Fast facts
- This bustling town is the self-proclaimed Koala Capital of the World
- Situated amid the fertile black soil plains of the Namoi Valley
- 440 km north-west of Sydney, population 9,000
Why go there
The region’s beauty is said to have inspired much of Dorothea Mackellar’s poetry. The district has a booming wheat and cattle industry and is also blessed with a large and healthy koala population.
History
Prior to European settlement in the 1830s, the Kamilaroi Aboriginal people inhabited the Gunnedah area.
The township was named Gunnedah in about 1860, and it remained small until the arrival of the railway in 1879.
Since then, Gunnedah has developed into a thriving country town with one of the State's largest beef-cattle selling centres.
Things to do
- Go koala spotting around the town. Ask at the visitors centre for some pointers.
- Drive the Lions Town Tour, a self-guided, 45-minute tour of the town's points of interest.
- Step out on the Bindea Walking Track – walk the full 22 km or take one of the shorter loops.
- Wet a fishing line, or try your luck at windsurfing, powerboating or sailing on Lake Keepit.
Events
- Ag-Quip Field Days, in August, a huge agricultural trade show, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors to the area.
- Two Rivers Festival is an arts festival held every September.
Don’t miss
- A visit to the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Wing at the visitors centre.
- A Tuesday cattle sale at the Gunnedah Saleyards.
- Getting up close to native wildlife at Waterways Wildlife Park.
- The Red Kangaroo Memorial, which honours Cumbo Gunnerah, the great leader of the Gunn-e-darr people.
- Crossing the 150-degree East Meridian – the measuring point for Australian Eastern Standard Time.
- The firearms and farm machinery collection at the Gunnedah Rural Museum.
