The Brindabella Valley is a
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
situated below the western ridge-line of the
Brindabella Range, located midway along the
Goodradigbee River, in the south of
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
Location and features
The valley is framed by the Brindabella Range and the Fiery Mountain Range, most notably by Mount Bramina and Bulls Head in the north and Black Bottle Mountain and
Mount Franklin in the south. The valley is largely gentle, undulating farmland rising from
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
in the north to above sea level in the south. Most of the native vegetation in the valley has been removed in favour of pasture, fruit trees and other exotic species, however the surrounding mountains are largely
national park
A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
s, populated entirely with native flora.
The traditional custodians of the area now known as the Brindabella Valley are the
Ngunawal,
Walgalu and
Djimantan indigenous peoples
There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
. The valley was first settled by Europeans as a stock outstation for the ''
Yarralumla'' station in the 1830s, with the first land grant made in 1849.
[ Gold was found in 1860 and mined from the 1880s. In 1887 the Brindabella Gold Mining Company was formed and mining continued until 1910. The valley is now an agricultural area and consists of a number of small cattle farms including the heritage-listed Brindabella Station, the childhood home of ]Miles Franklin
Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin (14 October 187919 September 1954), known as Miles Franklin, was an Australian writer and feminist who is best known for her novel ''My Brilliant Career'', published by Blackwoods of Edinburgh in 1901. While s ...
, an early 20th-century Australian author.Canberra
Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
or Tumut. A private road runs through Long Plain toward Rules Point and , and access is rarely permitted. All roads are subject to frequent closures during heavy snow in winter.
The Goodbradigbee River is a popular trout fishing location for Canberra anglers and camp sites were once provided on the east bank of the river within the valley, but since 2017 this area has been rezoned as a travelling stock route and camping is now no longer permitted anywhere in the valley. Much of the river is difficult to reach without crossing private property and anglers should be aware that certain landowners are unlikely to grant access. In 1968 the National Capital Development Commission considered daming the Brindabella Valley for the purpose of sending water from the Goodbradigbee River into the Cotter River via a tunnel.Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme
The Snowy Mountains Scheme, also known as the Snowy Hydro or the Snowy scheme, is a hydroelectricity and irrigation in Australia, irrigation complex in south-east Australia. Near the border of New South Wales and Victoria (Australia), Victoria, ...
to Canberra.
See also
* Brindabella
* Brindabella Range
* Brindabella Station
* Brindabella National Park
References
External links
* {{cite web , url=http://theaustralianalps.wordpress.com/the-alps-partnership/the-parks/brindabella-national-park/ , title=Brindabella National Park , work=Australian Alps National Parks , publisher=Australian Government , date=2013
Brindabella Ranges