| Bowral New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Aerial view of Bowral | |||||||||||||||
  Bowral | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°28′45″S150°25′5″E / 34.47917°S 150.41806°E /-34.47917; 150.41806 | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 10,764 (SAL2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1861 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2576 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 690 m (2,264 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Wingecarribee Shire | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Southern Highlands | ||||||||||||||
| County | Camden | ||||||||||||||
| Parish | Mittagong | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Wollondilly | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Whitlam | ||||||||||||||
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Bowral (/ˈbaʊrəl/)[2] is the largest town in theSouthern Highlands ofNew South Wales, Australia. It is 132 kilometres (82 mi) south-west ofSydney and 169 kilometres (105 mi) north-east ofCanberra. It is the mainbusiness and entertainment precinct of theWingecarribee Shire and the Southern Highlands.
Bowral once served as a rural summer retreat for thegentry ofSydney, resulting in the establishment of a number of estates and manor houses in the district.[3] Bowral is often associated with thecricketer SirDonald Bradman.
Bowral is close to several other historic towns, being 5 kilometres (3 mi) fromMittagong, 9 kilometres (6 mi) from bothMoss Vale andBerrima. The suburb ofEast Bowral and the village ofBurradoo are nearby.
The name Bowral is a word derived from theNgunnawal–Gundungurra language which was used to describe the nearbyMount Gibraltar.[4] A clan of theGandangara people lived in the region before British colonisation.
Bowral's colonial history extends back for approximately 200 years. The first European arrival was ex-convict John Wilson, who was commissioned byGovernor Hunter to explore south of the new colony ofSydney. Other people to traverse the area include John Warby and botanistGeorge Caley (an associate ofJoseph Banks), theHume brothers and later famous pioneer explorersJohn Oxley andCharles Throsby. GovernorLachlan Macquarie of theNew South Wales colony had appointed 2,400 acres (9.7 km2) toJohn Oxley in a land grant, which was later incorporated as Bowral.
The town grew rapidly between the 1860s and the 1890s, mainly due to the building of the railway line from Sydney toMelbourne. In 1863, a permanent stone building was built for the church. However, the building would be replaced by the firstAnglican church of St Simon and St Jude. The church was designed byEdmund Blacket and was built on the glebe in 1874. The church was expanded in 1887 to cater for a growing number of worshippers. Today, only Blackett's belltower remains.[5] One of the earliest houses built as a mountain retreat wasCraigieburn which was constructed in 1885.
Gardens and European plants flourished from 1887, when citizens of Bowral started plantingdeciduous trees to make the area look more reminiscent of Europe and theBritish. This legacy still lives on throughout Bowral. Notably, theoaks at the start of Bong Bong St are a characteristic that makes Bowral distinct from other rural towns, giving it strong autumn colour. The town became somewhat affluent, as many wealthy Sydney-siders purchased property or land in the town and built grandVictorianweatherboard homes.
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Bowral has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Bowral, and the former spelling Bowrall,[9] may have been derived from anDharawal wordbowrel meaning "high".[10]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 2,620 | — |
| 1933 | 3,005 | +14.7% |
| 1947 | 3,660 | +21.8% |
| 1954 | 3,926 | +7.3% |
| 1961 | 4,922 | +25.4% |
| 1966 | 5,210 | +5.9% |
| 1971 | 5,903 | +13.3% |
| 1976 | 6,283 | +6.4% |
| 1981 | 6,862 | +9.2% |
| 1986 | 7,390 | +7.7% |
| 1991 | 7,929 | +7.3% |
| 1996 | 8,705 | +9.8% |
| 2001 | 10,325 | +18.6% |
| 2006 | 6,971 | −32.5% |
| 2011 | 8,022 | +15.1% |
| 2016 | 10,335 | +28.8% |
| 2021 | 10,764 | +4.2% |
| Source:Australian Bureau of Statistics data.[11][12] Note: after 2001, Bowral and Mittagong became merged as a single urban locality for statistical purposes, and the population above counts Bowral as a State suburb instead. | ||
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The2021 census recorded Bowral's population as 10,764.[13]
At the2016 census, Bowral area, includingBurradoo, had a population of 12,949.[14] A more local area had a population of 10,335.[15]
In 2021, 73.5% of people in Bowral were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 7.1% and New Zealand 1.8%. 88.0% of people spoke only English at home. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.0% of Bowral's population. The most common responses for religion in Bowral were No Religion 33.0%, Anglican 22.0%, and Catholic 21.2%.[14]
In the 21st century, Bowral has become a haven forretirees andempty nesters, commonly fromSydney: 13.3% of Bowral's population is aged 55–64 years (compared with the national average of 11.8%) and 35.5% is aged over 64 years (compared with the national average of 15.8%).[14] Consequently, the town has a number of retirement villages,[16] some located only minutes' walk from the central business district and hospitals. Also, as measured during the 2021 census, 36.3% of the town's population are under the age of 45, whereas for the nation the figure is 58.1%.[14]
Bowral is about 5 kilometres (3 mi) from theHume Highway, which goes north toSydney and south toCanberra, theSnowy Mountains andMelbourne. In the past, Bowral served as an overnight stop-over for travellers. Bowral is situated on the B73 a route that runs fromMittagong through Bowral and ontoNowra
Bowral railway station is served by theSouthern Highlands Line with services between Sydney andMoss Vale orGoulburn. Long distance services operate toCanberra and Griffith.
It has public bus routes toNowra,Albion Park andWollongong. A private operator provides a service six days a week from Bowral to Greater Sydney (Campbelltown, Liverpool and Parramatta) and to the Shoalhaven and south coast of New South Wales.
