Warragamba is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

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 ...

, in

Wollondilly Shire Wollondilly Shire is a Peri-urbanisation, periurban Local government in Australia, local government area that is located on the far southwest fringe of the Sydney, Greater Sydney area in New South Wales, Australia. The local government area is pa ...

. 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 States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

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

History

In 1804, George William Evans 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, W ...

, penetrating upstream to the present site of Warragamba Dam. 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 is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

, 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. Most countries celebrate national anniversaries, typically called national days. These could be the List of national independence days, date of independen ...

in September 1998 despite the fact it was to be demolished after the completion of Warragamba Dam in the 1960s. 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). 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 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 * Warragamba Dam ** Warragamba Dam: Megarritys Bridge ** Warragamba Dam:

Warragamba Dam – Haviland Park Warragamba is a town in New South Wales, Australia, in Wollondilly Shire. Located on the eastern edge of the Blue Mountains (Australia), Blue Mountains, Warragamba is one and a half hour's drive west of Sydney. The name Warragamba comes from the ...

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%.

Popular culture

* In Australia, a popular phrase used in pubs and restaurants throughout greater

is Warragamba Slammer. This is used when someone would like a glass of water.

References

External links

Warragamba Website – Local and Tourist Information

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