| Armidale New South Wales | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Looking across Armidale city, December 2013 | |||||||||
  Armidale | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 30°30′S151°39′E / 30.500°S 151.650°E /-30.500; 151.650 | ||||||||
| Population | 21,312 (UCL2021)[1] | ||||||||
| Established | 1849 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2350, 2351 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 980 m (3,215 ft) | ||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Armidale Regional Council | ||||||||
| County | Sandon | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Northern Tablelands | ||||||||
| Federal division(s) | New England | ||||||||
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Armidale is a city in theNorthern Tablelands,New South Wales, Australia.[2] Armidale had a population of 23,967 as of the 2021 census.[3] It is the administrative centre for theNorthern Tablelands region. It is approximately halfway betweenSydney andBrisbane at the junction of theNew England Highway andWaterfall Way.
Armidale is a ruraluniversity town,[4] home to theUniversity of New England (UNE). Armidale is located within the New EnglandRenewable Energy Zone, which is expected to bring significant renewable energy development to the area.[5]
Before the British colonial settlement of New South Wales, theindigenousAnaiwan tribe occupied the area that encompasses current day Armidale.
British pastoralists first entered the region in the early 1830s, following the earlier exploration of the area byJohn Oxley. Oxley recommended the region for grazing, and soon squatters established large leaseholds in the locality. Armidale was initially founded in 1839 byGeorge James MacDonald who was theCommissioner of Crown Lands and head of the localBorder Police detachment in theNew England district. MacDonald established his barracks on the site and named it afterArmadale on theIsle of Skye in Scotland which was the ancestral home of the MacDonald clan.[6]
TheJames Barnet-designedheritage-listed Armidale Post Office opened on 1 April 1843.[7][8] The town, which was surveyed in 1848 and gazetted in 1849, was established to provide a market and administration for the farms, but soon after gold was discovered at nearbyRocky River and Gara Gorges, and a gold rush ensued, enlarging the town rapidly in the 1850s. The gold mining settlement ofHillgrove about 40 km east of Armidale was supplied by electricity from Australia's firsthydro-electric scheme, theGara River Hydro-Electric Scheme, remains of which are still visible on theGara River below the Blue Hole atCastle Doyle. The nearby town ofUralla holds the grave of the famousCaptain Thunderbolt – outlaw Fred Ward – who caused trouble in the area in the 1860s. As withNed Kelly, the locals have adopted him as alarrikin hero and make the most of him as a tourist attraction.
Armidale became a municipality in 1863[9] and was proclaimed acity in 1885.
Although it does not lie between the two major cities of Sydney and Melbourne, a site just to the south of Armidale was, in the early 1900s, considered as a potential site for Australia's federal capital. Some saw its northerly location as better suited to all three eastern mainland states, including Queensland.[10][11][12] Later, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s, Armidale was one of the centres ofseparatist agitation by theNew England New State Movement. Local politician,David Drummond, a strong supporter of the movement, successfully lobbied for Armidale to have the second teachers' college in New South Wales,[13] and later auniversity,[14] positioning the town as a potential state capital.
Armidale is on the banks of Dumaresq Creek, in the Northern Tablelands in theNew England region about midway between Sydney and Brisbane at an altitude (980 mAHD)[15] ranging from 970 metres at the valley's floor to 1,110 metres above sea level at the crests of the hills. A short distance to the east of Armidale are heavily forested steepgorges dropping down to the eastern coastal plain. Large parts of the highlands are covered byPalaeozoic agedmetamorphosedsedimentary rocks. Intruding into these meta-sediments aregraniteplutons which decompose to form sandy soil, slightly deficient in nutrients. There are also basalt flows which are more fertile for the soil substrates. Those areas away from the deep gorge country tend to display gently undulating terrain mainly used forpastures and where granites occur the areas are usually covered in bushland.
