Quick Facts
Narrandera's Historic Walk
Antiques corner, an old residence in Narrandera
Parkside Cottage Museum
Hankinson ceramic fountain
Lake Talbot Holiday and Aquatic Centre
The Bundidgerry Walking Track
Flora in the area
John Lake Centre
Galore Hill
MIA Forest Drive
Other Activities in the area
Don't Miss
Special Events in Narrandera
Tourist Information Centre
- The town has been declared an Urban Conservation Area by the
National Trust. - Bushranger Mad Dog Morgan is said to have hidden in caves in the area.
- 562 km south-west of Sydney, population 4,650.
Narrandera's Historic Walk
A pamphlet outlining a walk that takes in the town's heritage buildings
is available from the visitor's centre in Narrandera Park, on the Newell
Highway.
The National Australia (formerly CBC) Bank at the corner of
East St and Twynam St is a two-storey building of rendered masonry with a detached kitchen, coach house and stables at the rear. Built in 1884 the delicate iron lacework decoration is particularly pleasing. At the
same corner is the red-brick Federation-style post office, erected in
1900 with terracotta roof and some inappropriate extensions.
The site of the courthouse and police station (c.1900), at the corner of
Larmer and Cadell Sts, includes the former police station (now the
inspector's residence), cell block and outbuilding, constructed c. 1870.
The railway station and stationmaster's residence (c.1885) are in
Whitton St.
The town's old hotel buildings are the Royal Mail Hotel (1868) at 137
East St (the exterior has been altered and for the worst though the
interior is
substantially the same), the Narrandera Hotel at East and Larmer, and the Star Hotel. Although erected in the 1860s the Narrandera Hotel (largely unaltered) was initially called the Railway Hotel based
on the expectation that the railway, when it did arrive, would pass
through the southern part of the town, but the floods of 1870 made it
clear that the railway would have to be situated on higher ground. Hence
the Star Hotel, at Whitton and Arthur Sts, was built adjacent the
station when it did arrive and was also called the Railway Hotel. The
present building was erected in 1916 and is now a guest house. The old
wooden bridge on the Newell Hwy, at the southern end of town, was built in 1886.
Antiques Corner, an old residence in Narrandera
In addition to the visitor's centre, which has the 'Big (nearly 6 m)
Playable Guitar' out the front, the Narrandera Park and Miniature Zoo
has Aboriginal Canoe Trees, Queensland Bottle Trees, playground
equipment, electric barbecues, toilets, birds and animals, and the Tiger
Moth Memorial. The latter is an actual Tiger Moth aeroplane which is a
tribute to the World War II trainee pilots who received elementary
instruction on these planes in Narrandera between 1940 and 1945.
Parkside Cottage Museum
Adjacent the park, on the highway, is the Parkside Cottage Museum
(02-6959 1372), housed in a century-old building. The museum has a
number of interesting pieces but the most famous are the MacArthur Opera Cloak, a cloak made from the first bale of wool ever sent to England by
the MacArthur family in 1816. There is also a snow shoe and a wooden
snow ski from Scott's Antarctic Expedition, as well as period costumes,
shells, minerals and gemstones. It is open daily for a small admission
fee.
The Hankinson ceramic fountain in Memorial Park (East St) was made by
Royal Doulton. It is one of only two known to be in existence. The other
is in India. It was given to the people of Narrandera by Alderman and
Mrs Hankinson in 1922 in honour of those who served in World War I.
Antique Corner is located at 126 Larmer St and adjoins the historic Yo
Merry home.
Lake Talbot Holiday and Aquatic Centre
2 km south-east of town is the award-winning Lake Talbot Holiday and Aquatic Centre complex (02-6959 1211) with a 100-m waterslide, the
extra-steep Rampage Slide, a variety of pools, terraced lawns, barbecues
and waterskiing/boating facilities.
Lake Talbot Lookout, at the entrance to the Lake Talbot Caravan Park,
off Broad St, affords a scenic view of the lake and surrounds.
