Gulargambone
Gulargambone is a small town in the central-west plains of New South Wales, Australia, on the banks of the Castlereagh River, in Coonamble Shire. It is 382 km (and 490 km by road) north-west of Sydney. At the 2016 census, Gulargambone had a population of 400.
| Gulargambone New South Wales | |
|---|---|
One of the many sculptured galahs and the post office, Gulargambone | |
Gulargambone | |
| Coordinates | 31°20′S 148°28′E |
| Population | 400 (2016 census) |
| Postcode(s) | 2828 |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Coonamble Shire Council |
| County | Gowen |
| State electorate(s) | Barwon |
| Federal division(s) | Parkes |
Its name is derived from the local Wiradjuri people's word for "Watering place of many birds" or Gillahgambone for "place of galahs". Gulargambone was first occupied by Europeans in the mid-19th century and gazetted as a village in 1883.
The town came to national attention in 2000, when the local government attempted to close down the post office, leading to the opening of the first community-owned post office in Australia, which has been followed by a number of other community-led initiatives. These include the improvement of the local hospital, creating a multi-purpose health centre, the opening of a new cinema and the transformation of the old cinema, Simmo's Bazaar, into 2828, the community centre, featuring a café and a gift shop. It has also adopted a town logo, the galah. This has led to Gulargambone becoming the model for self-sufficiency for other small towns in Australia. Gulargambone has won several awards since its revival and most importantly was awarded the 2005 NSW Tidy Towns State winner.