The area contains a number of places of outstanding natural beauty and scientific interest as well as severalWorld Heritage national parks including theNew England National Park and theOxley Wild Rivers National Park. To the west isMount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve. The critically endangeredNew England Peppermint Grassy Woodland is the main vegetation community in the region.[16]
The coastal plain can be reached directly atCoffs Harbour viaWaterfall Way toDorrigo andBellingen on theBellinger River, a two-hour drive.
During winter there is a problem with some air quality reduction caused by the use of solid fuel domestic wood heaters.[17] A peer-reviewed study carried out by the University of New England in 2007 found winter woodsmoke causes 8.8 additional visits per day to GPs in Armidale for respiratory complaints, i.e., about 750 additional visits per year.[18] Another peer-reviewed study estimated the use of wood heaters in Armidale was responsible for about 11.5 premature deaths per year with estimated annual health cost of $14.95 million – about $4720 per year for every woodheater in the city.[19]
Armidale has asubtropical highland climate (Köppen:Cfb[20]). Armidale's elevation gives it a milder climate than most of northern New South Wales, but the summers are still very warm. Winters are long and cool, with many frosty nights. Snowfall is somewhat rare, on average only one day in every three years.
In Armidale, the presence of four distinct seasons makes it climatically unlike much of inland Australia; hence, the "New England" moniker and theautumn colours are notable features of the city. Summers are characterised by warm to very warm days followed almost always by cool, sometimes cold, nights. Thunderstorms often produce heavy falls of rain and occasionally hail in the afternoons and early evenings, also bringing a sudden drop in temperature. Unlike nearby coastal areas, Armidale does not usually experience high humidity levels making most of the summer days quite comfortable. Temperatures exceed 30 °C or 86 °F on an average of 13 afternoons per year, but rarely reach higher than 35 °C or 95 °F.[21] The highest temperature recorded at Armidale Airport was 37.1 °C (98.8 °F), recorded in February 2017.As the leaves turn yellow and fall, day temperatures are mostly still warm, particularly in March and April.[citation needed] Days are sunny, the thunderstorm season is over, and rain becomes more sporadic. Nights become colder, and residents often awake to a thick fog blanketing the Armidale valley, but by 9 am fogs have cleared to be followed by a bright sunny day. The year's first frosts usually occur in April, but they are not severe.[citation needed]
Winters are cold; overnight temperatures drop below −5 °C or 23 °F withfrost on the ground; at the Tree Group Nursery station a reading as low as −11.2 °C or 11.8 °F was record on 30 June 2010, whilst the older station at Radio 2AD recorded −9.3 °C or 15.3 °F on 15 July 1970.[22] These cold frosty mornings are usually followed by sunny days. Day temperatures may make it as high as 16 °C or 60.8 °F, but sometimes may not climb beyond 10 °C or 50 °F.[21] These are typical Northern Tablelands winter days with westerly winds, bleak grey clouds, and showers of rain and very occasionally snow. Rainfall during the winter months is not infrequent but is usually light.[citation needed]
