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Brewarrina

Brewarrina (pronounced 'bree-warren-ah'; locally known as "Bre") is a town in north-west New South Wales, Australia on the banks of the Barwon River in Brewarrina Shire. The name Brewarrina is derived from 'burru waranha', a Weilwan name for a species of Acacia, Cassia tree, "Acacia clumps", "a native standing" or "place where wild gooseberry grows".[2] It is 96 kilometres (60 mi) east of Bourke and west of Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway, and 787km from Sydney. The population of Brewarrina in 2016 was 1,143.[3] Other towns and villages in the Brewarrina district include: Goodooga, Gongolgon, Weilmoringle and Angledool.

Brewarrina
New South Wales
Town sign from eastern approach (2021).
Brewarrina
Coordinates29°57′36″S 146°51′40″E / 29.96000°S 146.86111°E / -29.96000; 146.86111Coordinates: 29°57′36″S 146°51′40″E / 29.96000°S 146.86111°E / -29.96000; 146.86111
Population1,143 (2016 census)[1]
Established1863
Postcode(s)2839
Elevation115 m (377 ft)
Location
  • 787 km (489 mi) NW of Sydney
  • 378 km (235 mi) NW of Dubbo
  • 96 km (60 mi) E of Bourke
LGA(s)Brewarrina Shire
State electorate(s)Barwon
Federal division(s)Parkes
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
27.6 °C
82 °F
12.7 °C
55 °F
412.2 mm
16.2 in

History

 
Brewarrina Court House
 
Plan of Baiame's Ngunnhu or Native Fish Traps

The town is located amid the traditional lands of the Muruwari, Ngemba, Weilwan and Yualwarri peoples. The area has a long Indigenous Australian history and was once the meeting ground for over 5,000 people.

The first settlers arrived in the district around 1839–40. The first people to own land where the town now stands were the Lawson brothers, who had two holdings - one called "Walcha" and another called "Moona" The town was first known as "Walcha Hut" but this later changed to "Brewarrina".

In 1859, somewhere between 300 and 400 Aboriginal people were massacred by white settlers in an event known as the Hospital Creek Massacre, recollections of which vary.[4][5][6] A memorial was erected by the local Aboriginal Land Council near the site of the massacre.[7]

In 1859 a riverboat called Gemini, skippered by William Randell, reached the town. This opened the possibility of developing the town as a port, and by the early 1860s Brewarrina was recognised as the furthest navigable point on the Darling River. Brewarrina became a port for shipping wool to Adelaide via the Darling and Murray rivers.[8] The town was formally surveyed and laid out in 1861 and proclaimed on 28 April 1863.[8]

The paddle steamer Wandering Jew of 66 tonnes, 22 × 4.4 × 1.5 m, was built in 1866 and registered at Sydney. On 15 December 1914, Wandering Jew was lost due to a fire on Barwon River, Brewarrina.[9] "The Wandering Jew represents an earlier maritime era and provides a direct link to the riverine heritage of Brewarrina. Its colourful history and repeated damage by fire is evocative of the dramas associated with riverboat travel".[10][11]

The 1870s were something of a boom time for Brewarrina. The courthouse was built in 1871.[12] The Telegraph reached town in 1873. The Mechanics Institute formed in 1873. The following year two hotels, two stores and the Commercial Bank all opened, and in 1875 The Parish of Brewarrina was formed and public school was opened. All this development was largely due to Cobb and Co, which had a number of coach services passing through the town. There was a service from Byrock, one from Dubbo via Warren and, in 1874, a direct service from Brewarrina to Enngonia, north of Bourke. The number of people moving through the town at this time would have been considerable and would have given rise to the increase in stores and hotels.

The Barwon Bridge opened in 1888, the previous method of crossing the Barwon River was by punt and pontoon.[8] The impetus for Brewarrina bridge, was to capture the New South Wales wool trade from the river paddle steamers and direct it away from Melbourne and Adelaide to Sydney. It is a rare bridge because it, and the lift bridge at North Bourke, are the only surviving examples of the first series of lift bridges in New South Wales. The bridge has been assessed as being of state significance and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.[13][14]

In 1901 the Brewarrina railway line opened to Brewarrina from Byrock, on the Nyngan to Bourke line. The Brewarrina Line closed in 1974, and the wood-framed Brewarrina Station burned to the ground in 1980.[15] The local telephone exchange was established in 1913.[8] The town was surveyed in 1920.[16] Brewarrina was used as a location for the Australian silent film Moora Neya, or The Message of the Spear (1911).[17]

The Brewarrina Ngemba Billabong has a strong cultural history. From 1876 to 1967 the Ngemba Billabong was the Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission for local Aboriginal people, whose land had been taken for grazing. The entire 261 hectare property is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.[18] The Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission was the oldest institutional-type community in the state, it ran until 1965. Brewarrina Mission was the first institution formally established by the Aborigines Protection Board as part of its policy to segregate Aboriginal people.[19]

On 15 August 1987 Brewarrina erupted into a riot, later known as the Brewarrina riot, triggered by the death in police custody of Lloyd James Boney.[20] This came a few days after the announcement by Prime Minister Bob Hawke of a Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, on 10 August 1987.[21][22] Both the riot and the five-year trials that followed were widely covered by the press.[23][24]

Yetta Dhinnakkal Centre, a minimum-security outdoor prison for young Indigenous men that ran an award-winning program,[25] opened in 2000 and closed in 2020. Although often referred to as Brewarrina jail or prison, it was situated about 65 km (40 mi) south at Gongolgon.[26]

