56-795: Mungindi / ˈ m ʌ ŋ ɪ n d aɪ / is a town and locality on the border of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland , Australia. The town is within Moree Plains Shire in New South Wales. Within Queensland, the locality is split between the Shire of Balonne (the western part) and the Goondiwindi Region (eastern part) with the town in the Shire of Balonne. It possesses a New South Wales postcode . Mungindi sits on
112-557: A packhorse mail service between Surat and Yarawa . A private mail service had for some years run from Yarawa to Moree . This was later extended to Mungindi town. By 1865, the volume of mail prompted the Postmaster-General of Queensland to send an inspector who recommended Alexander Walker's appointment as postmaster. A year or so later it seems the new postmaster had begun to experience the frustrations common to border-town officials. As Mungindi, Queensland's postmaster he
168-461: A P.& A. Society, two butchers, two hairdressers, two dressmakers and milliners, a shoemaker, a saddler, a baker, a tailor, a saw mill, a pawnbroker, a teacher of pianoforte, violin and oil painting, about four contract carpenters, a housepainter and decorator, a bricklayer and a tinsmith. Its approximately 250 residents enjoyed many shared entertainments. Balls and dances, fairs and shows, concerts and travelling tent shows, and fortnightly meetings of
224-570: A change in parliamentary acts Mungindi was again proclaimed a village. The township of Mungindi developed rapidly after that proclamation. Though 1890 brought a devastating flood which forced many families into difficulties and may have been responsible for the widespread of prickly pear which caused further hardship, many new names appear in Mungindi as selectors took up small blocks offered from land resumed after changes to land tenure in 1884 and as more tradesmen and businessmen took up residence in
280-474: A character called Brett who was sent to an institution farm. [REDACTED] Mungindi travel guide from Wikivoyage Suburbs and localities (Australia) Suburbs and localities are the names of geographic subdivisions in Australia , used mainly for address purposes. The term locality is used in rural areas, while the term suburb is used in urban areas. Australian postcodes closely align with
336-580: A common sight in rural and Outback areas. But during times of drought , taking animals onto the "long paddock", the fenced travelling stock route , along a public road, is common practice even today, and droving skills are still required. The modern drover is now typically assisted with modern equipment, such as motorcycles , all-terrain vehicles , a truck and/or trailer for the horses, if they are used. Caravans are commonly used, along with generators to provide extra comfort and convenience. Stock may be enclosed at night in an area that has been fenced off with
392-528: A cottage and also stables for the use of hotel patrons. These buildings were along the bank of the Barwon between present day North-Western Motors and Quinn's Motors, near the crossing which was then east of Garden Island. It was then that Alexander applied for 40 acres (16 ha) along the river. Queensland became a separate colony in 1859 and by 1862 the Queensland Government was operating
448-405: A day, sheep about six miles (9.7 km), and are permitted to spread up to 800 metres (half a mile) on either side of the road. Occasionally mobs of horses were moved by drovers. A short camp is made for a lunch break, after which the cook and horse-tailer will move ahead to set up the night camp. A continual watch is kept over cattle during the night camp, usually with one horseman riding around
504-589: A new pastoral lease, Fossil Downs Station , in the Kimberley of Western Australia some 5,600 kilometres (3,480 mi) away. They left with 700 head of cattle and 60 horses during drought conditions as they trekked through Queensland . Arriving at the property in June 1886 with 327 cattle and 13 horses they reunited with their brother Dan. The most famous Outback stock routes were the Murranji Track ,
560-549: A policing force, killed at least 30 Aboriginal people, in the Rufus River massacre . In 1863, boss drover George Gregory drove 8,000 sheep from near Rockhampton to the Northern Territory border, some 2,100 km, taking seven months. In the early 1870s, Robert Christison overlanded 7,000 sheep from Queensland to Adelaide, a distance of 2,500 km. Patrick Durack and his brother Michael trekked across
616-650: A process to formally define their boundaries and to gazette them, which is almost complete. In March 2006, only South Australia and the Northern Territory had not completed this process. The CGNA's Gazetteer of Australia recognises two types of locality: bounded and unbounded. Bounded localities include towns, villages, populated places, local government towns and unpopulated town sites, while unbounded localities include place names, road corners and bends, corners, meteorological stations, ocean place names and surfing spots. Sometimes, both localities and suburbs are referred to collectively as "address localities". In
