Koorawatha, New South Wales

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


caption =
lga = Young Shire Council
postcode = 2807
est =
pop = 292
elevation=
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov = Burrinjuck
fedgov = Hume
dist1 = 339
dir1 = W
location1= Sydney
dist2 = 186
dir2 = N
location2= Canberra
dist3 = 134
dir3 = SW
location3= Bathurst
dist4 = 28
dir4 = SW
location4= Cowra
dist5 = 44
dir5 = NE
location5= Young

Koorawatha is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, on the Olympic Highway between Cowra and Young. It was once a large and thriving centre of activity but now has only a hotel and a cafe. At the 2001 census, Koorawatha had a population of 292.Census 2001 AUS
id=UCL144000
name=Koorawatha (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)
accessdate=2007-08-06
quick=on]

Koorawatha is located near the Illunie Range which contains the Koorawatha Nature Reserve, an important tract of virgin bushland.Keen bird watchers may find much to reward them at the Koorawatha Falls area at the Nature Reserve.

Koorawatha had its own newsletter, the "Koora Chat", which was often picked up at the cafe.

The German Green activist Petra Kelly once owned a building block of land in the centre of the village, which she had never visited.Fact|date=August 2007 The photographer Olive Cotton (1911-2003) lived on a farm near Koorawatha for more than fifty years.Fact|date=August 2007

The township famous for a gun battle between police and the bushranger Ben Hall.On 20 May, 1864 Hall, ably assisted by Tom Gordon and Jimmy Dunleavy attempted to hold up the Bang Bang Hotel (demolished in the 1940s) but found themselves involved in a desperate gun battle with two policemen. Hall and his accomplices were forced to retreat.After this they proceeded to the Bang Bang hotel, and held up all those on the front verandah, instructing them to stay where they were. Two constables Scott and McNamara were at the stables tending their horses and upon seeing this drew their pistols. John Gilbert, the notorious bushranger who was part of Hall's gang opened fire and fired three shots at the constables who returned fire, advancing towards the mounted bushrangers as they fired forcing Mount and Gilbert to retreat. While McNamara kept Mount and Gilbert at bay, Scott took careful aim at Hall as he galloped away - and fired. The bullet struck his hat knocking it from his head. Gilbert and Mount galloped after Hall abandoning the robbery.

At the Site of the Gun Battle there is a sign where the old Bang Bang Hotel used to be. It is located under a peppercorn tree about half a kilometre from the Olympic Highway.

References