|
| The Post Office in the
main street of Junee |
Junee (including Illabo and Bethungra)
Old railway town in southern New South Wales.
Junee is a rural town of about 4000 people located on the
Olympic Way 41 km north-east of
Wagga Wagga, 53 km south-west of
Cootamundra, 444 km south-west of Sydney and 320 metres
above sea-level.
Junee retains a rather old-fashioned air due to its
awnings, verandah posts, hitching rings, old-style buildings
and wide streets (notably Broadway). Historically, Junee was
a major railway centre and the railway line still runs
adjacent and occasionally across the main road, straight
through the CBD. However, the decline of rail services in
country NSW has meant the virtual extinction of the railways
as a force in the local economy.
Junee is situated within a district given over to
agricultural and pastoral industries. The shire is the
state's largest producer of canola while wheat, oats,
barley, triticale, pasture seeds, lamb, wool, fat lambs,
olives and deer also make contributions to the local
economy. Junee has also profited financially from the
construction of the state's first high-tech and privately
operated correctional centre which houses some 750 inmates.
Employment is also provided by an abattoir, rural produce
and supply stores, seed and fertiliser merchants, local
builders, engineering works and a hospital.
Prior to white settlement the area was occupied by the
Wiradjuri Aborigines. It is widely accepted that 'junee' is
a Wiradjuri word meaning 'speak to me'. The 'Jewnee'
pastoral run was established in the 1840s. A post office
opened in 1862 and a village called 'Jewnee' was gazetted in
1863 on the wool road to Sydney. That same year, Ben Hall's
bushranging gang, who were very active in the area, raided
the village. Hall, Johnny Gilbert and John Vane held up
Hammond's store while Michael Burke and John O'Meally bailed
up Williams' Pub. Members of 'Blue Cap's' gang also raided
an hotel at Jewnee in 1867.
In 1866 the population of the village was recorded as
twelve but the discovery of reef and alluvial gold in the
1860s increased interest in the area. The main sites - Old
Junee (to the west), Junee Reefs (to the north) and Illabo
(to the north-east) - were mined until c.1880.
Selectors began to take an interest in the area when the
route of the railway line from Cootamundra to Wagga Wagga
became known.
In 1876, grazier Christopher Crawley acquired 520 acres
upon which the railway would pass. He built the original
Hotel Junee (on the site of the present Hotel Junee) and a
general store to serve the railway navvies. Some sources
claim he also built and sold houses to the railway workers.
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| A train passes through
Junee |
In 1878 the railway arrived, though it passed 6 km east
of the established village to take advantage of the flatter
ground. A new settlement began to gather around the track
and, presumably, around Crawley's store and hotel. This
stimulated local selection and development as it meant
greatly enhanced regional access to the major market
centres. In 1880 the railway sheds and workshops of Wagga
Wagga were removed to the new site and a railway station was
built in 1881. Initially known as Junee Junction, it was
renamed 'Loftus' in 1883 after the current governor of NSW
but was gazetted in 1885 as Junee in accordance with local
usage. The town soon became one of the state's most
important railway centres and it benefited from the
consequent need for accommodation and railway repair
facilities. Local government was established in 1886 and a
courthouse was built in 1890.
In 1952 the largest wheat terminal in the Southern
Hemisphere was built at Junee. Of more interest to the
general public is the fact that Junee was the birthplace of
Rugby League player Laurie Daly.
The Junee Professional Rodeo is held in February, the
Monte Cristo Charity Ball in September and the Agricultural
Show in October. The Illabo Country Music Stampede is held
at Illabo in April.
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Junee
