Reids Flat is a historic village, originally known as Numby, in regional

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 ...

located within

Hilltops Council Hilltops Council is a local government area in the South Western Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. This area was formed on 12 May 2016 from the merger of Boorowa Council, Harden Shire and Young Shire. The local government area cove ...

. At the 2021 census the population of Reids Flat was 85, unchanged from the .

Location

The town is sited on the south bank of the

Lachlan River The Lachlan River (Wiradjuri: ''Kalari'', ''Galiyarr'') is an intermittent river that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, located in the Southern Tablelands, Central West, and Riverina regions of New Sou ...

, approximately southeast of

Wyangala Wyangala is a small village in the Lachlan Valley, near the junction of the Abercrombie and Lachlan Rivers, just below the Wyangala Dam wall. It is in the South West Slopes of New South Wales, Australia, and about west of the state capital, ...

, in

, in the

South West Slopes The South Western Slopes, also known as the South West Slopes, is a region predominantly in New South Wales, Australia. It covers the lower inland slopes of the Great Dividing Range, extending from north of Dunedoo through central NSW and into ...

region of

, hidden in the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills. It runs roughl ...

. It is graced by grandiorite geomorphology. The area now known as Reids Flat lies on the traditional lands of

Wiradjuri The Wiradjuri people (; ) are a group of Aboriginal Australian people from central New South Wales, united by common descent through kinship and shared traditions. They survived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers, in family groups or clans, a ...

people.

History

There is a rich indigenous dreaming associated with the valley along with a lively bushranger history. Active bushrangers in the area during the early 1860s included Jack Peisley and

Frank Gardiner Frank Gardiner (1830 – c. 1882) was an Australian bushranger who became notorious for his lead role in the largest gold heist in Australian history, at Eugowra, New South Wales in June 1862. Gardiner and Gardiner-Hall gang, his gang, which in ...

, who often sought refuge at the farm of William Fogg. Caves within the surrounding rocky mountains provided excellent hiding places for the bushrangers – it was claimed that girlfriends and wives would hang white washing on the lines in the valley when the coast was clear. The village, originally known as Numby, was officially renamed Reid's Flat in 1929. A history of Reids Flat was published in 1999.

Wool production

Local merino sheep wool production is amongst the finest in the world, with the majority of 15 micron fleece pre-sold to the Italian fashion market. Prices received per bale frequently fetch world record prices ( references) and these wool providers have been farming in the district for over a century.

Facilities

The village – a quiet residential area – does not have any commercial establishments within its boundaries; the nearest shop is located away, in the town of Bigga. It does, however, possess a public hall, a showground, and a council rubbish dump. The Reids Flat Public School was officially closed on 17 December 2014.

References

{{authority control Towns in New South Wales Southern Tablelands Hilltops Council