Tumbarumba | |
|---|---|
 The Parade, Main street of Tumbarumba | |
  Tumbarumba | |
| Coordinates:35°47′0″S148°01′0″E / 35.78333°S 148.01667°E /-35.78333; 148.01667 | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | New South Wales |
| LGA | |
| Location |
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| Established | 1850s |
| Government | |
| • State electorate | |
| • Federal division | |
| Elevation | 645 m (2,116 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 1,862 (2016 census)[2] |
| Postcode | 2653 |
| County | Selwyn |
| Mean max temp | 19.8 °C (67.6 °F) |
| Mean min temp | 5.6 °C (42.1 °F) |
| Annual rainfall | 979.0 mm (38.54 in) |
Tumbarumba (/tʌmbəˈrʌmbə/[3]tum-bə-RUM-bə) is a town inNew South Wales, Australia, about 480 kilometres (300 mi) southwest of the state capital,Sydney. Tumbarumba is located in theSouth West Slopes region at the western edge of theSnowy Mountains. The2016 census showed the population of the town and surrounding area to be 1,862 people.[2] Locals refer to the town as 'Tumba'.
To the south and east, the highest peak of the Snowy Mountains and mainland Australia—Mount Kosciuszko—can be seen.
The Aboriginal history of the region is contentious. According to the map developed byTindale, the area that is now Tumbarumba lay at the boundary of the lands of theWiradjuri andWalgalu peoples. Since the Wiradjuri word for the 'Walgalu' was Guramal, meaning 'hostile men', presumably there was little in common between these peoples, who spoke different languages. The Walgulu spoke the sameNgarigo language as the more easterlyNgarigo people of the Monaro region,[4][5][6] and in more recent times these groups have been considered by some to be just one people, the Ngarigo, whose lands included Tumbarumba.[7] There are different views on the origin on the word 'tumbarumba' and whether it derives from the Wirajuri or Ngarigo language. Tumbarumba and surrounds now lie within the Brungle/Tumut Aboriginal Land Council Area.[8]
The settler community was established in the late 1850s after gold was discovered in the district. The Post Office opened on 1 August 1860 but was spelt Tumberumba until 1915.[9]
A railway branch line was opened to Tumbarumba in 1921. TheTumbarumba railway line ran from Wagga Wagga through Tarcutta. The service ceased in September 1974 and the line has since been officially closed.[10][11] The 21 km final section of the line betweenRosewood and Tumbarumba opened as the firstrail trail in NSW in April 2020.[12][13]
Gold mining petered out in the 1930s,[14] and the region's economy now depends on agriculture and tourism. The timber industry dominates the Shire's economy.
The nameTumbarumba may be derived from the sound of thunder.[15] or alternatively from theAboriginal words for "hollow sounding ground", "thunder", "sound" or "place of big trees".[16]
The major industry in the town is softwood timber processing, with theHyne and Sons Timber Mill to the west of the town being the biggest employer.[17] Other industries include tourism,viticulture (Tumbarumba is in theTumbarumba wine region), andblueberry growing. Tourism is a source of income due to its proximity to the snow fields.[18]
Tumbarumba has a temperateoceanic climate (Cfb), with a great seasonal range in maximum temperatures and a pronounced winter rainfall peak. Frosts are frequent throughout much of the year. Snow is fairly common, generally falling on about two days per annum, though is usually light due to the town's valley location. The lowest recorded temperature was −9.4 °C (15.1 °F) on 13 July 1970, and the lowest maximum temperature was 1.1 °C (34.0 °F) on 15 July 1966. The town gets 109.2 clear days annually, with the grand majority in summer and early autumn. The winters are often cloudy and damp.
