O’Connell 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 Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The village, classified by the

National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...

, is 23 kilometres from

Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fair ...

on the O'Connell Road. At the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

, O'Connell and the surrounding area had a population of 355.

History

The village has a long history, being situated on the original road between Bathurst and

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, which was in use until 1836. By the end of 1836 the road, now the

Great Western Highway Great Western Highway (also known as Broadway from to , Parramatta Road from Chippendale to , and Church Street through Parramatta) is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia. From east to west, the highway links Sydney with Bathurst, ...

, was diverted and traffic proceeded via Rydal and

Yetholme Yetholme () is a village in New South Wales, Australia, originally known as Fryingpan and Frying Pan. The town is near Frying Pan Creek. It is situated east of Bathurst, New South Wales, Bathurst and west of Lithgow, New South Wales, Lithgo ...

. In 1813 George Evans crossed the Blue Mountains to confirm the findings of the exploration party of Blaxland, Lawson, and

Wentworth Wentworth may refer to: People * Wentworth (surname) * Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth (1873–1957), Lady Wentworth, notable Arabian horse breeder * S. Wentworth Horton (1885–1960), New York state senator * Wentworth Miller (born 1 ...

. Evans and his party reached the end of the explorers' route at a point which Evans named Mount Blaxland, near the present locality of South Bowenfels. The party then moved further west and, near the junction of the

Fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

and Campbells Rivers, Evans described two plains in his view, the O'Connell Plains, which he named after the Lieutenant-Governor,

Maurice Charles O'Connell Sir Maurice Charles Philip O'Connell KCH (1768 – 25 May 1848) was a commander of forces and lieutenant-governor of colonial New South Wales. Early life Maurice Charles O'Connell was born in Ireland in 1768. He had had a distinguished career ...

, and the Macquarie Plains, named after Governor

Lachlan Macquarie Major-general (United Kingdom), Major General Lachlan Macquarie, Companion of the Order of the Bath, CB (; gd, Lachann MacGuaire; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie se ...

. Evans wrote of O'Connell Plains: "...this Morning had a better appearance; the river now forms large ponds; at the Space of about a Mile I came on a fine Plain of rich Land, the handsomest Country I ever saw; it surpasseth Port Dalrymple; this place is worth speaking of as good and beautiful; the Track of clear land occupies about a Mile on each side of the River; I have named it after the Lieut. Governor, O'Connell Plains.'" The Fish River is crossed at O'Connell on the Bathurst to Oberon Road. From that point, the Fish flows generally to the north-west to its

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

with Campbells River, to form the

Macquarie River The Macquarie River - Wambuul is part of the Macquarie– Barwon catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is one of the main inland rivers in New South Wales, Australia. The river rises in the central highlands of New South Wales near the ...

, which flows through Bathurst. The existing

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 ...

at O'Connell was built in 1865 and today is a popular meeting place in pleasant surroundings. The historic former Catholic Church of St Francis of Assisi, built in the 1860s, has been restored as a dwelling. The attached cemetery has been closed for a considerable time.Australian Cemeteries Index--O'Connell Catholic Cemetery
Retrieved 7 March 2014. The Anglican Church of St Thomas is still in use. The cemetery attached to the church contains memorials as early as 1835. O'Connell Post Office opened on 14 August 1834 and closed in 1980. In 1890 a telephone line was constructed between O'Connell and Bathurst and O'Connell and Brewongle. Prior to this all communications to other centres were by the Morse Telegraph.

Heritage listings

O'Connell has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 2509 O'Connell Road: Lindlegreen Barn

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in New South Wales Oberon Council