The Barrier Ranges or sometimes the Barrier Range and historically the Stanley's Barrier Range, is a
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
that comprises a series of hills and higher grounds in the
far western region of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, 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, surrounding the city of
Broken Hill
Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. I ...
.
Location and features
The Barrier Ranges comprise the whole system of ranges and ridges associated with the main watershed named the Main Barrier Range - including Coko Range, Floods Range, Slate Range, Robe Range, Mundi Mundi Range, Coonbaralba Range and Mount Darling Range. The city of Broken Hill lies within these ranges.
The ranges is oriented in a roughly north-south direction, east of the border between New South Wales and
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
. It is an area of slightly higher ground lying between the lower lands along the
Darling River
The Darling River (Paakantyi: ''Baaka'' or ''Barka'') is the third-longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its conflu
ence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longes ...
, and lower ground in South Australia. The Barrier Ranges contains a number of mineral deposits, most notably Broken Hill.
It was reported in October 1856 that, 'within the last year or two numerous sheep-stations have been opened in the Barrier Ranges, affording a reasonable prospect, not only of increased pastoral wealth, but also of the gradual development of the mineral resources of the district and its ultimate settlement.'
Etymology
The name of the
Barrier Highway and various local organisations in Broken Hill including the word 'barrier', are derived from the name of this range. In 1844, during his third and final expedition,
Charles Sturt
Charles Napier Sturt (28 April 1795 – 16 June 1869) was a British officer and explorer of Australia, and part of the European exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from Sydney and la ...
named the range Stanley's Barrier Range in honour of
Lord Stanley.
See also
*
List of mountains in New South Wales
References
{{New South Wales mountains , state=autocollapse
Mountain ranges of New South Wales