Walcha (pronounced 'Wolka') is located in a beautiful area 1067 metres above sea level, on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range at the south eastern edge of the Northern Tablelands. It is essentially a service centre to the surrounding area which has traditionally been associated with sheep, wool and cattle, although timber and timber-processing have been of increasing importance to the local economy since World War II.
The area is thought to have been occupied by the Ngayaywana and Dyangadi Aborigines prior to white settlement. In 1818 John Oxley camped beside the Apsley River very near the present townsite en route to the coast. He recorded the event in his diary that day: 'We halted in a fine and spacious valley ... watered by a fine brook, and at a distance of a mile we saw several fires at which appeared many natives.'
A road to Port Macquarie (the template of today's Oxley Highway) was constructed in 1842 for the transportation of wool from New England to the coast. In 1878 Walcha was gazetted as a town and a courthouse was built. A rail link opened to the west, at Walcha Road, in 1882. The town became a municipality in 1889.
Walcha's Agricultural Show is held each year in February, the biennial Timber Expo in September and, in January, the Walcha Bushmans Carnival and Campdraft.
Temperatures for Walcha
Walcha has moderate summer temperatures. The summer high temperature for Walcha is approximately 25 °c. The summer low temperature is approximately 11 °c.
Walcha has mild winter temperatures. The winter high temperature for Walcha is approximately 12 °c. The winter low temperature is approximately 0 °c.
Purchase this DVD that captures the sweeping contrasts of New South Wales. Includes footage of the Great Dividing Range to Bathurst, Goulburn and Albury, through the rich grazing lands.
Marvel at Dubbo's Western Plain Zoo and discover the rare opal at Lightning Ridge. Explore the Ghost Towns and outback city of Broken Hill and admire the splendour of the Menindee Lakes in the Kinchega National Park.
Investigate the Minnamurra Rainforest and enjoy the waterfalls of the Illawarra Plateau. Explore the snowfields of the Snowy Mountains, Mt Kosciusko and traverse the Murray River from the Alpine headwaters to Lake Hume. Moving on to the Southern Coast of New South Wales and the panoramic vistas's of Jervis Bay, the famous Blow Hole at Kiama and north to Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay.
PLEASE NOTE: The New South Wales travel destinations outlined above are only a small selection from the tens of thousands of Australian travel information pages available on Australian Explorer. A comprehensive list of destinations for New South Wales Holidays can be found on the main New South Wales Holidays location guide.
