Temora Post Office in the main street

Temora
A typical rural service centre.
Temora is a rail centre to a large wheat and sheep area. It is located 422 km west of Sydney, 53 km north of Junee, 65 km south of West Wyalong and 80 km west of Harden.

Temora has a current population of some 4600 people and is situated at 292 m above sea-level. It has one of the state's largest inland grain storage terminals. One kilometre round at the base, it is 3 km from the main street on the Old Cootamundra Rd. There is also a major agricultural research station outside of town, an extensive feedlot and some manufacturing in town.

The Temora run was established in 1847. Prior to that time the area was occupied by the Wiradjuri Aborigines.

The district had a brush with some well-known bushrangers in July 1862. It began when three officials, in search of the felons who had robbed the gold escort, came across 'Flash' Johnny Gilbert, his brother Charles and Henry Manns. Charles and Henry were arrested at gunpoint and some of the stolen gold was retaken. However, John Gilbert escaped and rode 112 km to the Weddin Mountains to obtain assistance for a rescue attempt. The gang, including Frank Gardiner, galloped through the night in order to facilitate a morning ambush. The two parties met at Sprowle's station, not far to the east of present-day Temora. The police were outnumbered and they retreated, surrendering their prisoners but not the recaptured gold.

Gold, however, was to have a more crucial role in Temora's history. It was first found in the area in 1869 but the main rush commenced in 1879. The following year a townsite was chosen, laid out and proclaimed as Watsonforde, after the colonial treasurer, James Watson. However, it was soon renamed after the original sheep station at the request of locals and of Watson himself.

Despite drought conditions, it is said that, by 1881, the Temora field was producing half the state's gold. Even the road to Cootamundra was covered by claims, making night travel on the road unsafe. In the first few years there were allegedly some 20 000 residents, mostly miners. However, gold returns soon declined and the population fell dramatically. The focus then shifted to wheat production, causing the subdivision of the large pastoral estates. Many of the new selectors were Germans from South Australia.

The railway arrived in 1893 from Cootamundra, making Temora the wheat terminal that it remains to this day. Cattle saleyards and a butter factory were opened in 1912 and an enormous wheat terminal in 1970. Temora Aerodrome was established in 1941 as a training school for the RAAF.

In 1975, a local priest named Father Gregory Hannan was killed in a hang-gliding accident when only 8 km short of the world endurance record for a towed glider (165 km). A park in town has been named in his honour.

Until 1996, the state's largest open-cut gold mine was operating to the north of town and, although it is currently closed, exploration is ongoing. Some of the old mines, including the Mother Shipton where a 7.3-kg nugget was found in the early 1880s, can be seen off Moroney's Lane, south of the Old Cootamundra Rd.

Temora is a centre for harness racing with numerous trotting studs throughout the district. One of the most successful horses to be bred locally was Paleface Adios (aka 'The Temora Tornado') and there is a large replica of the horse going through its paces in Paleface Park (cnr Hoskins and Loftus Sts).

The Golden Gift Foot Race is held on the second weekend in February, the Temora Show on the fourth Saturday in September and the Antique Engine Field Day in October.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
The town's community centre (tel: 02 6978 0500) is located at 296 Hoskins St. They carry a small amount of local tourist information although the council has a tourism officer. The shire chambers are at 105 Loftus St, tel: (02) 6977 1099.

Rural Museum
The Rural Museum is a comprehensive and expertly ordered affair located in a 2-km landscaped area at the edge of town, off the Junee Rd. The main building has a souvenir shop, information centre and two large exhibition halls containing ceramics, antiques, furniture, fashion items, photographs, literature, musical instruments and glassware.

The extensive Rock and Mineral Museum is now located within the Rural Museum complex. It contains a large collection of minerals and semi-precious stones from around the world, local fossils and Temora greenstone (some of which has been made up into fashion jewellery), exhibits from the Paragon Open-Cut Goldmine and a replica of the Mother Shipton nugget (7.3 kg) which was found .

There is an extensive range of working agricultural machinery, including 30 vintage tractors dating back to 1915, restored traction and other steam engines, a 1920s header and many oil and petrol engines.

The Telecom Exchange Building has a range of telephone exchanges, switchboards and telephones from yesteryear, as well as antique phonographs, radios, television sets, film projection units and cameras.

The complex also features a number of reconstructed or replicated buildings, including a slab cottage that was Sir Donald Bradman's first home, a small church, an ambulance station, a country dance hall and a two-storey replica of an old flour mill with working machinery, including the ten-tonne, 156 hp twin cylinder diesel engine which has been restored.

All operable items are set in motion during the Rural Museum Live Exhibition on the second Saturday in March. There is also an underground archive and storage area with copying facilities, microfiche and microfilm.

The museum is open from 2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily and from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on public holidays. Other times can be arranged for groups who can be given a guided tour. For general information ring (02) 6977 2289 or (02) 6977 1922 or for group bookings ring (02) 6977 2561.

Historic Buildings
Temora has a number of handsome Federation and Edwardian buildings in the central area. A guided walk is available from the information centre.

The Italianate stucco design of the Westpac Bank, at the corner of Loftus and Hoskins Sts, was completed in 1907 as the Bank of NSW which was previously in a wooden building established at the outset of the goldrush.

Diagonally opposite is the ANZ Bank (originally the Union Bank), the first of a group of Edwardian buildings on the eastern side of Hoskins St. Adjacent is the post office (1901).

