The grain silos - a symbol of the Narromine area

Narromine (and Tomingley)
Attractive service town located on the Macquarie River.
Narromine is located near the Macquarie River at the eastern edge of the vast western plains of NSW. It is 39 km west of Dubbo and 458 km north-west of Sydney, at the junction of the Mitchell and Newell Highways, 235 metres above sea-level. The current population is 3500. The Narromine silo, owned by the New South Wales Grain Corporation, dominates the town. Wheat, citrus, fruit, vegetables, fat lambs, wool and especially cotton are the economic focus of the shire.

Narromine promotes itself as the 'Town of Champions' due to the fact that a number of well-known sportspersons were born here, including sprinter Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, cricketer Glenn McGrath and footballer David Gillespie.

The area was occupied by tribes of the Wiradjuri people prior to white settlement. John Oxley passed through the district in 1818 during his exploration of the Macquarie River. Squatters entered the area in the 1830s and settled along the river. 'Narramine' station was taken up in 1835. For many years it was held by William Charles Wentworth, who was one of the first party of Europeans to cross the Blue Mountains in 1813.

It was named after a Wiradjuri word said to mean, 'place of many lizards' or 'place of honey'. The latter may be a reference to the fact that the local Aborigines were particularly adept at tracking native bees to their nests by catching them, sticking a portion of down to their backs and releasing them. Thomas Mitchell marvelled both at their ingenuity in this respect and at the seemingly endless supplies of honey available, which they frequently supplied to his party. These bees apparently had no sting and were rendered extinct either by competition or interbreeding with introduced species.

A coach containing the commissioner for crown lands, John Grenfell (after whom the town of Grenfell was named), was held up by bushrangers in 1866. When he refused to bail up and drew his pistol, shots were exchanged and the bushrangers fled unrewarded though Grenfell was wounded and died the next day.

A street in Narromine in spring

Although a government reserve had been made in 1849 but there was little in the way of a settlement until the railway arrived in 1882. At that time, William O'Neil was the owner of 'Narramine' and he had established a hotel at the junction of the road to Trangie (now the Mitchell Highway) and the road to Warren.

The township developed around the railway on land resumed from O'Neil. It was laid out and gazetted in 1883. The streets were named after early pastoral holdings in the area. A pump station and pump attendant's house were built near the hotel to supply water to the trains at what was the last natural watering place before Bourke.

The first school opened in 1883. Narramine (sic) was declared a village in 1885. In 1890 a police station was built and O'Neil established a store near the railway. It closed in 1996 and has been converted into the present Bi-Lo supermarket.

The first newspaper was established in 1896 and the spelling of the town was changed from 'Narramine' to 'Narromine' owing to a misspelling by the paper's editor. The first bridge over the river was built in 1897. The following year the town was declared a municipality and a courthouse and lock-up were built adjoining the police station.

Wheat-growing and mixed farming developed as the larger properties were subdivided for closer settlement. Despite initial scepticism, the establishment of a citrus orchard in 1913 signified the start of another major local industry.

The Narromine aerodrome, constructed after World War I, is home to the oldest country aero club in the Australia. Over 2000 pilots lived and trained in Narromine during World War II. Visitors have included Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm, Chuck Yeager and Nancy Bird Walton. It was used as a training station for pilots in World War II.

Burrendong Dam, built 1946-67, facilitated irrigation schemes which have greatly aided local agriculture.

Narromine was the subject of Banjo Paterson's humorous poem 'The City of the Dreadful Thirst' which evokes the townsfolk's incurable sense of thirst which no amount of drinking will cure.

Narromine is currently home to the annual National Ultra-Light Fly-In Festival (NATFLY) which takes place every Easter weekend. Other annual events include the National Gliding Championships in January, the Easter Fishing Competition, the Tomingley Picnic Races in April, the Mungery Muster B&S Ball in August, the Narromine Agricultural Show and the Mungery Picnic Races in September, the Chute Out Bullride in November and the NSW Gliding Championship in December.

