Wellington, New South Wales
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Wellington is a town and Local Government Area located at the junction of the Macquarie River and Bell River in inland New South Wales, Australia. The town is 362 kilometres from Sydney on the Great Western Highway and Mitchell Highway. The average summer temperature in the town in January is between a minimum of 17.5 Celsius and a maximum of 31.7 Celsius while in July the minimum is 1.5 degrees and a maximum of 15 degrees.
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History
The area was originally occupied by the Wiradjuri people. Explorer John Oxley was the first European to discover the area in 1817 and named it "Wellington Valley" after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.
Wellington was originally established in the 1823 by Lieutenant Percy Simpson in early 1823 as a convict settlement. Squatters started settling along the Macquarie Valley and a Christian mission was established in the settlement to the Aborigines. The convict settlement ceased in 1831 but a village called Montefiores was established on the north side of the Macquarie River crossing. The village of Wellington was gazetted in 1846 and was declared a town in 1879. Wellington Shire Council was established in 1947.
Wellington is the second oldest New South Wales settlement west of the Blue Mountains. A hotel established in 1842 is the oldest operating west of the Blue Mountains and was also the venue of the last recorded duel fought on Australian soil in 1854.
Economy and demographics
Wellington is the centre of rich agricultural land. While lucerne and vegetables are grown on lands on the river, wheat, wool, fat lambs and beef cattle are grown on surrounding pastures. The town has a population of approximately 5000 while the population of the surrounding shire is 9200. The town acts as a commercial centre for the district; however, Wellington has been supplanted in commercial importance by Orange and Dubbo.
Nearby attractions
Lake Burrendong, a manmade lake is located 30 kilometres south of the town. Its capacity is three and a half times the size of Sydney Harbour and supplies water for irrigation schemes downstream. It is also a popular location for anglers, sailers and water skiers. Burrendong Arboretum is a sanctuary for endangered Australian flora and covers 1.60 km².
The nearby Wellington Caves are millions of years old. The centrepiece is Cathedral Cave with the massive Altar Rock.
External links
- Wellington Council page (http://www.wellington.nsw.gov.au/eservice/navigation.jsp/)
- Travel Mate page (http://www.travelmate.com.au/Places/Places.asp?TownName=Wellington_%5C_NSW/)