West Wyalong is the main town of the

Bland Shire Bland Shire is a Local government areas of New South Wales, local government area in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. it covers an area of . As at the the population was 5,995. It is a member of the League of Extraordinary Comm ...

in the northern

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 ...

region of western

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 the 2021 Census, West Wyalong's population was 3,037. Located west of Sydney as well as being above sea level, it is situated on the crossroads of the

Newell Highway Newell Highway is a National Highway (Australia), national highway in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It provides the major road link between southeastern Queensland and Victoria (state), Victoria via central NSW and as such carries large amo ...

between

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

and

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

, and the

Mid-Western Highway Mid-Western Highway, sometimes Mid Western Highway, is a state highway located in the central western and northern Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia. The highway services rural communities and links the Great Western, Mitchell, ...

between

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 ...

and

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

. The West Wyalong district is the largest cereal-growing centre in NSW.

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

oil production started in 1907 and the West Wyalong area became one of the major world exporters of the product.

History

Indigenous history

The Wiradjuri people were the first to inhabit this region. (Wiradjuri northern dialect pronunciation iraːjd̪uːraj or Wirraayjuurray people (Wiradjuri southern dialect pronunciation iraːjɟuːraj are a group of indigenous Australian Aboriginal people that were united by a common language, strong ties of kinship and survived as skilled hunter–fisher–gatherers in family groups or clans scattered throughout central New South Wales. The name Wyalong comes from the Wiradjuri name Waaylang, meaning hard shelled nut. This refers to the quandong seed, which was ground and used for flour, and is still found in the area. In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in

Condobolin Condobolin is a town in the west of the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, on the Lachlan River. At the , Condobolin had a population of 3,185. History Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Wiradjuri pe ...

, Peak Hill,

Narrandera Narrandera ( ), until around 1949 also spelled "Narandera", is a town located in the central Riverina region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The town lies on the junction of the Newell Highway, Newell and Sturt Highway, Sturt highwa ...

and

Griffith Griffith may refer to: People * Griffith (name) * Griffith (surname) * Griffith (given name) Places Antarctica * Mount Griffith, Ross Dependency * Griffith Peak (Antarctica), Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Glacier, Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Ridge, ...

. There are significant populations at Wagga Wagga,

Lake Cargelligo Lake Cargelligo () is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, on Lake Cargelligo. It is in Lachlan Shire. Its name is said to be a corruption of the Aboriginal word ''kartjellakoo'' meaning 'he had a coolamon'. Alterna ...

and Leeton and smaller groups at West Wyalong,

Parkes Parkes may refer to: * Sir Henry Parkes (1815–1896), Australian politician, one of the earliest and most prominent advocates for Australian federation Named for Henry Parkes * Parkes, New South Wales, a regional town * Parkes Observatory, a radi ...

Dubbo Dubbo (; ) is a city in the Orana (New South Wales), Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021. The city is located at the intersection of the ...

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

Cootamundra Cootamundra, nicknamed Coota, is a town in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. It is within the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council. At the 2016 Census, Cootamundra had a population of 6,782. I ...

Cowra Cowra () is a town in the Central West, New South Wales, Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre and the council seat for the Cowra Shire, with a population of 8,254. Cowra is located approximate ...

and

Young Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an America ...

Gold rush

Gold was discovered at

Wyalong Wyalong is part of the Bland Shire located in the Northern Riverina Region of New South Wales, Australia. Established as a gold mining town, it is now a quiet town with historic buildings a few kilometres east of West Wyalong, the major distric ...

in September 1893 by Joseph Neeld. In 1895 West Wyalong was developed from Wyalong around the bullock track, without the benefit of town planning, resulting in curious kinks in the road where it avoided trees. As well as the mines, the White Tank water supply was located here. This is now the location of McCann Park. The goldfield was declared the most productive in the colony in 1899. As mining declined West Wyalong became the main service centre for agriculture in the surrounding district, although for many years there was rivalry between the towns. Both towns wanted the Temora railway line, but settled on a compromise of a station midway between the two towns, called Wyalong Central. Development since the 1970s has expanded Wyalong in the direction of West Wyalong with several motels built at central Wyalong. A shared bicycle and pedestrian track was constructed in 1994 to link Wyalong with West Wyalong. The population has stabilised recently. This is due, in part, to the Cowal Gold Mine adjacent to

Lake Cowal Lake Cowal is the largest inland lake in New South Wales, Australia. The lake is ephemeral, being fed by the small Bland Creek and by the occasional flooding of the Lachlan River. Despite this, it retains a considerable amount of water in abou ...

, 45 km northeast and Pace Farm's egg production facility.

