Oberon is a town located within the
Oberon Council
Oberon Council is a local government area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia.
The Mayor of Oberon Council is Cr. Mark Kellam, an independent politician.
Localities
Oberon Council includes the towns / villages of Obero ...
local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
, in the
central tablelands region of
New South Wales
)
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, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. The main industries are farming, forestry and wood products. The town usually receives
snowfall during the winter months, owing to its high elevation. At the 2021 census, Oberon had a population of 3,319 people.
It is the birthplace of
Greens politician
Bob Brown,
Ken Sutcliffe, supermotard rider Scott Saul, former Penrith Panthers players
Ray Blacklock, Mark Booth, Dr Therese Wales and DJ Tallis O’Neill. Oberon is located near
Jenolan Caves and the
Kanangra-Boyd National Park
The Kanangra-Boyd National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Central Tablelands region, west of the Southern Highlands and Macarthur regions, in New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park is situated ap ...
.
Australian pub rock band
Cold Chisel filmed the music video to their hit song "
Flame Trees" in and around Oberon. The song's lyrics (written by Cold Chisel keyboardist
Don Walker) present the story of a young man returning to his hometown, where he reminisces about the past and his former girlfriend from the region.
History
The town was permanently settled in 1839, originally named Bullock Flat, until it was renamed to Oberon in 1863.
Gold was discovered on the Fish River in 1823, leading to a population boost in the area.
The Oberon Council was formed in 1906.
The Fish River Creek Post Office opened on 1 January 1855 and was renamed Oberon in 1866.
Heritage listings
Oberon has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* Blue Mountains National Park:
Blue Mountains walking tracks
* 124 Oberon Street:
Malachi Gilmore Memorial Hall
* Tarana-Oberon railway:
Oberon railway station
* Caves Road:
Jenolan Caves
Commercial area
Oberon's main streets are Carrington Avenue–Oberon Street and Ross Street. The town has several parks and sports facilities. Such parks include the Oberon Showground, Cunynghame Oval, and Apex Park. Oberon also has a museum on North Street. Oberon has a caravan park on Cunynghame Street off North Street, a hospital on North Street, a camping ground adjacent to the caravan park and a wood gallery on Oberon Street. Rotary Lookout is located on Abercrombie Road and to the east of the town is the Blenheim State Forest which includes walking tracks.
Culture
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...
is a pastime possible at Lake Oberon and The Reef Reserve. Oberon also has a
golf club
A golf club is a club used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a club head. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variet ...
off Hume Street.
Oberon is known for its two inns, the Big Trout Motor Inn and the Highlands Motor Inn.
South of the town is Lake Oberon, Oberon Dam and the Fish River. There is a picnic area at the dam and a reserve with walking tracks near the lake.
Rugby league football coach
Craig Bellamy started his playing career with
Oberon Tigers team in the 1970s.
Mayfield Garden is a popular
botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
that covers 16 hectares (40 acres) of land. It is open daily, except on
public holiday
A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year.
Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history ...
s and there is an entry fee.
Jillaroo turned interior designer, fashionista and active wear entrepreneur Rachael Challinor spent her formative years in Oberon before moving to Sydney. Known for her sometimes abrasive and outspoken views, she credits the town's
Big Trout
The Big Trout is a 10-metre-high fibreglass model in Adaminaby, New South Wales, Australia, a popular fishing spot for trout. Built in 1973 by local artist and fisherman, Andy Lomnici, the Big Trout is part of more than 150 Big Things locate ...
as a key source of influence on her prolific artistic and creative works in her later years.
Transport
From 1923 to 1979, Oberon was served by a
branch railway line noted for its very steep 4% gradients and very sharp 100 m radius curves. Following closure, that line was allowed to fall into disrepair, but has been under restoration by the volunteer organisation
Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway
The Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway inc (OTHR) is a volunteer association aiming to reopen the Oberon to Tarana railway line in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, and run heritage trains.
The Line
The Oberon railway line i ...
since 2005.
Road access
* From
Bathurst it is around southeast, along the sealed
O'Connell Road
O'Connell Road is a New South Wales rural road linking Oberon to the regional highway hub of Bathurst, where several roads including Great Western Highway, Mid-Western Highway, Mitchell Highway and Bathurst-Ilford Road join.
Route
It is fu ...
.
* From
Great Western Highway near
Hartley
Hartley may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hartley, New South Wales
* Hartley, South Australia
** Electoral district of Hartley, a state electoral district
Canada
*Hartley Bay, British Columbia
United Kingdom
* Hartley, Cumbria
* Hartley, Pl ...
it is around south-west, along the sealed
Jenolan Caves and
Duckmaloi Roads.
* From
Goulburn it is around north, along the sealed
Goulburn-Oberon Road.
* Relief maps of the area are provided by NSW Central Ranges Weather.
Bus connection
From 1 June 2020, there is a Monday to Friday morning bus service to station where it connects with the
Bathurst Bullet train to Sydney with an afternoon return connection. This replaced the previous three days a week coach service to
New Tarana bus service connects Oberon residents with Bathurst Bullet
Transport for NSW 26 May 2020
Climate
Oberon has an oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
('' Cfb''); with mild to warm summers, cool to cold winters averaging 0° to 9 °C and evenly-spread precipitation throughout the year. Frosts occur regularly during autumn, winter and spring. Because of its elevation and windward position on the dividing range, moderate to occasionally heavy snowfalls can be expected each year.
See also
* Oberon Correctional Centre
Oberon Correctional Centre is an Australian minimum security prison for young male offenders located in Gurnang, from Oberon, New South Wales. The centre is operated by Corrective Services NSW an agency of the Department of Attorney General ...
* Mount Trickett
* Mount Bindo
Mount Bindo, a mountain on the Great Dividing Range, is located in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia.
With an elevation of above sea level, Mount Bindo is one of the highest points on the Central Tablelands and attr ...
* Shooters Hill
References
External links
Oberon Council website
VISITNSW.com - Oberon
{{Authority control
Towns in New South Wales
Central Tablelands
Oberon Council