In spring temperatures are warmer, although occasional morning frosts still can continue well into October. September is usually a pleasantly mild but windy month, and by late October with increasing heat and humidity the thunderstorm season is starting with increasing rainfalls.[citation needed] The spring months produce the most variable weather of the year. A week of very warm sunny weather can be followed by several milder days with temperatures right back at winter levels before gradually warming up again. This cycle often repeats itself many times until the start of summer.[citation needed]
| Climate data for Armidale (Tree Group Nursery, 1997–2023); 987 m AMSL; 30.52° S, 151.67° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.4 (99.3) | 37.6 (99.7) | 33.8 (92.8) | 28.0 (82.4) | 24.8 (76.6) | 22.3 (72.1) | 21.2 (70.2) | 27.4 (81.3) | 28.7 (83.7) | 32.4 (90.3) | 35.6 (96.1) | 37.8 (100.0) | 37.8 (100.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.1 (80.8) | 25.7 (78.3) | 23.8 (74.8) | 20.5 (68.9) | 16.6 (61.9) | 13.5 (56.3) | 13.2 (55.8) | 14.9 (58.8) | 18.6 (65.5) | 21.4 (70.5) | 23.5 (74.3) | 25.7 (78.3) | 20.4 (68.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) | 12.7 (54.9) | 10.8 (51.4) | 6.8 (44.2) | 2.3 (36.1) | 0.8 (33.4) | −0.3 (31.5) | −0.2 (31.6) | 2.8 (37.0) | 6.0 (42.8) | 9.2 (48.6) | 11.5 (52.7) | 6.3 (43.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 2.6 (36.7) | 2.5 (36.5) | −1.7 (28.9) | −5.8 (21.6) | −7.9 (17.8) | −11.2 (11.8) | −10.8 (12.6) | −8.7 (16.3) | −6.2 (20.8) | −3.5 (25.7) | −3.0 (26.6) | −0.5 (31.1) | −11.2 (11.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 89.4 (3.52) | 96.6 (3.80) | 73.9 (2.91) | 37.2 (1.46) | 31.8 (1.25) | 40.6 (1.60) | 40.1 (1.58) | 45.4 (1.79) | 46.3 (1.82) | 70.6 (2.78) | 92.7 (3.65) | 90.6 (3.57) | 755.2 (29.73) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2mm) | 11.1 | 11.6 | 10.9 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 10.5 | 9.5 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 10.4 | 11.3 | 11.8 | 119.6 |
| Average afternoonrelative humidity (%) | 49 | 55 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 58 | 55 | 47 | 45 | 46 | 53 | 48 | 51 |
| Source:Bureau of Meteorology[23] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Armidale Airport AWS (1994–2023); 1,079 m AMSL; 30.53° S, 151.62° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.0 (98.6) | 37.1 (98.8) | 32.4 (90.3) | 27.7 (81.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 21.7 (71.1) | 19.9 (67.8) | 26.8 (80.2) | 28.2 (82.8) | 31.9 (89.4) | 35.0 (95.0) | 36.5 (97.7) | 37.1 (98.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26.2 (79.2) | 25.0 (77.0) | 23.1 (73.6) | 19.8 (67.6) | 15.8 (60.4) | 12.7 (54.9) | 12.2 (54.0) | 14 (57) | 17.6 (63.7) | 20.5 (68.9) | 22.8 (73.0) | 25.0 (77.0) | 19.6 (67.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.5 (56.3) | 13.1 (55.6) | 11.5 (52.7) | 7.8 (46.0) | 4.4 (39.9) | 2.4 (36.3) | 1.4 (34.5) | 1.8 (35.2) | 4.7 (40.5) | 7.4 (45.3) | 10.0 (50.0) | 12.1 (53.8) | 7.5 (45.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) | 4.1 (39.4) | 1.1 (34.0) | −3.3 (26.1) | −5.9 (21.4) | −6.0 (21.2) | −7.0 (19.4) | −6.6 (20.1) | −4.9 (23.2) | −3.1 (26.4) | −1.6 (29.1) | 1.3 (34.3) | −7.0 (19.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 91.9 (3.62) | 96.1 (3.78) | 67.7 (2.67) | 35.1 (1.38) | 40.4 (1.59) | 48.2 (1.90) | 44.0 (1.73) | 43.2 (1.70) | 52.1 (2.05) | 74.7 (2.94) | 95.8 (3.77) | 102.9 (4.05) | 792.1 (31.18) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2mm) | 12.1 | 13.0 | 12.7 | 11.2 | 12.1 | 14.9 | 13.4 | 9.9 | 10.1 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 13.2 | 146.6 |
| Average afternoonrelative humidity (%) | 52 | 58 | 53 | 49 | 55 | 60 | 56 | 48 | 46 | 46 | 54 | 51 | 52 |
| Source:Bureau of Meteorology[21] | |||||||||||||
Armidale has been prone to severe hailstorms and experienced three such storms over the ten-year period from 1996 to 2006.