Climate

West Wyalong features hot and dry summers; and cool winters with extended overcast periods not uncommon, with an increased susceptibility to

cold fronts A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface trough of low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropical cyclone (to the west in the Northern ...

due to its western location. Mean maximum temperatures range substantially between the seasons. There is a stark difference in sky conditions between high summer and mid winter, especially for this northern latitude: in March there are 13.9 clear days and 6.0 cloudy days, whereas in July there are only 7.4 clear days but 12.5 cloudy days. This too is evident by the mean afternoon humidity readings. The last major snowfall in the township was in 1929. West Wyalong Anglican Church 001

Places of interest

* The Poppet Head * Lions Park Dakota DC3 * West Wyalong Museum * The Sister Kissing Booth * West Wyalong Airport * Easel sculpture of West Wyalong (Drysdale) * Wyalong Wetlands * Tivoli Theatre

Schools

* St Mary's War Memorial Catholic School (K–6) – The original St. Mary's Church School was built in 1901 of corrugated iron and staffed by the

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute for women in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. In 2019, the institute had about 6,200 Religious sister, sisters worldwide, organized into a number ...

. By 1903 there were 167 students. The present St. Mary's School was built in 1961. * West Wyalong Primary School (K–6) * West Wyalong High School (7–12) * Wyalong Public School (K–6)

Sport

The most popular sport in West Wyalong is

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

. The Goldfields Rugby League was established in 1911, and, along with Tamworth and Wollongong, was one of the first leagues outside of

and

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

. The town hosts a number of different sports club, catering for both adults and junior players. * West Wyalong Mallee Men –

and competes in the Group 20 Rugby League competition. * West Wyalong-Girral Bulldogs –

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 Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...

and competes in the Northern Riverina Football League * West Wyalong Weevils – senior

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

* West Wyalong Pirates – junior

* West Wyalong Wildcats – (basketball) * Alleena Cricket Club –

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

Tallimba Tallimba is a town in the Central West area of New South Wales, Australia. It is a part of the Bland Shire 34 km from West Wyalong and 1½ hours' drive from Wagga Wagga. As of the , Tallimba had a population of 185. 55.3% being male, and ...

Cricket Club –

* White Tank Cricket Club –

Annual shows and events

January

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Flag of Great Britain, Union Flag of Great Britain by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a ...

Breakfast and Awards (26th), West Wyalong * David Earl Memorial Cricket Match, West Wyalong

February

* Pancake Breakfast, West Wyalong * West Wyalong Rugby League Knockout (Last Fri./Sat.) * Dean Wood Big Gig

March

Barmedman Barmedman is a rural village in the Bland Shire Council, Bland Shire in the New South Wales state of Australia, located approximately half-way between West Wyalong and Temora, New South Wales, Temora. Barmedman began as a service centre for gold- ...

Modified tractor Pull (1st Sat.) * Candy Stripe Fair, West Wyalong

April

Anzac Day Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and ...

Celebrations (25th) * Wellness West Wyalong Festival * Ladies Day Out in West Wyalong

May

* Mother's Day Luncheon (2nd Sun.), West Wyalong * Masonic Debutante Ball (2nd Sat.), West Wyalong

July

* Catholic Debutante Ball, West Wyalong

August

Weethalle Weethalle ( ) is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Bland Shire local government area and on the Mid-Western Highway, west of the state capital, Sydney, and north east of Griffith. At the , Wee ...

Show (3rd Sat.) * West Wyalong Show Ball

September

* Barmedman Show & Beaut-Ute Comp. (1st Sat./Sun.) * West Wyalong Show (1st Wed.) *

Ungarie Ungarie is a town in New South Wales, Australia which is the second major town of the Bland Shire, located in the Central West region of New South Wales. It is located west of Sydney and north of Melbourne, between the towns of West Wyalon ...

Show (2nd Fri.) * West Wyalong Charity Campdraft

October

* Mirrool Silo Kick Challenge (2nd Sat.) * 'in the West' Festiva
www.inthewest.com.au
ref name="VIC guide" />

November

* Early Markets (1st Sat.), Wyalong

December

* Christmas Market/Carols by Candlelight, West Wyalong * New year Celebrations & Bi-annual Fireworks, West Wyalong

Notable people from the area

Dymphna Cusack Ellen Dymphna Cusack Order of Australia, AM (21 September 1902 – 19 October 1981) was an Australian writer and playwright. She also wrote as Atalanta. Personal life Born in Wyalong, New South Wales, Cusack was educated at Saint Ursula's Col ...

, author *

Reginald Roy Rattey Reginald Roy Rattey, VC (28 March 1918 – 10 January 1986) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British or Commonwealth armed ...

, Victoria Cross recipient *

Terry Gathercole Terrence Stephen Gathercole (25 November 1935 – 30 May 2001), was an Australian breaststroke swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won a silver medal in the 4x100-metre medley relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He later became a swimming co ...

, champion swimmer *

Mark O'Meley Mark O'Meley (born 22 May 1981) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of Irish people, Irish descent who played as a in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s he also played junior footy for the Northern Lakes Warriors and the Wyong ...

