Batlow, New South Wales
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Batlow is a town in the South West Slopes region of
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, on the edge of the
Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills. It runs roughl ...
, 775 m above sea level. Batlow is well known for its apples. About 50 growers in the district supply 1.6 million cases of apples, or 10% of the Australian apple crop, to the Australian market. The district also produces cherries and stone fruit. The town's main landmark, the "Big Apple", which stands on private land 5 km north of the town,Batlow: Big Apple
Big Trip.
stands testament to the orchards which have been vital to the town's economy for over 120 years.


History

Before European settlement the
Wiradjuri The Wiradjuri people (; ) are a group of Aboriginal Australian people from central New South Wales, united by common descent through kinship and shared traditions. They survived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers, in family groups or clans, a ...
people lived in the Batlow area.
Hamilton Hume Hamilton Hume (19 June 1797 – 19 April 1873) was an early explorer of the present-day Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria (Australia), Victoria. In 1824, along with William Hovell, Hume participated in an expedition that first t ...
and William Hovell were the first Europeans to explore the area in 1824, en route to
Port Phillip Port Phillip (Kulin languages, Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped bay#Types, enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, ...
. When gold was discovered in the area in 1854, a small settlement called Reedy Creek was established as a supply point and service centre for the mining area, and a Mr Batlow surveyed a townsite nearby. The gold deposits were quickly exhausted, but farmers found the area better suited to a variety of crops, so the mining supply point was moved and the current township established around 1855. Reedy Flat Post Office opened on 1 August 1873 and was renamed Batlow in 1889. Fruit trees and timber quickly became the main sources of income for the town, and in 1910 the townsite was gazetted. In 1922, the first cool stores in New South Wales were constructed in the town. At the same time a railway was built from nearby Tumut. These developments facilitated the town's trade with Sydney and beyond. The district supplied troops with dehydrated fruit and vegetables during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Many Land Army Girls were stationed in and around Batlow during the Second World War and a sizeable collection of memorabilia is held at the Historical Society Museum. There are two Soldier Settlements close to Batlow, Willigobung and Kunama. On 4 January 2020 the town was damaged by fire during the
2019–20 Australian bushfire season The 201920 Australian bushfire season commenced with serious uncontrolled fires in June 2019. , fires this season have burned an estimated , destroyed over 5,900 buildings (including 2,779 homes) and killed at least 34 people. An estimated o ...
. In the town itself at least 17 homes were destroyed, as well as the old hospital and service station. Outlying properties were also affected with hundreds of apple trees "scorched".


Population

In the 2016 Census, there were 1,313 people in Batlow. 76.3% of people were born in Australia and 81.5% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 27.0%, Anglican 24.5% and Catholic 20.4%.


Climate and Geography

Batlow is located west of
Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
, though, by highway is approximately due to the Great Dividing Range between them. The nearest city is Wagga, whilst three towns: Tumut in the northeast; Adelong in the northwest; and
Tumbarumba Tumbarumba ( ) is a town in New South Wales, Australia, about southwest of the state capital, Sydney. Tumbarumba is located in the South West Slopes (New South Wales), South West Slopes region at the western edge of the Snowy Mountains. The s ...
in the southwest, are within . The countryside around Batlow is a plateau of rolling hills, straddling in altitude. Being on the western edge of the Great Dividing Range, Batlow receives much of the precipitation that has not fallen farther west, an average of per year; chiefly in winter, with August at . Little or no precipitation is received from the Tasman Sea to the east, due to the large distances and the Great Dividing Range; instead, precipitation is mainly sourced from Northwest cloudbands and cold fronts originating in the west/southwest. The cold, often snowy winters, combined with the higher rainfall and good soils, make an excellent apple-growing climate. However, in 2006, Batlow experienced the most severe downturn in rainfall in New South Wales, receiving only of rain that year. The Bago Plateau, to the south of Batlow, has a considerably cooler and wetter climate owing to its great elevation and exposure. Snow is frequent from June to September, with heavy falls that can last for more than a week at a time in shaded areas, and can even occur in the late spring to early summer period on rare occasions. The region is subject to heavy cloud cover in the winter months. Climate data are sourced from Pilot Hill, at an altitude of .


