Tocumwal ( ) is a town in the southern
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
, 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 ...
, in the
Berrigan Shire
Berrigan Shire is a local government area in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire lies on the New South Wales State border with Victoria formed by the Murray River. The Shire is adjacent to the Newell and Riveri ...
local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
, near the
Victorian border. The town is situated on the banks of the
Murray River
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest r ...
, north of the city of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. 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 th ...
and
Murray Valley Highway
Murray Valley Highway is a state highway located in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. The popular tourist route mostly follows the southern bank of the Murray River and effectively acts as the northernmost highway in Victoria. For all b ...
join at the Murray River, and form part of the main road route
National Highway A39
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
between
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
and Melbourne. At the , Tocumwal had a population of 2,682.
[ The winner of several 'Tidy Town' awards, Tocumwal is affectionately known as 'The Jewel in the Crown That Is The Riverina District'.
The town is said to be named for the local Aboriginal word for "deep hole in the river".]
History
Prior to European settlement, the Tocumwal area was inhabited by the Ulupna
Ulupna is a locality in the north of the Australian state of Victoria. The locality is basically Ulupna Island, an inland island bordered by Ulupna Creek and the Murray River
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindje ...
and Bangerang
The Pangerang, also spelt Bangerang and Bangarang, are the Indigenous Australians who traditionally occupied much of what is now north-eastern Victoria stretching along the Murray River to Echuca and into the areas of the southern Riverina in Ne ...
Aborigines. The first pastoral runs were established in the 1840s. The town was established in the early 1860s and gazetted in 1862 as
"a Village to be called TOCUMWAL ... Situated on the Murray River, on the road from Albury to Deniliquin, about 50 miles west of Corowa, and 40 south-east of Deniliquin."
Tocumwal Post Office opened on 1 August 1868.
Prior to Federation
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
, Tocumwal was an important customs point for goods crossing between the then colonies of Victoria and New South Wales.
A standard gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...
branch line from the New South Wales Government Railways Main Southern railway line at Junee reached Narrandera in 1881 and a branch from Narrandera was completed to Tocumwal in 1898. The broad gauge
A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways.
Broad gauge of , commonly known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union (CIS ...
Victorian Railways Melbourne-Shepparton railway line was extended to Tocumwal in 1908, creating a break-of-gauge at Tocumwal until the New South Wales Government Railways line was closed south of Narrandera (about 1980).
During World War II the town was the site of Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
Station Tocumwal, which was a major Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
training airfield and aircraft depot. Units included (at various times) the 5 Operational Training Unit, 7 Operational Training Unit, 7 Aircraft Depot and the Paratroop Training Unit. Today, the airfield is a renowned gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ...
site.
After the war families were housed at the American Air Force Hospital, the men travelled daily over the river to Yarroweyah to work on farms which they could then apply for under the soldier settlement scheme. The hospital was on or next to Barooga Station. Living quarters were made in long Nissen huts
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure for military use, especially as barracks, made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated iron. Designed during the First World War by the American-born, Canadian-British engineer and inventor Majo ...
, 3–4 in each with a shared bathroom. Single quarters were at the front and a cook was employed for them.
After the war ended, around 200 of the Air Force houses in Tocumwal were disassembled and trucked to Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
to be rebuilt and reused in new and inner city suburbs where they provided government housing to workers from Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
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 ...
to construct the new capital city. Called Tocumwal houses, they remain a distinctive architectural form in Canberra's suburbs, such as O'Connor and Ainslie.
Because of the break-of-gauge between the railways north and south of Tocumwal, this station was a natural choice for military oriented storage facilities and munitions dumps.
Also during World War II, Tocumwal was the location of RAAF No.14 Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot (IAFD), completed in 1942 and closed on 14 June 1944. Usually consisting of 4 tanks, 31 fuel depots were built across Australia for the storage and supply of aircraft fuel for the RAAF and the US Army Air Forces at a total cost of £900,000 ($1,800,000).
Heritage listings
Tocumwal has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* Narrandera-Tocumwal railway: Tocumwal railway station
* Narrandera-Tocumwal railway: Tocumwal Road and Rail Bridge over Murray River
Climate
Tocumwal has a semi-arid climate (''BSk'').
Facilities
Tocumwal has one state and one Catholic primary school. The nearest high school is in Finley, to the north.
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 ...
, cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
and netball are all very popular in the town. Notable sporting teams include the Tocumwal Football Club (The Bloods) who compete in the Picola & District Football League
Tocumwal is in the federal
Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:
Politics
General
*Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies
*Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
Division of Farrer
The Division of Farrer is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales.
Geography
Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appoint ...
and the state Electoral district of Murray.
Tocumwal was also where the largest Murray cod in the world was caught.
Tocumwal has a 36-hole championship golf course at the Tocumwal Golf Club,[Tocumwal Golf and Bowls Club]
/ref> a bowls club[ and is well known internationally for gliding at SportAviation.Sport Aviation]
/ref>
Gallery
File:Tocumwal Big Cod.JPG, The Big Murray Cod on the Tocumwal foreshore
File:Tattersalls Hotel Tocumwal.JPG, The Tattersalls Hotel, one of four pubs in Tocumwal
File:Tocumwal Terminus Hotel.JPG, The Terminus Hotel, another of the four pubs
File:Tocumwal Airport overview Vabre.jpg, Tocumwal Airport
References
External links
*
*
Tocumwal : Centre to the Murray Attractions (Official tourism site)
Tocumwal Railway Station
{{authority control
Towns in Berrigan Shire
Towns in the Riverina
Towns in New South Wales
Populated places on the Murray River
Newell Highway