Grong Grong is a small town that is located in the
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 ...
region 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
, e ...
,
Australia. The town is situated on the
Newell Highway
Newell Highway is a national highway in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It provides the major road link between southeastern Queensland and Victoria via central NSW and as such carries large amounts of freight. At in length, the Newell is t ...
, east of
Narrandera
Narrandera ( ) until around 1949 also spelled "Narandera", is a town located in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales, Australia. The town lies on the junction of the Newell and Sturt highways, adjacent to the Murrumbidgee River, an ...
in the
Shire of Narrandera.
The name ''Grong Grong'' is an
Aboriginal term meaning "bad camping ground" or "very bad camping ground".
Bypass
Grong Grong was bypassed in February 2018, to straighten the Newell Highway or A39 by about 2 kilometres and also to eliminate a notorious 25 km/h bend that had caused many accidents, especially trucks overturning.
Demography
Like many rural localities in the area, the population has progressively declined over a number of years, evidenced as follows:
Facilities
The Grong Grong
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional servi ...
was opened on 1 November 1881.
The town has a railway station on the
Hay branch off the
Main Southern Line. However, the line has closed so with it has the station. Only part of the line is used by a weekly passenger train to which does not stop at the station. Grong Grong can be accessed by coaches that stop at the town on the way to and
Mildura
Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area ...
.
Berembed Weir is located 20 km south of the town. The weir diverts water from the
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River () is a major tributary of the Murray River within the Murray–Darling basin and the second longest river in Australia. It flows through the Australian state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, des ...
into the main canal which flows onto the
Murrimbidgee Irrigation Area to serve irrigation farmers in the
Leeton and
Griffith area. The weir and nearby reserve is popular among local anglers, as well as the various riverside locations situated just 5 km to Grong Grong's south.
Sport
The most popular sport in Grong Grong is
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
, as it lies in the narrow 'canola belt', a geographical triangle stretching from Grong Grong and
Marrar, New South Wales
Marrar is a town in the central east part of the Riverina region of New South Wales. Australia. The town is situated about west of Old Junee and north of Downside. At the 2016 census, Marrar had a population of 368.
Marrar Post Office opene ...
at either end of the
Canola Way, to
Lake Cargelligo, in which Australian football retains a strong following, despite
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
, e ...
being a largely rugby league supporting state. The local team,
Ganmain-
Grong Grong-
Matong, play in the
Riverina Football League.
Regular sporting events include golf, tennis and softball, all hosted at the Grong Grong Sports Club.
Grong Grong also hosts annual sporting events such as the Grong Grong Rodeo, Team Penning and Gymkhana.
Heritage listings
Grong Grong has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* Murrumbidgee River:
Wooden Wicket, Berembed Weir
Gallery
File:GrongGrongRoyalHotel.JPG, The Royal Hotel at Grong Grong
File:Grong Grong NSW Australia 20070223.jpg, An aerial view of Grong Grong, in 2007
File:GrongGrongRomanCatholicChurch.JPG, St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church
File:GrongGrongSchoolof Arts.JPG, School of Arts hall
File:GrongGrongSiding.JPG, Grong Grong railway siding
See also
*
List of reduplicated Australian place names
These names are examples of reduplication, a common theme in Australian toponymy, especially in names derived from Indigenous Australian languages such as Wiradjuri. Reduplication is often used as an intensifier such as "Wagga Wagga" ''many cro ...
References
External links
Grong Grong railway lineGrong Grong page at the Narrandera Shire Council
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Towns in the Riverina
Towns in New South Wales
Narrandera Shire