Rainfall records commenced at Tumbarumba Post Office in 1885, however temperature records (both averages and extremes) didn't commence until 1965.
| Climate data for Tumbarumba Post Office (1965–2025, rainfall to 1885); 645 m AMSL; 35.78° S, 148.01° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 42.0 (107.6) | 40.5 (104.9) | 35.6 (96.1) | 32.5 (90.5) | 24.0 (75.2) | 19.2 (66.6) | 20.0 (68.0) | 22.0 (71.6) | 27.8 (82.0) | 31.5 (88.7) | 36.6 (97.9) | 39.0 (102.2) | 42.0 (107.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29.1 (84.4) | 28.5 (83.3) | 25.3 (77.5) | 20.2 (68.4) | 15.3 (59.5) | 11.9 (53.4) | 10.8 (51.4) | 12.4 (54.3) | 15.6 (60.1) | 19.7 (67.5) | 23.0 (73.4) | 26.3 (79.3) | 19.8 (67.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) | 12.1 (53.8) | 9.0 (48.2) | 5.1 (41.2) | 2.3 (36.1) | 0.3 (32.5) | −0.1 (31.8) | 0.9 (33.6) | 3.1 (37.6) | 5.3 (41.5) | 7.9 (46.2) | 9.9 (49.8) | 5.7 (42.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) | 1.9 (35.4) | −1.3 (29.7) | −4.1 (24.6) | −6.7 (19.9) | −8.0 (17.6) | −9.4 (15.1) | −8.1 (17.4) | −5.0 (23.0) | −5.5 (22.1) | −3.9 (25.0) | 0.1 (32.2) | −9.4 (15.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 64.7 (2.55) | 54.7 (2.15) | 65.9 (2.59) | 65.7 (2.59) | 82.1 (3.23) | 101.8 (4.01) | 103.5 (4.07) | 105.9 (4.17) | 90.1 (3.55) | 94.9 (3.74) | 77.3 (3.04) | 71.5 (2.81) | 978.1 (38.51) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 7.4 | 9.6 | 12.4 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 11.4 | 10.3 | 8.3 | 7.3 | 112.1 |
| Average afternoonrelative humidity (%) | 38 | 40 | 42 | 50 | 61 | 68 | 67 | 62 | 57 | 49 | 48 | 43 | 52 |
| Source:Australian Bureau of Meteorology[19] | |||||||||||||
Another site approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the north-west of Tumbarumba operated from 1938 to 1997, at the Carabost Forest Headquarters. There is a remarkable warming trend to be observed between the two sites; particularly in the winter months, where Tumbarumba Post Office averages 10.8 °C (51.4 °F) in July maxima, compared to just 9.1 °C (48.4 °F) at Carabost. A reduction in winter rainfall, but increase in summer rainfall, is noted. Carabost was of a somewhat lower altitude than Tumbarumba Post Office: a deficit of 65 metres (213 ft).
| Climate data for Carabost Forest Headquarters (1938–1969, rainfall 1938–1997); 580 m AMSL; 35.65° S, 147.80° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.2 (81.0) | 24.1 (75.4) | 18.7 (65.7) | 13.7 (56.7) | 10.8 (51.4) | 9.1 (48.4) | 10.8 (51.4) | 14.3 (57.7) | 18.0 (64.4) | 21.1 (70.0) | 25.4 (77.7) | 18.4 (65.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) | 11.2 (52.2) | 9.0 (48.2) | 5.6 (42.1) | 3.2 (37.8) | 1.7 (35.1) | 0.2 (32.4) | 1.7 (35.1) | 3.2 (37.8) | 5.5 (41.9) | 7.0 (44.6) | 9.0 (48.2) | 5.7 (42.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 56.4 (2.22) | 48.6 (1.91) | 61.2 (2.41) | 72.6 (2.86) | 96.4 (3.80) | 92.8 (3.65) | 112.5 (4.43) | 107.6 (4.24) | 84.4 (3.32) | 100.1 (3.94) | 70.5 (2.78) | 60.1 (2.37) | 966.5 (38.05) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 5.1 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 7.0 | 9.7 | 10.7 | 12.6 | 13.0 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 7.8 | 6.2 | 102.4 |
| Source:Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Carabost Forest Headquarters | |||||||||||||
The Tumbarumba Greens fieldrugby league teams in theMurray Cup competition. The club is notable for having a full team of Goldspinks playing in the 1960s. The club formerly competed in theGroup 13 Rugby League andGroup 9 Rugby League competitions before joining their current league.
TheTumbarumba KangaroosAustralian rules football club, founded in 1969, competes in the Victorian-basedUpper Murray Football League.
Tumbarumba travel guide from Wikivoyage
Media related toTumbarumba at Wikimedia Commons
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