Inverell, New South Wales

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


caption = Inverell Court House built in 1886.
lga = Inverell Shire Council
county = Gough
postcode = 2360
est = 1856
pop = 9,749
elevation= 583
maxtemp = 24.0
mintemp = 7.4
rainfall = 797.3
stategov = Northern Tablelands
fedgov = New England
dist1 = 621
dir1 = N
location1= Sydney
dist2 = 434
dir2 = SW
location2= Brisbane
dist3 = 120
dir3 = NW
location3= Armidale
dist4 = 141
dir4 = E
location4= Moree
dist5 = 67
dir5 = W
location5= Glen Innes

Inverell is a town in the north of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands. It has a temperate climate. At the 2006 census, Inverell had a population of 9,749.Census 2006 AUS | id = SSC17571
name = Inverell (State Suburb)
quick = on
accessdate = 2007-07-08]

History

In 1848 Alexander Campbell held the 50,000 acre Inverell Station on the Macintyre River. The name derives from the name of Mr. MacIntyre's estate. The word is of Gaelic origin, and signifies "The meeting of the swans"; from "Inver a meeting place, and "Ell", a swan. The MacIntyre River and Swanbrook Creek join here. The area was also known as "Green Swamp" in the 1850s. Wheat growers, Colin and Rosanna Ross established a store there in 1853 [Readers Digest Guide to Australian Places, Readers Digest, Sydney] , when he asked that a town be surveyed. In 1858 this was done and in the following years the plan was approved and the first land sale was held. The municipality was proclaimed in 1872. Diamonds were discovered at Copes Creek in 1875 and were mined at Copeton from 1883-1922. Commercial sapphire mining was commenced in 1919 at Frazers Creek near Inverell. Rich alluvial deposits in streams were worked initially by hand miners but there was little recorded production up until approximately 1960.New England Holiday, New England Regional Tourist Zone Association, n.d.] The population was 7514 (1954 census) and 8209 (1961 census).

Industry

The Inverell district is in a fertile agricultural region which produces a wide range of crops, including wheat, wine grapes, maize and barley. There are also some mining activities with tin, sapphires, zircons and diamonds (mainly industrial) being found. Inverell is known as the ‘Sapphire City’ because of the sapphires that found throughout the local district. The area is recognised for its sapphires, contributing to a major part of Australia's sapphire production. [ [http://www.totaltravel.com.au/travel/nsw/bigsky/tablelands/travel-guides/Destinations/inverell Inverell, Northern Tablelands NSW Australia ] ]

Copeton Dam, the district's main water supply, holds three times the capacity of Sydney Harbour, and is so large that when it is below 3% of its capacity during drought, it still has enough water to supply the town for up to ten years without water restrictions.Fact|date=June 2007 The Inland Fishing Festival is held there every year.

Education

There are two primary schools in Inverell; Ross Hill School and Inverell Public School. The two local high schools are Inverell High School and Macintyre High School. Holy Trinity School is a Central Catholic School in Inverell which caters for students from Kindergarten to Year Ten.

Transport

Inverell is served by Inverell Airport with daily departures to Sydney and Newcastle by AeropelicanLocation map
Australia New South Wales
label=Inverell
lat_dir=S | lat_deg=29 | lat_min=46
lat_sec=
lon_dir=E | lon_deg=151 | lon_min=07
lon_sec=
position=right
width=270
float=right
background=#FFFFDD
caption=Inverell, New South Wales, Australia

Citations

References

* Inverell on Line: http://www.inverell-online.com.au/dir205/invonline.nsf/sections/Local+History