Quirindi
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type = town
| name = Quirindi
| state = nsw
| image = Quirinditownfromlookout.JPG
| caption = View over Quirindi from a nearby lookout
| coordinates = {{coord|31|30|29|S|150|40|48|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief = 1
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in New South Wales
| pop =
| postcode = 2343
| elevation= 390
| dist1 = 346
| dir1 = NNW
| location1= Sydney
| dist2 = 68
| dir2 = SSW
| location2= Tamworth
| dist3 = 35
| dir3 = N
| location3= Murrurundi
| lga = Liverpool Plains Shire
| county = Buckland
| stategov = Upper Hunter
| fedgov = New England
| maxtemp = 24.6
| mintemp = 8.9
| rainfall = 684.1
}}
File:Quirindi, New South Wales.jpg
Quirindi ({{IPAc-en|k|w|ə|ˈ|r|ɪ|n|d|aɪ}} or {{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|r|ɪ|n|d|aɪ}})Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. {{ISBN|1-876429-14-3}} is a small town on the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, in Liverpool Plains Shire.
At the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Quirindi had a population of 2,602.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL115122|name=Quirindi (urban centre and locality)|accessdate=19 May 2024|quick=on}} It is the nearest link to Gunnedah to the northwest and Tamworth to the north. The local economy is based on agriculture, with broadacre farming dominant on the black soil plains to the west and livestock grazing in the hilly eastern part of the district.
The town is on the Kamilaroi Highway {{convert|15|km|mi}} northwest of its junction with the New England Highway at Willow Tree.
History
The indigenous Gamilaroi people lived in the area for many thousands of years. The name Quirindi comes from the Gamilaraay language, with a number of meanings having been attributed it, which include "nest in the hills", "place where fish breed" and "dead tree on mountain top".{{NSW GNR|id = ujjtZxxOKW|title = Quirindi|access-date = 3 August 2013}}{{cite web|title=Quirindi|url=http://www.heritageaustralia.com.au/search.php?state=NSW®ion=101&view=561|work=Historical Towns Directory|publisher=Australian Heritage|access-date=24 March 2013}} Early spellings of the name included "Cuerindi" and "Kuwherindi".
Quirindi Post Office opened on 1 January 1858.{{Cite web | last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | publisher = Premier Postal Auctions | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=NSW&country= | access-date = 2011-05-26}} The town was gazetted on 19 February 1884.
Heritage listings
Quirindi has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Climate
{{Weather box
|location= Quirindi Post Office
|metric first=yes
|single line= yes
|Jan record high C= 42.9
|Feb record high C= 43.4
|Mar record high C= 39.3
|Apr record high C= 36.0
|May record high C= 27.8
|Jun record high C= 26.4
|Jul record high C= 24.0
|Aug record high C= 28.0
|Sep record high C= 33.3
|Oct record high C= 37.4
|Nov record high C= 42.2
|Dec record high C= 41.8
|year record high C= 43.4
|Jan high C= 32.2
|Feb high C= 31.3
|Mar high C= 29.3
|Apr high C= 24.9
|May high C= 20.4
|Jun high C= 16.6
|Jul high C= 15.9
|Aug high C= 17.9
|Sep high C= 21.5
|Oct high C= 25.2
|Nov high C= 28.5
|Dec high C= 31.1
|year high C= 24.6
|Jan low C= 16.4
|Feb low C= 16.1
|Mar low C= 13.5
|Apr low C= 8.9
|May low C= 5.0
|Jun low C= 2.8
|Jul low C= 1.6
|Aug low C= 2.4
|Sep low C= 5.0
|Oct low C= 8.7
|Nov low C= 12.0
|Dec low C= 14.7
|year low C= 8.9
|Jan record low C= 5.0
|Feb record low C= 7.2
|Mar record low C= 2.2
|Apr record low C= -3.2
|May record low C= -5.0
|Jun record low C= -6.7
|Jul record low C= -6.7
|Aug record low C= -6.4
|Sep record low C= -2.6
|Oct record low C= -1.0
|Nov record low C= 2.0
|Dec record low C= 4.5
|year record low C= -6.7
|Jan rain mm= 81.1
|Feb rain mm= 65.9
|Mar rain mm= 53.3
|Apr rain mm= 41.9
|May rain mm= 44.5
|Jun rain mm= 50.9
|Jul rain mm= 48.4
|Aug rain mm= 45.1
|Sep rain mm= 46.5
|Oct rain mm= 60.1
|Nov rain mm= 65.4
|Dec rain mm= 80.5
|year rain mm= 684.1
|source 1 = Bureau of Meteorology{{BoM Aust stats|site_ref=cw_055049_All|site_name=Quirindi Post Office|access-date=13 April 2013|date=April 2013}}
}}
Sport
Quirindi sporting facilities include several sporting ovals catering for athletics, cricket (Falcons), rugby league (Quirindi Grasshoppers), rugby union (Quirindi Lions), soccer (Quirindi FC), basketball and netball.{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}} Other sporting complexes include the racecourse, polo grounds, rodeo, campdrafting, an 18-hole golf course, two tennis clubs, three bowling greens, gun club and swimming complex.
