Berridale New South Wales | |||||||||
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Coordinates | 36°21′24″S148°49′22″E / 36.35667°S 148.82278°E Coordinates: 36°21′24″S148°49′22″E / 36.35667°S 148.82278°E | ||||||||
Population | 1,300 (2021 census) [1] | ||||||||
Established | 1863 | ||||||||
Postcode(s) | 2628 | ||||||||
Elevation | 860 m (2,822 ft) | ||||||||
Location | 435 km (270 mi) from Sydney | ||||||||
LGA(s) | Snowy Monaro Regional Council | ||||||||
State electorate(s) | Monaro | ||||||||
Federal division(s) | Eden-Monaro | ||||||||
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Berridale is a small town in New South Wales. At the 2021 census [1] it had a population of 1,300. It was the administrative centre of the Snowy River Shire until in 2016 that shire merged with two others to form the Snowy Monaro Regional Council, one of Australia's major inland tourist destinations. Berridale lies at 860 metres above sea level between the towns of Cooma and Jindabyne and 435 kilometres south of Sydney.
Berridale features an oceanic climate (Cfb); climate data sourced from nearby Cooma Airport—at similar elevation and position to Berridale itself. Snowfall is common, but generally light and often melts swiftly due to the westerly foehn winds. Berridale's climate is relatively dry as the town is located in a rainshadow on the Monaro; between the Snowy Mountains and the coastal plain.
The land surrounding the town is a combination of cleared farmland and lightly wooded bush. There are granite boulders located south through west of the town on the roads to both Jindabyne and Dalgety. This granite was crystallised as a large mass from magma 400 million years ago miles from the Earth's surface and was gradually eroded and uplifted to its current position. The hills immediately to the north of the town have less granite. There are, however, a few small areas of shale.
Climate data for Cooma Airport AWS (1991–2022); 930 m AMSL; 36.29° S, 148.97° E | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 39.1 (102.4) | 38.0 (100.4) | 36.0 (96.8) | 30.0 (86.0) | 23.8 (74.8) | 21.9 (71.4) | 19.7 (67.5) | 25.4 (77.7) | 27.7 (81.9) | 29.3 (84.7) | 35.9 (96.6) | 37.7 (99.9) | 39.1 (102.4) |
Average high °C (°F) | 26.6 (79.9) | 24.9 (76.8) | 22.2 (72.0) | 18.2 (64.8) | 14.1 (57.4) | 10.7 (51.3) | 10.2 (50.4) | 11.9 (53.4) | 15.1 (59.2) | 18.2 (64.8) | 21.2 (70.2) | 24.1 (75.4) | 18.1 (64.6) |
Average low °C (°F) | 10.9 (51.6) | 10.2 (50.4) | 7.8 (46.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | 0.6 (33.1) | −1.1 (30.0) | −2.0 (28.4) | −1.5 (29.3) | 1.1 (34.0) | 3.5 (38.3) | 6.5 (43.7) | 8.6 (47.5) | 4.0 (39.3) |
Record low °C (°F) | −2.2 (28.0) | −1.2 (29.8) | −2.7 (27.1) | −8.4 (16.9) | −9.7 (14.5) | −11.0 (12.2) | −10.8 (12.6) | −11.0 (12.2) | −9.4 (15.1) | −9.2 (15.4) | −5.6 (21.9) | −3.5 (25.7) | −11.0 (12.2) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 53.9 (2.12) | 51.4 (2.02) | 50.6 (1.99) | 39.4 (1.55) | 29.1 (1.15) | 39.9 (1.57) | 29.5 (1.16) | 32.2 (1.27) | 37.7 (1.48) | 47.2 (1.86) | 69.0 (2.72) | 54.3 (2.14) | 539.5 (21.24) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 8.9 | 9.4 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 11.2 | 12.4 | 12.1 | 10.7 | 11.0 | 11.4 | 11.8 | 9.8 | 129.7 |
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 39 | 43 | 43 | 46 | 54 | 60 | 57 | 48 | 46 | 43 | 43 | 39 | 47 |
Average dew point °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) | 8.1 (46.6) | 6.3 (43.3) | 4.0 (39.2) | 3.1 (37.6) | 1.6 (34.9) | 0.2 (32.4) | −0.8 (30.6) | 0.7 (33.3) | 2.1 (35.8) | 4.2 (39.6) | 5.2 (41.4) | 3.5 (38.3) |
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Cooma Airport AWS |
Aboriginals long occupied the area but in small numbers. The European settlement was founded in the 1860s, when Scotsman William Oliver built his house there in 1863 and opened a roadside store, naming the location as a variation on his home town in Scotland, Berriedale. [2] The dry climate later proved the town ideal for growing fine merino wool. Oliver's store became a wayside inn in 1870, which still exists as the Berridale Inn, and a granite store was built. A post office opened in the town in 1869 with a telegraph office opening in 1870.
