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) kilometres from the state capital, Sydney. At the 2006 census, Bundarra had a population of 331 and the surrounding area had 463 persons.
History
Bundarra is named for the Kamilaroi Indigenous Australian word for the grey kangaroo. The Kamilaroi and Anaiwan groups were the original 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. While property owners were digging for gold, many Aboriginal shepherds and harvest workers were employed and contributed greatly to the development of the town. 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.
The historic 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.
Bundarra Police Station and Courthouse (former) together with The Basin Nature Reserve, Baldersleigh Road have been placed on the Register of the National Estate.
Fauna
Bundarra is part of the Bundarra-Barraba Important Bird Area which is home to one of only three breeding areas in New South Wales for the endangered regent honeyeater. The colony consists of around 30 birds of around 1,500 remaining in total. Platypus can be seen in the Gwydir River at Bundarra near the Bundarra bridge.