The town of Walgett, the gateway to the opal fields, is situated in the Far North West of NSW, where the Namoi meets the Barwon River. Walgett has a population of 2300, of which 60% are Aboriginal descent. The Walgett Shire Covers an average of 90 km radius, dissected by many meandering rivers. Walgett, being the corner of the pastoral district and known for inventing and using the first shearing machine, invented by Wolseley in 1877, also relies heavily on the wheat and cotton harvests each year. Tourism is the backbone of this area as Walgett is situated on a major highway to Queensland. Many tourists stop in the Walgett Shire area to discover the Macquarie Marshes, catch prize fish, fossick in the opal fields, soak in the artesian bath's, or just for the wool festival and the Gem and Opal Expo.
'Been There Before ...
Banjo Paterson - Sydney or the Bush - late 1880's ...There came a stranger to Walgett town,
To Walgett town when the sun was low,
And he carried a thirst that was worth a crown,
Yet how to quench it he did not know;
But he thought he might take those yokels down,
The guileless yokels of Walgett town.
They made him a bet in a private bar,
In a private bar when the talk was high,
And they bet him some pounds no matter how far
He could pelt a stone, yet he could not shy
A stone right over the river so brown,
The Darling river at Walgett town.He knew that the river from bank to bank
Was fifty yards, and he smiled a smile
As he trundled down, but his hopes they sank
For there wasn't a stone within fifty mile;
For the saltbush plain and the open down
Produce no quarries in Walgett town.The yokels laughed at his hopes o'erthrown,
And he stood awhile like a man in a dream;
Then out of his pocket he fetched a stone,
And pelted it over the silent stream --
He had been there before: he had wandered down
On a previous visit to Walgett town.ABOUT WALGETT
For the students of history, the district of Walgett is most interesting. Records suggest that the first white man into the Walgett area was Captain Charles Sturt in February, 1829 as he explored the Castlereagh River and ventured into the area. Prior to that John Oxley was known to be in the region, but most probably much further south.
One early name associated with the settlement of the area was that of Henry Bailey who may have occupied 'Walchate' (as it was then known). This was the name given to the pastoral area (or 'run') that was described as a 32,000 acre area capable of running just 300 cattle. This was around the mid to late 1840's.
Settlement followed until the town of Walgett was proclaimed in March of 1885. In this era, the township was served by paddle steamers, used to carry the produce of the area - wool, wood, dried fruit and livestock. These steamers travelled the Murray-Darling River system during this period and provided the main transport to the area.
In 1877, Frederick Wolsley started to experiment with mechanical shearing devices, having decided that the existing method of hand shearing was inadequate and needed a major overhaul. Patent for this machine, developed in his blacksmith's shop on his property Euroka, was granted in March of 1877. The machine was a huge success, spreading rapidly throughout the whole country. Relics of this era can still be seen on the property.
The Walgett Mail was the first newspaper to be published in the region and commenced publication in 1879, its publisher being a man named George Cohen. The town also boasted its own brewery (run by a Mr. Skinner) until around 1910.
In 1906, the local government act (of the same year) proclaimed an area in the region as the Walgett Shire
The railroad finally arrived in Walgett in 1908 and this brought about many changes.
Walgett was also the gathering place of many of the areas aboriginal tribes. The natives came from near and far to participate in the many corroborees that featured in their way of life, a tradition sadly no longer practiced.
A large number of aboriginals still occupy the township, the Namoi Reserve and the Gingie Reserve.
Fishing is one of the many attractions in the area with the records showing a 250 pound cod being caught there in 1902 by three bridge workers. Murray Cod and Yellow Belly (Golden Perch) are the most sort after species and locals are willing to share their knowledge about the good fishing spots