Crookwell, New South Wales

Crookwell is a small town located in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, in the Upper Lachlan Shire.[2] At the 2016 census, Crookwell had a population of 2,641.[1] The town is at a relatively high altitude of 887 metres and there are several snowfalls annually, especially during the winter months. The nearest major centre is the city of Goulburn which is about a half-hour drive to the south-east of the town. Crookwell is easily accessible to the state capital of Sydney and also the federal capital of Canberra.

Crookwell
New South Wales
Crookwell
Crookwell
Coordinates34°27′0″S 149°28′0″E
Population2,641 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)2583
Elevation887 m (2,910 ft)
Location
LGA(s)Upper Lachlan Shire
RegionSouthern Tablelands
CountyKing
ParishCrookwell
State electorate(s)Goulburn
Federal Division(s)Hume
Localities around Crookwell:
Binda Laggan Laggan
Lost River Crookwell Roslyn
Grabben Gullen Bannister Pejar

Most employment is based on rural industries, and the district is renowned for potato farming. Crookwell is also home to what was NSW's first wind farm, which consists of 8 turbines, and is located a few kilometres out of town on the road towards Goulburn.

A railway once connected Goulburn and Crookwell, which opened in 1902, but passenger services to Crookwell station ceased in 1974,[3][4] and the last goods train ran in 1985. The line is technically not closed, but has been listed as out of use, and in some locations is now impassable.

History

The first Europeans known to be in the area were the exploratory party of surveyor James Meehan which camped 1 km south of present-day Grabben Gullen (12 km south-west of Crookwell). John Oxley passed to the north and east later that same year. Crookwell was originally known as "Kiama".[5] The area around Crookwell was first settled in the 1820s, and had received its current name by the 1860s. After this, selection of blocks occurred; and the population of was over 100 by midway through that decade. The first allotments were sold at the end of the decade. By the mid-1870s the population had already reached 1000 people.[6]

During the Second World War, iron ore was mined—about six miles by road from the town—and railed to Port Kembla.[7][8][9]

Heritage listings

Crookwell has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Population

In the 2016 Census, there were 2,641 people in Crookwell. 85.8% of people were born in Australia and 91.4% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 34.9%, Anglican 30.1%, No Religion 14.3% and Uniting Church 7.8%.[1]

Governance

Crookwell is the seat of the Upper Lachlan Shire Council local government area (LGA) of New South Wales, Australia, formed in 2004.

Transport

Crookwell is approximately 2.5 hours drive from Sydney via Goulburn, and 1.5 hours from Canberra. Other than the main road to Goulburn, minor roads link Crookwell with Bathurst, Boorowa, Grabben Gullen, Laggan, and Taralga.

Crookwell railway station is the terminus of the now disused Crookwell railway line.

Crookwell has a small unpaved airstrip approximately 5 km south of the town.[11]

Climate

Owing to its western location and high altitude, snow falls frequently during the winter months, with its snowfall often exceeding that of higher towns in the Central Tablelands (such as Oberon)—owing chiefly to Crookwell's more southerly latitude, likewise better exposure to snow-bearing westerly fronts. Summers are warm and dry, with many severe thunderstorms. Winters are cold and wet; during westerly cold fronts, daily maximum temperatures struggle to exceed 3 °C (37 °F).

Climate data for Crookwell Post Office (1916–1975); 887 m AMSL; 34° 27′ 28.08″ S
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 38.0
(100.4)		 37.9
(100.2)		 32.8
(91.0)		 28.3
(82.9)		 27.2
(81.0)		 17.8
(64.0)		 18.5
(65.3)		 20.6
(69.1)		 26.7
(80.1)		 29.4
(84.9)		 36.6
(97.9)		 35.6
(96.1)		 38.0
(100.4)
Average high °C (°F) 26.5
(79.7)		 25.9
(78.6)		 23.6
(74.5)		 18.4
(65.1)		 13.9
(57.0)		 10.3
(50.5)		 9.5
(49.1)		 11.0
(51.8)		 14.7
(58.5)		 18.3
(64.9)		 21.4
(70.5)		 25.0
(77.0)		 18.2
(64.8)
Average low °C (°F) 10.7
(51.3)		 10.7
(51.3)		 8.8
(47.8)		 5.0
(41.0)		 2.3
(36.1)		 0.6
(33.1)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 0.3
(32.5)		 2.1
(35.8)		 4.6
(40.3)		 6.7
(44.1)		 9.0
(48.2)		 5.0
(41.1)
Record low °C (°F) 2.5
(36.5)		 3.9
(39.0)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 −2.9
(26.8)		 −7.2
(19.0)		 −8.3
(17.1)		 −9.2
(15.4)		 −7.2
(19.0)		 −5.0
(23.0)		 −3.3
(26.1)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 0.6
(33.1)		 −9.2
(15.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 69.7
(2.74)		 54.5
(2.15)		 57.9
(2.28)		 57.8
(2.28)		 65.6
(2.58)		 88.9
(3.50)		 83.9
(3.30)		 88.8
(3.50)		 74.9
(2.95)		 76.3
(3.00)		 65.9
(2.59)		 67.4
(2.65)		 851.6
(33.52)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 6.9 6.2 6.7 7.1 9.1 11.8 12.0 11.6 10.1 9.2 7.8 6.9 105.4
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Crookwell Post Office

Media

Radio stations

Radio stations with transmitters located in Crookwell include:

Depending on location some Goulburn, Illawarra, and/or Canberra based radio stations can also be heard. Eagle FM and 2GN are Goulburn based but licensed to serve towns in the Southern Tablelands including Crookwell. In order to reach Crookwell, both have transmitters which relay the Goulburn broadcast but on different frequencies to Goulburn.

Television

Crookwell has a low powered transmitter broadcasting ABC Television.

Residents wishing to receive a wider range of channels and in digital can attempt to receive signals from either Canberra (Black Mountain), or Orange (Mount Canobolas), although Crookwell is located in the fringe area of both transmitters.

Another option is to use the VAST free-to-view satellite service, which offers a similar range of channels.

Newspaper

The local newspaper, the Crookwell Gazette has been published since 1885.

Notable People

Notable people include Kellie_White and Emily Smith (Hockeyroos Captain), who both played for the Hockeyroos in international competition, Mary Douven, a notable community volunteer who gave her time to help the local sporting communities and church groups, who unfortunatley passed away in 2020 one year to the day after her husband Theo Douven, who was a long term employee of the local Upper Lachlan Shire Council.

  • Town entry sign
  • Scout Hall
  • Bluestone building
  • Disused railway station
  • Sunburst façade
  • Trompe l'oeil on shop wall

See also

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Crookwell (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  2. "Crookwell". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  3. Scrymgeour, R. A History of the Goulburn- Crookwell Line. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin. Vol 48, no 721. November 1997.
  4. Crookwell station. NSWrail.net, accessed 21 August 2009.
  5. "Crookwell". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004. Archived from the original on 19 September 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  6. A Snapshot of Crookwell's History Archived 22 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Upper Lachlan Shire Council, accessed 20 September 2011.
  7. Anonymous (21 June 2015). "A Snapshot of Crookwell's History". www.upperlachlan.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  8. "IRON ORE". Goulburn Evening Post (NSW : 1940 - 1954). 26 March 1942. p. 3. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  9. "IRON ORE". Yass Tribune-Courier (NSW : 1929 - 1954). 12 January 1942. p. 1. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  10. "Crookwell Railway Station and yard group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H01124. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  11. YCRL – CROOKWELL (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 05 Nov 2020
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