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Peak Hill
New South Wales
Peak Hill; New South Wales
	Peak Hill - Town with a Heart of Gold
	Peak Hill
Coordinates	32°43′S 148°11′E / 32.717°S 148.183°E
Population	768 (2021 census)
Established	1889
Postcode(s)	2869
Elevation	285 m (935 ft)
Location	409 km (254 mi) W of Sydney ; 72 km (45 mi) SW of Dubbo ; 49 km (30 mi) N of Parkes ;
LGA(s)	Parkes Shire
State electorate(s)	Orange
Federal division(s)	Calare

Peak Hill is a town in Parkes Shire in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2021 census, Peak Hill had a population of 768.^[1] It is located on the Newell Highway and the Parkes to Narromine railway line.

History

Before the arrival of Europeans, the Peak Hill area was part of the Wiradjuri people's lands.^[3] In 1817, the explorer John Oxley and his party were the first Europeans in the region.^[3] In 1889, Gold was discovered in the area, and later that year Peak Hill was gazetted in November 1889.^[4] The Post office opened on 7 November 1889, and the Bureau of Meteorology's weather station began in 1965.^[5]^[6] The first public wheat silo built in Australia was constructed at Peak Hill in 1918 after government surveys indicated the district had great potential as a wheat-producing region.^[7]^[8]

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1921	1,078	—
1933	1,224	+13.5%
1947	1,144	−6.5%
1954	1,409	+23.2%
1961	1,451	+3.0%
1966	1,387	−4.4%
1971	1,258	−9.3%
1976	994	−21.0%
1981	1,037	+4.3%
1986	1,097	+5.8%
1991	981	−10.6%
1996	1,061	+8.2%
2001	965	−9.0%
2006	946	−2.0%
2011	755	−20.2%
2016	722	−4.4%
2021	768	+6.4%
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics data.^[9]^[10]

Agriculture

The district is also a renowned sheep producing area, particularly medium-woolled merinos. There are also five merino studs actively operating in the area, namely Cora Lynn, Genanegie, Towalba, Towonga and Westray. Rams from these studs have been sold throughout Australia, and they all have on-property hoggett ram sales in September, supplying commercial sheep breeders with high-quality young rams to breed from.^{[citation needed]}

Climate

Climate data for Peak Hill Post Office
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	44.5 (112.1)	46.0 (114.8)	39.7 (103.5)	36.0 (96.8)	28.2 (82.8)	24.7 (76.5)	23.4 (74.1)	28.4 (83.1)	35.9 (96.6)	39.0 (102.2)	43.8 (110.8)	42.9 (109.2)	46.0 (114.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	33.4 (92.1)	32.6 (90.7)	29.5 (85.1)	25.2 (77.4)	20.1 (68.2)	16.3 (61.3)	15.4 (59.7)	17.1 (62.8)	20.7 (69.3)	24.9 (76.8)	28.4 (83.1)	31.5 (88.7)	24.6 (76.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	19.4 (66.9)	19.3 (66.7)	16.5 (61.7)	12.4 (54.3)	8.7 (47.7)	6.1 (43.0)	4.8 (40.6)	5.7 (42.3)	7.9 (46.2)	11.5 (52.7)	14.6 (58.3)	17.4 (63.3)	12.0 (53.6)
Record low °C (°F)	7.4 (45.3)	7.8 (46.0)	4.3 (39.7)	1.5 (34.7)	−0.7 (30.7)	−2.5 (27.5)	−3.0 (26.6)	−3.6 (25.5)	−1.0 (30.2)	1.7 (35.1)	3.8 (38.8)	6.2 (43.2)	−3.6 (25.5)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	58.9 (2.32)	50.3 (1.98)	50.5 (1.99)	41.8 (1.65)	44.3 (1.74)	43.3 (1.70)	44.4 (1.75)	42.3 (1.67)	39.1 (1.54)	48.0 (1.89)	47.4 (1.87)	51.5 (2.03)	561.4 (22.10)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2mm)	5.2	4.9	4.7	4.4	5.8	7.5	7.6	6.9	6.2	6.4	5.4	5.3	70.3
Source: Bureau of Meteorology^[6]

Open Cut Mine

The Peak Hill Open Cut Experience is a self guided walk around the open cut mine. The walks follow signposted trails and the mine is fenced off for safety. Numerous information panels are located at the mines entry and long the paths at the various viewing platforms. A public toilet is located at the mine site. Relics from the early mining days are on display and the site is very popular with visitors of all ages.

