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Walgett New South Wales
Population:	1821[1]
Postcode:	2832
Elevation:	133 m (436 ft)
Location:	691 km (429 mi) NW of Sydney 279 km (173 mi) N of Dubbo 186 km (116 mi) W of Narrabri 117 km (73 mi) N of Coonamble 136 km (85 mi) E of Brewarrina
LGA:	Walgett Shire Council
State District:	Barwon
Federal Division:	Gwydir
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Rainfall 26.9 °C 80 °F 12.5 °C 55 °F 475.6 mm 18.7 in

Walgett is a town in north-central New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Walgett Shire Council. It is at the junction of the Barwon and Namoi rivers and at the junction of the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highway. In 2001, it had 1,821 persons, including 762 (41.8%) indigenous persons and 1,571 (86.3%) Australian-born persons.^[1]

It is a regional hub for the wool, wheat and cotton industries. It is the gateway to the New South Wales opal fields. The main crop farmed in the district is wheat, however the drought has caused an increase in the farming of lucerne and other good hay crops.

The town has problems with crime arising from the abuse of drugs and alcohol^[2][3]. As a result, many businesses and homes have metal shutters and high fences to protect the premises and occupants.

Contents 1 History 2 Sport 3 Education 4 Media 5 Trivia 6 External links 7 References

The town of Walgett was proclaimed in March 1885. It was once a port for paddle steamers in the 1800s that plied the Murray-Darling river systems.

Walgett's recent history includes the Freedom Rides in the late 1960s.^{[citation needed]}

Walgett has a strong rugby league culture, and St. George Dragons player Ricky Walford played in the Walgett junior leagues. Walgett is also the home of the Barwon Brumbies rugby league side. Other notable players such as Peter Nichols, Jason Horan, Gavin Ruttley and flying winger Tim Barklay have played for the Brumbies.

The Walgett Rams is the local Rugby side and is a leading team in the Western Plains Rugby Union Competition. Donovan Murphy would be the highest calibre player to have played for the Walgett Rams and is now following a career in Europe.

The predominant summer sport of the town is cricket. The local competition is comprised of teams from Walgett, Cumborah, Lightning Ridge, Collarenebri and Goodooga.

The Walgett and District Sporting Club provides facilities for tennis, golf and lawn bowls.

The pre-school, primary school and high school were re-structured in 2003, into the Walgett Community College. The College is a unique educational institute, and gave birth to the successful Yaama Maliyaa group who won several national awards in the Young Achiever's Australia in 2005.

Walgett publishes a weekly newspaper called the 'Walgett Spectator'.

A minor imaginary celebrity from Walgett was the character "Betty" from Hey Dad..!, and also her boyfriend Stan.

Banjo Paterson wrote two poems featuring Walgett - "A Walgett Episode" and "Been There Before". Interestingly, he could not agree over which river the town lies on - in the former he correctly says "Walgett, on the Barwon side", whereas in the latter he says "The Darling River, at Walgett town". The Darling River is formed at Bourke, much further west than Walgett, from the confluence of the Barwon and Culgoa Rivers.

• Walgett Shire Council official site

1. ^ ^{a b} Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). Walgett (Urban Centre/Locality). 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-06-30.
2. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/landline/stories/s715868.htm
3. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/water/stories/s1877204.htm

Coordinates: 30°01′S 148°07′E / -30.017, 148.117