Tocumwal, New South Wales

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


caption = The Big Murray Cod on the Tocumwal foreshore
lga = Berrigan Shire Council
postcode = 2714
pop = 1,527 (2001 census)
est =
elevation= 126
maxtemp = 22.9
mintemp = 9.6
rainfall = 448.6
county = Denison
stategov = Murray-Darling
fedgov = Farrer
dist1 = 270
location1= Melbourne

Tocumwal is a town in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia in the Berrigan Shire Local Government Area, near the Victorian border. The town is situated on the banks of the Murray River, 270 kilometres north of the city of Melbourne. At the 2001 census the population of Tocumwal was 1,527. [Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL174800|name=Tocumwal (Urban Centre/Locality)|accessdate=2007-06-30|quick=on] The Newell Highway, part of the main road route between Brisbane and Melbourne commences at Tocumwal.

The town is said to be named for the local Aboriginal word for "deep hole in the river"cite web
url = http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/name_search/extract?id=TRwGlMtLKW
title = GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES REGISTER EXTRACT - Tocumwal
publisher = Geographical Names Board of New South Wales
accessdate = 2007-02-18]

History

Prior to European settlement, the Tocumwal area was inhabited by the Ulupna and Bangarang Aborigines. The first pastoral runs were established in the 1840s. The town was established in the early 1860s and recognised as a village in 1872. Tocumwal Post Office opened on 1 August 1868. Citation
last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | accessdate = 2008-04-11 ]

Prior to Federation, Tocumwal was an important customs point for goods crossing between the then colonies of Victoria and New South Wales.cite web
url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/New-South-Wales/Tocumwal/2005/02/17/1108500199570.html
title = Travel - Tocumwal
publisher = Sydney Moring Herald
accessdate = 2007-02-18]

A standard gauge branch line from the New South Wales Government Railways Main Southern railway line at Junee reached Narrandera in 1881 and a branch from Narrandera was completed to Tocumwal in 1898. [cite web
publisher = www.nswrail.net
title=Tocumwal Branch
url = http://www.nswrail.net/lines/show.php?name=NSW:tocumwal
accessdate = 2007-02-01 ] The broad gauge Victorian Railways Melbourne-Shepparton railway line was extended to Tocumwal in 1908, creating a break-of-gauge at Tocumwal until the New South Wales Government Railways line was closed south of Narrandera (about 1980).

During the Second World War the town was the site of Royal Australian Air Force Station Tocumwal, which was a major Royal Australian Air Force training airfield and aircraft depot. Today, the airfield is a renowned gliding site.Fact|date=February 2007

Because of the break-of-gauge between the railways north and south of Tocumwal, this station was a natural choice for military oriented storage facilities and munitions dumps.Fact|date=February 2007

Facilities

Tocumwal has one State and one Catholic primary school. The nearest High School is in Finley 21 kilometres to the north.

Australian rules football, Cricket and Netball are all very popular in the town. Notable sporting teams include the Tocumwal Football Club (The Bloods) who compete in the Murray Football League

Tocumwal is in the federal Division of Farrer and the state Electoral district of Murray-Darling.

Tocumwal was also where the largest Murray cod in the world was caught.Fact|date=February 2007

External links

* [http://www.toconthemurray.com.au Tocumwal : Centre to the Murray Attractions (Official tourism site)]

References