Wentworth is a small

border town A border town is a town or city close to the boundary between two countries, states, or regions. Usually the term implies that the nearness to the border is one of the things the place is most famous for. With close proximities to a different cou ...

in the far south west of the state 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 country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. It lies at the

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 ...

of Australia's two most important rivers, the Darling and the Murray, the latter forming the border with the state of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

to the south. The border with the state of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...

lies approximately to the west. The town of Wentworth is in the

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 ...

of the same name.

History

Named after the famous explorer and politician William Charles Wentworth, the town is to the west (via the

Calder Highway Calder Highway is a rural highway in Australia, linking Mildura and the Victoria/New South Wales border to Bendigo, in North Central Victoria. South of Bendigo, where the former highway has been upgraded to freeway-standard, Calder Freeway lin ...

) of the Victorian regional city of

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 h ...

. The famous mining city of

Broken Hill Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It ...

is to the north along the

Silver City Highway Silver City Highway is a highway that links Buronga, New South Wales to the Queensland border via Wentworth, Broken Hill, and Tibooburra, in the arid Far West region of New South Wales; a short branch also connects to Calder Highway on the ...

. Moorna Post Office opened on 22 February 1855 and was renamed Wentworth in 1860. In 1876 Wentworth township was described in the following terms: ::Wentworth is situated on the Darling, about half a mile from the junction, and is plainly visible from the Murray. The township is built on rising ground, and, save in very exceptional seasons, is quite out of reach of flood waters. The population is between 400 and 500. The place appears prosperous and progressive. The trade up the Darling River, and the supply of stores to the stations in the vicinity, form the life-blood of its prosperity. Wentworth possesses a custom-house – a hideous little building resembling a watch-house, and as great an eyesore as the cause of its establishment is an inconvenience and annoyance to trade. The other public buildings are a post and telegraph office, for Wentworth is on the main telegraph line to Adelaide, and a court-house and offices, which are also used for land offices. There is a resident police magistrate, Mr. Richardson ... The two churches in Wentworth are buildings creditable to the town. The Roman Catholic Church is a brick structure, the Protestant Church an edifice of brick and stone... There are three or four stores of considerable size, and several hotels. The Australian Joint Stock Bank has a branch here. The river, which, opposite the town is about the width of the Murray at Echuca, is crossed by a punt.

Heritage listings

Wentworth has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 112 Beverley Street: Wentworth Gaol * 30 Cadell Street: Saint Ignatius School, Wentworth * Darling Street: St John's Anglican Church, Wentworth * 1122a Low Darling Road: Avoca Homestead Complex

Railways

During the late 1800s Wentworth was an important river

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

; however, like many such towns, its significance faded with the development of the railways (railroads). In 1902, the people of Wentworth were lobbying for a railway from

to be built, including a bridge over the

River Murray 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 ...

Floods

The town has been flooded many times by the two rivers. The most significant was in 1956, when both rivers flooded simultaneously. Local farmers, supplemented by the

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and

navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

, worked for months to build levee banks to hold the water out of the town.The 1956 flood of Wentworth
''Mildura Tourism Inc'', Accessed September 16, 2007

Visitor attractions

Wentworth is now an important tourist

outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a ...

destination and provides a welcome break for those travelling to or from Broken Hill. In addition to its authentic outback charm, the town offers some interesting attractions: * PS ''Ruby'' – a restored 1907 side-wheel paddlesteamer *The 5 yearly Great Wentworth Tractor Rally *The Wentworth Gaol *The Perry Sandhills The Great Wentworth Tractor Rally is a commemoration of the grey '' Fergie'' tractors that were used to maintain the levee banks and save the town from the

1956 Murray River flood The 1956 Murray River flood involved the rising of waters in the Murray River and flooding of many towns in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The flood was and still is considered the biggest flood in the recorded history of the Mur ...

. Wentworth was a popular destination for 'pokie tour' bus rides from

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, the capital city of

, prior to the legalisation of poker (gambling) machines in that state.

Sport

The town has an

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 ...

team competing in the Sunraysia Football League. And the Wentworth District Rowing Club has regular regattas and attendance at national and international events. http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/story/4598820/gold-edge-to-regatta/

Notable people

Leal Douglas Leal Douglas (born Lilly Elizabeth Annie Lamb; 25 March 1881 – 3 February 1970) was a British-Australian actress, mainly of the silent film era. Of Scottish and English parents, Douglas emigrated to Australia as a child and began her sta ...

, actress, lived in Wentworth in the 1930s. * Jarrod Brander, Australian rules footballer

Climate

Wentworth has a

Semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi ...

(''BSh'') with hot summers and mild winters. Historical maxima and minima are 48.1 °C and −2.8 °C, respectively.

Gallery

Image:La confluence du Murray et du Darling à Wentworth.JPG, Confluence of the Darling with 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 ...

Image:Wentworth_NSW_Australia_roadside_art.jpg, Roadside sculpture, Wentworth, NSW, Australia Image:Wentworth_terrain.jpg, Semi-arid countryside; roadside rest stop 20 km north of Wentworth

References

External links

Wentworth Shire CouncilThe Great Wentworth Tractor RallyPaddlesteamer Ruby
{{authority control 1860 establishments in Australia Populated places established in 1860 Towns in New South Wales Populated places on the Murray River Populated places on the Darling River River ports of Australia Far West (New South Wales)