Galong is a village in

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

Hilltops Council Hilltops Council is a local government area in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. This area was formed on 12 May 2016 from the merger of Boorowa Council, Harden Shire and Young Shire. The local government area covers muc ...

. It is a typical Australian village located 1 hour's drive from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Mining

The major industry in the town is the

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

open-cut mine. The Galong deposit was first mined in 1885 with significant mining activity in the 1920s producing burnt lime or quicklime, which is used in the production of cement. The mine re-opened in the 1960s and again in 1994. In 2001, the lease was altered to extend the mineable area of land from ; resources of 20 million tonnes of limestone have been defined within the proposed limit of mining. In 2003, the mine was acquired by Boral. It now produces lime for agricultural lime used for farming canola and grains; agricultural lime is used for remediating soil acidity, a major problem threatening the productivity and sustainability of agriculture in many parts of the state. It produces approximately 300,000 tons per year, about one quarter of the requirements for the state of New South Wales. Apart from agricultural purposes, a major consumer of lime from Galong is the

Port Kembla A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more Wharf, wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can a ...

steel works. A kiln was built at the mine in 2003/04 to allow the production of quicklime for use in cement. The mine employs about 19 people.

History

Squatter and former Irish convict 'Ned' Ryan took up land in the area around 1830 and built Galong House. Galong Post Office opened on 15 April 1888. St Clement's monastery was opened by the

Redemptorists The Redemptorists officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer ( la, links=no, Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris), abbreviated CSsR,is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brother ...

order of priests in 1918 and major additions opened in 1954. It educated some 2000 men before it closed in 1975. One student was commentator

Greg Sheridan Gregory Paul Sheridan (born 1956) is an Australian foreign affairs journalist, author and commentator. He has written a number of books on politics, religion and international affairs and has been the foreign editor of ''The Australian'' newsp ...

. It is now a retreat centre run by the Redemptorists and the

Sisters of St Joseph The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for ...

Goulburn Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters pate ...

. The population of Galong increased from 122 in the 2006 census to 224 in the 2016 census and 235 in

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

. Galong Uniting Church is a prominent building dating to 1922. It was designed by the architects Tate & Young. Previously it was a Methodist church until 1977 when it became a Uniting Church. Many recollections of the town are available in th
Galong Oral History Project

Cemetery

The town is well known for its

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

,M. Barrett, '' 'The Very Dawn of Settlement': as surveyed from Galong Cemetery'' (M. Barrett, Kogarah, 2006). which has among other monuments, some angels erected by Frank Rusconi, the monumental mason from

Gundagai Gundagai is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Although a small town, Gundagai is a popular topic for writers and has become a representative icon of a typical Australian country town. Located along the Murrumbidgee River and Muniong, Hon ...

. File:Galong Cemetery Rusconi Angel for child.jpg, Child's grave File:Galong Cemetery Rusconi's Ryan Monuments.jpg, Ryan family white marble monuments

Heritage listings

Galong has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * Main Southern railway: Galong railway station

References

External links