Heritage listings

Brewarrina has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Ancient Aboriginal fish traps

 
The Brewarrina fish traps 2008

Brewarrina's most significant feature is its Aboriginal fish traps. Known in the local Aboriginal language as Baiame's Ngunnhu. It is believed that Ngemba, Wonkamurra, Wailwan and Gomolaroi people have shared and maintained the traps for thousands of years. The age of the fish traps is currently unknown, but they may be the oldest human construction in the world.[4] Locals claim that the traps are at least 40,000 years old and thus the oldest surviving human-made structure in the world.[29]

Consisting of river stones arranged to form small channels, the traps direct fish into small areas from which they are readily plucked. The traps form a complex net of linked weirs and ponds along 500m of the river. They operate at varying water heights and can be altered to suit seasonal changes. People use their expert knowledge of fish species and the environment to maximise their catch.[4][30][31] Brewarrina Ngemba Billabong has been declared a World Conservation Union (IUCN) Category V and VI protected area. It was declared an Indigenous Protected Area in November 2010.[18] The ready availability of fish made Brewarrina one of the great intertribal meeting places of pre-European eastern Australia.[29]

Climate

Brewarrina has the typical hot semi-arid climate of north-western New South Wales, with hot summers frequently over 40 °C (104 °F), cool winters and generally dry all year round. Brewarrina's highest recorded temperature was 48.9 °C (120.0 °F) on 19 December 1912, whilst its coldest was −4.1 °C (24.6 °F) on 14 July 1997. The average annual rainfall is 412.2 mm (16.2 in).[32]

Climate data for Brewarrina Hospital, New South Wales, Australia (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1872-present); 115 m
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 48.3
(118.9)
47.2
(117.0)
43.9
(111.0)
38.3
(100.9)
35.0
(95.0)
29.4
(84.9)
31.2
(88.2)
35.6
(96.1)
39.0
(102.2)
43.9
(111.0)
46.0
(114.8)
48.9
(120.0)
48.9
(120.0)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 41.5
(106.7)
40.0
(104.0)
36.9
(98.4)
32.4
(90.3)
27.0
(80.6)
23.0
(73.4)
22.6
(72.7)
26.0
(78.8)
31.5
(88.7)
35.2
(95.4)
38.6
(101.5)
40.2
(104.4)
41.5
(106.7)
Average high °C (°F) 36.3
(97.3)
34.9
(94.8)
32.1
(89.8)
27.8
(82.0)
22.6
(72.7)
19.0
(66.2)
18.7
(65.7)
21.1
(70.0)
25.4
(77.7)
29.4
(84.9)
32.3
(90.1)
34.7
(94.5)
27.9
(82.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 29.1
(84.4)
28.0
(82.4)
25.1
(77.2)
20.6
(69.1)
15.8
(60.4)
12.7
(54.9)
11.7
(53.1)
13.3
(55.9)
17.3
(63.1)
21.4
(70.5)
24.7
(76.5)
27.2
(81.0)
20.6
(69.0)
Average low °C (°F) 21.9
(71.4)
21.1
(70.0)
18.0
(64.4)
13.3
(55.9)
8.9
(48.0)
6.3
(43.3)
4.7
(40.5)
5.4
(41.7)
9.2
(48.6)
13.4
(56.1)
17.1
(62.8)
19.6
(67.3)
13.2
(55.8)
Mean minimum °C (°F) 16.8
(62.2)
17.2
(63.0)
13.0
(55.4)
7.9
(46.2)
4.3
(39.7)
1.9
(35.4)
0.6
(33.1)
1.4
(34.5)
4.2
(39.6)
7.9
(46.2)
11.5
(52.7)
14.5
(58.1)
0.6
(33.1)
Record low °C (°F) 10.4
(50.7)
9.5
(49.1)
7.0
(44.6)
1.4
(34.5)
−0.8
(30.6)
−2.8
(27.0)
−4.2
(24.4)
−2.1
(28.2)
0.1
(32.2)
3.9
(39.0)
5.4
(41.7)
9.0
(48.2)
−4.2
(24.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 41.9
(1.65)
38.5
(1.52)
41.4
(1.63)
27.3
(1.07)
30.8
(1.21)
31.1
(1.22)
22.7
(0.89)
16.4
(0.65)
23.3
(0.92)
27.1
(1.07)
43.7
(1.72)
50.0
(1.97)
394.2
(15.52)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 4.3 3.8 3.3 2.2 2.8 3.5 3.2 2.3 3.1 3.7 4.6 4.0 40.8
Average relative humidity (%) 40.5 46.0 43.0 44.0 55.0 65.0 60.5 48.5 40.0 34.5 38.5 36.0 46.0
Average dew point °C (°F) 13.1
(55.6)
14.3
(57.7)
11.4
(52.5)
8.6
(47.5)
7.7
(45.9)
6.9
(44.4)
4.9
(40.8)
3.9
(39.0)
4.8
(40.6)
5.8
(42.4)
9.1
(48.4)
10.2
(50.4)
8.4
(47.1)
Source 1: Australian Bureau of Meteorology (temperature, precipitation, humidity- 1991-2020 normals)[33]
Source 2: Australian Bureau of Meteorology (1872-present extremes)[34]

Weather radar station

The Brewarrina radar station (29°58′S 146°49′E / 29.96°S 146.81°E / -29.96; 146.81) at the local airport was constructed from July 2020 to provide better weather forecasts for the area and farming community.[35][36]

Sport and recreation

The townspeople of Brewarrina play a variety of sports. The town has a local rugby union club and team, the Brewarrina Brumbies, and a number of rugby league teams. Local players Alby Carr, Ron Gibbs, Les Biles, Isaac Gordon and cousin Ashley Gordon played first grade in the National Rugby League. Netball is played weekly, with over 12 teams playing in the local competition. The Brewarrina Golf Club is renowned throughout the western region as one of the best 'oiled' green golf courses. Other major sports include lawn bowls, shooting, tennis and swimming. The river is also used for swimming and water skiing in the summer months. A skate park is near the town centre.

