Coonamble (and Macquarie Marshes)
Pleasant service town on the Castlereagh River.
Coonamble is a smallish country town of some 3000 people on the Castlereagh River, 569 km north-west of Sydney, 93 km north of Gilgandra and 180 m above sea-level. It is essentially a service centre to the largest shire in NSW (almost 10 000 sq km) which covers the western slopes of the Warrumbungle Range and the alluvial plains of the Castlereagh. Wheat, sheep and cattle are the economic mainstays, though there is a significant horse industry and a number of famous stud farms.

As far as can be determined, the original inhabitants of the area were the Kamilaroi, Kawambarai and Weilwan tribes. The town's name derives from an Aboriginal term 'gunambil', thought by some to mean 'full of bullock's dung', though the last surviving full-blood Aborigine of he area asserted that meant 'full of dirt'. This would appear to be either a reference to the arid nature of the terrain during drought or perhaps to the fact that the river bed is, for the most part, dry, owing to the fact that it flows underground when rains are absent.

The first Europeans in the area were the 1818 party of John Oxley. A member of the team, George Evans, encountered the Castlereagh near the future townsite, naming it after Lord Castlereagh, the secretary of state for the colonies.

In 1840 James Walker established the first run in the area; that being the 'Koonamble' station, settled by his agent. It soon became a watering place and campsite for passing stockmen.

Land on either side of the river was reserved for a townsite in 1855. In 1859 it was surveyed and the first post office established. The township was gazetted in 1861 with the first courthouse and lock-up built in 1862.

In 1865, bushranger John Dunn, the only surviving member of Ben Hall's gang, was surprised at his camp near Quambone (50 km west of Coonamble). Shot in the foot he hobbled away until shot in the back. As the constable approached Dunn sat up and shot the officer in the groin. Two more constables arrived and he fought them with his pistol butt but was overpowered. Put under light guard, owing to his injuries, he crawled away at night time, only to be found 3 km away the next morning. He was hanged for murder the following year.

The first public school was erected in 1869 with a police station and stables added in 1870. The local economy changed in its focus from cattle to sheep in the 1870s and amidst the general economic expansion of the 1870s and 1880s, the population increased from 209 in 1871 to 1680 in 1901. Consequently a new courthouse was built in 1877. It was the first government building of brick in town. The first council meeting was held there when Coonamble was declared a municipality in 1880.

A bridge was built over the river in 1883 (it was replaced 100 years later). Prior to that the main river crossing was at Tooloon St and people were ferried across by means of a government boat in flood periods.

The first bore south of the Darling River was drilled at Coonamble in 1894 and the town and district still rely on artesian water. This event greatly benefited the town, as did the arrival of the railway from Dubbo in 1903.

A great fire struck the town in 1929, destroying almost all of the pre-war buildings in Castlereagh St. It is said the glow could be seen in Gilgandra, nearly 100 km distant.

The Coonamble Show is held in May and the rodeo in June.

Things to see:  

Visitor Information
Visitor information is available at the Coonamble Visitor Information Centre operated by Cottage Industries at 26 Castlereagh St. FM 88 also broadcasts local tourist information. If you are planning on a country drive it is advisable to enquire about road conditions as gravel tracks may be impassable or dangerous after rain.

Town Walk
A town walk pamphlet is available from the shire offices or from accommodation reception areas. Unfortunately the great fire of 1929 destroyed many of the buildings in the central area and virtually nothing from the 19th century survives. In fact the only survivor on the river side of Castlereagh St is the National Bank Building (1913) at the Aberford St corner. Hence the walk focuses on historic sites rather than buildings and the structures it does cover are, with a few exceptions, from the 20th century.

Historical Museum
The local history museum is situated in the old police station (1886) near the eastern bank of the river in Aberford St. The stables at the rear of the building date from the 1870s. They were constructed for the horses of the mounted police who were housed in nearby barracks. The museum is open by arrangement, tel: (02) 6822 4532.

Post Office Corner
The post office at the corner of Aberford and Castlereagh Sts was built in 1881 though it has had numerous additions over the years. The statue out the front of the police station next door is of Constable John Mitchell who was shot while trying to prevent the escape of prisoners in 1885. The events around the shooting are related on the wall of the station. Over the road is a mosaic of Coonamble Shire.

Anglican Church
Nearby, at the Aberford and Namoi St corner, is St Barnabas' Church of England, built of local timber in 1909 on the site of the original 1875 Anglican church. Contact the rectory at the rear of the church in Aberford St if you wish to inspect the interior.

School
Just to the east are two buildings (one being the present school library) which were built as the Superior Public School in 1879.

Warrana Weir
If you follow Baradine Rd across Warrana Creek and take the immediate right it leads to Warrana Weir which is a popular boating and swimming spot.

The Macquarie Marshes
When in flood the waters of the Macquarie Marshes are a superb and beautiful waterbird habitat, making it an ideal bird watching site. However, when the rains are scarce little nesting occurs and visitors can be very disappointed, so be sure to ring the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) office at Coonabarabran first, tel: (02) 6842 1311.

The NPWS currently runs fully guided tours on two weekends a year (the second weekend in May and the October long weekend), tel: (02) 6883 5304. Alternatively the site can be accessed by taking up accommodation at Willie Retreat, a privately-owned accommodation resort, tel: (02) 6824 4361.

Glimpses of the marshes can be obtained from Gibson's Way which links Quambone (54 km west) to the Macquarie Valley Way. Stop at Quambone for further directions and information.

	Tourist Information
	Coonamble Visitor Information Centre 26 Castlereagh St Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 4532 Facsimile: (02) 6822 4532
	Motels
	Castlereagh Lodge Aberford St Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 1999 Facsimile: (02) 6822 2297 Rating: ***
	Coonamble Motel Castlereagh St Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 1400 Facsimile: (02) 6822 1400 Rating: **
	Cypress Motel 147 Castlereagh St Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 1788 Facsimile: (02) 6822 2478 Rating: **1/2
	Hotels
	Clubhouse Hotel 24 Tooloon St Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 1663 Facsimile: (02) 6822 1663
	Coonamble Commercial Hotel Castlereagh St Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 1034
	Sons Of The Soil Hotel 54 Castlereagh St Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 5400 or 6822 5411 Facsimile: (02) 6822 2331
	Terminus Hotel Cnr Sydney & Railway Sts Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 1041
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Lona Farmstay Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 8334
	Thurloo Farmstay Tooraweenah Rd Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6825 6208
	Wilber Farmhouse Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6825 1150 Facsimile: (02) 6825 1450
	Restaurants
	Cypress Motel Castlereagh St Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 1788
	Global Village Restaurant Castlereagh St Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 4422
	Tong Fong Oriental Restaurant 44 Aberford Rd Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 1196
	Cafés
	The Gumnut Cafe 36 Castlereagh St Coonamble NSW 2829 Telephone: (02) 6822 2013