On 29 September 1996hail of up to 80 millimetres (3.1 in) indiameter and southerlywinds of up to 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph) were reported at the airport weather station. The area was declared a disaster zone andState Emergency Service crews were brought in from across the state. Damage was estimated to be in excess ofA$200 million.[24]
On 1 January 2000 many homes were damaged by extreme weather conditions which brought large hail stones, strongwinds andflash flooding.[25]
On 21 December 2006 hail stones, high winds and flash flooding damaged more than 1,000 homes and destroyed the Armidale Livestock Exhibition Centre which collapsed entirely under the weight of accumulated hail. The city was declared astate of emergency byNew South WalesPremierMorris Iemma the following day.[26][27]
On the night of 14 October 2021 at 10pm, an intense storm produced a tornado causing extensive damage. It tore away roofs and turned vehicles upside down.[28][29]
Armidale is a cathedral city, being the seat of theAnglican andRoman Catholicbishops of Armidale. St Peter's Anglican Cathedral, which replaced the original St Peter's Church, was designed by the Canadian architectJohn Horbury Hunt, who also designed Booloominbah at theUniversity of New England. St Peter's Cathedral opened for worship in 1875 and the tower was added in 1938. The Catholic Cathedral of St Mary and St Joseph was dedicated on 12 December 1919.
The city centre is laid out in a grid of streets. The main street is called Beardy Street, named for two of the founding settlers who had beards.[30] The court house was built in the 1850s and is still a prominent feature of the central district. Much of the rest of the city is residential.
The AustralianWool Fashion Awards, which showcases the use ofMerino wool by fashion designers, are hosted by Armidale in March each year. The AutumnFestival is a popular annual event of April in Armidale. The festival features a street parade, stalls and celebrations throughout the city. It is a regular part of the city's attractions, often promoting Armidale's diverse culture (for instance, posters set up by council attempt to attract tourists with the motto "Foodies Thrive in Armidale") and autumn colours. During May the annual New England Wool Expo is staged to display wool fashions, handicrafts, demonstrations, shearing competitions, yard dog trials and demonstrations, a wool bale rolling competition and other activities.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 5,407 | — |
| 1933 | 6,794 | +25.7% |
| 1947 | 7,809 | +14.9% |
| 1954 | 8,661 | +10.9% |
| 1961 | 12,875 | +48.7% |
| 1966 | 15,360 | +19.3% |
| 1971 | 18,156 | +18.2% |
| 1976 | 19,711 | +8.6% |
| 1981 | 18,922 | −4.0% |
| 1986 | 19,525 | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 21,605 | +10.7% |
| 1996 | 21,330 | −1.3% |
| 2001 | 20,068 | −5.9% |
| 2006 | 21,660 | +7.9% |
| 2011 | 22,468 | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 23,352 | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 23,967 | +2.6% |
| Source:Australian Bureau of Statistics data.[31][32] | ||
According to the2021 census, there were 23,967 people in the Armidale significant urban area.
Armidale is home to aÊzidî community of approximately 650.[34]
TheArmidale railway station is on theMain North railway line and is served by daily passenger trains to and from Sydney. Armidale's airport has five daily scheduled flights to and from Sydney withQantaslink.Link Airways operates scheduled services between Armidale and Brisbane.[35]Armidale Airport, at 1,084 metres (3,556 ft), is the highest licensed airport in New South Wales.
The city is linked further north by dailycoach toTenterfield provided byNSW TrainLink. Other bus companies such asGreyhound also provide numerous daily services. Local city services are provided on six different routes by Edwards Coaches and Armidale is serviced by 16taxis.