Facilities

Peak Hill has a Catholic primary school St Joseph's, and a public central school.

Peak Hill has three motels, one hotel and two caravan parks. It also has a post office, RSL club, bowling club, golf club, cafes, antique shops, newsagency, supermarket, butcher shop, art gallery, book shop, hairdressers and beauty salons. There is a showground that has harness races and an annual agricultural show.^{[citation needed]}

Peak Hill offers many tourist attractions such as the open cut gold mine, flora and fauna reserve nature walk, Bogan Weir, Australia's first upright wheat silo, heritage listed hospital, arts and crafts, Big Fish fossil hut, and a unique street facade which takes visitors back in time.^{[citation needed]}

The local community operates a volunteer-run radio station: PeakHillFM89.5. The station provides a round-the-clock service of classic hits seven days per week.^[11]

Peak Hill styles itself as 'The Town With a Heart of Gold'^[12] to reflect its proximity to the goldmine, and lends its facilities as a base for tourists of Wiradjuri Country.

Silos

Peak Hill's central position in the New South Wales wheat belt may have been the reason why Peak Hill became the site for Australia's first upright bulk wheat silo in 1918.^[13] It was not until 1927 that the next stage, the six-bin silos and weighbridge complex, was completed at Peak Hill. In 1950 the construction of three additional 50,000-bushel bins was carried out and the bulkhead was completed in 1959.

After viewing the current silo, it will become apparent that they have grown substantially over the years to cope with the local grain production. A lot of locally grown grain is also taken over to the Parkes silo.

The Peak Hill silo can be viewed from Lindner Avenue, which runs parallel with the railway line.

War memorials

Peak Hill has a war memorial at the Peak Hill Cemetery located north of the town on the Newell Highway.

There is also the AIF War Memorial School of Arts, the War Memorial park, and the War Memorial Pool.

Places to see

Post Office - built 1899

Peak Hill Railway Station- now at Lindner Oval

Club House Hotel - 1910

Carrington Hotel

Peak Hill District Hospital - Heritage listed Victorian style building from 1904

St James Catholic Church - Heritage listed Catholic Church

St Joseph's Primary School

Sisters of Mercy Convent

Masonic Hall

AIF Memorial School of Arts

Recreation areas

War Memorial Park
Lindner Oval and Recreational area
Commercial Gardens
Bogan River reserve
War Memorial Pool
Bowling Club
Golf Club

Arts and crafts

Many arts and crafts are represented in the community.

Notable people

Graham Murray, rugby league player and coach

Willie Tonga, Rugby League Player

Esi Tonga, Rugby League Player, Entrepreneur
Hanley, Kitty (Kate) (c. 1845–1917) Wiradjuri Elder and midwife^[14]
Sergeant George Brayne (c. 1851-1906)^[15]^[16]

William Yeo, farmer and State president of the Returned Servicemen's League.

Frost, Charles Leslie (1897–1971) Aboriginal leader.^[17]

Mingay, Oswald Francis (Ossie) (1895–1973) radio engineer, soldier and publisher^[18]

References

^ ^a ^b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Peak Hill (L)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
^ "Government Gazette Proclamations and Legislation". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 630. New South Wales, Australia. 30 November 1889. p. 8528. Retrieved 25 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^ ^a ^b "Peak Hill History". Peak Hill NSW. Peak Hill Visitor Information Centre. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
^ "Government Gazette Proclamations and Legislation". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 630. New South Wales, Australia. 30 November 1889. p. 8528. Retrieved 27 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Peak Hill Post Office". Retrieved 18 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Peak Hill Post Office". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
^ "A History of Peak Hill and District", published by the Peak Hill Centenary book committee, 1989.
^ "Peak Hill Silos mark 100 years". Parkes Shire Council. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
^ "Statistics by Catalogue Number". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
^ "Search Census data". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
^ "Peakhillfm 89:5". Retrieved 18 February 2021.
^ "Town with a Heart of Gold". Retrieved 29 May 2015.
^ "This silo is special, even though it has no mural". ABC News. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
^ "Hanley, Kitty (Kate) (c. 1845–1917)". Australian Dictionary of Biography.
^ "Sergeant George Brayne". Billion Graves.
^ "George Brayne". Australian Police.
^ "Frost, Charles Leslie (1897–1971)". Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
^ "Frost, Charles Leslie (1897–1971)". Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.