Fast facts
- Small country town famous for the Coo-ee March
- On the Castlereagh River in the State’s rural central west
- 478 km north-west of Sydney, population 2,850
Why go there
Gilgandra is a riverside oasis in a vast agricultural landscape. The town offers good eateries, accommodation, museums and an interesting history.
Just a 50-minute drive north of Gigandra are the majestic Warrumbungles, an area of forested ridges, barren spires, deep gorges and walking tracks.
History
The Wiradjuri Aboriginal people inhabited the area prior to European settlement. In their language Gilgandra means "long water hole".
In 1915, 26 men set out from Gilgandra to Sydney on the first recruiting march of World War I. Along the way they called ‘Coo-ee’ at each town they passed, and the much publicised event encouraged many men to join them.
Six weeks after they started out, they reached Sydney with 263 men willing to join the forces.
Things to do
- Learn more about the Coo-ee March, local pioneer history and Aboriginal heritage at the Coo-ee Heritage Centre and Visitor Centre.
- View the Rings of Saturn, or Jupiter’s Red Spot and the craters of the moon at the Gilgandra Observatory.
- See wildflowers in the Gilgandra Native Flora Reserve from September to November.
Events
- Gilgandra Coo-ee Festival, in October, includes a large street parade, the NSW Coo-ee Calling Championships, a rodeo in the main street and live bands.
Don’t miss
- All things fragrant at Kerlin Gardens Lavender Farm.
- Nearly 1,000 cacti from all over the world at Orana Cactus World.
- Collectable dolls from the 1940s to the present at Grandma’s Dolls.
- The Rural Museum for carts and drays, old harvesters and early model tractors.
- The Hitchen House Museum for wartime memorabilia.
