Tumut(/ˈtjuːmət/)[2]is a town in theRiverinaregion ofNew South Wales,Australia,situated on the banks of theTumut River.
Tumut New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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All Saints Anglican Church, Tumut | |||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 35°18′17″S148°13′22″E/ 35.30472°S 148.22278°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 6,631 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 2720 | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 305.0 m (1,001 ft) | ||||||||||||||
Location | |||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | Snowy Valleys Council | ||||||||||||||
County | Wynyard | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Wagga Wagga | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Eden-Monaro | ||||||||||||||
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Tumut sits on the north-west foothills of theSnowy Mountainsand is located on the traditional lands of theWiradjuri,WolgaluandNgunnawalAboriginalpeoples.[3]
Tumut is often referred to as the 'gateway to the snowy'Snowy Mountains Scheme.The formerTumut Shirewas administered from offices located in the town. Tumut is approximately 410 kilometres (250 mi) south-west ofSydneyand 525 kilometres (330 mi) north-east ofMelbourne.
Tumut is home to a number of historic buildings, including an Anglican church designed byEdmund Blacketand a Courthouse designed byJames Barnet.Many of the pubs in the town have been in use from the mid to late 1800s.
Early settlers established many European deciduous trees throughout the area. The stand ofPoplars,ElmandWillow,amongst others, create a well renowned display of colour over autumn. Tumut celebrates this with the yearly Festival of the Falling Leaf.
Etymology
editThe wordTumutis derived from a possiblyWiradjuriindigenous wordfor the area, possiblydoo-maahtordoormat,meaning "a quiet resting place by the river".[4]
History
editThe area's rivers may have been the boundaries or connection-points of the threetraditional ownerslinked to this 'country'. During summertime, the high country was a meeting place for tribes, withBogong mothsbeing an abundant food source in the warmer months.[5]
British pastoralists began acquiring land in the area during the 1830s. In 1845, aCourt of Petty Sessionswas established at Tumut withFrederick Walkerappointed as the inaugural magistrate. Walker later became famous as the first commandant of theNative Policeforce based mostly inQueensland.[6]
Tumut Post Office opened 1 January 1849.[7]A public hospital opened in the town in 1900.[8]After many years of lobbying by the local community, construction of the railway line fromGundagaibegan in 1901, reaching Tumut by 1903 with the first train arriving on 2 December that year. A further extension was built toBatlowandKunamafrom a junction at Gilmore, a few kilometres southwest of Tumut. Train services were progressively reduced in the early 1980s before the final trains toCootamundraran in January 1984 before being suspended when flood damage to the line was deemed not economical to repair.[9]
Tumut was one of the ten areas short-listed in 1908 as a site for theAustralian Capital Territory.Other locations that were short-listed includeAlbury,Armidale,Bombala,Dalgety,Lake George,Lyndhurst,Orange,ToomaandYass-Canberra.[10]
The site of the new capital city would not have been the existing town of Tumut. It seems two sites near Tumut for a new city were proposed; one to the east of Tumut, at a site in the valley ofGoobarragandra River,which is now part of the localities ofLittle RiverandLacmalac,and another site between Tumut andAdelong,near Gadara, under which Tumut itself would have become a part of the new Federal Territory. Planning work occurred for both sites.[11][12][13][14]
An earlier vote following inspections of potential sites in 1902 saw the new FederalHouse of Representativesvote in favour of Tumut as the location for the capital, however theSenatefavoured Bombala so no consensus was reached.[15]When federal parliamentarians put the final decision to a series of nine elimination ballots, in October 1908, Tumut was eliminated in the fifth ballot.[16]
The town'srugby leagueteam competed in the RiverinaMaher Cupcompetition, beginning as a fixture between teams from Gundagai and Tumut underrugby unionrules in 1920, before switching to league rules in 1921.
Climate
editTumut is considerably wetter than other low-lying towns on theSouth West Slopes,owing to its location at the immediate foot of theBrindabella Range.Warm to hot, dry summers (though with chilly nights) and cool, wet winters characterise its climate. Occasionally, snow can occur during the winter months, with the most recent significant snowfall having occurred in August 2019, where snow covered the ground across the township.[17]Cold rain below 5 °C (41 °F) occurs with some regularity in the winter months. Under theKöppen climate classificationscheme, the town is located in transitional areas between thehumid subtropical(Cfa) andoceanic climates(Cfb). The town is rather sunny, featuring 113.2 clear days annually.
Rainfall records began in 1883 at Adelong (Tumut St), but temperature records not until 1907, and temperature extremes not until 1965. Temperature records ceased in 1994, but those of rainfall continued to 2020 before ceasing.
