20-673: Narrabri ( / ˈ n ær ə b r aɪ / NARR -ə-bry ) is a locality and seat of Narrabri Shire local government area in the North West Slopes, New South Wales , Australia on the Namoi River , 521 kilometres (324 mi) northwest of Sydney . It sits on the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway and the Newell Highway . At the 2021 census , the town of Narrabri had a population of 5,499. Because of
40-521: A number of weather stations run by the Bureau of Meteorology or other government agencies. Narrabri West Post Office made rainfall observations from the late 1800s. From June 1960 until August 2002, it observed and reported other weather elements such as temperature and wind speed. Since then it only reports rainfall. The current weather station for Narrabri is Narrabri Airport Automatic Weather Station (AWS), which began observations in 2001. On 4 January 1902
60-430: A severe thunderstorm, with large hail and destructive winds, struck the town, with many buildings either damaged or destroyed. The storm, which lasted only five minutes, was described as a 'cyclone'. One man died after being struck by lightning and another two people were injured by the storm. Damage caused by the storm was estimated to be around £3,000. Narrabri has a twice-weekly published newspaper, The Courier , one of
80-505: A significant part of the local population. Narrabri derives its name from an early property in the district called the Narrabri Run. The name Narrabri is Aboriginal in origin and has several possible meanings which include 'snake place', 'big creek', or 'Forked Sticks'. It is possibly means "with a knot " In 1860, Narrabri was proclaimed a town and a year later, on 1 June 1861, Narrabri Post Office opened. Other buildings followed, with
100-423: A significantly higher proportion (93.6%) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8%). Narrabri Shire Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as a single ward . All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The most recent election was held on 14 September 2024 , and
120-460: Is also served by charter flights. It is almost equidistant from Brisbane and Sydney. Narrabri railway station is on the Mungindi line , 569 kilometres (354 mi) from Sydney . The station opened in 1897 and is served by a single daily Xplorer diesel railmotor between Sydney and Moree . Narrabri is an important centre for rail freight, with considerable infrastructure improvements since
140-575: The Local Government Areas Amalgamation Act 1980 . The mayor of Narrabri Shire Council is Cr. Darrell Tiemens, who is an Independent . The seat of Council and major town in the Shire is Narrabri . Other towns, villages and localities in the Shire include Baan Baa , Bellata , Boggabri , Edgeroi , Gwabegar , Pilliga , and Wee Waa . The Narrabri Shire has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: At
160-586: The 2011 census , there were 12,925 people in the Narrabri local government area, of these 50.1 per cent were male and 49.9 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 10.7% of the population which is more than four times higher than both the national and state averages. The median age of people in the Narrabri Shire was 39 years; slightly higher than the national median of 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 22.2% of
180-793: The Paul Wild Observatory (administered by the CSIRO ), and a number of agricultural centres. Just to the south of town is the Pilliga Forest , the largest remnant temperate forest in Eastern Australia . Narrabri also has The Crossing Theatre, a 1,000-seat auditorium and cinema complex. Before the arrival of the Europeans in the early 19th century, Narrabri was the home of the Gamilaroi people, who still constitute
200-408: The Narrabri Shire nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 census, which was significantly higher than the national average of 50.2%. Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Narrabri local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (2.3%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4%); and
220-407: The Narrabri area. It will extend west to Yarrie Lake, which will be surrounded by 450 gas well pads with 850 gas wells over the next 20 years if the project goes ahead. The project has been opposed by a coalition of rural residents and urban environmentalists. Narrabri is referenced in the song Tucker's Daughter , by Australian rock singer Ian Moss , where the action takes place on a cotton farm on
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#1732776244938240-447: The Narrabri local government area was significantly lower than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Narrabri Shire was significantly below the national average. At the 2011 census, the proportion of residents in the Narrabri local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 88% of all residents (national average was 65.2%). In excess of 80% of all residents in
260-534: The few remaining independent regional newspapers in Australia. A local volunteer-run community radio station, 2MAX FM services the area, broadcasting on 91.3 MHz FM, from the nearby Mt Dowe, and is able to cover a very large area due to this altitude. The station started in 2006. 2MAX FM has a focus on country music and older listeners. Regional airline Link Airways operates scheduled flights to and from Brisbane and Sydney on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The town
280-508: The geography of Narrabri and the surrounding areas, Narrabri township was quite prone to flooding and fire. Recently, changes have been made to the river flow to improve overall safety. It is the centre of a major cotton -growing industry. Other agricultural industries in the area include wheat , beef , and lamb . Nearby attractions are Mount Kaputar National Park , the Australia Telescope Compact Array at
300-470: The hospital and the first courthouse (1864–65), the school (1868), the police station (1878–79) and post office (1879). During the 1880s the gaol and the second courthouse were built. Narrabri has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: According to the 2021 Australian census , there were 12,703 people in Narrabri Shire and 5,499 people in Narrabri itself. Over the years, Narrabri has had
320-503: The makeup of the council is as follows: The current Council, elected in 2024, is: Moree railway station Staffed: 7am-11am Moree railway station is located on the Mungindi line in New South Wales , Australia. It serves the town of Moree . The current station opened in 1904, replacing the original station located to the north that opened on 1 April 1897 when the line was extended from Boggabri . It served as
340-633: The mid-1990s. The most popular sport in Narrabri by a considerable margin is Rugby league . The local team, the Narrabri Blues, were founded in 1921 and play at Collins Park. They currently compete in the Group 4 Rugby League competition, in which they have won five premierships, the last of which came in 1990. Other sports teams include the Narrabri Eagles AFC and Narrabri Blue Boars RUFC. A coal seam gas field has been proposed for
360-563: The plains of Narrabri. [REDACTED] Media related to Narrabri at Wikimedia Commons Narrabri Shire Narrabri Shire is a local government area in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales , Australia . The Shire is located adjacent to the Namoi River and the Newell and Kamilaroi Highways . It was formed on 1 January 1981 from the amalgamation of the Municipality of Narrabri and Namoi Shire resulting from
380-463: The population and people aged 65 years and over made up 15.7% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, half were married and 10.3% were either divorced or separated. Between the 2001 census and the 2011 census the Narrabri Shire experienced negative population growth in both absolute and real terms. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in
400-549: The terminus of the line until it was extended to Garah on 29 September 1913 and ultimately Mungindi on 7 December 1914. Moree was also the junction station for the Boggabilla and Inverell lines. The station is an island platform with two faces. In 2009, a timber building at the southern end of the platform was destroyed by fire. Moree is served by NSW TrainLink 's daily Northern Tablelands Xplorer service operating to and from Sydney . NSW TrainLink also operates
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