Morangarell is a locality in
Bland Shire in the
Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. There was once a village of the same name, now a ghost town. Morangarell lies between
Temora and
Grenfell, and
Barmedman
Barmedman is a rural village in the Bland Shire in the New South Wales state of Australia, located approximately half-way between West Wyalong and Temora. Barmedman began as a service centre for gold-mining operations in the area. Nowadays the ...
and
Young. The locality is bisected by
Bland Creek
The Bland Creek, a mostlyperennial river that is part of the Lachlan sub-catchment of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the South West Slopes, and Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia. The Bl ...
, a tributary of
Lachlan River.
The locality is rural, with the main economic activities being raising crops and grazing.
The area now known as Morangarell lies on the traditional lands of
Wiradjuri people. The name Morangarell is said to mean “water fowl’s nest”.
The village, officially a town, was located within the modern-day locality, near the junction of modern-day Mary Gilmore Way—it bisects the old town site—and what is still known as McGregor Street.
Morangarell serviced the needs of the surrounding agricultural properties, 'Moonbucca', 'Morangarell', 'Curraburrama' and 'The Retreat'.
The heyday of the village was from the 1870s to around 1918. It was only in November 1884, that the site of the Town of Morangarell was officially declared. In 1899, its plan was altered by closing streets and lanes and cancelling some land. A new street, East Street, was opened.
There has been a post office in the area since 1858. A church building, used by multiple denominations, opened in 1860. The first hotel dated from 1864; it later burned down but was rebuilt.
It had a
police court Police court may refer to:
* ''Police Court'' (film), a 1932 American film
* Police tribunal (France) (''Tribunal de police''), the lowest level of criminal court in France
* Police tribunal (Belgium) (''Politierechtbank''/''Tribunal de police'') ...
, by 1873. Morangarell was also at the convergence of roads leading to
Young, Temora,
Stockinbingal
Stockinbingal is a town in the South West Slopes and Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Cootamundra–Gundagai Regional Council local government area and on the Burley Griffin Way. At the , Stockinbingal had a pop ...
,
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
,
Barmedman
Barmedman is a rural village in the Bland Shire in the New South Wales state of Australia, located approximately half-way between West Wyalong and Temora. Barmedman began as a service centre for gold-mining operations in the area. Nowadays the ...
, and
Grenfell.
The southern section of the
Stockinbingal–Parkes railway line
The Stockinbingal–Parkes railway line (also known as the 'Forbes line') is a railway line in New South Wales, Australia which connects Stockinbingal, New South Wales, Stockinbingal on the Main Southern railway line, New South Wales, Main South ...
, between
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
and
Stockinbingal
Stockinbingal is a town in the South West Slopes and Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Cootamundra–Gundagai Regional Council local government area and on the Burley Griffin Way. At the , Stockinbingal had a pop ...
, authorised in 1911, was completed in 1918. The
Lake Cargelligo railway line opened in 1917. The new lines did not pass through Morangarell; consequently, economic activity and services migrated to newly-established villages that lay on a railway, such as
Bribbaree and
Quandialla
Quandialla is a village in the Central West region of New South Wales Australia. The town is west of Sydney. It is situated on the plains of The Bland country at the western edge of the Weddin Shire. The town of Grenfell is to the north- ...
.
There was a school there from October 1913 to June 1920. The police station closed in March 1929, and the police presence relocated to Bribbaree. The Morangarell Hotel closed in late 1936, and had been demolished by mid 1937.
The post office, which was staffed by the same postmistress for over forty years up to 1930, seems to have been closed by around the end of 1937. In 1972, reservations of land for the village's recreation area, public buildings, and public hall were revoked. In October 1974, the Town of Morangaree officially ceased to exist, and was redesignated as a locality.
The village's cemetery survives.
References
External links
{{commons, position=left
Localities in New South Wales
Ghost towns in New South Wales