Coonamble Shire is located in the Orana Region of central northern New South Wales, between 500 and 600 kilometres north-west of Sydney. Coonamble Shire is bounded by Walgett Shire in the north, Narrabri Shire and Warrumbungle Shire in the east, Gilgandra Shire in the south, and Warren Shire in the west.
Coonamble Shire includes the townships and localities of Billeroy, Black Hollow, Bourbah, Carinda (part), Combara, Conimbia, Coonamble, Gilgooma, Gungalman, Macquarie Marshes, Magometon, Mount Tenandra, Nebea, Pilliga (part), Pine Grove, Quambone, Quanda, Teridgerie (part), Tooloon, Urawilkie, Warrumbungle and Wingadee.
Coonamble Shire is a predominantly rural area. The main township is Coonamble, with small villages at Gulargambone and Quambone. The Shire encompasses a total land area of about 9,900 square kilometres. Rural land is used primarily for agriculture, particularly sheep and cattle grazing and wheat growing.
Coonamble is named from an Aboriginal word for the area.
| Coonamble Shire: | Land Area: 992,625 hectares | Density: 0.00 people per hectare (2006) |
The original inhabitants of the Coonamble area were the Kamilaroi, Kawambarai and Weilwan Aboriginal people. European settlement dates from the 1840s, with land used mainly for grazing. Several villages were established in the 1850s and 1860s. Growth took place from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, aided by the discovery of artesian water and the opening of the railway line from Dubbo. The most significant development occurred from the post-war years. The population declined slightly from the early 1990s, falling from about 5,200 in 1991 to about 4,200 in 2006.
Major features of the Shire include part of Warrumbungle National Park, Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve, TAFE NSW - Western Institute (Coonamble College), Coonamble Historical Museum, Warrena Weir Aquatic Centre, Coonamble District Hospital, Coonamble Showground, Coonamble Sportsground, Gulargambone Golf Course, Quambone Sportsground, the Castlereagh River and Pilliga West State Forest. The Shire is served by the Castlereagh Highway.