Crookwell | |||||||||||||
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 Crookwell | |||||||||||||
  Crookwell | |||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Crookwell | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates:34°27′29″S149°28′13″E / 34.458036°S 149.470283°E /-34.458036; 149.470283 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | New South Wales | ||||||||||||
| Region | Southern Tablelands | ||||||||||||
| LGA | |||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Elevation | 887 m (2,910 ft) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 2,098 (UCL2021)[2] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 2583 | ||||||||||||
| County | King | ||||||||||||
| Parish | Crookwell | ||||||||||||
| Mean max temp | 18.2 °C (64.8 °F) | ||||||||||||
| Mean min temp | 5.0 °C (41.0 °F) | ||||||||||||
| Annual rainfall | 863.8 mm (34.01 in) | ||||||||||||
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Crookwell is a small town located in theSouthern Tablelands ofNew South Wales, Australia, in theUpper Lachlan Shire.[3] At the2016 census, Crookwell had a population of 2,641.[4] The town is at a relatively high altitude of 887 metres and there are severalsnowfalls during the cooler months. The nearest major centre is the city ofGoulburn which is about a half-hour drive to the south-east of the town. Crookwell is easily accessible to the state capital ofSydney and also thefederal capital ofCanberra.
Most employment is based on rural industries, and the district is renowned for potato farming. Crookwell is also home to what wasNSW's firstwind farm, which consists of 8 turbines, and is located a few kilometres out of town on the road towards Goulburn.
Arailway once connected Goulburn and Crookwell, which opened in 1902, but passenger services toCrookwell station ceased in 1974,[5][6] and the last goods train ran in 1985. The line is technically not closed, but has been listed as out of use, and in some locations is now impassable.
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The area now known as Crookwell lies within the traditional lands of theGundangurra people. These people spoke a similar if not identical language to the neighbouringNgunnawal people to their south.[7]
The first Europeans known to be in the area were the exploratory party of surveyor James Meehan which camped 1 km south of present-day Grabben Gullen (12 km south-west of Crookwell). John Oxley passed to the north and east later that same year. Crookwell was originally known as "Kiama" but later renamed after the river.[8] The area around Crookwell was first settled in the 1820s, and had received its current name by the 1860s.
By 1840, some inns had appeared at the crossroads, but Binda remained the head of the district.[9] After this,selection of blocks occurred; and the population of was over 100 by midway through that decade. The first allotments were sold at the end of the decade. By the mid-1870s the population had already reached 1000 people.[10]
In 1865,Mary Gilmore was born just 16 km south in the town or Roslyn.[9]
From 1941 to 1945, 508,500 tons of iron ore was mined—about six miles by road from the town—and railed to Port Kembla for wartime steel production.[11][12][13][14]
Crookwell contained one of Australias first wind farms, theCrookwell Wind Farm and the first wind farm that fed into the national power grid.[15]
Crookwell has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
In the 2021 Census, there were 2,686 people in Crookwell.[17] In the 2016 census 85.8% of people were born in Australia and 91.4% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 34.9%, Anglican 30.1%, No Religion 14.3% and Uniting Church 7.8%.[4]
Crookwell is the seat of theUpper Lachlan Shire Councillocal government area (LGA) ofNew South Wales,Australia, formed in 2004.
Crookwell is approximately 2.5 hours drive fromSydney viaGoulburn, and 1.5 hours fromCanberra. Other than the main road to Goulburn, minor roads link Crookwell withBathurst,Boorowa,Grabben Gullen,Laggan, andTaralga.
Crookwell railway station is the terminus of the now disusedCrookwell railway line.
Crookwell has a small unpaved airstrip approximately 5 km south of the town.[18]
Due to its exposed location on theupwind side of theGreat Dividing Range and somewhat southern latitude, snow is not uncommon during the winter months, with occasional heavy falls. Summers are warm and dry, with cool to cold nights. Winters are cold and wet; when the westerly wind is persistent the daily maximum temperature can struggle to exceed 3 °C (37 °F).
| Climate data for Crookwell Post Office (1916–1975, rainfall 1883–2022); 887 m AMSL; 34.46° S, 149.47° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 38.0 (100.4) | 37.9 (100.2) | 32.8 (91.0) | 28.3 (82.9) | 27.2 (81.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18.5 (65.3) | 20.6 (69.1) | 26.7 (80.1) | 29.4 (84.9) | 36.6 (97.9) | 35.6 (96.1) | 38.0 (100.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26.5 (79.7) | 25.9 (78.6) | 23.6 (74.5) | 18.4 (65.1) | 13.9 (57.0) | 10.3 (50.5) | 9.5 (49.1) | 11.0 (51.8) | 14.7 (58.5) | 18.3 (64.9) | 21.4 (70.5) | 25.0 (77.0) | 18.2 (64.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.7 (51.3) | 10.7 (51.3) | 8.8 (47.8) | 5.0 (41.0) | 2.3 (36.1) | 0.6 (33.1) | −0.4 (31.3) | 0.3 (32.5) | 2.1 (35.8) | 4.6 (40.3) | 6.7 (44.1) | 9.0 (48.2) | 5.0 (41.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 2.5 (36.5) | 3.9 (39.0) | −0.6 (30.9) | −2.9 (26.8) | −7.2 (19.0) | −8.3 (17.1) | −9.2 (15.4) | −7.2 (19.0) | −5.0 (23.0) | −3.3 (26.1) | −0.6 (30.9) | 0.6 (33.1) | −9.2 (15.4) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 69.7 (2.74) | 54.7 (2.15) | 59.3 (2.33) | 57.5 (2.26) | 65.9 (2.59) | 88.5 (3.48) | 84.3 (3.32) | 89.9 (3.54) | 74.9 (2.95) | 76.7 (3.02) | 68.0 (2.68) | 67.4 (2.65) | 863.8 (34.01) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 7.0 | 6.3 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 9.2 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 10.2 | 9.3 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 106.6 |
| Source:Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Crookwell Post Office | |||||||||||||
Radio stations with transmitters located in Crookwell include:
Depending on location some Goulburn, Illawarra, and/or Canberra based radio stations can also be heard.Eagle FM andGNFM (formerly 2GN) are Goulburn based but licensed to serve towns in the Southern Tablelands including Crookwell. In order to reach Crookwell, both have transmitters which relay the Goulburn broadcast but on different frequencies to Goulburn.
Crookwell has a low powered transmitter broadcastingABC Television.
Residents wishing to receive a wider range of channels and in digital can attempt to receive signals from eitherCanberra (Black Mountain), orOrange (Mount Canobolas), although Crookwell is located in the fringe area of both transmitters.
Another option is to use theVAST free-to-view satellite service, which offers a similar range of channels.
The local newspaper, theCrookwell Gazette has been published since 1885.
Notable people includeKellie White andEmily Smith (Hockeyroos Captain), who both played for the Hockeyroos in international competition.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence.
