Lockhart is a town in the

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. It is the location of the Lockhart Shire Council offices. At the 2016 census, Lockhart had a population of 818 people.

History

Lockhart was named after C.G.N. Lockhart - a commissioner for Crown Lands in the

Murrumbidgee River The Murrumbidgee River () is a major tributary of the Murray River within the Murray–Darling basin and the second longest river in Australia. It flows through the Australian state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, desce ...

area in the 1850s. It was originally known as Greens Gunyah, and renamed Lockhart in 1897. Greens Gunyah was so named because a Mr Green was the earliest settler and had a grog shop on the Urana -

Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 56,000 as of June 2018, Wagga Wagga is the state's la ...

stagecoach route. Ferriers Post Office opened on 16 May 1882 and was renamed Lockhart in 1898. In 1915, the Lockhart - Roll of Honour was unveiled, with 86 locals enlisted in National Service. A railway station served the town between 1901 and 1975, it has now been restored and converted into a

New South Wales Rural Fire Service The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) is a volunteer-based firefighting agency and statutory body of the Government of New South Wales. The NSW RFS is responsible for fire protection to approximately 95% of the land area of New South ...

station. Seasonal grain trains service silos in the town.

Tim Fischer Timothy Andrew Fischer (3 May 1946 – 22 August 2019) was an Australian politician and diplomat who served as leader of the National Party of Australia, National Party from 1990 to 1999. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Deputy Prime ...

, National Party leader (1990–1999) and 11th

Deputy Prime Minister of Australia The deputy prime minister of Australia is the deputy chief executive and the second highest ranking officer of the Australian Government. The office of deputy prime minister was officially created as a ministerial portfolio in 1968, althoug ...

was born here.

Water Tower Mural

In October 2018 a water tower

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

was opened in a park in the main street of Lockhart. It was created by artists Scott Nagy and Janne Birkner (Krimsone) in just three weeks and depicts a cascading waterfall surrounded by local flora and fauna. The mural covers a surface of over 600 square metres. Since the tower was painted, visitor numbers are up by close to 37 per cent.

Spirit of the Land Festival

Lockhart is home to the annual Spirit of the Land Festival, a celebration to the resilience of those who live and work on the land. The festival includes a competition for sculptures created from recycled farm materials. Many of the entries from past years are found in the park around the water tower mural and in other locations on the Lockhart Sculpture and Heritage trail.

Notable Former Residents

(Australian politician) * Bill Peach (Australian journalist)

Gallery

File:Lockhart entrance sign.jpg, Entrance sign for Lockhart, New South Wales, Australia File:GreensGunyah(Lockhart)Museum.jpg, Greens Gunyah Museum File:Rusty Cockatoo.jpg, Rusty Cockatoo at Spirit of the Land Festival File:Emu Family Sculpture.jpg, Emu Family Sculpture at Spirit of the Land Festival File:Horse Power.jpg, Horse Power Statue at Spirit of the Land Festival File:Good Old Days.jpg, Good Old Days at Spirit of the Land Festival File:Bonnie Dog.jpg, Bonnie Dog at Spirit of the Land Festival File:Bonnie Dog and tower mural.jpg, Tower Mural

References

{{authority control Towns in the Riverina Towns in New South Wales Lockhart Shire