Goodooga, New South Wales

Goodooga is a town in the Australian state of New South Wales in Brewarrina Shire on the eastern bank of the Bokhara River. It is near Brewarrina and Lightning Ridge, its closest neighbour. The town lies 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the Queensland border, and the border town of Hebel.

Goodooga
New South Wales
Town sign from northern approach (2021).
Goodooga is located in New South Wales
Goodooga
Goodooga
Coordinates29°06′0″S 147°28′0″E / 29.10000°S 147.46667°E / -29.10000; 147.46667
Population247 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)2838
Elevation140 m (459 ft)[2]
Location
LGA(s)Brewarrina Shire
CountyNarran
State electorate(s)Barwon
Federal division(s)Parkes
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
27.6 °C
82 °F
13.5 °C
56 °F
418.4 mm
16.5 in
Localities around Goodooga:
Culgoa National Park Hebel (Qld) Hebel (Qld)
Wellmoringle Goodooga Lightning Ridge
Brewarrina Narran Lake Cumborah

The shire council has also built the 'Great Artesian Baths' on the northside of town, heated water pool from the Great Artesian Basin.

The Goodooga airstrip is 8.1 kilometres (5 mi) west-north-west of the town (29°4′22.5″S 147°23′16″E / 29.072917°S 147.38778°E / -29.072917; 147.38778).

History edit

Yuwaalayaay (also known as Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalayaay country. It is closely related to the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay languages. The Yuwaalayaay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Goodooga extending to Walgett and the Narran Lakes in New South Wales.[3]

Goodooga is an Aboriginal word meaning, according to some "yam".[4] However it has been proposed that it derives from "guduu+ga", 'at the place of the Murray cod' [guduu], rather than "gudugaa", a species of yam.[5]

Goodooga's newspaper is the Goodooga Flash.[citation needed]

Sport edit

 
Magpie Park, Walgett Street (2021).

Goodooga's main sport is rugby league, the Goodooga Magpies or the Goodooga 'Newtown' Jets.

The other sports played in town include netball, lawn bowls and basketball.

Population edit

According to the 2016 census of population, here were 247 people in Goodooga.

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 74.4% of the population.
  • 94.6% of people were born in Australia and 84.7% of people only spoke English at home.
  • The most common responses for religion was Catholic at 44.7%.[1]

Gallery edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Goodooga (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 6 February 2019.  
  2. ^ Bureau of Meteorology - Accessed 2007-12-17
  3. ^   This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yuwaalayaay". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Goodooga". Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  5. ^ Ash et al. 2003: 91

References edit

  • Anna Ash et al., Gamilaraay, Yuwaalaraay and Yuwaalayaay Dictionary. IAD Press: Alice Springs, 2003.