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#1732775774922672-677: A significant distance occurred in 1836 when 300 cattle were moved by Joseph Hawdon in 26 days from the Murrumbidgee River to Melbourne , a distance of about 480 km. Also in 1836, Edward John Eyre drove stock from New South Wales to the Port Phillip district. As droving skills were developed, more challenging assignments were undertaken. During the late 1830s, settlers began to move into countryside near Adelaide . There followed expeditions to bring sheep and cattle to Adelaide from New South Wales. The first such expedition
728-452: A sturdy tree (very quickly). Many drovers have been trampled to death in a rush, sometimes still in their swags . A good night-horse can be given its head, and will gradually wheel the leading cattle around until the mob is moving in a circle, and calm can be restored. During long "dry stages" extra care will be taken of the stock, and this may involve droving during the night to conserve the animals’ energy. About three kilometres before water
784-556: A temporary electric fence . Localised droving was common in the Kosciuszko National Park and Alpine National Park and High Plains areas, until the areas became National Parks. The drovers would often bring cattle from the lower pastures to the fresh green pastures for the summer months. During the summer months many of the drovers would often stay in mountain huts like Daveys Hut , Whites River Hut and Mawsons Hut . In 1881, Nat Buchanan , regarded by many as
840-554: A total of 747 people. In the 2021 census , the locality of Mungindi had a population of 487 people in New South Wales and 124 people in Queensland, a total of 611 people. Mungindi has the following heritage-listed sites: Mungindi Central School is a primary and secondary school for boys and girls providing Pre-school to Year 12 education at 59-67 Wirrah Street in New South Wales ( 28°58′48″S 148°59′27″E / 28.9799°S 148.9908°E / -28.9799; 148.9908 ( Mungindi Central School ) ). Enrolment
896-407: A trip. The horse tailer was the team member responsible for getting horses to water and feed, and bringing them to the camp in the morning. A good night-horse was highly prized for its night vision, temperament, and its ability to bring animals under control when a "rush", known elsewhere as a stampede, occurred at night. The standard team of men employed to move 1,200 cattle consisted of seven men:
952-468: Is a petrol station at the end of St George Street on the NSW approach into town from Moree. There is a hospital, a library and a range of sporting activities. The newly refurbished Two Mile Hotel which was rebuilt following a fire is a two-mile drive out of town on the Queensland side heading towards St George. Mungindi has two times zones during daylight-saving-time. The town has a pre-school in Queensland and
1008-409: Is a very different matter. Long-distance moving large mobs of stock was traditionally carried out by contract drovers. A drover had to be independent and tough, an excellent horseman, able to manage stock as well as men. The boss drover who had a plant (horses, dogs, cooking gear and other requisites) contracted to move the mob at a predetermined rate according to the conditions, from a starting point to
1064-400: Is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalaraay country. The Yuwaalaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne , including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Hebel extending to Walgett and Collarenebri in New South Wales. Major Thomas Mitchell passed through Mungindi on his exploration of
1120-586: Is now used as a private residence. On 28 January 1919, the Queensland Government placed restrictions on the border crossing at Mungindi to prevent the spread of the Spanish flu into Queensland, which were enforced by the Queensland Police . A medical screening process was used to determine if Queensland residents could safely return to the state. St Brigid's Catholic School opened on n 24 January 1924, operated by four Sisters of Mercy who came from
1176-540: Is open to children living in the local area including children living in Queensland. St Joseph's Primary School is a Catholic primary school for boys and girls at 72-74 Bucknell Street ( 28°58′46″S 148°59′16″E / 28.9795°S 148.9879°E / -28.9795; 148.9879 ( St Joseph's Primary School ) ). There is currently a supermarket, hairdresser, real-estate agent, pharmacy, clothing store, butchery, bakery, hardware and agricultural store on Mungindi's main street: St George Street. There
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#17327757749221232-460: Is reached, the animals will be held and small groups will be taken to drink in order that the cattle do not rush and injure or drown others. A "cattle train drover" is a person who accompanies a mob of cattle on a train while they are being transported to a new location. The goods trains provide special accommodation for these drovers in specially constructed guard's vans. Queensland is now the only state to run cattle trains. The first droving over
