
There is also a pool, park and tennis court used for recreation. The tennis court is in poor condition, with only one of the three in passable condition. There used to be an annual tennis tournament in Burren Junction, however, this stopped in the 1980s. One method used to get the long weekend tennis tournament finished after rain was to fly a helicopter above the courts to dry the surface.
A Bachelor and Spinster Ball
Bachelor and Spinsters Balls (B&S) events are hosted regularly in rural Australia, known locally as "''B & S Balls''" or simply "''B&S's''".
They are staged for young (18 years and over) spinsters and bachelors and traditionally the couples dre ...
was held each year in Burren Junction, with people travelling from all over Australia to enjoy a night of fun and entertainment but had to be cancelled due to excessive insurance costs.
In 2006 the first Australian record of a grey-headed lapwing
The grey-headed lapwing (''Vanellus cinereus'') is a lapwing species which breeds in northeast China and Japan. The mainland population winters in northern Southeast Asia from northeastern India to Cambodia. The Japanese population winters, at ...
was made at Burren Junction, this migratory bird
Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between Breeding in the wild, breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Animal migration, Migration carries high costs in predation a ...
native to Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...
was observed by passing birdwatchers in a field near the silos. The sighting attracted large numbers of birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...
visitors from all over Australia for the duration of the bird's presence.
Burren Junction bore baths 01.jpg, Burren Junction Bore Bath 2018
Burren Junction bore baths information sign.jpg, Burren Junction Bore Baths information sign 2018
References
"Lightning Ridge, Walgett and District", Walgett Shire Council, 2000
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20060912003451/http://www.wheretostay.net/article.htm?qa=burrenjunction
{{authority control
Towns in New South Wales
Walgett Shire