The Brewarrina Circus Skills Training Project is a 2004 program, which trains local kids skills in circus acts and gives them the opportunity to travel across the country to places like Adelaide and Melbourne.[37] The Brewarrina Youth Circus was a partnership with the Brewarrina Council and Brewarrina Central School with objectives to increase school attendance. This program has also given particular kids the chance to travel overseas, with one girl travelling to South Africa to perform in the art of circus skills.[38]

Events

Brewarrina plays host to one of the most famous rodeos in the far west of New South Wales. The Brewarrina Show and Rodeo Society runs a successful annual rodeo program which attracts a large crowd to town. Unfortunately over the last number of years, the Brewarrina Show has not been held.[39][when?]

The Brewarrina Races are an important race meet in the district hosted by the Brewarrina Jockey Club. The race meet is usually held in May and has a large prize pool, complete with an extensive race program, fashions on the field, as well as other novelty races and lucky door prizes.[40]

In more recent years,[when?] Brewarrina has played host to the Brewarrina Field Day, which came about as an event for people from the district to have a day out in the time after devastating drought. It showcases over 70 stalls, wildlife and agricultural exhibits, quick shear competitions, carnival rides, dog jumping trials, as well as food and bar stalls.[41]

The Bre Big Fish is an annual fishing competition run over the June public holiday long weekend. It is hosted by the Brewarrina Fishing Club and draws many fishing, hunting and camping enthusiasts to the district.[42]

In bygone years,[when?] Brewarrina was well renowned for its annual "Festival of the Fisheries", which celebrated Brewarrina's Aboriginal and European History. Brewarrina also hosted the unique "Surfboat Classic", which attracted a number of Surf Life Saving Clubs from the New South Wales Coast. Unfortunately these events have not been held in recent years.[43]

In April 2013, Brewarrina celebrated the 150th year since it was gazetted as a town in 1863. This was celebrated by a week long festival which included: Brewarrina Race Club meeting with over 2000 attendees, Bre Big Fish Competition, street parade and carnival, film festival, historical exhibitions, black tie ball, fireworks display, flower and cake show, as well as a number of celebratory sporting fixtures including rugby league and rugby union exhibition matches, clay target shooting and bowling competition.[44]

Notable citizens

  • Jimmie Barker, first Indigenous published author.[45] The two worlds of Jimmie Barker: The life of an Australian Aboriginal, 1900-1972 / as told to Janet Mathews.[46]
  • Essie Coffey (1941–1998), community worker, singer, actor and film maker.[49] Co-founder of the Western Aboriginal Legal Service.
  • Ron Gibbs (1962–), 1980s/1990s Australian rugby league footballer.
  • Isaac Gordon (1986–), 2010s Australian rugby league footballer.
  • Leo Schofield (1935–), restaurant critic, advertising professional and arts festival director.[50]
 
Brewarrina Central School (2021).

Education

  • Gainmara Birrilee Pre-School[51]
  • Brewarrina Central School (Kindergarten to Grade 12)[52]
  • St Patrick's Catholic School (Kindergarten to Grade 6)[53]
  • TAFE Western, Brewarrina College[54]