1288-478: Is split between the City of Newcastle and City of Lake Macquarie LGAs; and Woodville , which is split between the City of Maitland and Port Stephens Council LGAs. In unincorporated areas , localities are declared by the relevant state authority. Drover (Australian) A drover in Australia is a person, typically an experienced stockman , who moves livestock , usually sheep , cattle , and horses "on
1344-648: Is the only border town in the Southern Hemisphere with the same name on both sides of the border. The state border runs down the centre of the Barwon River and under the centre of the Mungindi Bridge , but there is no exact marker on the bridge to indicate the point. Nearby towns are Moree in New South Wales and St George in Queensland. Nearby villages are, in New South Wales, Weemelah , Garah , Ashley and Boomi , and in Queensland,
1400-652: The Birdsville Track , the Strzelecki Track and the Canning Stock Route . The Canning was regarded as the loneliest, the most difficult, and the most dangerous. The gradual introduction of railways from about the 1860s made some droving work unnecessary. However, the work of the overlanders and drovers in general fell away rapidly in the 1960s as trucking of animals became the norm. Road trains carrying large number of animals are today
1456-521: The COVID-19 pandemic . Border crossing points were either closed or had a Queensland Police checkpoint to allow entry to only those people with an appropriate permit. The Carnarvon Highway at Mungindi had a police checkpoint. On 1 September 2020, a fire destroyed many shops on St George St including the grocery store and butcher. In the 2016 census , the locality of Mungindi had a population of 601 people in New South Wales and 146 people in Queensland,
1512-597: The Carnarvon Highway and straddles the Barwon River which is the border between New South Wales and Queensland . In the 2021 census , the locality of Mungindi had a population of 487 people in New South Wales and 124 people in Queensland, a total of 611 people. Mungindi means water hole in the river in Kamilaroi . Located on both sides of the New South Wales and Queensland border, Mungindi
1568-539: The Gunnedah . A new school was built in 1930 and the name was changed to St. Joseph’s. The Sisters of Mercy withdrew from the school in 1975, but operated the boarding school until 1980. The Little Company of Mary then operated the boarding school from 1981 to 1983. In 1984, the Sisters of St Joseph’s took over the operations of the school. During 2020 and 2021, the Queensland borders were closed to most people due to
1624-695: The Namoi River near Gunnedah. Gamilaraay (Gamilaroi, Kamilaroi, Comilroy) is a language from South-West Queensland and North-West New South Wales. The Gamilaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Balonne Shire Council , including the towns of Dirranbandi, Thallon , Talwood and Bungunya as well as the border towns of Mungindi and Boomi extending to Moree , Tamworth and Coonabarabran in NSW. Yuwaalaraay (also known as Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi )
1680-459: The Thomson , Barcoo , Cooper and Strezlecki rivers thus pioneering the Strzelecki Track . Women have been noted as exceptional drovers as well. One of the true legends of the outback is Edna Zigenbine, better known as Edna Jessop , who took over a droving job from her injured father, and became a boss drover at 23. Along with her brother Andy and four ringers, they moved the 1,550 bullocks
1736-459: The 'Founder of Mungindi', died suddenly in 1878. His wife and family continued to run the Post Office, store and hotel. Apparently Mrs Walker became well known as the 'Queen of Mungindi'. Stories say that it was common to see over 100 horses tied up outside the hotel. If a 'blue' started she would let down the slip rails and take to the horses with a broom. By the time the horses were rounded up
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1792-618: The Government Savings Bank of NSW opened through his Post Office in NSW. When work began in the same year on the first bridge over the Barwon River , Alexander realised the advantage of having his store located near the new crossing. His shop, built that year, was close to the site of the present Old Police Station and at the time, near the Customs House, which operated until Federation in 1900 ended trading between colonies/ states. Alexander Walker, who might be called
1848-714: The Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council … directed it to be notified … that portions of Crown Lands are declared to be set apart as sites for the village of Mungindi and of suburban lands attached thereto." The surveys of allotments were made after this proclamation and on 24 January 1888 in Moree , the first Mungindi town blocks were offered at auction sales they sold for amounts varying from £11 10s to £46. Those earliest sales were for blocks between North, Kunopia, Wirrah and Yarouah Streets. In 1890, to satisfy
1904-575: The Literary and Debating Society. In the 'Sportsman’s Paradise',fishing, bicycling, horse racing, cricket, billiards and tennis were keenly pursued. Mungindi marks the northernmost point of the Mungindi (or North West) railway line and lies 798 kilometres (496 mi) from Sydney. The line opened on 7 December 1914 and was closed between Weemelah and Mungindi on 5 January 1974 when services were withdrawn following flooding. The former railway station
