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Contact Us, Location & Our TownHow to contact us, where we are located, and how to get to us 
Staff
LocationCentral West Farming Systems is based at New South Wales (NSW) Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Condobolin Agricultural Research and Advisory Station (CARAS). The Station was established in 1912, with the purchase of 545 ha for a ‘Demonstration Farm’. Additional land was purchased in 1947 and the present area is 1722 ha. The station is located in the centre of the NSW cereal belt, with an average rainfall of 427 mm, which is non-seasonal and highly variable. When visiting us at NSW DPI CARAS, please report to the main office to be signed in and directed to one of our staff members.
The Town of CondobolinTypical country service centre on the NSW central western slopes.
Condobolin is a country town of some 3500 people in NSW's Central West, located very close to the geographic centre of NSW. It is 99 km west of Parkes and 463 km west of Sydney at the junction of the Lachlan River and Goobang Creek, 189 m above sea-level. Wool, wheat, sheep, cattle, fruit and mixed farming are the economic mainstays of this red-soil plains district. There is little organised tourism development as Condobolin is not on any major road nor located near any other major centre.
Prior to white occupation the area was inhabited by the Wiradjuri people. It is from their language that the town's name derives, said to mean 'hop bush', or 'hop brush'.
The first known European in the area were the explorers John Oxley (in 1817) and Thomas Mitchell who camped at the junction of the Lachlan River and Goobang Creek in 1836. Squatting began shortly afterwards. It is said that an early landowner was Benjamin Boyd (see entry on Eden). William Lee occupied the 'Condoublin' run in 1844 (written as 'Condooblin' in 1848). A reserve was made on a portion of that run in 1853, on the north bank of the Lachlan.
The town was gazetted in 1859 but for over 20 years it was essentially a stopover and river-crossing for drovers moving stock from the north and west of New South Wales to Victoria, hence there were few permanent residents in what remained a pastoral area characterised by large holdings.
Red soil wheat fields halfway between Lake Cargelligo and Condobolin
Subdivision in 1880 led to the slow break-up of the large properties with free selectors moving in from the south. Fruit and wheat cultivation were established and the town began to develop.
A major copper discovery was made north at Melrose in 1885 and the town benefited from the subsequent traffic. A municipality was declared in 1890.
Gold was found north-west at Overflow station (immortalised in Banjo Paterson's poem 'Clancy of the Overflow') in 1896 and a major copper and gold mine was in operation at Condobolin from 1898 until around 1910.
The railway arrived in 1898 and Condobolin was the railhead for the central west until the line to Broken Hill was completed in 1927. Agricultural production was further expanded when the Wyangala Dam was established on the Lachlan in 1935. The town's Agricultural Show is held in August.
Western Plains Regional Development Lachlan Shire Business Directory
How to get here? www.131500.com.au/countrytransport Information about transport options to visit our towns and what is available once you are here to help you get around.
By Plane Fly Regional Express into West Wyalong, Parkes or Griffith for an easy drive to Condobolin. Regional Express Phone: 131713. To fly into Dubbo use Air Link 131313
By Coach Travelling by bus or coach is a great option if you want to experience the adventure of a road trip, but don't want to drive yourself. Instead, you can relax on one of the many Countrylink services to the region. 132232 www.countrylink.com.au
Car An easy drive from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, Condobolin sits between the Kidman and Newell Highways.
By Train The Indian pacific and the Ghan pass through Condobolin between Sydney and Adelaide once a week. Passengers alight at Parkes and take the Countrylink bus through to Condobolin or Lake Cargelligo. Countrylink Rail and Coach Reservation Phone: 132232
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