Gallery

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Brewarrina (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 7 March 2018.  
  2. ^ "Brewarrina". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 December 2012.  
  3. ^ "2016 Census QuickStats". Australian Bureau of Statistics. from the original on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Office of Environment and Heritage. "Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps / Baiame's Ngunnhu". In one recorded incident in 1859 a stockman at Walcha Hut on the Lawson run was warned by Aborigines to release one of their women. He refused, and both he and the woman were killed. In retaliation, the settlers shot a large number of Aboriginal men, women and children in what became known as the Hospital Creek Massacre (Rando, 2007, p38). NSW Government. from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  5. ^ "Last of the Culgoa Blacks". The Farmer and Settler. Vol. I, no. 50. New South Wales, Australia. 24 October 1911. p. 5. from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Trove". from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Hospital Creek Massacre". Australian Monuments. from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  8. ^ a b c d The Concise Encyclopaedia of Australia. Horwitz Group Books pty ltd. 1979. p. 237. ISBN 0725505753.
  9. ^ "View Shipwreck - Wandering Jew". Department of the Environment. Australian Government. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Darling River, NSW Maritime Archaeological Survey" (PDF). NSW Heritage Office. (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  11. ^ Davies, Jessie (22 April 2019). "Shipwrecked at Brewarrina: Drought reveals historic Wandering Jew paddle steamer". Built by J. Duncan and Partner in Echuca in 1866, the iron vessel was first named the paddle steamer Riverina. ABC. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  12. ^ . The most prominent building in the town is the Brewarrina Court House. It was built in 1871-72 and is a fine example of the colonial architecture of the time. Phoenix Group. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  13. ^ "Heritage and conservation register". NSW Roads and Maritime Services. from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  14. ^ "1915 Barwon Bridge Photo". National Library of Australia. from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  15. ^ "Brewarrina Station". NSWRail.net. from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  16. ^ "1920 Survey of Brewarrina". National Library of Australia. from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  17. ^ Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 21
  18. ^ a b "Brewarrina Ngemba Billabong". Department of the Environment. Australian Government. from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  19. ^ "Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission Site". NSW Heritage and Environment. from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  20. ^ Austin-Broos, Diane (2015). "Brewarrina: An Australian Story". Oceania. Wiley. 85 (2): 238–242. doi:10.1002/ocea.5087. ISSN 0029-8077.
  21. ^ . ABC 7:30 Report 16 April 2001. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  22. ^ Boney, Brooke (1 August 2016). "What justice reinvestment can do for juvenile offenders". Nestled in besides the banks of the Barwon River in north-western New South Wales is the tiny town of Brewarrina. The 1,200 or so locals call it Bre. On Old Mission Road on the outskirts of town sits the first site ever established by the state government to segregate Aboriginal people from the rest of the town. ABC. from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  23. ^ Morris, Barry (2001). "Policing Racial Fantasy in the Far West of New South Wales". Oceania. Wiley. 71 (3): 242–262. doi:10.1002/j.1834-4461.2001.tb02751.x. hdl:1959.13/27052. ISSN 0029-8077. JSTOR 40331803. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  24. ^ Pitty, R. (October 1994). "Brewarrina riot: The hidden history". Aboriginal Law Bulletin. 3 (70): 9–11. ISSN 0728-5671 – via Informit.
  25. ^ . Australian Prisons Project. University of New South Wales. 2005. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013.
  26. ^ Davies, Jessie (19 October 2019). "Brewarrina jail is closing and the community warns it will have a devastating effect". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  27. ^ "Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps / Baiame's Ngunnhu". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning and Environment. H01413. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
  28. ^ "Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission Site". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning and Environment. H01732. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
  29. ^ a b Tan, Monica (10 July 2015). "The fish traps at Brewarrina are extraordinary and ancient structures. Why aren't they better protected?". The people of Brewarrina proudly call their fish traps "the oldest manmade structure in the world". Guardian News. from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  30. ^ Powerhouse Museum. "85/1286-721 Glass plate negative, full plate, 'Aboriginal fisheries, Darling River', unattributed studio, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1880-1923". Powerhouse Museum, Australia. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  31. ^ "Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps (Baiame's Ngunnhu), New South Wales". from the original on 19 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  32. ^ "BREWARRINA HOSPITAL". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. March 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  33. ^ "Brewarrina Hospital, NSW Climate (1991-2020 normals)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  34. ^ "Brewarrina Hospital, NSW Climate (1872-present extremes)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  35. ^ "New South Wales Information". www.bom.gov.au.   Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) license.
  36. ^ McCutcheon, Jen (9 July 2020). "Weather radar stations for western NSW 'game changers' for farmers". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  37. ^ "Brewarrina Circus wows Adelaide audiences". PM Archive - Tuesday, 9 March 2004 18:43:19. ABC Radio National. from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  38. ^ (PDF). The Regional Arts Fund in Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  39. ^ "Brewarrina Show and Rodeo Society". Brewarrina Shire Council. from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  40. ^ "Brewarrina Races". Brewarrina Shire Council. from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  41. ^ "Brewarrina Field Day". Brewarrina Shire Council. from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  42. ^ "Bre Big Fish". Brewarrina Shire Council. from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  43. ^ "Brewarrina News" (PDF). Brewarrina Shire Council. (PDF) from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  44. ^ "Be in Bre". Brewarrina Shire Council. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  45. ^ "Barker, James (Jimmie) (1900–1972)". National Centre of Biography. Australian National University. from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  46. ^ Barker, Jimmie (1977). The Two Worlds of Jimmie Barker : The Life of an Australian Aboriginal 1900-1972, as Told to Janet Mathews. Canberra, A.C.T.: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. p. 218. ISBN 0855750561. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  47. ^ "Brewarrina Boy". Australian Museum. from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  48. ^ Bishop, Mervyn. "Life and death dash, Sydney, 1971". Trove. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  49. ^ . Martyrs in The Struggle for Justice. The Koori History Website. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  50. ^ . Talking Heads. ABC. Archived from the original on 17 December 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  51. ^ "Gainmara Birrilee Preschool".
  52. ^ "Brewarrina Central School". NSW Dept of Education. from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  53. ^ "Brewarrina St Patricks School". Catholic Education. from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  54. ^ "Brewarrina TAFE". NSW TAFE. from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.

External links

  •   Brewarrina travel guide from Wikivoyage
  •   Media related to Brewarrina at Wikimedia Commons

