Candelo, New South Wales

Candelo is a town in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia. It is in the Bega Valley Shire local government area, 448 kilometres (278 mi) south of the state capital, Sydney and 38 kilometres (24 mi) north-west of the popular coastal holiday destination of Eden.[1] In 2011, Candelo had a population of 732 people.[2] Candelo was named by Peter Imlay, the first European settler in the area, who named his original 1834 house "Candelo House" after the town of Candelo, Italy.[3]

Candelo
New South Wales
Candelo is located in New South Wales
Candelo
Candelo
Coordinates36°46′0″S 149°41′0″E / 36.76667°S 149.68333°E / -36.76667; 149.68333
Population393 (2006 census census)[1]
Established1860s
Postcode(s)2550
Location
  • 448 km (278 mi) SSW of Sydney
  • 217 km (135 mi) SE of Canberra
  • 23 km (14 mi) SW of Bega
  • 38 km (24 mi) NW of Eden
LGA(s)Bega Valley Shire
State electorate(s)Bega
Federal division(s)Eden-Monaro

The area around Candelo was first settled by Europeans in the 1830s, and the village was developed in the 1860s at a crossroads, following the passage of the New South Wales Land Act of 1861 which allowed closer settlement.[4]

Candelo hosts notable community events such as the Candelo Village Festival, a biennial music and arts festival. The inaugural festival was held in 2008. The Candelo Show, held every January is an annual agricultural and horticultural exhibition event that has been running since 1883.[5] The Candelo Markets are held on the first Sunday of the month and have been running since 1982. They exist primarily to fund community projects in the Candelo area.[6] These markets are notably a dog free zone, however, it is widely known by many tourists to turn a blind eye to the local bureaucracy and insist in bringing their hounds.[7]

Sapphire Speedway is located within the Candelo locality. The track is 600m and features a Clay/Granite mix. Among the divisions that run at the track are RSA Limited Sedans, SSA Production Sedans, Junior Sedans and Dirt Karts.

Current resident, John "Wombat" Paine, became the first known indigenous Australian to coach in a professional American Football game as a member of the Central Valley Coyotes staff in arenafootball2 (July 30, 2005 vs. San Diego Riptide).

Notable people edit

Edna Lillian Nelson, expert in venereal diseases. was born here in 1896.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Candelo (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
  2. ^ "2011 Census QuickStats: Candelo". www.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Celebration of life in a country village - ABC (none) - Australian Broadcasting Corporation". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Candelo". Walkabout. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
  5. ^ "Candelo Show History - Candelo Show". Candelo Show. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Candelo Markets - Candelo Markets". Candelo Markets. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Letters to the editor". 27 March 2017.
  8. ^ Weatherburn, Hilary, "Edna Lillian Nelson (1896–1948)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 26 December 2023