Climate data for Adelong (Tumut St, 1907–1994, rainfall 1883–2020); 333 m AMSL; 35.31° S, 148.06° E | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 42.6 (108.7) |
42.8 (109.0) |
41.1 (106.0) |
31.1 (88.0) |
26.1 (79.0) |
23.3 (73.9) |
23.0 (73.4) |
25.7 (78.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
33.3 (91.9) |
39.0 (102.2) |
40.3 (104.5) |
42.8 (109.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.7 (87.3) |
30.4 (86.7) |
27.3 (81.1) |
22.0 (71.6) |
17.2 (63.0) |
13.5 (56.3) |
12.5 (54.5) |
14.3 (57.7) |
17.8 (64.0) |
21.4 (70.5) |
25.2 (77.4) |
28.8 (83.8) |
21.8 (71.2) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.9 (55.2) |
13.4 (56.1) |
10.5 (50.9) |
6.3 (43.3) |
3.7 (38.7) |
1.6 (34.9) |
0.9 (33.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
3.7 (38.7) |
5.9 (42.6) |
8.5 (47.3) |
11.0 (51.8) |
6.7 (44.1) |
Record low °C (°F) | 2.5 (36.5) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
1.5 (34.7) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 54.2 (2.13) |
44.5 (1.75) |
56.4 (2.22) |
55.2 (2.17) |
67.6 (2.66) |
82.8 (3.26) |
81.0 (3.19) |
82.5 (3.25) |
71.0 (2.80) |
75.3 (2.96) |
60.8 (2.39) |
55.8 (2.20) |
790.4 (31.12) |
Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 5.4 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 11.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 10.2 | 9.0 | 7.0 | 6.3 | 98.6 |
Source:Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Adelong (Tumut St) |
Heritage listings
editTumut has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- Adelong Falls Gold Workings[18]
- Cootamundra–Tumut railway:Tumut railway station[19]
- 46 Russell Street:Montreal Community Theatre[20]
- Tumut Plains Road:Junction Bridge, Tumut[21]
- 82–84 Wynyard Street:Tumut Post Office[22]
Economy
editTumut is the centre of a softwood industry based on plantationPinus radiata.CarterHoltHarvey Woodproducts (Central and Northern Regions) Pty Ltd operate a major sawmill on Adelong Road (theSnowy Mountains Highway) and a chipboard panel factory next door. 8 km further west on the Snowy Mountains Highway at Gilmore the company also operates a sawlog processing plant.
TheVisypulp and paper mill is located north of the Snowy Mountains Highway at Gadara (between Tumut and Adelong). The Visy mill is the only paper mill owned by Visy that makes paper from wood (their other mills all use recycled paper as the raw material), and is one of the biggest wood mills in Australia.[citation needed]
Transport
editTumut is situated on theSnowy Mountains Highway,but is connected by secondary roads toGundagaias well as alternative routes toCanberraacross theBrindabella RangeviaBrindabella RoadandWee JasperRoad. Despite being more direct, the terrain and road conditions limit traffic via these routes. This has led to calls by thecounciland local businesses for funding to upgrade the Brindabella Road, as the increased traffic would provide the town greater economic opportunities.[23]
The town was served by arailway branch lineandrailway stationfromCootamundra,which operated from 1903 until 1984, when services were suspended due to flooding. Although the line is not formally closed, it is unlikely to see service again with sections of track lifted during upgrades to theHume Highwaynear Gundagai.[24][25]
NSW TrainLinkcoach services operate three times each week to Tumbarumba in the south, connecting with rail services to Melbourne and Sydney at Cootamundra three times each week.[26]
Tumut Shire operatesTumut Airport,a small facility located a few kilometres out of town catering togeneral aviation.Currently there are no scheduled services to the airport.
Sport
editThe Tumut Blues compete in theGroup 9 Rugby Leaguecompetition, winning premierships in 1949, 1973, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2019.[27]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1921 | 1,638 | — |
1933 | — | |
1947 | — | |
1954 | 3,012 | — |
1961 | 3,489 | +15.8% |
1966 | 4,278 | +22.6% |
1971 | 5,531 | +29.3% |
1976 | 5,569 | +0.7% |
1981 | 5,816 | +4.4% |
1986 | 6,099 | +4.9% |
1991 | 5,955 | −2.4% |
1996 | 5,915 | −0.7% |
2001 | 6,197 | +4.8% |
2006 | 5,925 | −4.4% |
2011 | 6,086 | +2.7% |
2016 | 6,154 | +1.1% |
2021 | 6,518 | +5.9% |
Source:Australian Bureau of Statisticsdata.[28][29] |
Notable people
edit- Ray Beavan– rugby league player
- Allan Butler– paralympian
- Kim Carr(born 1955) – is an Australian politician, a Senator for Victoria and former Minister of several departments[30][31]
- Reg Downing–Attorney General of New South Wales(1956–65)
- Cate FowlerAM – theatre producer, dramaturg
- David Johnson– former CEO ofCampbell Soup Company
- Tom Kirk– rugby league player
- Tony McRae– Member and Minister in Western Australian Parliament (2001–08)
- Tony Quirk– rugby league player
- John Ryan–Victoria Crossrecipient
- Sally Shipard– former international soccer player
- Rosie Waterland– author
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Australian Bureau of Statistics(28 June 2022)."Tumut (Suburbs and Localities)".2021 Census QuickStats.Retrieved24 November2024.