1960-412: The boss drover, four stockmen , a cook and a horse-tailer. Store cattle were moved in larger mobs, of up to 1,500 head, while fat bullocks going to meatworks were taken in mobs of about 650 head, i.e. three train loads. The stockmen will ride in formation at the front, sides and back of the mob, at least until the mob has settled into a routine pace. Cattle are expected to cover about ten miles (16 km)
2016-461: The boundaries of localities and suburbs. This Australian usage of the term "suburb" differs from common American and British usage, where it typically means a smaller, frequently separate residential community outside, but close to, a larger city. The Australian usage is closer to the American or British use of "district" or "neighbourhood", and can be used to refer to any portion of a city. Unlike
2072-402: The destination. The priorities for a boss drover were the livestock, the horses, and finally the men, as drovers were paid per head of stock delivered. Drovers were sometimes on the road for as long as two years. Traditional droving could not have been done without horses. The horse plant was made up of work-horses, night-horses and packhorses , with each drover riding four or five horses during
2128-438: The first instance, decisions about the names and boundaries of suburbs and localities are made by the local council in which they are located based on criteria such as community recognition. Local council decisions are, however, subject to approval by the state's geographical names board. The boundaries of some suburbs and localities overlap two or more local government areas (LGAs). Examples of this are Adamstown Heights , which
2184-741: The greatest drover of all, took 20,000 cattle from St George in Southern Queensland to the Daly River , not far south of Darwin , a distance of 3,200 km. Cattle stealing has long been part of Australia's history and some of the country's biggest droving feats have been performed by cattle rustlers or duffers . The most notable one was Harry Redford who established a reputation as an accomplished drover when he stole 1,000 cattle from Bowen Downs Station near Longreach, Queensland in 1870 and drove them 1,500 miles (2,400 km). His route took him through very difficult country down
2240-508: The hoof" over long distances. Reasons for droving may include: delivering animals to a new owner's property, taking animals to market, or moving animals during a drought in search of better feed and/or water or in search of a yard to work on the livestock. The drovers who covered very long distances to open up new country were known as " overlanders ". Moving a small mob of quiet cattle is relatively easy, but moving several hundreds or thousands head of wild station cattle over long distances
2296-557: The interior in search of new areas suitable for agricultural development during the 1830s. By the 1850s, with stock moving on both sides of the Barwon River , the ford at Mungindi just upstream from the present bridge became the principal crossing. Reliable waterholes and shaded flats on the riverbanks provided early drovers with a pleasant camp in the area, which the Gamilaroi Aboriginal People had held since antiquity as an important meeting place. Regular use of
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2352-429: The mob, unless the cattle are restless, when two riders would be used. A rush can be started by a sudden noise such as a dingo howl, a bolt of lightning , sparks from a fire, or even a bush rat gnawing on a tender part of a hoof. Drovers tell vivid stories of the totally chaotic conditions that occur when several hundred cattle start a rush at night. If they head towards the drovers’ camp, the best option may be to climb
2408-607: The north of Australia from their property on Coopers Creek in Queensland , which they left in 1879 along with 7250 breeding cattle and 200 horses, to the Kimberley region of Western Australia near Kununurra where they arrived in 1882. The 3,000 miles (4,828 km) journey of cattle to stock Argyle Downs and Ivanhoe Station is the longest of its type ever recorded. Charles and William MacDonald left their property near Tuena , New South Wales, in 1883 bound to establish
2464-428: The other educational facilities are in NSW. The hospital is on the northern side of the river and the two hotels are on each side of the river. The district is now a hub for regional cotton , beef cattle, and wheat industries. The One Ton Post was erected by surveyor John Brewer Cameron in 1881 to celebrate the completion of two long and hard years of surveys. The Post is situated 5 kilometres (3 mi) west of
2520-450: The reason for the fight would have been forgotten and everyone was happy again. Presumably Mrs. Walker was no longer compelled to keep law and order in this unique way after the first NSW constable was stationed in 1882. During the 1880s movement in the area had led to the development of regular stagecoach services and communications further improved with the opening of a telegraphic office in 1881. It would seem that families quickly followed
