Fast facts
- Supplier of 80% of the world’s sapphires and known as Sapphire City
- Nestled in a picturesque valley beside the Macintyre River
- 593 km north of Sydney, population 11,000
Why go there
Historic Inverell is surrounded by gemstone country. It's the ideal place to try your hand at fossicking and to see how precious stones are processed.
Great walking tracks, reserves and dams provide plenty of outdoor attractions.
History
Before European settlement, the Jukambal Aboriginals lived in the local area.
Alexander Campbell, a Scottish immigrant, gave Inverell its name, which means 'meeting place of the swans' in Gaelic. In 1835, Campbell established Inverell Station and set about converting the bush into a working farm.
Diamonds were discovered at Copes Creek in 1875, and mining for sapphires started in 1916. Bauxite, lead, silver and diamonds have also been mined there commercially.
Things to do
- Go fossicking for sapphires and other gems at several places around the city.
- Stretch your legs in Goonoowigall Bushland Reserve, a unique wilderness area that supports some 120 species of native birds. Explore the marked walking trails and look out for Thunderbolts Rock and the remains of a Chinese settlement.
- Take a drive through the countryside and visit local vineyards and olive groves.
- Check out the art, crafts and woodturning at some of the town's galleries.
Events
- Inverell Show Society Annual Show, in February, features farm animals, local produce, arts and crafts and a shearing competition.
- Telstra Countrywide Sapphire City Festival, in October, puts on a full week of activities, including open gardens, a street parade, art exhibition, markets and a firework finale.
Don’t miss
- Walking back in time at the Inverell Pioneer Village, a re-created colonial village.
- The Inverell Transport Museum, with its display of all things wheeled.
- Copeton Waters State Park, a 900 hectare playground with a lake, forest and open parkland.
- A map of local fossicking sites from the Visitor Information Centre.
- Whitewater rafting on the Gwydir River, from October to March.
- Devonshire tea and gem-shopping at Sapphire Tea Gardens.