= Local Teams/Events =
- Quirindi Falcons Cricket Club
- Quirindi Grasshoppers RLFC
- Quirindi Lions RUFC
- Quirindi FC
One major issue faced by Quirindi's sporting scene was the demise of the local rugby league club, the Quirindi Grasshoppers, who were in recess from 2017 until 2024. This has left the town without a team in its most popular sport, and forced local players to either travel to play for Murrurundi or Werris Creek, or give up the game they love entirely. The team will return to the Group 21 Rugby League competition in 2025, fielding reserve grade and women's tackle teams. The Grasshoppers have won premierships in 1929, 1947, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1981.
Quirindi Jockey Club plays host to seven race meetings each year including the Boxing Day Races which attracts thousands of people each year.
A motorcycle club is located {{convert|5|km|mi}} north-east of Quirindi on the Borah Creek Road, with a 1.2-kilometre motocross track named Stu Johnson Park.
Quirindi annual events
- Quirindi Rural Heritage Festival- 1st weekend in May
- Quirindi Show- September
- Boxing Day Races- December
- Prime Stock Show / Hook and Hoof- August
- Nick Tooth Memorial Rugby Tens Tournament
- Sunflowers on the Plains - January
{{Historical populations
|type= Australia
|1921|2231
|1933|2589
|1947|2628
|1954|2735
|1961|2790
|1966|2732
|1971|2877
|1976|2955
|1981|2851
|1986|2812
|1991|2830
|1996|2671
|2001|2537
|2006|2609
|2011|2580
|2016|2680
|2021|2602
|source=Australian Bureau of Statistics data.{{cite web |title=Statistics by Catalogue Number |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ViewContent?readform&view=ProductsbyCatalogue&Action=Expand&Num=2.2 |access-date=20 May 2024}}{{cite web |title=Search Census data |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/search-by-area |access-date=2 July 2024}}
}}
Surrounding towns
Werris Creek is {{convert|20|km|mi}} north of Quirindi, following the path of the explorer Thomas Mitchell.
Wallabadah is located {{convert|15|km|mi}} east of Quirindi on the New England Highway.
Spring Ridge is about {{convert|50|km|mi|-1}} west of Quirindi.
Transport
Quirindi railway station is located on the Main North railway line, {{convert|392|km|mi}} from Sydney. The station opened in 1877,[http://www.nswrail.net/locations/show.php?name=NSW:Quirindi&line=NSW:main_north:0 Quirindi Railway Station]. NSWrail.net. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
and continues to be served by daily rail services operated by a NSW TrainLink Xplorer train to and from Sydney and Armidale/Moree.
Quirindi Airport is the local airfield, though most commercial flights in the region use Tamworth Regional Airport.
Tamworth Buslines operates a bus service between Quirindi and Tamworth.{{Cite web |title={{!}} transportnsw.info |url=https://transportnsw.info/routes/details/tamworth-buslines/428/53428 |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=transportnsw.info}}
Notable people
- Ellen Savage, sole surviving nurse from the sinking of the AHS Centaur, advocate for career nursing
- Sir John Oscar Cramer, Australian politician and founding member of Liberal Party
- Ben Smith, former Parramatta Eels NRL player
- Andy Saunders, former NRL player for Canterbury Bulldogs
- Tony Windsor, politician
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Wikivoyage-inline|Quirindi}}
{{Towns in Liverpool Plains Shire}}
{{Towns in New England}}
{{authority control}}