Further along Hoskins St, on the other side of the road, is the three-storey Royal Hotel (c.1915). Cross over Victoria St to the Westminster, the earliest brick hotel in town (1882). A little further south, on the same side of the road, is the Shamrock Hotel. The original was a wooden structure built in 1882. The present building, with its lacework balcony and other decoration, dates from early in the 20th century.

Return along Hoskins St and turn right into Victoria St. To the left are 'Terang' and 'Mortlake', two semi-detached houses from the turn of the century with large bay windows, plaster detailing, coloured glass and cast-iron valance panels and brackets. Turn left into De Boos St and proceed to the ornate courthouse (1902).

Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church

The Corner of the Churches
Further north at the corner of De Boos St and Hoskins St is St Paul's Anglican Church (1906). On the other side of Loftus St is the decorative facade of the Temora Shire Council offices with its stucco plasterwork and stained-glass windows. Adjacent, in De Boos St, is St Andrew's Presbyterian Church (1933). The present church hall was originally the town's first St Andrew's Church (1882).

On the other side of De Boos St is one of the town's most interesting buildings, The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church (1906-07) with its ornate stained-glass windows and carved wooden altar.

Adjacent in Loftus St is St Joseph's Hall, built of Flemish bonded brick in 1913. The attractive two-storey building next door is St Mary's Presbytery. Note the fence design of the Catholic group.

Return along Loftus St to the corner and turn right into De Boos St. To the immediate right are St Brigid's convent and St Anne's school.

Parkes Street
Continue north along De Boos to the Parkes St corner. Here you will find the Temora Primary School. The original single-storey section dates from 1883.

Head west along Parkes St to the Hoskins St corner where you will find the Railway Hotel (1893).

Parks and Gardens
The main picnic areas in town are Callaghan Park in Loftus St and Gloucester Park at the corner of Loftus and Gloucester Sts. Both have free barbecues, toilets and a childrens' playground.

The Town Hall Gardens are planted entirely with native plants. There is a full listing and location map in the shire library, adjacent the town hall complex.

Lake Centenary
4 km north of town beside the West Wyalong Rd is Lake Centenary, a popular 22-ha waterway with three small islands and a landscaped recreation and viewing area. It is an ideal spot for power boating, sailing, canoeing, fishing, swimming and picnics. It is joined to the town by a 4-km walking and cycling track.

The Temora Aviation Museum
The Temora Aviation Museum features a fine collection of military aircraft which are important to Australia's aviation history. Moreover they are kept in working condition and taken out for flights one weekend a month. The aeroplanes include a Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIII, a Gloster Meteor F.8, an English Electric Canberra TT.18, a DH-115 Vampire T35, a Cessna A37B Dragonfly, a Cessna O-2A "Oscar Deuce" an Extra 300s, a CA-16 Wirraway and a DH-82A Tiger Moth.

The museum is located at Temora Aerodrome which was the base, in World War II, of the largest RAAF Elementary Flying Training School, which trained 2741 pilots between May 1941 and May 1945 in Tiger Moths. There is a display relating to the school and the entire Empire Training Scheme. It is located in the former guardhouse which includes its original walls, windows and floor. A second building replicates a period barracks building for instructors and trainees. It contains a theatrette and exhibits relating to RAAF formation display teams, Australian Aerobatics Champions, , the history of the Spitfire, Australia's Spitfire pilots and the history of the Deltas.

Temora Aerodrome is also a venue for gliding championships, aerobatics, joy rides in a glider, glider instruction, ultralight instruction, skydiving and ballooning.

To get there follow the signs heading north along the main street (Hoskins St) and turn left into Kitchener Rd. Continue across the railway line as the road bends to the right becoming Airport St. About 1.2 km beyond the railway make a left into Menzies St.

Ingalba Nature Reserve
Ingalba Nature Reserve (3450 ha) is a quiet and secluded area of open dry sclerophyll forest and woodland which has a range of native flora and fauna, including the mallee fowl. It is about 8 km west of town on both sides of the road to Ariah Park.

Berrin Barran
Berrin Barran (the Wiradjuri name for the area) is a nature reserve with walking tracks in a pleasant woodland area in Substation Rd, off the Old Cootamundra Rd.

	Motels
	Aromet Motel Victoria Street Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1877, 1800 050 668 Facsimile: (02) 6977 1181 Rating: ***1/2
	Goldtera Motor Inn 80 Loftus Street Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 2433 Rating: ****
	Koreela Park Motor Inn 134 Crowley St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 4987 Facsimile: (02) 6977 4943 Rating: ****
	Shamrock Motel 286 Hoskins Street Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6978 0400 Rating: **
	Temora Budget Motel Wagga Wagga Road Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1866 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Grand Hotel Crowley St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1690
	Railway Hotel 134 Hoskins St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1330
	Royal Hotel 238 Hoskins St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1274
	Shamrock Hotel 286 Hoskins St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 2016
	Temora Hotel 208 Hoskins St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1331
	Terminus Hotel Crowley St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1302
	Westminster Hotel 207 Hoskins St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1254
	Caravan Parks
	Temora Caravan Park 19 Junee Road Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1712 Rating: **
	Restaurants
	Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant 129 Hoskins St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 2351
	Temora Bowling Club off Loftus St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1236
	Temora Ex-Servicemen¹s Club Baker St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 1840
	Cafés
	Waratah Cafe 222 Hoskins St Temora NSW 2666 Telephone: (02) 6977 2054