Bowral has anoceanic climate (Cfb), enjoying warm to mild, rainy summers and quite cool to cold winters with modest sunshine.Frost is common during winter and can even occur in summer. Snowfalls are rare, although falls in excess of 15 cm have been recorded. Historically maximum and minimum have ranged from 40.0 °C (104.0 °F) on 30 January 2003 to −11.2 °C (11.8 °F) on 11 July 1971.
| Climate data for Bowral (Parry Drive, 1961–2015); 690 m AMSL; 34.49° S, 150.40° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 40.0 (104.0) | 39.1 (102.4) | 35.7 (96.3) | 31.5 (88.7) | 25.5 (77.9) | 20.1 (68.2) | 20.3 (68.5) | 23.8 (74.8) | 29.1 (84.4) | 32.4 (90.3) | 38.3 (100.9) | 37.2 (99.0) | 40.0 (104.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.5 (77.9) | 24.4 (75.9) | 22.4 (72.3) | 19.3 (66.7) | 15.4 (59.7) | 12.4 (54.3) | 11.6 (52.9) | 13.4 (56.1) | 16.3 (61.3) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.4 (70.5) | 23.8 (74.8) | 18.7 (65.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.4 (56.1) | 13.5 (56.3) | 11.6 (52.9) | 8.2 (46.8) | 5.3 (41.5) | 3.5 (38.3) | 2.1 (35.8) | 3.1 (37.6) | 5.3 (41.5) | 7.7 (45.9) | 9.8 (49.6) | 11.6 (52.9) | 7.9 (46.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 2.1 (35.8) | 1.8 (35.2) | −0.7 (30.7) | −2.2 (28.0) | −6.3 (20.7) | −8.2 (17.2) | −11.2 (11.8) | −6.1 (21.0) | −5.7 (21.7) | −2.6 (27.3) | −2.2 (28.0) | −1.4 (29.5) | −11.2 (11.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 81.9 (3.22) | 98.4 (3.87) | 95.2 (3.75) | 75.8 (2.98) | 69.6 (2.74) | 84.0 (3.31) | 45.3 (1.78) | 61.6 (2.43) | 55.8 (2.20) | 71.6 (2.82) | 92.4 (3.64) | 78.6 (3.09) | 931.7 (36.68) |
| Average precipitation days | 13.5 | 13.4 | 13.3 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 9.9 | 9.6 | 10.2 | 11.6 | 13.5 | 12.6 | 141.1 |
| Average afternoonrelative humidity (%) | 57 | 64 | 61 | 61 | 65 | 67 | 64 | 56 | 54 | 56 | 60 | 56 | 60 |
| Source:[17] | |||||||||||||
Bowral is noted for itsboutiques, antique stores, gourmet restaurants and cafés.
TheBradman Oval, Bradman Museum andInternational Cricket Hall of Fame are dedicated to the achievements of cricketerSir Donald Bradman and to the game ofcricket.[18]
Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve, in the suburb's south, is a large picnic area known for itsbirdwatching.
Bowral is the setting forTulip Time at the Corbett Gardens,[19] a springtime celebration with a profusion of tulips and other flowers planted in the town centre.[20] A comprehensive private not-for-profitbotanic garden includes a mix of exotic, native, and endemic species including ashale woodland, the endangered ecological community endemic to the site.[21]
The town has aVietnam War Memorial and Cherry Tree Walk, constructed along the Mittagong Rivulet that flows through the town. Along a walking/cycle track beside the stream are planted 526 cherry trees, each dedicated to a soldier who died in the service of his country.[22]
Bowral and surrounding region was proclaimed abook town in 2000,[23] having numerous bookshops and associations with many literary figures includingP. L. Travers, the author of theMary Poppins novels,[24]Arthur Upfield, and many others.[25]
First held in 2016, each spring, Bowral hosts a popular cycling event: "The Bowral Classic", which draws hundreds of participants to compete.[26][27] There are multiple races ranging from 35 km to 160 km.
The Bong Bong Picnic Races, commenced in 1886, attracted crowds of up to 35,000 but were suspended in 1985 and resumed in 1992 as a members-only event. The event attracts around 5,000 people and is held annually in November,[28] as well as other events during the year.
Bowral is also home to a fewvineyards and cellar doors and is close toMittagong, thewinery centre of theSouthern Highlands. There are 60 vineyards in the Southern Highlands, which is a recognised cool-climate wine district. Wineries around Bowral are listed in the Southern Highlands Wineries Index.[29]
Bowral is overshadowed byMount Gibraltar, which rises to 863 metres (2,831 ft) above sea level and has lookouts over Bowral,Mittagong,Moss Vale and the ranges nearBundanoon.
The town is served by theBowral and District Hospital, which also serves the Southern Highlands region.[30] Founded in 1889, it is the only hospital operated outside theSydney metropolitan area by the South Western Sydney Local Health District.
Bowral also has access to a private hospital operated byRamsay Health Care, which includes short and long stay facilities although it lacks an emergency department.[31]
Schools in Bowral:
Churches in Bowral:
Bowral receive five free-to-air television stations (television in Australia) including two government funded networks:
TheABC, theSBS and three commercial networks:
ABC, SBS, Seven, Nine (WIN) and Network 10 all offerdigital high-definition simulcasts of their main channels.
All five networks broadcast additional channels including:7two,7mate,7flix,9Go!,9Gem,9Life,ABC Family,ABC Entertains,ABC News,SBS Viceland,SBS World Movies,SBS Food,10 Drama,10 Comedy andNickelodeon.
Radio stations that broadcast to the town are:
TheSouthern Highland News is the town's local weekly newspaper.[33]
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Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence.Its name is thought to derive from theDharawal word 'bowrel', meaning 'high'.
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