Our Region

Walgett Shire is situated in the far north west of NSW and it embraces the fertile black soil plains of northern inland New South Wales.

It is a land of agricultural abundance and the home of opal – Australia’s National Gemstone.

Walgett Shire is located approximately

690km from Sydney
677km from Canberra
700km from Brisbane
912km from Melbourne

DRIVING
State Roads

These are the principal roads which traverse the state of New South Wales. Walgett Shire has three state roads within its boundaries. The Castlereagh Highway (SH 18) travels north/south through the Shire from south of Walgett to the Queensland border at Hebel. The Kamilaroi Highway (SH 29) travels east/west through the Shire from just east of Burren Junction to west of Walgett towards Brewarrina. The Gwydir Highway (SH 12) travels north east from near Walgett to Collarenebri, then east towards Moree.

All state roads are fully sealed.

Regional Roads

These are the second tier of roads and basically, as the name suggests, extend from one region to another. Walgett Shire has nine regional roads within its boundaries. They are RR 402 (Carinda – Quambone), RR 329 (Burren Junction – Collarenebri), RR 333 (Walgett – Carinda – Warren), RR 383 (Pilliga – Coonamble), RR 402 (Walgett – Cumborah – Lightning Ridge), RR 437 (SH 18 – Goodooga), RR 457 (Collarenebri – Mungindi), RR 7516 (Carinda – Brewarrina) and RR 7716 (Walgett – Pilliga).

Only part of the regional road network is sealed.
BY AIR
The closest operating airport with flights is Narrabri or Dubbo.

Narrabri – Aeropelican

Dubbo – Rex Airlines

BY RAIL and BUS
Countrylink service the Walgett Shire daily with stops at both Walgett and Lightning Ridge.

From Walgett you travel by bus to Dubbo and then transfer onto the XPT train, which will take you to Sydney.

Visit the Countrylink website for more information.

The Shire consists of several larger towns and villages and a large rural population. The administrative centre of the Shire is Walgett, located on the Castlereagh Highway some 275 km north of Dubbo. Walgett is situated near the junction of the Namoi and Barwon Rivers.

It’s also a 22,000 square kilometer playground for the modern day explorer. Our towns and villages have a proud and fascinating pioneering history, and our people still have the inventiveness and good humour of the early pioneers. Come and see Lightning Ridge, Walgett, or one of the great little villages of Walgett Shire!!

Notable aspects of the history of the district include:

1818 – Explorer John Oxley explored the Macquarie River
1829 – Explorer Charles Sturt explored the Castlereagh River
1832 – Explorer Thomas Mitchell explored the Barwon and Gwydir Rivers
1834 – Explorer Charles Coxen explored the Namoi River
1859 – Walgett township is surveyed

Records suggest that the first white man into the Walgett area was Captain Charles Sturt in February, 1829 as he explored the Castlereagh River and ventured into the area. Prior to that John Oxley was known to be in the region, but most probably much further south.

One early name associated with the settlement of the area was that of Henry Bailey who may have occupied ‘Walchate’ (as it was then known). This was the name given to the pastoral area (or ‘run’) that was described as a 32,000 acre area capable of running just 300 cattle. This was around the mid to late 1840′s.

Settlement followed until the town of Walgett was proclaimed in March of 1885. In this era, the township was served by paddle steamers, used to carry the produce of the area – wool, wood, dried fruit and livestock. These steamers travelled the Murray-Darling River system during this period and provided the main transport to the area.

In 1877, Frederick Wolseley started to experiment with mechanical shearing devices, having decided that the existing method of hand shearing was inadequate and needed a major overhaul. Patent for this machine, developed in his blacksmith’s shop on his property Euroka, was granted in March of 1877. The machine was a huge success, spreading rapidly throughout the whole country. Relics of this era can still be seen on the property.

The Walgett Mail was the first newspaper to be published in the region and commenced publication in 1879, its publisher being a man named George Cohen. The town also boasted its own brewery (run by a Mr. Skinner) until around 1910.

In 1906, the local government act (of the same year) proclaimed an area in the region as the Walgett Shire

The railroad finally arrived in Walgett in 1908 and this brought about many changes.

Walgett was also the gathering place of many of the areas aboriginal tribes. The natives came from near and far to participate in the many corroborees that featured in their way of life, a tradition sadly no longer practiced. A large number of aboriginals are still found in the township, the Namoi Reserve and the Gingie Reserve.