Mandurama, New South Wales

Town in New South Wales, Australia

33°39′S 149°05′E / 33.650°S 149.083°E / -33.650; 149.083Population355 (2016 census)^[1]Established1839Postcode(s)2792Elevation662 m (2,172 ft)Location

263 km (163 mi) from Sydney
59 km (37 mi) from Bathurst

LGA(s)Blayney ShireState electorate(s)Bathurst Federal division(s)Calare

Mandurama is a village in the Blayney Shire, New South Wales, Australia. At the 2016 census, Mandurama and the surrounding area had a population of 355 people.^[1]

Geography

Mandurama is situated 259 kilometres (161 mi) west of Sydney, 59 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of Bathurst, and 47 kilometres (29 mi) northeast of Cowra on the Mid-Western Highway.

History

The site of the village and surrounding areas was home to the Wiradjuri people prior to settlement, and the name "Mandurama" is derived from their word for 'water holes'.^[2]

A prominent pastoralist, Thomas Icely, came to the colony in 1820 as a trader. In 1823 he received a land grant of 800 hectares (2,000 acres) at Saltram, in the Bathurst area. By 1831 Icely owned Coombing Park, and went on building up his acreage by purchase and further grant. By 1836 there were thirty convicts assigned to Icely's property and in September 1836 he asked the authorities for three more. Within a year he had 62 convicts at work at Coombing, assisting in the cultivation of 120 hectares (300 acres) and running sheep and cattle under two free overseers and was seeking five more convicts, but in 1839 the number had declined to fourteen in post, with a request for nine new assignees. Later Icely received a land grant of 3,440 acres (1,390 ha) which he called Mandurama. About 1870 part of Coombing Park (under the management of Thomas Icely's eldest son, Thomas Rothery Icely) was sold to John Fagan who named his station Sunny Ridge. The 60,000^{[clarification needed]} Sunny Ridge property originally included the Mandurama town site.

Mandurama was established in 1876 as a privately owned village for the workers of Thomas Icely's Coombing Park. A Post Office opened in 1876, followed by a school in 1877.^[3] Mandurama has since developed, along with nearby Lyndhurst into a modest service centre for the surrounding localities and farmland.

The Royal Hotel was established 1899.

Heritage listings

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

1521 Belubula Way: Cliefden^[4]
Cliefden Caves^[5]

Mandurama was also the central subject of the group of photographs known as the Mandurama Collection, now housed at the National Library of Australia.

Amenities

Mandurama has a general store and cafe; service station; a New South Wales Rural Fire Service station; primary school; number of churches; golf club; tennis court; hall, and hotel.

Attractions

Mandurama retains a number of historic buildings, including two former bank premises, a former primary school, the Lincoln Theatre, and the Belubula Lodge.

References

^ ^a ^b Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mandurama (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
^ "Mandurama". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
^ "Mandurama". Blayney Shire Local & Family History Group Inc. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^ "The Ben Hall Sites – Cliefden". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01827. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
^ "Cliefden Caves Area – Natural and Cultural Landscape". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01996. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.