GULARGAMBONE

The symbol of a galah seems fitting for the town of Gulargambone, which means 'Watering Place of Many Birds'. Follow the links at the bottom of each Page to learn of the little town's struggle to survive. You can help - for every copy of Dead Cedar sold we'll donate $3.00 to Gulargambone.

Many thanks to photographer, Don Wilkins, for permission to use this image. Please visit Don's Album at:

http://members3.clubphoto.com/don259491

to see the original photograph and many more such images which celebrate Australia and our way of life.

You are actually listening to galahs chattering away.

We are very grateful to the Australian National Botanic Gardens for their permission to use the recording of the galahs. Sir Frederic White recorded these bird calls about 1980 as part of an educational program at the Botanic Gardens. The sounds are copyrighted and owned by the Botanic Gardens.

We'd like to thank the Australian National Botanic Gardens and we hope you will take the time to visit their homepage at:

http://anbg.gov.au

A Special Message about Gulargambone:

Right across Australia little country towns are struggling to survive. At times it seems it is all simply too hard and you tend to think that perhaps it would be best if they were to just admit defeat and move on. Here at Mountain Mist Productions we have been impressed by this tiny town's refusal to give in to the pressures and challenges that it faces.

We will continue to support Gulargambone and we hope you will too.

Gulargambone is different!

GULARGAMBONE

Despite various rumours over the years, G-U-L-A-R-G-A-M-B-O-N-E really does exist! I can just hear some of you now trying to pronounce it. Like a lot of Aboriginal names, it is pronounced the way it looks. Try this... G-OO-L-AR-GAM-BONE. Easy! Now say it quickly three times!

Where is it?

Australia, of course! Deep in the heart of New South Wales. That's the State where Sydney (Olympics 2000) is the state capital. From Sydney you head over the Blue Mountains and then west to Dubbo. Gulargambone is about 115 km north of Dubbo on the Castlereagh Highway. The Castlereagh River runs through the town.

Gulargambone is a small rural community which was first declared a village about 160 years ago. The Castlereagh River was first discovered by the surveyor, G.W.Evans, of John Oxley's party, in 1818. During the 1840's grazier settlers moved onto large holdings along the river.

Today the major industry in the area is still agriculture, primarily beef, sheep and wheat.The largest private employer in Gulargambone is the Cypress Sawmill which employs 27 local people. The largest government employer is the CDEP (Community Development Employment Programme) with 75 participants. The Gulargambone Central School (Kindergarten to Year 12) has 210 enrolments with a staff of 25. There is also an Australian English Language College which attracts overseas students who want to experience rural Australian life.

The town is small, with a population of about 500 with approximately 1000 in the postcode.

Gulargambone itself boasts a Stock and Station Agent, Bowling Club, Golf Club, a Garage, the School, a Hotel/Motel, a Café and Takeaway, Foodstore, Butcher, Restaurant, Hospital, Police Station, Showground and Racecourse and the Rural Transaction Centre which was established to facilate Banking and Post Office services.

There really is a lot to do in the area. The nearby Warrambungle Mountains National Park offers bushwalking, camping and stargazing at the Siding Springs Observatory.Gulargambone is in the flight path of several migratory birds and the National Park boasts a population of one-third of all the parrot species in Australia.

Another Gulargambone Page:

http://www.gulargambone2828.com

Check out the latest and... BIG NEWS...

Gulargambone has been chosen as RURAL COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR!

More coming in our web update