Angledool is a locality in upper western New South Wales near the southern border of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, one kilometre east of the

Castlereagh Highway Castlereagh Highway is a state highway located in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. The highway's northern terminus is at a junction with Carnarvon Highway, south of , Queensland. Its southern terminus is at a junction with Great West ...

and approximately 45 kilometres north of

Lightning Ridge Lightning Ridge is a small outback town in north-western New South Wales, Australia. Part of Walgett Shire, Lightning Ridge is situated near the southern border of Queensland, about east of the Castlereagh Highway. The Lightning Ridge area i ...

. At the , Angledool had a population of 58 people.

History

Yuwaalaraay (also known as ''Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi'') is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalaraay country. The Yuwaalaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the

Shire of Balonne The Shire of Balonne is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia, over from the state capital, Brisbane. It covers an area of , and has existed as a local government entity since 1879. It is headquartered in its main town, S ...

, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Hebel extending to

Walgett Walgett is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is near the junctions of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers and the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways. In 2016, Walgett had a population of 2,145. In the 2 ...

and

Collarenebri Collarenebri is a town in north western New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Walgett Shire Local Government Area and is situated on the Barwon River approximately northeast of Walgett and south west of Mungindi on the Gwydir Highway. ...

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 ...

.' Angledool was previously known as New Angledool when it was established in the 1870s. In 1873 Robert Moore, the manager of the pastoral property, Muggarie Station, later known as Angledool Station, discovered

opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline form ...

s. Charlie Dunstan in 1908 found two large opals the "Fire Queen" and "Queen of the Earth", at the Angledool diggings. The nearby

Narran River Narran River, a watercourse of the Barwon catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Southern Downs district of Queensland and Orana district of New South Wales, Australia. The river rises south west of Dirranbandi, as a ...

has led to flooding of the Angledool area in 1890, 1956, 1990, 1996 and again in March 2010. The 1956 flood was the biggest one that has been recorded. In March 2010 the Narran River at Angledool flooded the nearby, Angledool Lake, which covers an area of around 1,100 hectares when full. The lake then spilled into Weetalabah Creek that crosses the

, thus filling the Coocoran Lake, near Lightning Ridge. Prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Angledool had a bakery, several hotels, a post office, court house and a general store. The village now has an old cemetery, a church, a few houses and several buildings that are over 120 years old. The town hall made from locally made mud bricks is a classic example of early local architecture.

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in New South Wales Brewarrina Shire Walgett Shire