, rugby league footballer * Ron "Dookie" Crowe, Australian representative rugby league footballer * Col Ratcliff, rugby league footballer *

Liam Martin Liam Martin (born 5 March 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a forward for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League and Australia at international level. He won the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 NRL ...

, rugby league footballer * Tony Gelling, rugby union footballer *

Scott Staniforth Scott Nicholas Gelling Staniforth (born 12 December 1977 in West Wyalong) is an Australian rugby union footballer who represented Australia at two Rugby World Cups, the successful 1999 campaign and again in 2007. Career Returning to Austral ...

, rugby union footballer * Mat McLachlan, author and historian * Neale Daniher , former AFL footballer, former AFL coach and

motor neurone disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...

campaigner *

Terry Daniher Terrence "Terry" John Daniher (born 15 August 1957) is a former Australian rules footballer best known for his career with Essendon Football Club, Essendon Football Clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL) where he was a dual-premiership p ...

, former AFL footballer * Anthony Daniher, former AFL footballer * Chris Daniher, former AFL footballer * Dal Stivens, author – grew up in the town * Danny Meagher, Catholic bishop

Gallery

File:West Wyalong Aboriginal Artifacts Store.JPG, Aboriginal Artifacts Store File:West Wyalong Ambulance Station.JPG, Ambulance Station File:West Wyalong Anglican Church 001.JPG, West Wyalong Anglican Church File:West Wyalong Bank of New South Wales 001.JPG,

Bank of New South Wales The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW), also known as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia. It was established in 1817 in Sydney. During the 19th century, the bank opened branches throughout Australia and New Zealand, expanding into Oceania ...

File:West Wyalong Bland Shire Council Offices.JPG, Bland Shire Council Offices File:West Wyalong Colonial Mutual Office 001.JPG, Colonial Mutual File:West Wyalong Commercial Bank of Australia 001.JPG, Commercial Bank of Australia File:West Wyalong Commercial Banking Company of Sydney.JPG, Commercial Bank of Australia File:West Wyalong Commonwealth Bank.JPG,

Commonwealth Bank The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), also known as Commonwealth Bank or simply CommBank, is an Australian multinational bank with businesses across New Zealand, Asia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It provides a variety of fi ...

File:West Wyalong Court House.JPG, Court House File:West Wyalong CWA Hall.JPG, CWA Hall File:West Wyalong Elders Office.JPG, Elders Office File:West Wyalong Federation House.JPG, West Wyalong Federation House File:West Wyalong Houses & Church.JPG, Houses & Church File:West Wyalong Leadbetter Motor Garage.JPG, Leadbetter Motor Garage File:West Wyalong Main Street 002.JPG, Main Street File:West Wyalong Medical Hall.JPG, Medical Hall File:West Wyalong Mentor Chambers.JPG, Mentor Chambers File:West Wyalong Police Station 001.JPG, West Wyalong Police Station File:West Wyalong Presbyterian Church.JPG, West Wyalong Presbyterian Church File:West Wyalong Presbyterian Manse.JPG, West Wyalong Presbyterian Manse File:West Wyalong RAAF Plane.JPG, RAAF Plane File:West Wyalong Roman Catholic Church 001.JPG, West Wyalong Roman Catholic Church File:West Wyalong Post Office 003.JPG, West Wyalong Post Office File:West Wyalong Rural Bank 001.JPG, West Wyalong Rural Bank File:West Wyalong Rural Bank Detail.JPG, West Wyalong Rural Bank File:West Wyalong Tailor Shop.JPG, Main Street File:West Wyalong Thom's Corner 001.JPG, Thom's Corner File:West Wyalong Memorial Literary Institute 001.JPG, Memorial Literary Institute File:West Wyalong Tattersalls Hotel 001.JPG, Tattersalls Hotel File:West Wyalong White Tank Hotel 001.JPG, White Tank Hotel File:West Wyalong Royal Hotel 001.JPG, Royal Hotel File:West Wyalong Post Office Hotel 001.JPG, Post Office Hotel File:West Wyalong Metropolitan Hotel 001.JPG, Metropolitan Hotel File:West Wyalong Globe Hotel 001.JPG, Globe Hotel File:West Wyalong Empire Hotel 001.JPG, Empire Hotel

Media

The West Wyalong Advocate ''The West Wyalong Advocate'' is a weekly, English language newspaper published in West Wyalong, New South Wales, Australia. It has previously been titled ''The Wyalong Advocate and Mining, Agricultural and Pastoral Gazette''. History The pap ...

'' newspaper is an independent publication, printed on Fridays. It also services nearby towns including Ungarie and Barmedman. 94.5 GOLD FM is West Wyalong's community radio station. It is an independent not-for-profit community broadcaster founded in 2001. ''West Wyalong Movies'' is a project by Ross Harmer aimed at documenting the history of West Wyalong and The Bland Shire.

Surrounding towns

References

External links

Bland Shire Council
{{authority control Towns in New South Wales Towns in the Central West (New South Wales) Newell Highway Bland Shire