Gunnedah

Gunnedah is a town in north-western New South Wales, Australia. In 2006 there were 7,542 people living in the town.
Gunnedah is on the Oxley and Kamilaroi Highways. It is 475 kms from Sydney. There is also a railway to Sydney. There is a daily train service, the Countrylink Xplorer, between Sydney and Moree.
The major business is agriculture. Gunnedah produces cotton, coal, beef, lamb, pork, and cereal and oilseed grains.
Gunnedah is also the home of AgQuip, Australia's largest annual exhibition of agricultural equipment.
History.
The Gunnedah area was the home of the Australian Aborigines who spoke the Kamilaroi (Gamilaraay) language. The area of the town was settled by Europeans in 1833 or 1834.
Dorothea Mackellar wrote her famous poem "My Country" (popularly known as "I Love a Sunburnt Country") about her family's farm near Gunnedah. Every year the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards for school students are held in Gunnedah.
Coal was found on Black Jack Hill in 1877. By 1891, 6,000 tons of coal had been dug from shafts. The Gunnedah Colliery Company was registered in May, 1899. One month later a private railway some 5.7 km in length had been completed from the railway station to their mine. In September, 1957, the Government Railway took over the working of the line.
"The Red Chief," by great Australian author Ion L. Idriess, tells the true story of "Red Kangaroo" and his tribe, from this area.
Geography.
Gunnedah Shire is 264 metres above sea level on the Liverpool Plains in the Namoi River valley. It is very flat. The tallest hills are only 200 metres above the flat plains. The climate is hot in summer, mild in winter and dry. Rainstorms occasionally cause flooding of the Namoi River. Floods can cut transport links to the town and cut it off from the outside world.
The Gunnedah area has a lot of Australian wildlife, including kangaroos, echidnas and koalas. Koalas can often be seen in trees within the town.
Media.
There is a newspaper, the Namoi Valley Independent. There are 2 radio stations 2MO and 2GGG. 2MO claims to be the first station started in Australia outside the capital cities.
Railway station.
Gunnedah railway station is on the Mungindi (or North West) railway line, 475 km from Sydney. The station was opened in 1879. There is a large station building with single platform. There is also a passing loop and small goods yard. There is a single daily Xplorer diesel railmotor operating between Sydney and Moree.