The Liverpool Plains Shire Council has strategic alliances with New England and Northwest Tourism. The Shire has taken the lead in developing the regional marketing plan and actively exhibits at consumer shows promoting the area. The Kamilaroi Highway which stretches from Willow Tree to Bourke is also actively supported by Council.
History
There have been several translations of the name Quirindi, which is derived from the Kamilaroi Aboriginal language, but the most appropriate is ‘nest in the hills’.
Explorer John Oxley first discovered the Liverpool Plains in 1818, however, settlement didn’t begin until about 1827 after the discovery of an access route through the Liverpool Ranges.
The town of Quirindi was officially established in 1856.
Australian Railway Monument
Werris Creek was the first railway town in New South Wales. It was built for the rail industry in the 1880s. However, rail usage in the North West and New England declined and after the 1970s many jobs were lost and the town entered an economic downturn.
The local community and the Liverpool Plains Shire Council wanted to turn around this decline by creating a cultural facility based on the town’s railway history.
Following lobbying by local community members, the heritage office of State Rail established the Australian Railway Monument at Werris Creek.
The monument, selected from a number of options by the community lists the names of all workers who have lost their lives on the railways, and includes sculptures of railway workers by Dominique Sutton.
To accompany the monument a group of local volunteers established a museum in the former refreshment rooms of Werris Creek station.
The collection of artifacts and memorabilia included rare and valuable documents and photographs. The collection had been catalogued, but not assessed for significance. Funding was obtained from the Australian Tourism Development Program and Council to employ professionals from the Australian Museum to design the new Rail Journeys Museum.
Opened in 2005 by the Deputy Premier of NSW, the museum tells the history of Werris Creek and the importance of rail to the emerging nation. It now attracts more than 10,000 visitors per annum.
The families of railway workers have a memorial to loved ones who lost their lives, and those with an interest in the history of Australian rail are drawn to the fascinating collections. But it is the knowledge and experience of the 44 volunteers that takes the experience beyond its physical exhibits. The volunteers, many of them retired railway workers, are passionate about their role and gain great satisfaction from making a contribution to the community.
The Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum has won and been a finalist in several awards for conservation, tourism, community partnerships and cultural infrastructure.
The museum provides rewarding involvement for 44 volunteers and a boost to the local economy with the souvenir shop generating more than $30,000 in sales per annum.
Werris Creek now has a cultural facility of national importance which is a source of great pride for local residents.
Upgrade for Royal Theatre
The 1930 Royal Theatre and adjoining Open Air Theatre received over $600,000 in grants from State and Federal Governments and BHP Billiton to undertake works to upgrade its use as a cinema and other theatrical activities.
The Royal theatre is located in the heart of the Quirindi CBD, close to rail, bus and main transport routes and is within easy walking distance for many local residents living in Quirindi.
The Royal Theatre is one of three remaining indoor/outdoor theatres still operating and this is seen as an attraction for visitors to experience what it was like in the early days of cinema.
It will be an active community space that provides a cultural experience to the local community and visitors to the Shire by delivering cinema, theatre, function venue and a museum.
The Theatre houses the largest collection of cinema projection equipment and paraphernalia in New South Wales.
The Powerhouse Museum is enthusiastic about several items in the collection and believes they are of great historical significance to Australia.
The Royal will initially be managed and operated by volunteers under the auspice of a Section 355 Committee known as the Royal Theatre Committee which will include staff and Councillor representatives. Some productions already booked for the Royal Theatre include Cosi and Driving Miss Daisy.
First Fleet Gardens at Wallabadah
The award winning First Fleet Memorial Garden is a tribute to the European settlers who began what is now modern Australia. The garden features extracts from the logs of actual participants describing the early history of the colony and the treacherous voyage to Australia.
Hand carved tablets, by master stonemason Ray Collins, list the names of passengers, the crew, convicts, and civilians who travelled on the 11 ships of the First Fleet.
Visitors can read of the tales from those who were on the voyage and explore the list of livestock and provisions that were brought such as: “504 sawfiles, 30 boxes of rulers, 589 women’s petticoats, 12 bags of rice…”
After walking around the gardens, many take up the opportunity to picnic under the graceful stand of Australian native shea oaks adorning the banks of the Quirindi Creek. Picnic facilities including barbeques, children’s play area, and amenities are all easily accessible. The gardens are open each day from sunrise to sunset.
Facts
- Quirindi is known as the ‘Gateway to the North West’
- Quirindi is the heart of the Liverpool Ranges, the town is rich in rural heritage
- Quirindi is 354 kilometres north west of Sydney and has a
population of 3,000
The Liverpool Plains are regarded as the richest agricultural area in New South Wales, supporting everything from olive plantations to rolling fields of sunflowers. Visitors can experience authentic rural life at one of several farm stays in the area.