Things to see:  

Narromine's main street

Tourist Information and Cobb & Co Coach Tours
Narromine Visitors' Centre is located in Burroway St (the Mitchell Highway), next to the swimming pool. It houses a collection of historical photographs and is open on weekdays from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., Saturdays until 4.00 p.m. and Sundays from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., tel: (02) 6889 4596. Contact the visitors' centre if you wish to undertake a tour of the town in an historic Cobb & Co coach.

Historical Museum
The old courthouse, next to the visitors' centre and the police station, has become the town's museum. It is open by appointment (ring one of the numbers on the door or enquire at the visitors' centre).

Parks
Rotary Park, on the banks of the Macquarie River at the northern end of town, off Culling St, has picnic, barbecue, toilet and childrens' play facilities, as well as a boat ramp for those interested in boating or water skiing. Dundas Park, off Burraway St, has a fine old traction engine in the grounds.

Edgerton's Nursery and Country Garden
Edgerton Nursery and Country Garden, at 42 Dandaloo St, is open seven days a week. It has a coffee shop and an historic cellar dating back to 1904, tel: (02) 6889 1187.

Narromine Cottage Crafts
Narromine Cottage Crafts, at 61 Dandaloo St, is open seven days a week.

Historic Country Pubs
Narromine has three hotels dating back over 100 years. The Royal Hotel, in Dandaloo St, was built in 1890 and was an old Cobb & Co stopping point. The Narromine Hotel, also in Dandaloo St, was built as the Federal Hotel in 1901 and has some particularly attractive ironwork on the upper verandah. It is a classic turn of the century country hotel. The Courthouse Hotel in Burroway St dates from 1899.

Narromine Aerodrome, Skypark and Aviation Museum
Gliding and flying attract large numbers of people to the area every year. The local aerodrome (4 km west of town, on the Mitchell Highway) houses the nation's oldest country aero club. The club, which has played host to personalities as diverse Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm, Chuck Yeager and Nancy Bird Walton was established shortly after World War I. Over 2000 pilots were trained here during World War II when the aerodrome was commandeered by the Department of Defence.

To celebrate its historical importance, an aviation museum is due to open on the October long weekend in 2002. It will display a collection of aeronautical memorabilia and paraphernalia.

Unusually, the airport also houses Australia's first residential Skypark, which is an arrangement whereby people can buy a plot of land adjacent the airport, built a house and a private hangar on their land and park their plane in their own yard.

Introductory aeroplane, ultralight and glider flights are available from Narromine Ultralights (tel: 02 6889 1633) and the Orana Soaring Club, tel: (02) 6889 2733.

Swane's Nursery
5 km west of Narromine, on the south side of the Mitchell Highway, is Swane's Nursery, which covers 56 ha and grows 250 000 roses on 5000 bushes each year. The nursery is open to visitors from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. weekdays and at other times by appointment, tel: (02) 6889 4945. The roses are in bloom from March to April and October to November. Coach tours are welcome by prior arrangement. There are books, catalogues and souvenirs for sale

The Lime Grove
The Lime Grove, 5 km west of Narromine on the Mitchell Highway, is Australia's largest lime orchard. Limes are available from February to June, along with Lime Grove products such as oils, cordial, mustard, jam and olives. Visits can be organised by prior arrangement, tel: (02) 6889 1962.

Narromine Iris Farm
4 km south of Narromine, on Parkes Rd, is Narromine Iris Farm with over 700 different tall bearded iris, as well as Louisiana and Spuria iris, daylilies, cannas and geraniums. There is a pleasant shaded picnic area and visitors are welcome to bring a packed lunch and enjoy a free cuppa. The flowering season is from mid-September to November. It is open Sunday to Friday, tel: (02) 6889 1885.

