Mungindi

Mungindi is a town on the border between the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland. It belongs to the Moree Plains Shire Local Government Area in Queensland, but with 2406 has a zip code of New South Wales. The Carnarvon Highway runs through Mungindi and the Barwon River, a river on the border between the two states, flows through the city. At the last census in 2006 had 626 inhabitants Mungindi on the side of New South Wales. and 176 inhabitants on the side of Queensland

Geography

" Mungindi " means ' water hole in a river ' in the Gamilaraay language. The border runs right in the Barwon River at the center of the bridge, however, has no mark

The nearest major cities are Moree and St George. It is also near the following towns are: Weelmelah, Garah, Ashley and Boomi in New South Wales and Thallon, Dirranbandi and lever in Queensland.

Mungindi is a regional center for the processing of cotton, beef and wheat.

The city lies on both sides of the border, making it the only city in the southern hemisphere, which is separated by a border and on both sides of this limit has the same name. The Carnarvon Highway is the shortest road route from Sydney to Darwin.

Attractions

The One Ton Post was built to commemorate the end of two long and hard years of land surveying by John Cameron in 1881. It is located 5 km west of Mungindi where the boundary line of the middle of the river is different and 700 km runs along the 29 degree south latitude westward to the border of South Australia.

In the local history park in the outskirts of Mungindi there are many other attractions.

In the Neeworra Historical Site about 11 km southeast of the city on the Carnarvon Highway is the Neeworra Wine Shanty.

History

In the 1850s, were driven as cattle herds on both sides of the Barwon River, the ford was at Mungindi (slightly upstream from the present bridge ) to the main river crossing. Waterholes that reliably never dried up, and shaded pastures along the banks offered the stockmen ( Australian cowboy) pleasant deposits. The Aboriginesstamm the Gamilaroi held there been from of old their meetings from. The regular use of this cattle drive is already in mind to realize that in 1868 two major routes, one from St. George to Mungindi and were mentioned by Whyenbah about Dareel after Mungindi.

The trains of the stockmen and settlers who settled here, soon attracted to other people who supplied them with goods and services. The first of these service industries was a hotel and guest house. It was built in 1863 by Alexander Grant Walker on the south bank of the river. Walker was certainly driven by a pioneering spirit. At the age of 21, he came from Scotland to New South Wales, married in ' Murrurundi '' and settled with his wife in Moree, where they were among the first who acquired land there. They built a hotel in Frome Street, but after 12 months, they transferred the liquor license for their new hotel in Mungindi called The Green Hat - later Walker 's Hotel. For themselves, they built a farm with stables, which could also be used by hotel guests. The building stood on the Barwon River between today's car dealers North - Western Motors and Quinn's engine near the intersection, which at that time was located east of Garden Iceland. Walker acquired a plot of 16 hectares at the riverside.

Queensland in 1859 an independent colony of New South Wales and 1862, the new government a packhorse - mail route between Surat and Yarawa one. Some years there was a private postal service of Yarawa to Moree. This was later extended by Mungindi. 1865 prompted the quantity of transported mail the Postmaster General of Queensland, to send an inspector who recommended the appointment of postmaster Alexander Grant Walker.

About a year later, the new postmaster probably had to contend with the typical frustrations of an official in a border town: As postmaster of the city Mungindi (Queensland ) he was not allowed to take care of letters, which bore a postmark from New South Wales, and so he applied in 1867 successfully for the post of postmaster of the city Mungindi (New South Wales). In the following years, 43 clients were recorded in the post office list of Mungindi (Queensland ). Very few of them had family, but their number shows the need to for the store, the Walker operation at the time.

Opened in 1876, a branch of the Government Savings Bank of New South Wales at the post office of Mungindi (New South Wales). As in the same year, work began at the first bridge over the Barwon River, Walker recognized the advantages of a location of his store at the crossroads. Being in this year newly built shop was next to the present Old Police Station and then also next to the Customs House, which was operated until the formation of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1900.

Alexander Walker, which could be called the " founder of Mungindi ", died suddenly in 1878. His widow and family operated the post office, the store and the hotel to others. Later, Mrs. Walker was as Queen of Mungindi ' known. It is said that usually over 100 horses were tethered outside the hotel. If there was a dispute between the guests, they should have loosed the horses and chases with her ​​broom, and have been to this re-captured, the reason for the dispute was long forgotten and everyone was satisfied. Probably donated Mrs Walker after the establishment of the first police station on the side of New South Wales in 1882 no longer in this way law and order.

In the 1880s the traffic in the area led to the introduction of regular stagecoach service and in 1881 improved the opening of the telegraph office, the communication possibilities further. Apparently, the families soon followed the young men on the side of Queensland in 1885 found work in surveying the land, and the land was offered for sale. A plot of land behind the present hospital was reserved for the cemetery, but - if known - only two people were buried there.

1877 was reported on the side of New South Wales land for cattle driver warehouse and cattle troughs and 1884 also advertised in the newspapers. But on February 27, 1886 gave the governor -known:

" His Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council ... directed it to be Notified ... that portions of Crown Lands are a declared to be set apart as sites for the village of Mungindi and of suburban lands attached thereto. " ( His Excellency the Governor, ( ... ) announced as directed by the Parliament, (...) that parts of Crown land to be reserved for the settlement Mungindi and their subsequent suburbs).

Plots were measured after this proclamation, and on 24 January 1888 in Moree and the first land in Mungindi were auctioned for amounts between £ 11 and £ 46 10s. This first private land lay between North Street, Kunopia Street, Wirrah Street and Yarouah Street. 1890 was declared the village again after a parliamentary amendment Mungindi.

After the proclamation of the settlement Mungindi developed rapidly. Despite the devastating flood in 1890, which overthrew many families in existence needs and also Opuntia spread, which led to further losses, many new families in Mungindi, the small pieces acquired land that were sold after the dissolution of large estates appeared in 1884. On top of that, many traders and businessmen settled in Mungindi.

1891 asked the inhabitants of Mungindi (Queensland ) their government for deployment of police officers. 1894, a year after the school on the side of New South Wales an official primary school with an average of 30 students, was opened on the site of Queensland a temporary school for 22 students. In three years, the number of school-age children almost doubled. Around the turn of the century Mungindi had its own newspaper, a hospital, a doctor's office, a law office, two schools, two post offices, a brewery, at least four hotels, two police stations, each with three stationed policemen, two horses racing clubs, a P. & A. Society, two butchers, two hairdressers, two milliners land, a shoemaker, a saddlery, a bakery, a tailor shop, a sawmill, a pawnshop, a teacher for piano, violin and oil painting, four wage Joiner, a painter and decorator, a roofer and a tinsmith. For the approximately 250 inhabitants, there were many entertainment possibilities: Balls and dance festivals, exhibitions and shows, concerts and circus performances, as well as 14 - daily meetings of the literary and debating societies. In the ' Sportsman's Paradise ' there was fishing, cycling, horse racing, cricket, snooker and tennis.

Railway

Mungindi is the northern end of the Mungindi (or Northwestern ) railroad line and lies 798 km railroad from Sydney. The railway line was opened on 7 December 1914, and on January 5, 1974 after flooding of the tracks between Weemelah and Mungindi closed again The former station is now used as a private house.

Sources and links

• Commons: Mungindi (New South Wales) - collection of images, videos and audio files
• Commons: Mungindi (Queensland ) - collection of images, videos and audio files
• A History of Mungindi to 1988. Mungindi and District Historical Book Committee
• Queensland Places: Mungindi. University of Queensland