brewarrina, pronounced, bree, warren, locally, known, town, north, west, south, wales, australia, banks, barwon, river, shire, name, derived, from, burru, waranha, weilwan, name, species, acacia, cassia, tree, acacia, clumps, native, standing, place, where, wi. Brewarrina pronounced bree warren ah locally known as Bre is a town in north west New South Wales Australia on the banks of the Barwon River in Brewarrina Shire The name Brewarrina is derived from burru waranha a Weilwan name for a species of Acacia Cassia tree Acacia clumps a native standing or place where wild gooseberry grows 2 It is 96 kilometres 60 mi east of Bourke and west of Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway and 787km from Sydney The population of Brewarrina in 2016 was 1 143 3 Other towns and villages in the Brewarrina district include Goodooga Gongolgon Weilmoringle and Angledool Brewarrina New South WalesTown sign from eastern approach 2021 BrewarrinaCoordinates29 57 36 S 146 51 40 E 29 96000 S 146 86111 E 29 96000 146 86111 Coordinates 29 57 36 S 146 51 40 E 29 96000 S 146 86111 E 29 96000 146 86111Population1 143 2016 census 1 Established1863Postcode s 2839Elevation115 m 377 ft Location787 km 489 mi NW of Sydney378 km 235 mi NW of Dubbo96 km 60 mi E of BourkeLGA s Brewarrina ShireState electorate s BarwonFederal division s ParkesMean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall27 6 C 82 F 12 7 C 55 F 412 2 mm 16 2 in Contents 1 History 2 Heritage listings 3 Ancient Aboriginal fish traps 4 Climate 4 1 Weather radar station 5 Sport and recreation 6 Events 7 Notable citizens 8 Education 9 Gallery 10 References 11 External linksHistory Edit Brewarrina Court House Plan of Baiame s Ngunnhu or Native Fish Traps The town is located amid the traditional lands of the Muruwari Ngemba Weilwan and Yualwarri peoples The area has a long Indigenous Australian history and was once the meeting ground for over 5 000 people The first settlers arrived in the district around 1839 40 The first people to own land where the town now stands were the Lawson brothers who had two holdings one called Walcha and another called Moona The town was first known as Walcha Hut but this later changed to Brewarrina In 1859 somewhere between 300 and 400 Aboriginal people were massacred by white settlers in an event known as the Hospital Creek Massacre recollections of which vary 4 5 6 A memorial was erected by the local Aboriginal Land Council near the site of the massacre 7 In 1859 a riverboat called Gemini skippered by William Randell reached the town This opened the possibility of developing the town as a port and by the early 1860s Brewarrina was recognised as the furthest navigable point on the Darling River Brewarrina became a port for shipping wool to Adelaide via the Darling and Murray rivers 8 The town was formally surveyed and laid out in 1861 and proclaimed on 28 April 1863 8 The paddle steamer Wandering Jew of 66 tonnes 22 4 4 1 5 m was built in 1866 and registered at Sydney On 15 December 1914 Wandering Jew was lost due to a fire on Barwon River Brewarrina 9 The Wandering Jew represents an earlier maritime era and provides a direct link to the riverine heritage of Brewarrina Its colourful history and repeated damage by fire is evocative of the dramas associated with riverboat travel 10 11 The 1870s were something of a boom time for Brewarrina The courthouse was built in 1871 12 The Telegraph reached town in 1873 The Mechanics Institute formed in 1873 The following year two hotels two stores and the Commercial Bank all opened and in 1875 The Parish of Brewarrina was formed and public school was opened All this development was largely due to Cobb and Co which had a number of coach services passing through the town There was a service from Byrock one from Dubbo via Warren and in 1874 a direct service from Brewarrina to Enngonia north of Bourke The number of people moving through the town at this time would have been considerable and would have given rise to the increase in stores and hotels The Barwon Bridge opened in 1888 the previous method of crossing the Barwon River was by punt and pontoon 8 The impetus for Brewarrina bridge was to capture the New South Wales wool trade from the river paddle steamers and direct it away from Melbourne and Adelaide to Sydney It is a rare bridge because it and the lift bridge at North Bourke are the only surviving examples of the first series of lift bridges in New South Wales The bridge has been assessed as being of state significance and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register 13 14 In 1901 the Brewarrina railway line opened to Brewarrina from Byrock on the Nyngan to Bourke line The Brewarrina Line closed in 1974 and the wood framed Brewarrina Station burned to the ground in 1980 15 The local telephone exchange was established in 1913 8 The town was surveyed in 1920 16 Brewarrina was used as a location for the Australian silent film Moora Neya or The Message of the Spear 1911 17 The Brewarrina Ngemba Billabong has a strong cultural history From 1876 to 1967 the Ngemba Billabong was the Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission for local Aboriginal people whose land had been taken for grazing The entire 261 hectare property is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register 18 The Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission was the oldest institutional type community in the state it ran until 1965 Brewarrina Mission was the first institution formally established by the Aborigines Protection Board as part of its policy to segregate Aboriginal people 19 On 15 August 1987 Brewarrina erupted into a riot later known as the Brewarrina riot triggered by the death in police custody of Lloyd James Boney 20 This came a few days after the announcement by Prime Minister Bob Hawke of a Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody on 10 August 1987 21 22 Both the riot and the five year trials that followed were widely covered by the press 23 24 