2576-538: The south bank of the river. Alexander was certainly moved by the pioneering spirit. After coming to New South Wales from Scotland at the age of twenty-one, he married at Murrurundi and brought his bride to Moree where they were among the first to purchase land in the town area. They built a hotel in Frome Street but within twelve months transferred the licence to Alexander's Mungindi Inn, also known as Walker's Hotel and in later years, The Green Hut. He built himself
2632-641: The town where the border fence leaves the river and goes 700 kilometres (430 mi) due west on the 29th parallel south to the South Australian border. Many items of interest are on display at the local History Park on the outskirts of Mungindi. The Neeworra Historical Site , situated approximately 11 kilometres (7 mi) south east from town on the Carnarvon Highway is the site of the Neeworra Wine Shanty. The author Scott Monk featured Mungindi in his novel Raw , which features
2688-468: The town. In 1891 the citizens of Mungindi, Queensland, petitioned their government for a policeman. By 1894, when the NSW school was twelve months old and had become a full public school with an average minimum attendance of 30, the Queensland Government opened Mungindi Provisional School opened with an enrolment of 22 students. On 1 January 1909, the Queensland school became Mungindi State School. The Queensland school closed in 1968. The Queensland school
2744-400: The towns of Thallon , Dirranbandi and Hebel . Mungindi Aerodrome is on the New South Wales side. A section of the Carnarvon Highway via Mungindi makes up part of the shortest route from Sydney to Darwin . Mungindi and the surrounding areas were originally inhabited by Aborigines of the Kamilaroi (Gamilaraay) tribe. Their tribal grounds extended from the Barwon River to south of
2800-407: The track is indicated by the fact that two, 40-chain (800 m) stock routes were proclaimed by 1868, both to Mungindi, one from St George and one from Whyenbah via Dareel. The movement of drovers and the coming of settlers soon attracted others to provide them with goods and services. The first known of these services was a hotel, or inn. Built in 1863 by Alexander Grant Walker, it was located on
2856-664: The use in British or American English, this term can include inner-city, outer-metropolitan and industrial areas. Localities existed in the past as informal units, but in 1996 the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping and the Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia (CGNA) decided to name and establish official boundaries for all localities and suburbs. There has subsequently been
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#17327757749222912-503: The young men who found work opening up the area for the township on the Queensland side was surveyed probably in 1885 and the blocks offered for sale. An area was reserved for a cemetery, behind the present hospital, but as far as is known, only two people were buried there. A survey to designate camping and watering reserves had been carried out on the NSW side in 1877 and the reserves 'gazetted' in 1884. However, on 27 February 1886 those reserves were revoked, as on that day "His Excellency
2968-798: Was an almost continuous train of sheep, cattle, bullock drays, and horses along the route. Many Aboriginal Australians lived along the route. They sometimes received "injudicious treatment" from the Europeans—in the words of Governor George Gawler . Such treatment included sexual abuse of Aboriginal women and wanton shooting of Aboriginal people. That led to an escalating cycle of conflicts between Aboriginal people and Europeans. For example, drover Henry Inman lost all 5000 of his sheep, when Aboriginal people attacked his party, in April 1841. And in August 1841, drover William Robinson and his party, together with
3024-458: Was at 92-100 Barwon Street ( 28°58′20″S 148°59′15″E / 28.9722°S 148.9874°E / -28.9722; 148.9874 ( Mungindi State School (former Queensland school) ) ). At the start of the 1900s, Mungindi had its own newspaper, a hospital, a doctor, a solicitor, two schools, two post offices, a brewery, at least four hotels, two police stations (one in each state), with three men stationed at each, two race clubs,
3080-699: Was led by Eyre, which started in December 1837 and followed the path of Charles Sturt along the Murray–Darling River system . Eyre's party comprised eight stockmen, 1000 sheep, and 600 head of cattle, which started out from Monaro in New South Wales. The party arrived in Adelaide in July 1838. During the following years, the traffic on the Murray–Darling route would grow enormously. At its height, there
3136-473: Was not empowered to deal with letters bearing NSW stamps so he applied for, and was appointed to the position of postmaster of Mungindi, NSW in 1867. The following year there were 43 subscribers listed in the Post Office Directory for Mungindi, Qld. Very few of these were family men but the numbers explain the need for the store, which Alexander was operating at that time. In 1876, an agency of
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