Although the hills to the north and the south can be a challenge, cycling is an option to get around Armidale. Acycleway exists from the University of New England through the city to the residential areas on the eastern side of city. This cycleway snakes back towardsBen Venue School. The passage through the city provides easy access for cyclists to the shopping centres. Bicycle racks are in strategic locations around the city centre, including at The Armidale Food Emporium, The Armidale Plaza, and Centro Armidale. Places are also provided outside the Armidale Dumeresq War Memorial Library, and at either end of the Mall. A maze of marked cycleways on the shoulder of the roads in the city's southern residential areas allows cyclists to safely ride on the roads. There are also separate cycleways from the Armidale Arboretum along Kellys Plains Road to the south and from the north of the city along Rockvale Road to theArmidale State Forest (known as the Pine Forest by locals).
The city is home to a large number of education facilities, includingThe Armidale School (1894),New England Girls' School (1895),Presbyterian Ladies' College (PLC Armidale) (1887), and the ArmidaleWaldorf School (1985),[36] schools of the Australianindependent education sector.O'Connor Catholic College (1975) and St Mary's Primary School are systemicCatholic schools.Armidale High School (1911) andDuval High School (1972) were government-funded secondary schools until their closing at the end of 2018. In 2019, the two schools were combined into one in the form ofArmidale Secondary College, which is located on what was the Armidale High School campus. It was previously located on the Duval High School campus as a placeholder while the Armidale High campus was partially demolished. Approximately 27% of Armidale's total population is in the 10–24-year age group, compared with an equivalent NSW figure of 18%.[37]
The university was founded in 1938, at first as a college of theUniversity of Sydney, but then in its own right in 1954. The UNE contributes to Armidale's position as a city of culture and diversity, with a vibrant artistic and cultural element. The university has strong links to the rural community, and undertakes a lot of agricultural research. There is also a high-technology presence, as well as notable humanities teaching. UNE hosts a wide range of courses, and introduced a number of new courses in 2008, including a five-year Bachelor of Medical Science andDoctor of Medicine program as part of a joint medical program with theUniversity of Newcastle.[38] The university is built around the historic mansionBooloominbah, which is now used for administration and houses a restaurant. UNE is one of the city's main employers.
Armidale is a major regional retail centre, housing threeshopping malls:
Armidale has apedestrian mall which stretches over three blocks of Beardy Street in the centre of city. It features many shops and cafés with outdoor eating areas along with some notable architecture, including Tattersalls Hotel, built in theArt Deco style during the 1930s; ArmidaleCourthouse; thecity's main post office; the formerCommonwealth Bank and the New England Hotel. The mall was opened in 1973 and was the first of its kind in regional Australia.[44]Armidale Dumaresq Council has been undertaking major upgrades to the mall since 2003 as part of theArmidale CBD Streetscape Design Project which aims at easingtraffic in thecity centre by creating an emphasis on the "ring road" around the CBD with the assistance ofsignage, elevation of roads usingpaving and the creation ofone-way streets.
The most popular sport in Armidale isrugby union. The city has four teams in theNew England Rugby Union: Armidale Blues, Barbarians, Robb College, St. Albert's College, the latter two of which are made up of primarily university students staying on residence at the respective colleges.
A close second in popularity in the city isrugby league. Armidale has two teams competing inGroup 19, the Armidale Rams RLFC, and the Narwan Eels, a club with a distinct Indigenous influence. The Rams are based at Rugby League Park on Dumaresq St in Central Armidale, whilst the Eels are based at Newling Oval on the southern outskirts of the city.
Other sports teams include the UNE New England Nomads (University AFL team) and various soccer teams in the local SportUNE League.
The city is serviced by one local newspaper, many radio stations including four local outlets, and all major television stations.[45]
Subscription Television services are provided byFoxtel.
Armidale has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
The following notable people were either born in, currently live in or previously resided in Armidale
Masterton, New Zealand
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. 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. 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. 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. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence.
Armidale travel guide from Wikivoyage
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