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Forbes

New South Wales, Australia

ForbesCourtHouse
Court house built in 1880



Forbes is located in New South Wales
Red pog
Forbes
Population: 6,954 [1]
Established: 1861
Postcode: 2871
Coordinates: 33°23′S 148°01′E / -33.383, 148.017Coordinates: 33°23′S 148°01′E / -33.383, 148.017
Location:
  • 33 km (21 mi) SSW of Parkes
  • 118 km (73 mi) W of Orange
LGA: Forbes Shire Council
State District: Dubbo
Federal Division: Calare


ForbesLandsOffice

Lands Office at Forbes built 1898; an all timber building in the Federation style

Forbes De Havilland Vampire

de Havilland Vampire monument next to Lake Forbes

Forbes is a town in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia, located on the Newell Highway between Parkes and West Wyalong. At the 2006 census, Forbes had a population of 6,954.[1] Forbes is probably named after Sir Francis Forbes, first Chief Justice of NSW.[2]

It is on the banks of the Lachlan River. It is 245 metres (804 ft) above sea-level and about 380 kilometres (240 mi) west of Sydney. The district is a cropping area where wheat and similar crops are grown. Nearby towns and villages include Calarie, Parkes, Bedgerebong, Bundabarrah, Corradgery, Daroobalgie, Eugowra, Ooma North and Paytens Bridge.

History[]

The area was occupied by the Wiradjuri people prior to European settlement. John Oxley passed through in 1817 during one of the first inland expeditions. Oxley named the site Camp Hill. He was unimpressed with the clay soil, poor timber and swamps and he concluded, it is impossible to imagine a worse country.[3] The first settlers moved into the district in 1834.[4]

Gold was discovered by Harry Stephens, also known as "German Harry", in June 1861.[4] Initially about 30,000 people moved to the goldfields, but by 1863 this had declined to about 3,500 because of the difficult mining conditions.

The goldfields were originally named "Black Ridge", and the name "Forbes" celebrating Sir Francis Forbes was declared from Sydney as the result of a possible government administrative error, it is said that the name was meant for the town now known as "Hill End" between Orange and Mudgee, New South Wales where gold was discovered around a similar time. Gold was initially found in the area known as Halpin's Flat. The Albion Hotel, once a Cobb and Co. stage coach stop, had tunnels situated underneath which were used during the gold rush to convey gold and money to and from the banks to minimise the chance of theft.[4] The Albion Hotel burnt down on February 10, 2009, losing years worth of history and memorabilia.[5]

One of Australia's most renowned bushrangers, Ben Hall, was shot dead in gun battle about 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the north-west of town on 5 May 1865. Hall and his gang were famous for stealing 77 kilograms (170 lb) of gold and £3,700 from the near-by town of Eugowra in 1862. He is buried in the Forbes Cemetery.[6]

Kate Kelly, the sister of bushranger Ned Kelly, lived in the town. She drowned in Lake Forbes while saving a Aboriginal child during a flood in 1898 and was found in a lagoon of the Lachlan River, just outside Forbes.[3][7] She is buried in Forbes Cemetery.[6]

Transport[]

The Stockinbingal–Parkes railway line passes through Forbes. Passenger trains operated to Forbes until 1983.[8] Forbes lies at or near the confluence of the Newell Highway, the Lachlan Valley Way and Henry Lawson Way.

Education[]

Forbes Shire has four public primary schools: Forbes Primary School, Forbes North Primary School, Corinella Public School and Bedgerebong Public School. There is one private primary school, St Laurences Primary School.[9]

Forbes High School, a public school, is located to the north of town.

Red Bend Catholic College at Forbes is a co-educational high school, with the campus at the site of the former Marist Brothers' College, on the banks of the Lachlan River.

Local tertiary institutions are the Forbes College of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and the Forbes Conservatorium.[10]

Climate[]

Climate data for Forbes
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 33.6
(92.5)
31.9
(89.4)
28.8
(83.8)
24.1
(75.4)
19.1
(66.4)
15.1
(59.2)
14.2
(57.6)
16.2
(61.2)
20.2
(68.4)
23.7
(74.7)
28.2
(82.8)
31.0
(87.8)
23.8
(74.8)
Average low °C (°F) 17.4
(63.3)
17.4
(63.3)
13.8
(56.8)
9.3
(48.7)
4.9
(40.8)
3.8
(38.8)
2.4
(36.3)
2.6
(36.7)
4.8
(40.6)
7.5
(45.5)
12.2
(54.0)
14.4
(57.9)
9.2
(48.6)
Precipitation mm (inches) 64.3
(2.531)
65.4
(2.575)
41.2
(1.622)
30.5
(1.201)
48.8
(1.921)
51.2
(2.016)
45.9
(1.807)
44.6
(1.756)
43.2
(1.701)
53.3
(2.098)
54.7
(2.154)
43.7
(1.72)
589.7
(23.217)
Source: [11]

Notable residents[]

  • Carolyn Simpson - Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court[12]
  • NSW Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt was born and raised in Forbes.
  • Chris Anderson, who played for and coached the Australian rugby league team, attended Red Bend Catholic College in Forbes.

See also[]

  • Forbes railway line

References[]

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Forbes (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL130400&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  2. ^ "Forbes". Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/name_search/extract?id=JPwGWysyIt. Retrieved 20 September 2009. 
  3. ^ a b The Age, Travel: Forbes, 10 April 2008
  4. ^ a b c Australian Heritage: Historic Towns Directory
  5. ^ Albion Hotel to be demolished, ABC News, 12 February 2009
  6. ^ a b Australian Cemeteries: Forbes
  7. ^ Ned Kellys World: Kate Kelly
  8. ^ Banger,C. Passenger Rail Service Withdrawals By Line Section Since 1960. ARHS Bulletin, Vol 54, No 790. August 2003.
  9. ^ About Forbes. Forbes Council Website
  10. ^ Forbes College of TAFE TAFE NSW Website
  11. ^ "BOM". http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_065068.shtml. 
  12. ^ Suzannah Pearce, ed (2006-11-17). "SIMPSON Carolyn Chalmers, Hon. Justice". Who's Who in Australia Live!. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd. 

External links[]


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Forbes, New South Wales. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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