Yetta Dhinnakkal Centre a minimum security outdoor prison for young Indigenous men that ran an award winning program 25 opened in 2000 and closed in 2020 Although often referred to as Brewarrina jail or prison it was situated about 65 km 40 mi south at Gongolgon 26 Heritage listings EditBrewarrina has a number of heritage listed sites including Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps 27 The Old Mission Road Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission Site 28 Ancient Aboriginal fish traps Edit The Brewarrina fish traps 2008 Main article Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps Brewarrina s most significant feature is its Aboriginal fish traps Known in the local Aboriginal language as Baiame s Ngunnhu It is believed that Ngemba Wonkamurra Wailwan and Gomolaroi people have shared and maintained the traps for thousands of years The age of the fish traps is currently unknown but they may be the oldest human construction in the world 4 Locals claim that the traps are at least 40 000 years old and thus the oldest surviving human made structure in the world 29 Consisting of river stones arranged to form small channels the traps direct fish into small areas from which they are readily plucked The traps form a complex net of linked weirs and ponds along 500m of the river They operate at varying water heights and can be altered to suit seasonal changes People use their expert knowledge of fish species and the environment to maximise their catch 4 30 31 Brewarrina Ngemba Billabong has been declared a World Conservation Union IUCN Category V and VI protected area It was declared an Indigenous Protected Area in November 2010 18 The ready availability of fish made Brewarrina one of the great intertribal meeting places of pre European eastern Australia 29 Climate EditBrewarrina has the typical hot semi arid climate of north western New South Wales with hot summers frequently over 40 C 104 F cool winters and generally dry all year round Brewarrina s highest recorded temperature was 48 9 C 120 0 F on 19 December 1912 whilst its coldest was 4 1 C 24 6 F on 14 July 1997 The average annual rainfall is 412 2 mm 16 2 in 32 Climate data for Brewarrina Hospital New South Wales Australia 1991 2020 normals extremes 1872 present 115 mMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 48 3 118 9 47 2 117 0 43 9 111 0 38 3 100 9 35 0 95 0 29 4 84 9 31 2 88 2 35 6 96 1 39 0 102 2 43 9 111 0 46 0 114 8 48 9 120 0 48 9 120 0 Mean maximum C F 41 5 106 7 40 0 104 0 36 9 98 4 32 4 90 3 27 0 80 6 23 0 73 4 22 6 72 7 26 0 78 8 31 5 88 7 35 2 95 4 38 6 101 5 40 2 104 4 41 5 106 7 Average high C F 36 3 97 3 34 9 94 8 32 1 89 8 27 8 82 0 22 6 72 7 19 0 66 2 18 7 65 7 21 1 70 0 25 4 77 7 29 4 84 9 32 3 90 1 34 7 94 5 27 9 82 1 Daily mean C F 29 1 84 4 28 0 82 4 25 1 77 2 20 6 69 1 15 8 60 4 12 7 54 9 11 7 53 1 13 3 55 9 17 3 63 1 21 4 70 5 24 7 76 5 27 2 81 0 20 6 69 0 Average low C F 21 9 71 4 21 1 70 0 18 0 64 4 13 3 55 9 8 9 48 0 6 3 43 3 4 7 40 5 5 4 41 7 9 2 48 6 13 4 56 1 17 1 62 8 19 6 67 3 13 2 55 8 Mean minimum C F 16 8 62 2 17 2 63 0 13 0 55 4 7 9 46 2 4 3 39 7 1 9 35 4 0 6 33 1 1 4 34 5 4 2 39 6 7 9 46 2 11 5 52 7 14 5 58 1 0 6 33 1 Record low C F 10 4 50 7 9 5 49 1 7 0 44 6 1 4 34 5 0 8 30 6 2 8 27 0 4 2 24 4 2 1 28 2 0 1 32 2 3 9 39 0 5 4 41 7 9 0 48 2 4 2 24 4 Average precipitation mm inches 41 9 1 65 38 5 1 52 41 4 1 63 27 3 1 07 30 8 1 21 31 1 1 22 22 7 0 89 16 4 0 65 23 3 0 92 27 1 1 07 43 7 1 72 50 0 1 97 394 2 15 52 Average precipitation days 1 0 mm 4 3 3 8 3 3 2 2 2 8 3 5 3 2 2 3 3 1 3 7 4 6 4 0 40 8Average relative humidity 40 5 46 0 43 0 44 0 55 0 65 0 60 5 48 5 40 0 34 5 38 5 36 0 46 0Average dew point C F 13 1 55 6 14 3 57 7 11 4 52 5 8 6 47 5 7 7 45 9 6 9 44 4 4 9 40 8 3 9 39 0 4 8 40 6 5 8 42 4 9 1 48 4 10 2 50 4 8 4 47 1 Source 1 Australian Bureau of Meteorology temperature precipitation humidity 1991 2020 normals 33 Source 2 Australian Bureau of Meteorology 1872 present extremes 34 Weather radar station Edit The Brewarrina radar station 29 58 S 146 49 E 29 96 S 146 81 E 29 96 146 81 at the local airport was constructed from July 2020 to provide better weather forecasts for the area and farming community 35 36 Sport and recreation EditThe townspeople of Brewarrina play a variety of sports The town has a local rugby union club and team the Brewarrina Brumbies and a number of rugby league teams Local players Alby Carr Ron Gibbs Les Biles Isaac Gordon and cousin Ashley Gordon played first grade in the National Rugby League Netball is played weekly with over 12 teams playing in the local competition The Brewarrina Golf Club is renowned throughout the western region as one of the best oiled green golf courses Other major sports include lawn bowls shooting tennis and swimming The river is also used for swimming and water skiing in the summer months A skate park is near the town centre The Brewarrina Circus Skills Training Project is a 2004 program which trains local kids skills in circus acts and gives them the opportunity to travel across the country to places like Adelaide and Melbourne 37 The Brewarrina Youth Circus was a partnership with the Brewarrina Council and Brewarrina Central School with objectives to increase school attendance This program has also given particular kids the chance to travel overseas with one girl travelling to South Africa to perform in the art of circus skills 38 Events EditBrewarrina plays host to one of the most famous rodeos in the far west of New South Wales The Brewarrina Show and Rodeo Society runs a successful annual rodeo program which attracts a large crowd to town Unfortunately over the last number of years the Brewarrina Show has not been held 39 when The Brewarrina Races are an important race meet in the district hosted by the Brewarrina Jockey Club The race meet is usually held in May and has a large prize pool complete with an extensive race program fashions on the field as well as other novelty races and lucky door prizes 40 In more recent