Tomingley
Tomingley is a small town of Narromine Shire, located 37 km south of Narromine along the Newell Highway. The tiny public school was established in 1884 and is still large enough for this small community.

Dickens Park is a pleasant rest area and The Skin Shop sells sheepskins, cowhides, roo rugs, souvenirs, curios and nicknacks, tel: (02) 6869 3232.

Goobang National Park
The Park covers 42,000 ha and includes over 200 animal and 459 plant species. It is ideal for bushwalking and 4WD. Access is via Obley Rd, Tomingley.

Cobb & Co Coach Tours
It is possible to experience historic Narromine on an historic Cobb & Co coach. For more information contact the Visitor Information Centre.

Cobb & Co Heritage Trail
The historic inland coaching company, Cobb & Co, celebrates the 150th anniversary of its first journey in 2004 (and the 80th anniversary of its last, owing to the emergence of motorised transport). The trailblazing company's contribution to Australia's development is celebrated with the establishment of a heritage trail which explores the terrain covered on one of its old routes: between Bathurst and Bourke.

Cobb & Co's origins lay in the growing human traffic prompted by the goldrushes of the early 1850s. As the Heritage Trail website states: 'The company was enormously successful and had branches or franchises throughout much of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan. At its peak, Cobb & Co operated along a network of tracks that extended further than those of any other coach system in the world ­ its coaches travelled 28,000 miles (44,800km) per week and 6000 (out of their 30,000) horses were harnessed every day. Cobb & Co created a web of tracks from Normanton on the Gulf of Carpentaria and Port Douglas on the Coral Sea down to the furthest reaches of Victoria and South Australia ­ in all, a continuous line of 2000 miles (3200km) of track over eastern Australia from south to north, with a total of 7000 miles (11,200km) of regular routes' (see www.cobbandco.net.au).

Cobb & Co sites in Narromine include the old blacksmith's shop, the Narromine Hotel, the Royal Hotel (where passengers once stayed) and Narromine Cemetery, where two former coach drivers are buried. Sites within the shire include Dandaloo, Gin Gin Bridge, the Timbrebongie Hotel, Tomingley, Trangie and Weemabah.

	Tourist Information
	Narromine Visitors Information Centre 37 Burroway St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 2601 Facsimile: (02) 6889 9980
	Motels
	Peppercorn Motor Inn Mitchell Hwy Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1399 Facsimile: (02) 6889 2582 Rating: ***
	The Stockman Motor Inn Mitchell Hwy Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 2033 Facsimile: (02) 6889 2758 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Court House Hotel 23 Burroway St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1015
	Narromine Hotel/Motel 116 Dandaloo St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1017
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Cameron's Farmstay & B&B "Nundoone Park" 213 Ceres Rd Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 2978 Facsimile: (02) 6889 5229 Rating: ***
	The Abbey Bed & Breakfast 24 Dandaloo St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 2213 Facsimile: (02) 6889 2122 Rating: ****
	Caravan Parks
	Aerodrome Caravan Park Trangie Rd Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 2129 Facsimile: (02) 6889 2109 Rating: ***
	Rose Gardens Tourist Park Mitchell Hwy Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1623 Facsimile: (02) 6889 5102 Rating: ***
	Restaurants
	Narromine Bowling Club Dandaloo St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1164
	Narromine Chinese Restaurant Dandaloo St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1343
	Narromine Golf Club Old Warren Rd Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1179
	Narromine Hotel Dandaloo St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1017
	Narromine Hotel Bistro 116 Dandaloo St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1017
	Royal Hotel Bistro Dandaloo St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1070
	Stockman's Licensed Restaurant Mitchell Hwy Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 2033
	United Services Memorial Club Dandaloo St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 4288
	Cafés
	Edgerton Nursery Coffee Shop 42 Dandaloo St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1187
	Sandy's Diner 7 Burroway St Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 1331
	The Coffee Lounge Kierath Shopping Square Narromine NSW 2821 Telephone: (02) 6889 2232