| Murrurundi New South Wales | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 TheNew England Highway at Murrurundi, with theLiverpool Range in the background | |||||||||
  Murrurundi | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 31°45′S150°50′E / 31.750°S 150.833°E /-31.750; 150.833 | ||||||||
| Population | 847 (2016 census)[1] | ||||||||
| Established | 1840 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2338 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 467 m (1,532 ft) | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| LGA(s) | Upper Hunter Shire | ||||||||
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Murrurundi (/mʌruːrʌndaɪ/MURR-oo-RUN-dye) is a rural town located in theUpper Hunter Shire, in theUpper Hunter region ofNew South Wales,Australia.
Murrurundi is situated 193 kilometres (120 mi) northwest by road fromNewcastle and 309 kilometres (192 mi) north fromSydney. At the2016 census the town had a population of 847 people.[1] The town is almost completely surrounded by mountains of theLiverpool Range, and is located on thePages River, atributary of theHunter River.
Prior toEuropean settlement, the Murrurundi district was home to theWanaruah and possibly theKamilaroiAboriginal people. The name "Murrurundi" is often erroneously thought to come from an Aboriginal word meaning "nestling in the valley". It does in fact mean "five fingers", a representation of the rock formation visible at the northern end of the township.[2]
European settlement of the area began in the 1820s, and the town itself was established by the New South Wales government in 1840.[2] In the same year, a local landholder, Thomas Haydon, established an adjacent private township called Haydonton. In the 1846 census, Murrurundi had a population of 52, while Haydonton had a total of 117.[3] In 1913, the two neighbouring settlements were merged to create the modern-day town of Murrurundi.
Benjamin Hall, father ofbushrangerBen Hall had a small farm in a valley near Murrurundi in 1839. He opened a butcher's shop at Haydonton in 1842.[4] Ben Hall lived at Murrurundi with his family until the age of 13.[2]
Oil shale (kerosene shale) was mined at Mount Temi, some 11.25 kilometres (6.99 mi) to the north of Murrurundi from 1886, but lay dormant for many years. The mine was revived in 1910, byBritish Australian Oil Company, and a railway was constructed from Temple Court, 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) west of Murrurundi, to the terminal of an aerialropeway bringing shale from the mine. Operations ceased during the First World War.[5]
In July 1910, a lion, two lionesses and two Russian wolves escapeed fromWirth's Circus.[6]
Murrurundi is the nearest major town to the site of theMurulla rail accident, which occurred on 13 September 1926. 27 people were killed when runaway wagons smashed into a mail train.[7]
Annual events include therodeo and the King of the Rangesstockman challenge. There are only a few sporting facilities due to the low population. These sports are senior rugby league, touch football, swimming club and cricket.
Murrurundi was the main town of the formerMurrurundi Shire local government area, which was abolished and its territory divided between two new, larger, shires. The town of Murrurundi is now part of Upper Hunter Shire.
In January 2019, Murrurundiran out of water making it necessary for trucks to begin daily delivery of potable water.[8]
In October 2019 it was announced that theWilson Memorial Community Hospital would be demolished to make away for a new hospital.[9]
Murrurundi has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 1,301 | — |
| 1933 | 1,253 | −3.7% |
| 1947 | 1,039 | −17.1% |
| 1954 | 1,106 | +6.4% |
| 1961 | 1,041 | −5.9% |
| 1966 | 969 | −6.9% |
| 1971 | 926 | −4.4% |
| 1976 | 930 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 861 | −7.4% |
| 1986 | 878 | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 983 | +12.0% |
| 1996 | 902 | −8.2% |
| 2001 | 783 | −13.2% |
| 2006 | 805 | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 847 | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 888 | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 822 | −7.4% |
| Source:Australian Bureau of Statistics data.[12][13] | ||
TheNew England Highway runs through the town, and it is served by a rail service.
Murrurundi railway station is located on theMain North railway line, 352 kilometres (219 mi) from Sydney. The station opened in 1872 and consists of a substantial brick station-house with a passing loop and goods yard.[14] There was also a locomotive depot forbank engines which lasted until the end of steam. It continues to be served by a daily rail service operated by aNSW TrainLinkXplorer train to and fromSydney andArmidale/Moree, trains will only stop at this station on request.
The area has two weather stations: one in the town, and another high up on the Murrurundi Gap about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the WNW. The latter has significantly cooler maximum temperatures (even when accounting for elevation) but also warmer minima, by virtue of being an exposed hilltop.
