Warragamba is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

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

Wollondilly Shire Wollondilly Shire is a periurban local government area adjacent to the south-western fringe of 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 Aus ...

. Located on the eastern edge of the Blue Mountains, Warragamba is one and a half hour's drive west of

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 ...

. The name Warragamba comes from the aboriginal words ''Warra'' and ''Gamba'' meaning 'water running over rocks'.

History

In 1804,

George William Evans George William Evans (5 January 1780 – 16 October 1852) was a surveyor and early explorer in the Colony of New South Wales. Evans was born in Warwick, England, migrating to Australia in October 1802. Early career In 1803, Evans was appoint ...

became the first white man to discover the

Warragamba River The Warragamba River, a river that is part of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment, is located in the Macarthur region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Formed through the confluence of the Coxs River and two minor tributaries, Wa ...

, penetrating upstream to the present site of

Warragamba Dam Warragamba Dam is a heritage-listed dam in the outer South Western Sydney suburb of Warragamba, New South Wales, Warragamba, Wollondilly Shire in New South Wales, Australia. It is a concrete gravity dam, which creates Lake Burragorang, the prima ...

. However, for Indigenous peoples, the river and the valley were an integral part of daily life, and remain today a significant place of cultural heritage. Originally constructed as a workers' settlement during the construction of Warragamba Dam, Sydney's primary

water source Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...

, in the 1940s the modern town of Warragamba remains on the same site adjacent the dam. The town was built from scratch, including homes, shops, schools and other facilities. On completion of the dam being built many workers bought their homes from the Water Board and stayed on in the township. Warragamba Public School celebrated its fiftieth

anniversary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints ...

in September 1998 despite the fact it was to be demolished after the completion of Warragamba Dam in the 1960s. WARRAGAMBA PUBLIC SCHOOL FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY
/ref> Warragamba is unusual for an Australian town, as the streets do not have typical names, but are numbered (such as First Street and Eighteenth Street). Warragamba Dam, NSW

Ongoing dam works (including recent safety improvements) have severely reduced weekend visitors. The town also lost 30 homes and businesses in the 2001 Warragamba bushfires. It was home to

African Lion Safari African Lion Safari is a family-owned safari park in Southern Ontario, Canada, straddling the cities of Hamilton and Cambridge, located west of Toronto. Guests may tour seven game reserves, with a total area of about , on tour buses or in vis ...

until 1991. A new Warragamba Dam Visitor Centre and Haviland Park are becoming a popular tourist attractions thanks in part to the excellent picnic facilities.

Heritage listings

Lake Burragorang Warragamba Dam has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * Coxs River Arms:

Coxs River track The Coxs River track is a heritage-listed former walking track and road and now walking track at Cox's River Arms, Lake Burragorang/Warragamba Dam, City of Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. The track is also known as the Warragamba ...

** Warragamba Dam:

Megarritys Bridge Megarritys Bridge is a heritage-listed bridge across the Megarritys Creek, located at Warragamba Dam in the outer south-western Sydney suburb of Warragamba in the Wollondilly Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was ...

** Warragamba Dam: Warragamba Dam – Haviland Park

Population

At the , Warragamba had a population of 1,241. 85.4% of people were born in Australia and 92.4% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 31.8%, Anglican 26.4% and No Religion 25.6%.

References

External links

Warragamba Website – Local and Tourist Information

Warragamba weather info – Local weather station
{{authority control Towns in New South Wales Wollondilly Shire