Gilgandra, NSW

Gilgandra is a town located in the central west region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located on the junction of the Newell, Oxley and Castlereagh highways and can be reached in about six hours by car from Sydney. The town is the administrative seat for the Gilgandra Shire Council.

Like Coonabarabran, Gilgandra can be considered to be a gateway to the Warrumbungles National Park. The population, according to the 2006 census, was around 2,679 people. The name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "long waterhole" and may be related to fact that town stands on the Castlereagh River.

History

The town was proclaimed in 1888, and the first town blocks were sold in 1889. The area had been previously settled and Gilgandra’s Post Office was established in 1867 and in 1881 a local school opened, and the first court hearing in the Gilgandra court house was in 1884. The shire was constituted in 1906.*

During World War I, a recruitment march to Sydney began in Gilgandra. The march was known as the Coo-ee March, after the distinct call of "cooee" they shouted at each town along their journey to attract recruits. Twenty-six men left Gilgandra on 10 October 1915. They were feted at each town on the route and recruitment meetings were held. By the time they reached Sydney just over one month later on 12 November, the numbers had swelled to 263 recruits.