The town station commenced rainfall records in 1870; temperature averages and extremes from 1907 and 1965, respectively; whereas the gap station was not established until 2003.
| Climate data for Murrurundi (Haydon Street, 1907–2019, rainfall to 1870); 466 m AMSL; 31.77° S, 150.84° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 41.6 (106.9) | 42.2 (108.0) | 37.8 (100.0) | 34.0 (93.2) | 27.9 (82.2) | 25.2 (77.4) | 24.8 (76.6) | 27.3 (81.1) | 32.8 (91.0) | 36.5 (97.7) | 40.6 (105.1) | 40.6 (105.1) | 42.2 (108.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.8 (87.4) | 29.8 (85.6) | 27.8 (82.0) | 23.7 (74.7) | 19.2 (66.6) | 15.8 (60.4) | 15.2 (59.4) | 17.0 (62.6) | 20.7 (69.3) | 24.2 (75.6) | 27.3 (81.1) | 29.7 (85.5) | 23.4 (74.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.3 (59.5) | 15.0 (59.0) | 12.7 (54.9) | 8.5 (47.3) | 5.1 (41.2) | 3.2 (37.8) | 2.0 (35.6) | 2.5 (36.5) | 5.0 (41.0) | 8.2 (46.8) | 11.1 (52.0) | 13.7 (56.7) | 8.5 (47.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4.2 (39.6) | 4.0 (39.2) | 0.6 (33.1) | −2.9 (26.8) | −5.0 (23.0) | −6.5 (20.3) | −6.2 (20.8) | −6.5 (20.3) | −5.0 (23.0) | −1.9 (28.6) | 0.0 (32.0) | 1.5 (34.7) | −6.5 (20.3) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 90.2 (3.55) | 76.6 (3.02) | 62.5 (2.46) | 52.0 (2.05) | 54.2 (2.13) | 69.4 (2.73) | 62.7 (2.47) | 61.2 (2.41) | 57.2 (2.25) | 72.2 (2.84) | 75.9 (2.99) | 90.5 (3.56) | 829.7 (32.67) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2mm) | 7.4 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 6.7 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 88.1 |
| Source:Bureau of Meteorology[15] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Murrurundi Gap AWS (2003–2022); 729 m AMSL; 31.74° S, 150.79° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 39.2 (102.6) | 40.5 (104.9) | 34.7 (94.5) | 29.6 (85.3) | 24.1 (75.4) | 22.1 (71.8) | 20.2 (68.4) | 23.9 (75.0) | 29.6 (85.3) | 34.2 (93.6) | 38.2 (100.8) | 39.3 (102.7) | 40.5 (104.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.5 (83.3) | 27.1 (80.8) | 24.3 (75.7) | 20.9 (69.6) | 16.7 (62.1) | 12.9 (55.2) | 12.5 (54.5) | 14.6 (58.3) | 18.3 (64.9) | 21.6 (70.9) | 24.3 (75.7) | 26.6 (79.9) | 20.7 (69.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) | 15.7 (60.3) | 14.1 (57.4) | 11.3 (52.3) | 8.2 (46.8) | 5.9 (42.6) | 4.9 (40.8) | 5.7 (42.3) | 8.5 (47.3) | 10.9 (51.6) | 13.0 (55.4) | 14.9 (58.8) | 10.8 (51.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 8.7 (47.7) | 6.8 (44.2) | 5.5 (41.9) | 1.6 (34.9) | 0.2 (32.4) | −1.9 (28.6) | −1.8 (28.8) | −2.1 (28.2) | 0.4 (32.7) | 1.8 (35.2) | 3.7 (38.7) | 5.7 (42.3) | −2.1 (28.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 66.6 (2.62) | 70.3 (2.77) | 79.2 (3.12) | 32.2 (1.27) | 36.4 (1.43) | 65.2 (2.57) | 48.5 (1.91) | 42.0 (1.65) | 47.4 (1.87) | 56.8 (2.24) | 85.2 (3.35) | 86.8 (3.42) | 720.9 (28.38) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2mm) | 8.6 | 8.5 | 10.2 | 8.6 | 9.2 | 13.4 | 11.4 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 9.2 | 9.8 | 10.6 | 115.3 |
| Source:Bureau of Meteorology[16] | |||||||||||||
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.
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