years when Brewarrina has played host to the Brewarrina Field Day which came about as an event for people from the district to have a day out in the time after devastating drought It showcases over 70 stalls wildlife and agricultural exhibits quick shear competitions carnival rides dog jumping trials as well as food and bar stalls 41 The Bre Big Fish is an annual fishing competition run over the June public holiday long weekend It is hosted by the Brewarrina Fishing Club and draws many fishing hunting and camping enthusiasts to the district 42 In bygone years when Brewarrina was well renowned for its annual Festival of the Fisheries which celebrated Brewarrina s Aboriginal and European History Brewarrina also hosted the unique Surfboat Classic which attracted a number of Surf Life Saving Clubs from the New South Wales Coast Unfortunately these events have not been held in recent years 43 In April 2013 Brewarrina celebrated the 150th year since it was gazetted as a town in 1863 This was celebrated by a week long festival which included Brewarrina Race Club meeting with over 2000 attendees Bre Big Fish Competition street parade and carnival film festival historical exhibitions black tie ball fireworks display flower and cake show as well as a number of celebratory sporting fixtures including rugby league and rugby union exhibition matches clay target shooting and bowling competition 44 Notable citizens EditJimmie Barker first Indigenous published author 45 The two worlds of Jimmie Barker The life of an Australian Aboriginal 1900 1972 as told to Janet Mathews 46 Mervyn Bishop 1945 news and documentary photographer 47 Mervyn won News photographer of the Year Award for Life and Death Dash the 1971 front page of the Sydney Morning Herald 48 Essie Coffey 1941 1998 community worker singer actor and film maker 49 Co founder of the Western Aboriginal Legal Service Ron Gibbs 1962 1980s 1990s Australian rugby league footballer Ashley Gordon 1990s Australian rugby league footballer Isaac Gordon 1986 2010s Australian rugby league footballer Leo Schofield 1935 restaurant critic advertising professional and arts festival director 50 Albert George Henry Why 1899 1969 known as Alby Carr an Australian rugby league footballer Brewarrina Central School 2021 Education EditGainmara Birrilee Pre School 51 Brewarrina Central School Kindergarten to Grade 12 52 St Patrick s Catholic School Kindergarten to Grade 6 53 TAFE Western Brewarrina College 54 Gallery Edit Bridge over the Barwon River in flood 2021 Eastern levee bank 2021 Levee wall beside Barwon River 2021 Bathurst Street main street Hotel Brewarrina on the right 2008 Bathurst Street looking south west 2021 Anglican Christ Church Young Street 2021 Saint Patrick s Catholic Church 2021 Hotel Brewarrina public hotel 2021 Royal Hotel public hotel 2021 Brewarrina Aboriginal Medical Service centre Sandon Street intersecting Bourke Street 2021 Hospital 2021 Court house 2021 Australia Post office 2021 NSW Police Force station 2021 Fire station 2021 Country Women s Association rest room 2021 Returned and Services League hall 2021 Art work in town park on Bridge Street 2021 References Edit Australian Bureau of Statistics 27 June 2017 Brewarrina Urban Centre Locality 2016 Census QuickStats Retrieved 7 March 2018 Brewarrina Geographical Names Register GNR of NSW Geographical Names Board of New South Wales Retrieved 22 December 2012 2016 Census QuickStats Australian Bureau of Statistics Archived from the original on 7 March 2018 Retrieved 7 March 2018 a b c Office of Environment and Heritage Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps Baiame s Ngunnhu In one recorded incident in 1859 a stockman at Walcha Hut on the Lawson run was warned by Aborigines to release one of their women He refused and both he and the woman were killed In retaliation the settlers shot a large number of Aboriginal men women and children in what became known as the Hospital Creek Massacre Rando 2007 p38 NSW Government Archived from the original on 22 December 2015 Retrieved 19 December 2015 Last of the Culgoa Blacks The Farmer and Settler Vol I no 50 New South Wales Australia 24 October 1911 p 5 Archived from the original on 17 April 2018 Retrieved 17 April 2018 via National Library of Australia Trove Archived from the original on 17 August 2018 Retrieved 17 August 2018 Hospital Creek Massacre Australian Monuments Archived from the original on 15 March 2014 Retrieved 23 December 2012 a b c d The Concise Encyclopaedia of Australia Horwitz Group Books pty ltd 1979 p 237 ISBN 0725505753 View Shipwreck Wandering Jew Department of the Environment Australian Government Retrieved 19 December 2015 Darling River NSW Maritime Archaeological Survey PDF NSW Heritage Office Archived PDF from the original on 15 March 2014 Retrieved 7 January 2013 Davies Jessie 22 April 2019 Shipwrecked at Brewarrina Drought reveals historic Wandering Jew paddle steamer Built by J Duncan and Partner in Echuca in 1866 the iron vessel was first named the paddle steamer Riverina ABC Retrieved 22 April 2019 Brewarrina The most prominent building in the town is the Brewarrina Court House It was built in 1871 72 and is a fine example of the colonial architecture of the time Phoenix Group Archived from the original on 12 December 2013 Retrieved 10 December 2013 Heritage and conservation register NSW Roads and Maritime Services Archived from the original on 22 December 2015 Retrieved 20 December 2015 1915 Barwon Bridge Photo National Library of Australia Archived from the original on 15 March 2014 Retrieved 24 December 2012 Brewarrina Station NSWRail net Archived from the original on 4 July 2017 Retrieved 24 May 2015 1920 Survey of Brewarrina National Library of Australia Archived from the original on 15 March 2014 Retrieved 24 December 2012 Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper Australian Film 1900 1977 A Guide to Feature Film Production Melbourne Oxford University Press 1998 21 a b Brewarrina Ngemba Billabong Department of the