Gilgandra, Central NSW

Gilgandra is a town in New South Wales, located in its Central West area. Most of the town lies on the western banks of the Castlereagh River, and is largely dependent on agriculture.

The town prides itself as the origin of the `Cooee March,' a recruitment march during World War I that ended in Sydney. This event is annually commemorated every October, when street parades, mini rodeo, and the NSW Coo-ee Calling Championships are organized. Apart from this event, there's also the Easter Vintage Farm Rally.

First-time visitors can visit the Visitors' Information Centre, located at the Cooee March Memorial Park and open seven days a week. Also located within the park is the Rural Museum where a windmill is set up on its facade, harkening back to the time when the town has about 300 of these structures operating in the 1950s. The museum, however, emphasizes on showcasing rural machinery invented by Australians.

Gilgandra also has facilities for horse racing and car racing. The Gilgandra Racecourse, operated by the local jockey club, is located on Newell Highway and is the perfect setting for a country race. Further south is the Gilgandra Speedway, where numerous automobile racing events are held even at nights.

However, the town also has much to offer when it comes to enjoyment of its natural surroundings. North of the town is the Warrumbungle National Park, where bushwalking, wildlife photography, and bird watching are but a few of the popular activities done by visitors. At the foot of this mountain is the Emu Farm, where visitors come face to face with these particular avian species.

Nearer to the town is the Flora Reserve, a popular picnic destination for friends and families. Come spring, the whole reserve is abloom with every type of flower color imaginable, and visitors can just sit back and bask in this serene yet spectacular part of the countryside.

A similar attraction is found at the Kerlin Gardens Lavender Farm, where different products made from this particular flower are processed and sold.

A visit to the Orana Cactus World, along Newell Highway, will surely bring amazement at the more exotic specimen cultivated in this place.

Also along Newell Highway is the Gilgandra Observatory and Display Centre, where different heavenly bodies can be observed. The center also showcases fossils, petrified wood, and native plant species.

On Warren Road is the Honey Extraction Plant, where interested individuals can take a peek at this process, though appointments need to be arranged before admittance to the facilities. Further down the road is the Orana Windmill Motel, which showcases collectible dolls of all kinds and materials. Some of these dolls even date back to the 1940s, and visitors can view them for free seven days a week.

Visitors, especially history buffs, who can't get enough of the Cooee March event should stop by The Hitchen House Museum, home of the Hitchen brothers who started the now-famous march. The museum, located on Miller Street, houses several war-related memorabilia.

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