- ^Tumut.Melbourne: The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. 2005.ISBN1-876429-14-3.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^"Indigenous tribes map".Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved9 May2015.
- ^Reed, A. W.(1973).Place Names of Australia.Frenchs Forest:Reed Books Pty Limited.p. 214.ISBN0-589-50128-3.
- ^Horton, D."Welcome to Ngunnawal Country".National Capital Authority.Archived fromthe originalon 29 March 2015.Retrieved10 May2015.
- ^"HISTORICAL TUMUT".The Tumut Advocate And Farmers And Settlers' Adviser.Vol. VII, no. 433. New South Wales, Australia. 21 December 1909. p. 2 (Enlarged Edition).Retrieved10 March2019– via National Library of Australia.
- ^Premier Postal History."Post Office List".Retrieved11 June2009.
- ^"Medical".Archivedfrom the original on 18 May 2015.Retrieved10 May2015.
- ^"TUMUT BRANCH LINE OPERATIONS HISTORY".Gundagai Heritage Railway.Archivedfrom the original on 18 May 2015.Retrieved10 May2015.
- ^"BBC Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia UPDATE".Archivedfrom the original on 8 October 2007.Retrieved28 October2011.
- ^"TUMUT AS THE CAPITAL".Daily Telegraph.10 October 1903. p. 9.Retrieved19 March2021.
- ^"General plan of country surrounding suggested Federal Capital site in the locality of Tumut, N.S.W. No. 15 [cartographic material]: shewing approximately city site, proposed water supply, railways, &c".Trove.Retrieved19 March2021.
- ^"Sketch map showing proposed Federal Territory and capital site at Tumut [cartographic material]: Parishes of Adelong, Calafat, Gadara, Gilmore, Minjary, Tumut, Werebolder & Wondalga, County of Wynyard N.S.W., 1900".Trove.Retrieved19 March2021.
- ^"Skeleton plan, shewing approximately catchment area in connection with sources of water supply for proposed Federal Capital site at Gadara".Trove.Retrieved19 March2021.
- ^Pegrum, R."The Siting and Naming of Canberra".National Capital Authority.Archived fromthe originalon 29 March 2015.Retrieved10 May2015.
- ^"CAPITAL SITE".Argus.9 October 1908.Retrieved27 January2022.
- ^"Snow covering Tumut".10 August 2019.Retrieved23 August2024.
- ^"Adelong Falls Gold Workings/Reserve".New South Wales State Heritage Register.Department of Planning & Environment.H00072.Retrieved18 May2018.Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence.
- ^"Tumut Railway Station group".New South Wales State Heritage Register.Department of Planning & Environment.H01273.Retrieved18 May2018.Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence.
- ^"Montreal Community Theatre and Moveable Heritage Collection".New South Wales State Heritage Register.Department of Planning & Environment.H01909.Retrieved18 May2018.Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence.
- ^"Junction Bridge".New South Wales State Heritage Register.Department of Planning & Environment.H01471.Retrieved18 May2018.Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence.
- ^"Tumut Post Office (Place ID 106198)".Australian Heritage Database.Australian Government.Retrieved15 September2018.
- ^"Tourism operator pushes for Brindabella upgrade".Australian Broadcasting Corporation.21 August 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 18 May 2015.Retrieved8 May2015.
- ^Bozier, Rolfe; et al."Tumut Branch".NSWrail.net.Archivedfrom the original on 1 April 2015.Retrieved9 May2015.
- ^The Rise & Fall of the Cootamundra - Tumut Branch LineAustralian Railway Historical Society Bulletinissue 648 October 1991 pages 238-247
- ^"New South Wales Trainlink Southern Timetable".Transport for NSW.7 September 2019.Retrieved22 October2019.
- ^"First Grade Premiership Winners & Runner Ups".Fox SportsPulse.Retrieved10 May2015.
- ^"Statistics by Catalogue Number".Australian Bureau of Statistics.Retrieved8 January2024.
- ^"Search Census data".Australian Bureau of Statistics.Retrieved8 January2024.
- ^"Second Rudd Ministry"(PDF).Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.Commonwealth of Australia.1 July 2013.Retrieved3 July2013.[permanent dead link ]
- ^Second Rudd Ministry
External links
editMedia related toTumutat Wikimedia Commons