Australia So Much to See
New South Wales - The Bogan Way to Tullamore and Tottenham
Roy Bell's Touring Stadium. The Bell family, now coming into the fourth generation of attending shows in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory with their touring boxing tent, since 1924.
This old sideshow equipment was outside two adjoining
derelict old buildings, which must have been a base for some of the showground attractions.
The area known as Tullamore was first settled as "Bullock Creek" in 1870. The post office opened under that name in 1890. It
was then renamed Gobondery. In 1895 Jim Tully, whose family came from Tullamore in Ireland, built a hotel and called it "Tullie's
Exchange Hotel". The Kerley family, also from the Tullamore area in Ireland, settled on a nearby property and called it Tullamore
Station. It is believed that the town obtained its name from this property. The post office was officially renamed "Tullamore"
in 1895.
Many Irish born settlers moved into the area in the 1900’s and today up to 80% of the community retain Irish family
connections.
As we neared the Mitchell Highway, tufts of cotton on the roadside indicated we were reaching a cotton growing area. We crossed
a concrete irrigation channel, with flatter land utilising this irrigation system to grow cotton. Despite the Bogan river
having flooded the town of Nyngan in the past, it is not a reliable source of water. Much of the water to the Nyngan and Dubbo
areas comes from the Burrendong Dam on the Macquarie River, around 250 kilometres south east of Nyngan, to the south east of Wellington.
Burrendong Dam is one of the largest inland dams in New South Wales, being three times the size of Sydney Harbour. The dam’s
surface area when full is equal to nearly 10,000 football fields, and its wall is taller than a 25-storey building. Recent years
have seen the water supply very low.
Both the Bogan and the Macquarie Rivers flow north to meet the Darling River to the west
and east of Brewarrina, with the Macquarie River first flowing through the Macquarie Marshes which we will visit later.
The small town of Tottenham is at the end of a railway line from Bogan Gate, completed in 1916.
The village of Tottenham
was established as a result of the discovery of copper in the early 1900s. The Tottenham Post Office opened in 1907. The
town now depends on a large diverse agricultural industry for its economic sustainability. Tottenham lies in a wheat-growing
area.
With the Centre of New South Wales cairn being approximately forty kilometres by road west of the town, it can be reach
by travelling thirty five west on Warrah Road, then five kilometres south on Cockies Road. Tottenham is the nearest town to
the centre of New South Wales. The cairn that marks the geographical centre of New South Wales and was erected to commemorate
the nation's bicentenary in 1988. The cairn was constructed using slag from the old Mount Royal and the Bogan River Copper Mines.
The Rabbit Trap Hotel claims the largest rabbit trap in the world, displayed on the verandah roof. There is just the hotel and half a dozen houses in the tiny town, which is popular as an overnight stop.
Camping
Prices where known based on a site two people for one night, for a standard site.
Trundle Showground, water, power and amenities
$15 powered, $10 unpowered. Pay at hotel or hardware store.
Tullamore Showground, water, power, very well maintained amenities,
dump point, $20 powered, $12 unpowered. Pay at hotel, or use honesty box on site.
Albert Rabbit Trap Hotel two kilometres
off the Bogan Way via Dandaloo Road. Free parking across the road from this hotel, or $15 for a limited number of powered sites
with water. Public toilets and hot shower in the park. Pay at hotel and patronise them.
Tottenham Caravan Park,
serviced site and amenities $25 powered, $15 unpowered.
Bogan River bridge, Bullabadah locality. Forty kilometres north
of Tottenham, tracks towards river, south east side of bridge.
Nyngan, two caravan parks, free overnight parking in town centre
at Mid State Shearing Shed (with dump point, toilets and potable water tap), or out of town at Nyngan weir and pump station (two locations
for free unserviced camping, must be fully self contained including removal of all grey water). Riverside Caravan Park $32 powered,
$28 unpowered. Nyngan Leisure and Caravan Park $25 powered.
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