Peak Hill, New South Wales

Peak Hill New South Wales
Peak Hill Catholic church
Peak Hill
Coordinates	32°43′S 148°11′E / 32.717°S 148.183°E / -32.717; 148.183Coordinates: 32°43′S 148°11′E / 32.717°S 148.183°E / -32.717; 148.183
Population	755 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	2869
Elevation	285 m (935 ft)
Location	409 km (254 mi) W of Sydney 72 km (45 mi) SW of Dubbo 49 km (30 mi) N of Parkes
LGA(s)	Parkes Shire
State electorate(s)	Orange
Federal Division(s)	Calare
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 24.4 °C 76 °F 11.9 °C 53 °F 559.8 mm 22 in

Peak Hill is a town in Parkes Shire in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2011 census, Peak Hill had a population of 755 people.^[1]

It is on the Newell Highway and the Dubbo to Parkes railway line, completed to Peak Hill in 1910. The first public wheat silo built in Australia was constructed at Peak Hill in 1918 after government surveys indicated the district had great potential as a wheat producing region.^[2]

Agriculture

The district is also a renowned sheep producing area, particularly medium-woolled merinos. There are also four merino studs actively operating in the area, namely Cora Lynn, Genanegie, Towalba, and Westray. Rams from these studs have been sold throughout Australia, and they all have on-property hoggett ram sales in September, supplying commercial sheep breeders with high-quality young rams to breed from.

Facilities

Peak Hill has a Catholic primary school St Joseph's, and a public central school.

Peak Hill has three motels, one hotel and two caravan parks. It also has a post office, RSL club, bowling club, golf club, cafes, antique shops, newsagency, butcher shop, art gallery, book shop, hairdressers and beauty salons. There is a showground that has harness races and an annual agricultural show.

Peak Hill offers many tourist attractions such as the open cut gold mine, flora and fauna reserve nature walk, Bogan Weir, Australia's first upright wheat silo, heritage listed hospital, arts and crafts, Big Fish fossil hut, and a unique street facade which takes visitors back in time.

Peak Hill Post Office opened on 7 November 1889.^[3]

The local community operates a volunteer-run radio station: PeakHillFM89.5. The station provides a round-the-clock service of classic hits seven days per week.^[4]

Peak Hill styles itself as 'The Town With a Heart of Gold'.^[5] to reflect its proximity to the goldmine, and lends its facilities as a base for tourists of Wiradjuri Country.

Silos

Peak Hill’s central Position in the New South Wales wheat belt may have been the reason why Peak Hill became the site for Australia's first upright bulk wheat silo in 1918. It was not until 1927 that the next stage, the six-bin silos and weighbridge complex, was completed at Peak Hill. In 1950 the construction of three additional 50,000 bushel bins was carried out and the bulkhead was completed in 1959.

After viewing the current silo it will become apparent that they have grown substantially over the years to cope with the local grain production. A lot of locally grown grain is also taken over to the Parkes silo.

The Peak Hill silo can be viewed from Lindner Avenue, which runs parallel with the railway line.

References

Media related to Peak Hill, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons