Orange Suburb Overview
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is 206 kilometres west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of 862 metres . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre.
Key industries include agriculture, mining, health services and education. A significant nearby landmark is Mount Canobolas;at an altitude of 1,395 metres it gives commanding views of the district.
Orange is the birthplace of poets Banjo Paterson and Kenneth Slessor, although Paterson lived in Orange for only a very short time as an infant.
The first Australian Touring Car Championship, known today as V8 Supercar Championship Series, was held at the Gnoo Blas circuit in 1960.
In 1822 Captain Percy Simpson drove into the Wellington District and established a convict settlement which was called “Blackman’s Swamp” after John Blackman. Percy had employed John Blackman as a guide because he had already accompanied an earlier explorer into that region.
In the late 1820s surveyor J. B. Richards worked on a survey of the Macquarie River below Bathurst and also of the road to Wellington. On a plan dated 1829, he indicated a village reserve, in the parish of Orange. Sir Thomas Mitchell named the parish Orange, as he had been an associate of the Prince of Orange in the Peninsular War, when both were aides-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, whose title was bestowed on the valley westward, by Oxley.
Legal occupation by graziers began late in 1829, and tiny settlements grew up on the properties and in connection with the road. In 1844 surveyor Davidson was sent to check on encroachments onto the land reserved for a village, and to advise on the location for a township;the choice being Frederick’s Valley, Pretty Plains or Blackman’s Swamp.
Blackman’s Swamp was decided upon and proclaimed a village and named Orange by Major Thomas Mitchell in 1846 in honour of Prince William of Orange. At nearby Ophir the first payable discovery of gold in Australia was made in 1851 which led to the Australian gold rush. Subsequent discoveries of gold in nearby areas led to the establishment of Orange as a central trading centre for the gold. This is contrary to the popular belief that gold was first discovered close to the nearby regional town of Bathurst.
The growth of Orange continued as the conditions were well suited for agriculture, and in 1860 it was proclaimed a municipality. The railway from Sydney reached Orange in 1877. In 1946, 100 years after first being established as a village, Orange was proclaimed a city.
Orange is a well-known fruit growing district, and produces apples, pears, and many stone fruits such as cherries, peaches, apricots and plums;oranges are not grown in the area, as the climate is too cool. In recent years, a large number of vineyards have been planted in the area for a rapidly expanding wine production industry. The growth of this wine industry, coupled with the further development of Orange as a gourmet food capital, has ensured Orange’s status as a prominent tourism destination.
Nearby Suburbs
