The Nandewar Range, a
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
that is part of the
Great Dividing Range, is located in the
North West Slopes
The North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, refers generally to the area west of the Northern Tablelands, to the north of the Central West region and to the east of the Far West region. Despite its name, the region is in north- ...
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
, es ...
,
Australia. The range is situated approximately east of the township of
Narrabri
Narrabri ( ) is a locality and seat of Narrabri Shire local government area in the North West Slopes, New South Wales, Australia on the Namoi River, northwest of Sydney. It sits on the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway and the Newell Highw ...
.
John Oxley was the first European to see the range in 1818 as he explored the New South Wales.
Location and features
The range is located on the western, inland, side of the
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
region, and generally forms the watershed divide between the
Namoi River
The Namoi River, a major perennial river that is part of the Barwon catchment of the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tablelands and North West Slopes districts of New South Wales, Australia.
The Namoi River rises on the west ...
and
Gwydir River
Gwydir River (locally wɑe̯də, a major inland perennial river of the Barwon catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tablelands, North West Slopes, and Orana districts of New South Wales, Australia.
Th ...
catchment basins to the south and north respectively. The
Macdonald River starting south of
Walcha drains west to
Warrabah National Park where it changes its name to the Namoi then is added to by the
Manilla River
Manilla River, a perennial stream that is part of the Namoi catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tablelands district of New South Wales, Australia.
The stream (called a river) rises south–west of Barraba on ...
,
Peel River and
Mooki River
Mooki River, a perennial stream that is part of the Namoi catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tablelands district of New South Wales, Australia.
The river starts at the junction of Omaleah Creek and Phillips ...
. The
Horton River runs north to the Gwydir. Both rivers together drain segments of the Nandewar Range.
The eastern part of the Nandewar Range starts at the Great Dividing Range south of
Uralla
Uralla is a town on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and Thunderbolts Way, north of Sydney and about south west of the city of Armidale, New South Wales, Arm ...
. The main road between
Barraba
Barraba is a town in the New England region of northern New South Wales, Australia. It was formerly the centre of Barraba Shire local government area, but most of this, including Barraba, was absorbed into Tamworth Regional Council in 2004. On ...
and
Bingara
Bingara (Aboriginal for 'creek') is a small town on the Gwydir River in Murchison County in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Bingara is currently the administrative centre for the Gwydir Shire that was created in 2003. The ...
crosses the range. At its western end, the Nandewar Range culminates at
Mount Kaputar
Mount Kaputar, a mountain with an elevation of above sea level, is located near Narrabri in northern New South Wales. It is part of the Nandewar Range and has been preserved within the Mount Kaputar National Park. The mountain is a prominent l ...
, a complex of volcanic origin, from which there are views of the flat inland plains of New South Wales.
![Mount Kaputar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Mount_Kaputar.jpg)
The foothill areas of the Nandewar Range are used for grazing and cropping. There are forests in some of the higher areas. The Mount Kaputar area is included in
Mount Kaputar National Park
The Mount Kaputar National Park is a national park located in New South Wales, Australia, surrounding the proximities of Mount Kaputar, a volcano active between 17 and 21 million years ago. It is located east of Narrabri and northwest of ...
.
![Grattai Mountain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Grattai_Mountain.jpg)
The range is occasionally dusted with light snow in winter.
Geology
The range is the remnants of an eroded
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
ic
shield volcano that formed about 18 million years ago. Some of the exposed rocks in the area are 230 million years old.
Etymology
The first is a volcanic plug called 'Ninghdoo' (pronounced locally as Ningy-doo) or 'Nungadhun'. The names Nandewar, Kaputar and Ninghdoo are the
Gamilaraay language
The Gamilaraay or Kamilaroi language is a Pama–Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup found mostly in south-eastern Australia. It is the traditional language of the Gamilaraay (Kamilaroi), an Aboriginal Australian people. It has been ...
names for these features.
Peaks
Mountains within the Nandewar Range include;
*
Bushy Mountain, ()
* Castletop Mountain
* Gins Mountain
*
Grattai Mountain, ()
*
Mount Dowe, ()
*
Mount Kaputar
Mount Kaputar, a mountain with an elevation of above sea level, is located near Narrabri in northern New South Wales. It is part of the Nandewar Range and has been preserved within the Mount Kaputar National Park. The mountain is a prominent l ...
, ()
* Mount Lawler
*
Mount Lindesay, ()
*
Mount Ningadhun, ()
* Mount Waa
* Mount Yulludunida
* Round Mountain
See also
*
List of mountains in New South Wales
*
Warrumbungles
References
External links
{{New South Wales mountains
Mountain ranges of New South Wales
Shield volcanoes of Australia
Miocene shield volcanoes
Extinct volcanoes
North West Slopes
Polygenetic shield volcanoes