Tilpa, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place| type = town
name = Tilpa
state = nsw


caption = The Darling River at Tilpa c. 1945. The punt can be seen behind the new bridge
lga = Central Darling Shire Council
postcode = 2840
est =
pop = 159
pop_footnotes=
elevation=
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov = Murray-Darling
fedgov = Calare
dist1 = 917
dir1 = NW
location1= Sydney
dist2 = 340
dir2 = NE
location2= Broken Hill
dist3 = 144
dir3 = NE
location3= Wilcannia

Tilpa is a town in the Far West region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located on the Darling River, in the Central Darling Shire Council Local Government area, convert|917|km|mi|0 north west of the state capital, Sydney. At the 2006 census, Tilpa and the large surrounding area had a population of 159.Census 2006 AUS|id=SSC19059 |name=Tilpa (State Suburb)|accessdate=2008-10-03|quick=on] The town itself is said to have a population of only nine.cite web|url=http://www.visitnsw.com/town/Tilpa.aspx|title=Tilpa|publisher=Tourism New South Wales|accessdate=2008-10-03]

In its heyday, Tilpa was an important river port with paddle steamers delivering supplies to nearby sheep stations and returning down river laden with bales of wool.cite web|url=http://wiserivers.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/Multimedia/vBlob.jsp?id=241|title=Tilpa|work=WISE Basins|publisher=National Parks and Wildlife (New South Wales)|accessdate=2008-10-02] The wool was taken to Wentworth—at the confluence of the Darling and Murray Rivers—and then either to Adelaide or to Echuca for passage to the port at Melbourne.cite web|url=http://www.visitoutbacknsw.com.au/towns/louth-a-tilpa/tilpa.html|title=Visit Outback NSW: Tilpa|publisher=Outback NSW Tourism|accessdate=2008-10-02] The town was home to a punt, allowing sheep, horses and people to cross the Darling River safely, for a fee. The punt has since been replaced by a bridge. The Darling River at Tilpa has erratic flows and is often dry in periods of drought. However floods in 1956 saw the Darling River span convert|80|km|mi|0 at its widest, isolating Tilpa for five months.dubious

The local pub—the Tilpa Hotel—was built over 100 years ago. A timber and corrugated iron building, the inside walls are covered in messages and autographs placed by visitors in return for a donation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.cite web|url=http://www.visitnsw.com/Tilpa_Pub_P805.aspx|title=Tilpa Pub|publisher=NSW Holidays|accessdate=2008-10-03] A feature of the town is a Boer War memorial in Australia that includes a commemorative to Harry "Breaker" Morant, who was controversially executed by the British Army for murdering Boer prisoners. The town also claims to have the smallest heritage trail in Australia (two signs across the street from each other) and the only cemetery in Australia with no interments. [cite web|url = http://members.iinet.net.au/~mewilson/bushcemeteries.htm|title = Bush cemeteries|first= Mary |last = Wilson|work = Western NSW History: Cemeteries |date = 26 May 2008|accessdate = 2008-10-03 : Confirmation of lack of graves in cemetery.]

Tilpa is mainly an agricultural area, with sheep grazing the primary activity, and some pockets of irrigated land along the river. Tourism, including farmstay programs on local stations, is the other major local industry. Fishing and camping are popular along the river. The prolonged drought in 2007 saw Tilpa run out of potable water. A Sydney-based company has offered to trial a portable water filtration plant to improve the quality of both the river and bore water.cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/05/24/1931723.htm|title=Cobb says no funding help for Tilpa water woes|date=2007-05-18|language=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-10-03]

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