Traditional Owners

The original inhabitants of the Narrandera area were the Wiradjuri Aboriginal people.

Settlement history

European settlement dates from the 1830s, with land along the Murrumbidgee River used mainly for farming. The village of Narrandera was established in the 1860s, although growth was minimal until the late 1800s, aided by the opening of railway lines in the 1880s and timber milling. Further growth took place during the early 1900s when Narrandera became the gateway to the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, allowing land to be used for more intensive farming like rice and citrus fruits. The population of the Shire declined slightly from the early 1990s, falling from about 7,100 in 1991 to about 6,000 in 2006.

Land use

Narrandera Shire is a predominantly rural area, which includes the township of Narrandera, and the smaller townships of Barellan and Grong Grong. The Shire encompasses a total land area of about 4,100 square kilometres. Rural land is used largely for farming, particularly cereal cropping and sheep grazing.

Transport

The Shire is served by the Newell Highway, the Sturt Highway and the Griffith Xplorer train.

Major features

• Major features of the Shire include Barellan Museum,
• Evonne Goolagong Park,
• John Lake Narrandera Fisheries Centre,
• Lake Talbot,
• Lake Talbot Swimming Pool,
• Narrandera Golf Club,
• Narrandera Memorial Gardens,
• Narrandera Nature Reserve,
• Narrandera Racecourse,
• Narrandera Showground,
• Narrandera Sport Stadium,
• Narrandera Sports Ground,
• Narrandera Town Park,
• Narrandera Wetlands,
• Parkside Cottage Museum,
• Narrandera District Hospital,
• TAFE NSW Riverina Institute (Narrandera Campus),
• Narrandera Leeton Airport,
• The Murrumbidgee River and several state forests.

Included areas