Present day

Batlow is an agricultural town offering services and facilities to the surrounding area, including two primary schools and a high school, a library (with
telecentre A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills. Telecent ...
), a hall and several stores and small businesses. The Batlow Fruit Co-operative, trading since 1922, (now the Batlow Fruit Co.) is based in the town. Batlow was the home of the 'Mountain Maid' cannery until its closure in the early 2000s. The steel frame of the WWII
Lend Lease Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (),
constructed building used in the production of food for the allied troops was a landmark for many years until it was largely destroyed in the January 2020 bushfire. Batlow's economy turns around the production of apples for the fresh food market. Some revenue is also obtained from other agricultural exploitations and timber from the large soft and hardwood plantations. There is a strong influx of seasonal labour for the harvesting of fruit from March to April. A smaller influx occurs at thinning time in December. There are a number of producers of cherries, nuts, honey and eucalyptus oil products. The Bago State Forest between Batlow and
Tumbarumba Tumbarumba ( ) is a town in New South Wales, Australia, about southwest of the state capital, Sydney. Tumbarumba is located in the South West Slopes (New South Wales), South West Slopes region at the western edge of the Snowy Mountains. The s ...
contains stands of alpine ash and radiata pine. Attractions include Pilot Hill Arboretum (est. 1920s) and the Sugar Pine Walk — a beautiful avenue of
sugar pine ''Pinus lambertiana'' (commonly known as the sugar pine or sugar cone pine) is the tallest and most massive pine tree and has the longest Conifer cone, cones of any conifer. It is native to coastal and inland mountain areas along the Pacific coa ...
resembling a cathedral. On the third Saturday of May each year the Batlow Ciderfest is held in the main street, showcasing locally and regionally produced cider and regional food. Many interesting stalls also attend the family friendly Ciderfest event. The Ciderfest came second in the NSW Event awards only three years after its inauguration. On the Friday preceding a Cider Industry Conference is held. A 'Living Food conference' was later added to the CiderFest weekend. On the third Saturday of October the Apple Blossom Festival is held. This re-invigorated festival began in 1942 and the First Apple Blossom Queen was a
Land Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on Ground warfare, land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include avia ...
girl.


Politics

Batlow is in the
Snowy Valleys Council The Snowy Valleys Council is a local government area located in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. This area was formed on 12 May 2016 from the merger of the Tumut Shire and Tumbarumba Shire councils. The council area ...
. Batlow was moved to the
bellwether A bellwether is a leader or an indicator of trends.bellwether
" ''Cambridge Dictionary''. Re ...
federal Division of Eden-Monaro for the 2007 federal election. With Batlow usually voting overwhelmingly conservative, the vote swung to the centre left
Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also known as the Labor Party or simply Labor, is the major Centre-left politics, centre-left List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia and one of two Major party, major parties in Po ...
member Mike Kelly by 26%. Batlow is now in federal seat of
Riverina The Riverina () is an agricultural list of regions in Australia, region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, a climate with significant seaso ...
.


See also

* Australia's Big Things * Batlow railway line


Fruit bowl sculpture

Carved by Fred Alwahan from the trunk of a red oak on Mayday Road, Batlow, NSW in 1994, it stands over two metres tall. The plaque (inset) informs that Alwahan donated the work as a tribute to the town's pioneers. File:Alwahan fruit bowl 2.jpg File:Alwahan fruit bowl 3.jpg


References


External links


Batlow Apples

Picture of the Big Apple
c.1986 (
National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...
)
Snowy Valleys Council

Batlow Railway Station

Early photo of fruit bowl sculpture posted on Twitter by Fouad Alwarhani (Fred Alwahan)
{{Authority control Towns in New South Wales New South Wales soldier settlements 1855 establishments in Australia Snowy Valleys Council Mining towns in New South Wales