The Bundidgerry Walking Track
The Bundidgerry Walking Track also starts in Broad St, extending about
the lake and riverside. Maps are available from the information centre.
The reserve along the river has been declared a regeneration area for a
disease-free colony of koalas. The best time for a walk is early in the
morning when there is plenty of wildlife about - kangaroos, parrots,
currawongs, magpies, galahs, willie wagtails and kingfishers.
Adjacent the Lake Talbot complex, on Broad St, is the NSW Forest Tree
Nursery which sells seedlings for an enormous variety of native trees.
It s open weekdays (02-6959 1223). Pine Hill Nursery is situated in a
bush setting 5 km north-east of Narrandera on Harnett Rd (02-6959 1780).
Robertson Gladioli Farm, 8 km west, on Paynter Siding, offers group
tours by appointment (02-6959 2696).
The John Lake Centre is located at the Inland Fisheries Research Station
where the aquatic inhabitants of the inland river systems are studied in
an attempt to reverse the decline of native fish. For a small fee there
are tours, featuring displays and an audio-visual presentation at 10.30
on weekdays. It is located 6 km south-east of Narrandera on Buckingbong
Rd, off the Sturt Hwy (02-6959 1488). There are lawn and garden areas
with picnic and barbecue facilities.
Bushranger 'Mad Dog' Morgan is said to have hidden in the caves on the
northern side of Galore Hill, 16 km north. This 500-ha nature reserve
rises 200 m from an almost flat plain. It has birds, flowers and animals
aplenty and contains an arboretum of 1600 trees from 300 species. A road leads to the summit where there are picnic and barbecue facilities and
excellent views from the lookout tower.
The MIA Forest Drive lies to the west off the Narrandera-Leeton Rd. A
map is available from the visitor's centre. It passes through woodlands,
wildlife and the sandy freshwater beaches of the Murrumbidgee which are
nice spots for camping, swimming and fishing. The Yank and Columbia
Creeks, Gillenbah Lagoon, Lake Talbot and Yank Weird are also
recommended fishing spots.
Other Activities in the area
40 km south-east is Berembed Weird, built in 1910 to divert water from
the Murrumbidgee River into the main canal of the Murrumbidgee
Irrigation Area. There are barbecue and picnic facilities.
Narrandera also has a golf course, north of town, and hosts a number of
festivals. The Camellia Show is in August, the TREE-mendous Festival in
October, the Agricultural Show in September and the John O'Brien Folk
Festival in mid-March.
- The Big Playable Guitar at the Visitors Centre.
- NSW Governor John Macarthur's scarlet merino cloak at the
Parkside Cottage Museum. - Koala spotting in the Narrandera Koala Regeneration Reserve.
- Galore Hill, where Mad Dog Morgan is said to have hidden in the caves.
- The Hankinson ceramic fountain, made by Royal Doulton, in
Memorial Park. - Inhaling deeply at Lavande Aromatiques and sampling all things
lavender. - Looking a giant Murray Cod in the eye at the Fisheries Centre.
Special Events in Narrandera
January
- Narrandera Rodeo
- Zone 5 NSW Water Skiing Championships on Lake Talbot
March
- John O'Brien Bush Festival
Easter
- Earlies Car Club Rally
August
- Camellia Show
- Castor Oil Days
- National Cavy Show
September
- Agricultural Show and Championship Dog Show (RASKC
rules)
October
- Murrumbidgee Sheep Dog Trials
- 'Tree-mendous' Country Celebration
- Morundah Bush Picnic Races and Gymkhana
November
- Country Music Concert
- Morundah Carpathon
December
- Narrandera 'Lights Up' for Christmas
Narrandera Park Newell Hwy
Narrandera NSW 2700
Telephone: (02) 6959 1766
Facsimile: (02) 6959 2788
Email: tourist.centre@narrandera.nsw.gov.au
Web:www.narrandera.nsw.gov.au