Environment Australian Government Archived from the original on 22 December 2015 Retrieved 19 December 2015 Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission Site NSW Heritage and Environment Archived from the original on 15 March 2014 Retrieved 7 January 2013 Austin Broos Diane 2015 Brewarrina An Australian Story Oceania Wiley 85 2 238 242 doi 10 1002 ocea 5087 ISSN 0029 8077 Aboriginal deaths in custody ABC 7 30 Report 16 April 2001 Archived from the original on 19 August 2014 Retrieved 23 February 2013 Boney Brooke 1 August 2016 What justice reinvestment can do for juvenile offenders Nestled in besides the banks of the Barwon River in north western New South Wales is the tiny town of Brewarrina The 1 200 or so locals call it Bre On Old Mission Road on the outskirts of town sits the first site ever established by the state government to segregate Aboriginal people from the rest of the town ABC Archived from the original on 2 February 2017 Retrieved 26 January 2017 Morris Barry 2001 Policing Racial Fantasy in the Far West of New South Wales Oceania Wiley 71 3 242 262 doi 10 1002 j 1834 4461 2001 tb02751 x hdl 1959 13 27052 ISSN 0029 8077 JSTOR 40331803 Retrieved 1 July 2021 Pitty R October 1994 Brewarrina riot The hidden history Aboriginal Law Bulletin 3 70 9 11 ISSN 0728 5671 via Informit NSW Corrections and Indigenous people Annual Reports Australian Prisons Project University of New South Wales 2005 Archived from the original on 10 April 2013 Davies Jessie 19 October 2019 Brewarrina jail is closing and the community warns it will have a devastating effect ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 24 June 2021 Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps Baiame s Ngunnhu New South Wales State Heritage Register Department of Planning and Environment H01413 Retrieved 18 May 2018 Text is licensed by State of New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment under CC BY 4 0 licence Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission Site New South Wales State Heritage Register Department of Planning and Environment H01732 Retrieved 18 May 2018 Text is licensed by State of New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment under CC BY 4 0 licence a b Tan Monica 10 July 2015 The fish traps at Brewarrina are extraordinary and ancient structures Why aren t they better protected The people of Brewarrina proudly call their fish traps the oldest manmade structure in the world Guardian News Archived from the original on 22 December 2015 Retrieved 13 December 2015 Powerhouse Museum 85 1286 721 Glass plate negative full plate Aboriginal fisheries Darling River unattributed studio Sydney New South Wales Australia 1880 1923 Powerhouse Museum Australia Retrieved 2 February 2013 Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps Baiame s Ngunnhu New South Wales Archived from the original on 19 August 2009 Retrieved 21 August 2009 BREWARRINA HOSPITAL Climate statistics for Australian locations Bureau of Meteorology March 2013 Retrieved 18 March 2013 Brewarrina Hospital NSW Climate 1991 2020 normals Australian Bureau of Meteorology Retrieved 15 May 2022 Brewarrina Hospital NSW Climate 1872 present extremes Australian Bureau of Meteorology Retrieved 15 May 2022 New South Wales Information www bom gov au Text was copied from this source which is available under a Attribution 3 0 Australia CC BY 3 0 AU license McCutcheon Jen 9 July 2020 Weather radar stations for western NSW game changers for farmers Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 27 April 2021 Brewarrina Circus wows Adelaide audiences PM Archive Tuesday 9 March 2004 18 43 19 ABC Radio National Archived from the original on 7 October 2014 Retrieved 3 April 2013 From circus skills to life skills PDF The Regional Arts Fund in Australia Archived from the original PDF on 21 March 2012 Retrieved 3 April 2013 Brewarrina Show and Rodeo Society Brewarrina Shire Council Archived from the original on 21 June 2017 Retrieved 19 June 2017 Brewarrina Races Brewarrina Shire Council Archived from the original on 21 June 2017 Retrieved 19 June 2017 Brewarrina Field Day Brewarrina Shire Council Archived from the original on 21 June 2017 Retrieved 19 June 2017 Bre Big Fish Brewarrina Shire Council Archived from the original on 21 June 2017 Retrieved 19 June 2017 Brewarrina News PDF Brewarrina Shire Council Archived PDF from the original on 1 March 2017 Retrieved 19 June 2017 Be in Bre Brewarrina Shire Council Archived from the original on 18 January 2013 Retrieved 22 December 2012 Barker James Jimmie 1900 1972 National Centre of Biography Australian National University Archived from the original on 13 July 2015 Retrieved 12 July 2015 Barker Jimmie 1977 The Two Worlds of Jimmie Barker The Life of an Australian Aboriginal 1900 1972 as Told to Janet Mathews Canberra A C T Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies p 218 ISBN 0855750561 Retrieved 8 May 2019 Brewarrina Boy Australian Museum Archived from the original on 13 July 2015 Retrieved 12 July 2015 Bishop Mervyn Life and death dash Sydney 1971 Trove Retrieved 8 May 2019 Bush Queen of Brewarrina Martyrs in The Struggle for Justice The Koori History Website Archived from the original on 22 August 2011 Retrieved 12 July 2015 Leo Schofield Talking Heads ABC Archived from the original on 17 December 2015 Retrieved 19 June 2017 Gainmara Birrilee Preschool Brewarrina Central School NSW Dept of Education Archived from the original on 17 March 2012 Retrieved 23 December 2012 Brewarrina St Patricks School Catholic Education Archived from the original on 12 April 2013 Retrieved 23 December 2012 Brewarrina TAFE NSW TAFE Archived from the original on 20 December 2012 Retrieved 11 December 2012 External links Edit Brewarrina travel guide from Wikivoyage Media related to Brewarrina at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Brewarrina amp oldid 1136217450, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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