Curlewis is a parish and a rural village on the Kamilaroi Highway, 16Â kilometres south of Gunnedah, New South Wales in Australia. The village boundaries are in the Gunnedah Shire local government area of the North West Slopes portion of the New England region.
History
Curlewis was founded by Henry Thomas Pike, a sawmiller from Norfolk who became the mayor of Gunnedah.
In 1909 the railway station opened as a stop on the Mungindi branch line, but has since closed. Livestock sales commenced in 1919 in Curlewis and were, for many years, held in alternate weeks at Gunnedah and Curlewis until improvements to the Gunnedah saleyards, eclipsed Curlewis's yardings and led to yard’s closure.
The lack of a nearby river has contributed to Curlewis having persistent water problems and water shortage. In 1950, the council had to desilt an old earthen dam and erect a tank from which Curlewis residents could draw water. Reticulated water was connected to Curlewis in 1972.