Regional Councils - Walgett Shire Council

Walgett Shire is an area of 22007 sq km taking in the towns of Walgett, on the junction of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers; Lightning Ridge, the home of the Black Opal, Australia's gemstone; Collarenebri, a town on the Barwon River, nearby large cotton growing development and proposed emu abattoir; the villages of Rowena, not far from the Merrywinebone Cotton Gin, Burren Junction; Cryon with its large bunker style wheat silo; Come-by Chance, well known for its annual Picnic Race Day; Carinda with large cotton development and cotton gin; Cumborah centre of the Grawin/Glengarry and Sheepyards opal fields.This is a unique area of NSW, firstly being the home of Frederick York Wolseley, who developed the first mechanical sheep shearing machinery in the late 1800s, later he was involved in the production of the Wolseley Motor Car.Cotton production has been a fast developing industry over the last few years. The district is well known for its merino wool and beef production.Lightning Ridge is a targeted tourist area with its many attractions: The Opal Festival, unique buildings, hot bore water swimming pool, Olympic swimming pool and water theme park, Opal bearing ridges, mullock heaps, mining areas and of course the beautiful black opal gemstones. Mining is also carried out on the Grawin/Glengarry and Sheepyard fields near Cumborah although the opal found there is different to the Lightning Ridge opal.

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