Gol Gol | |||||||||||||
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 TheSturt Highway, passing through Gol Gol | |||||||||||||
  Gol Gol | |||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Gol Gol | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates:34°10′S142°13′E / 34.167°S 142.217°E /-34.167; 142.217 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | New South Wales | ||||||||||||
| Region | Sunraysia | ||||||||||||
| LGA | |||||||||||||
| Location |
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| Government | |||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 19.7 km2 (7.6 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Elevation | 45 m (148 ft) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 1,956 (2021 census)[2] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 99.29/km2 (257.2/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 2738 | ||||||||||||
| County | Wentworth | ||||||||||||
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Gol Gol is a small country town in theWentworth Shire, in the far western region ofNew South Wales,Australia. It is situated on the banks of theMurray River, within theSunraysia region. In the fifteen years from 2006 to 2021, the population of Gol Gol increased from 663 to 1,956.
TheSturt highway, an importantroad link for the transport of passengers andfreight betweenSydney andAdelaide passes through Gol Gol.
The area has a long history ofAboriginal occupation, and was the traditional land of theKureinji people. A well-preservedmidden can be seen at Drings Hill Reserve.[3]
On 17 March 1836, the surveyor and explorer,Thomas Mitchell, set out on an expedition from Boree Station (west ofOrange), with 25 men, 2 boats, a train of bullock carts and a herd of at least 100 cattle, which were to be used for food when wild animals were scarce.
On his arrival at the site of the future village, the local Aboriginals informed Mitchell that the area next to the Murray River was called Gol Gol, meaning meeting place. Mitchell generally used Aboriginal names when marking his maps because he felt that a map was more useful if settlers could ask the local inhabitants for help. When Mitchell returned to his base camp on 4 June 1836 he passed on the name of Gol Gol to his superiors.
In 1865, a survey was initiated to determine the site for the township of Gol Gol, which was completed in February 1866. The area proclaimed as the site for the township of Gol Gol was notified in theGovernment Gazette on 15 June 1886. Although Government land sales began in March 1871, it was almost a decade before allotments in the village were occupied. A Post Office was opened in 1877 and closed in 1879. Subsequently, a Post Office existed from 1885 to 1887, 1902 to 1919, then from 1927 until the present.[4]
Early settlers lived along the banks of the river in crude dwellings made fromMallee boughs and branches covered with mud and bags. Others lived in tents, struggling to earn a living due to the harsh conditions.
Gradually facilities improved with the progress of communication and transport making necessary goods and materials more readily available.
In October 1881, Gol Gol was described as an under-developed township on the river Murray, populated by six families with about 25 children. The population increased steadily, especially after 1907 as a result of development ofirrigation works in the area and the expansion of nearby Mildura in Victoria.
By 1917, Gol Gol and the community continued to progress and become less isolated.
Gol Gol currently has a population of about 2000 people. Within the township there is a hotel, garage, general store, primary school and pre-school. The major industry of the area is irrigatedhorticulture, with the primary crops being citrus, vegetables and grapes.
Gol Gol has anAustralian rules football team competing in theMillewa Football League.
Gol Gol also has a cricket team located at the Alcheringa Oval with excellent facilities composing 4 senior men’s cricket teams and 1 senior women’s cricket team, competing in the Sunraysia Cricket Association. The club has been extremely successful in recent years winning 7 two day premiership titles within the past 5 years.
