Bundarra

Bundarra is a small town on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia.

Bundarra is a small town on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia.The town is located on Thunderbolts Way and on the banks of the Gwydir River, in the Uralla Shire local government area, 563 kilometres (350 mi) from the state capital, Sydney.At the 2016 census, Bundarra had a population of 394 and the surrounding area had 676 persons.

Bundarra is named for the Kamilaroiword for the grey kangaroo. Kamilaroi and Anaiwan people were the earliest inhabitants of the Bundarra area.A local hill nearby Bundarra called "Rumbling Mountain" is the subject of an Aboriginal myth that attempts to explain its periodic rumbling and shaking.Bundarra Station was founded in 1836 by Edward G. Clerk and a hotel and store were established on the future townsite.A church was constructed on the site in 1857 around the same time as the town survey.The old buildings in Bundarra’s main street were constructed between 1860 and 1880.A school was established in 1869, becoming a central school in 1955.The Roman Catholic convent was built in 1908 and a newspaper, the Bundarra Advocate was founded.At one stage the town included three hotels. three stores, three butchers and a bank. Copper and gold were also found in the area. The bushranger, Fred Ward, known as Captain Thunderbolt, stole two horses belonging to a police inspector from Abington station, near Bundarra in 1868.The Bundarra bridge, a five-span iron lattice truss bridge, was constructed in 1881.The bridge, crossing the Gwydir River, is 204 metres in length and 5.6 metres wide between kerbs.The bridge has been listed on the Register of the National Estate, being of state significance due to its design, historical value and aesthetic appearance.The bridge was the focus of a large community celebration for its centenary and is still in use today.Thehistoric townscape of Bundarra led to the town hosting some on location filming for the Fred Schepisi directed film, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, based on the Booker Prize winning novel by Thomas Keneally.The town was serviced by the Bundarra & Tingha Advocate newspaper, published in Bundarra, from 1900 to 1932.