Regional Councils - Coonamble Shire Council

Coonamble straddles a picturesque stretch of the unique upside-down Castlereagh River that winds through the rast alluvial plains west of the Warrumbungle Mountain Range. Coonambleites work hard and play harder - which explains why we have such a hectic calendar of events and such excellent facilities to support them. We host the largest combined Rodeo and Campdraft in the southern hemisphere each June Long Weekend plus Rodeo Schools, junior rodeos and campdrafting throughout the year. Horses play a big part in the district and throughbred racing remains one of our largest industries - horse sports, pony club, equestrian, polocrosse and picnic races feature highly. We have water skiing and jet skiing at our first class weir and an enormous annual greyhound racing carnival. The Coonamble Museum has exhibits depicting the building's past as a Mounted Police Station and base for some talented Aboriginal Trackers as well as houseing a full size replica of a Cobb & Co. coach. Coonamble is a great central location to explore the region's natural attractions. To the north, the Barwon River offers excellent fishing and the world famous opals of Lightning Ridge are close to hand. Even closer is the Pilliga Scrub with its "million wild acres" making it home to wild horses, koalas and the rare barking owl. The Warrumbungle National Park east of Coonamble has beautiful picnic spots and marked walking tracks through these ancient mountains to suit both the casual hiker or serious tramper. To the west are the Macquarie Marshes - a unique wetland unrivalled for its birdlife. The Coonamble Shire encompases the two villages of Quambone and Gulargambone. Quambone is the gateway to the Macquarie Marshes. Recent research highlights it as the most important colonial nesting waterbird breeding site in Australia. The Nature Reserve is open to the public each year on the October Long Weekend and is open at other times by canoe with guided group tours with access from private properties. Gulargambone is a vibrant community surrounded by huge tin gulahs (the birds, not local people). The community applied and received a grant to erect over forty giant gulahs around the town and on each approach to it. You can't miss them. Investigate the two eight two eight building; a major endeavour named after the local postcode. The old picture theatre has been renovated and painted with Tuscan-influenced colours. Including a gallery, giftshop and caf� serving light meals, they also host monthly movie nights with popcorn and cappuccinos. Meander down the main street and see a sequence of shopfront murals depicting the area's history.

Contact