The town nicknamed itself the 'Crossroads of the Snowy' during the period when gold miners would pass through on their way to the Adaminaby and Kiandra goldfields. Berridale was also nicknamed the 'Town of the Poplars' in the 1990s due to the main road through it from Cooma to Jindabyne (Jindabyne Road/Kosciusko Road ) being lined by an avenue of poplars. The town grew slowly with the pastoral industry forming the mainstay of the local economy. The town hosted a work camp for the Snowy Mountains Authority although its population did not grow as much as Jindabyne or Cooma during the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Berridale is also home to one of the largest collections of heavy machinery and associated equipment salvaged from construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The items include dozers, graders, scrapers, dumpers, loaders, tournapulls, trucks, snow equipment and numerous other pieces, from well known makers such as International, Euclid, LeTourneau Westinghouse, Allis Chalmers, Caterpillar, Thornycroft, Leyland, and others and numbers in excess of 100 pieces. A museum is planned for future construction to display the items.
In recent decades, Berridale has developed a tourism industry based on its location en route to the NSW snow fields. John Howard was staying in Berridale in September 1985 on a family ski holiday when Andrew Peacock announced that he would call a Party Room meeting to replace him as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. When Howard was re-elected as Deputy Leader on 5 September, Peacock was in an untenable position and resigned with Howard becoming leader of the Liberal Party and the Leader of the Opposition.
In the 2021 Census, there were 1,300 people in Berridale. 82.4% were born in Australia and 89.3% only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 44.0%, Catholic 17.9% and Anglican 16.6%. [1]
Berridale Public School is a primary school with around 100 pupils, serving the town and the outlying areas, with pupils going on to the Snowy Mountains Grammar School or Jindabyne Central School in Jindabyne or Monaro High School in Cooma.
Berridale Inn is a tourist hot spot when traveling through to the snow during season.
With its moonlike landscape, Berridale is a haven for photographers during each season. Many photographers utilise the granite boulders for shots whilst many will also take advantage of the Poplar trees that line the highway when they change from bright green to a luminous yellow during autumn.
During the year the Lions Club hold the Easter and Spring markets which draw a large crowd to the township. The Berridale Chamber of Commerce also holds a Christmas Twilight Market which proves to be very popular.
The Heritage Walk is also popular with tourists and residents. The walk features many of the older parts of the town.
Berridale also plays host to being a checkpoint during The Snowy Ride. The Snowy Ride is a motorcycle event run annually in the Alpine Region of NSW with the aim of involving motorcycle riders from all over Australia to raise money for Childhood Cancer Research.
During Winter, Berridale's population swells as skiers and seasonal workers converge on the town as they make it their base for the winter ski season.
Berridale has tennis court facilities, four of which are all weather and two clay and are used weekly during the warmer months.
Berridale also competes in the Monaro and District Cricket Association fielding one side in the competition and have won several competitions in the past.
The Berridale swimming pool is open from November until March.
Golf is played at the Coolamatong Golf Club which is located around 2 km from the CBD. The course is 18 holes and features grass greens and is also used for the Diggers Golf Day held in May each year. The club house is located in the CBD.
Berridale is also used as a training base for cyclists from all over Australia who use the many roads to train on as well as taking advantage of the high altitude.
On 28 March 1942, a USAAF P-40E fighter made an emergency landing at "Wheat Hill" station, after becoming lost in fog during a flight from Canberra. [3] The pilot, Lt Chester Namola stayed overnight with the headmaster of the local public school. [3]
The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", is an IBRA subregion in southern New South Wales, Australia, and is the tallest mountain range in mainland Australia, being part of the continent's Great Dividing Range cordillera system. It makes up the northeastern half of the Australian Alps and contains Australia's five tallest peaks, all of which are above 2,100 m (6,890 ft), including the tallest Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches to a height of 2,228 m (7,310 ft) above sea level. The offshore Tasmanian highlands makes up the only other major alpine region present in the whole of Australia.
Cooma is a town in the south of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 114 kilometres (71 mi) south of the national capital, Canberra, via the Monaro Highway. It is also on the Snowy Mountains Highway, connecting Bega with the Riverina.
Thredbo is a village and ski resort in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is approximately 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of Sydney, accessible by the Alpine Way via Cooma, Berridale, and Jindabyne. The village is built in the valley of the Thredbo River, also known as the Crackenback River, at the foot of the Ramshead Range.
Snowy Mountains Highway is a 333-kilometre-long (207 mi) state highway located in New South Wales, Australia. Its two sections connect the New South Wales South Coast to the Monaro region, and the Monaro to the South West Slopes via the Snowy Mountains. The higher altitude regions of this road are subject to snow over the winter months, and the road also provides access to many parts of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The highway bears the B72 shield along its entire length.
Cabramurra was the third-highest permanently inhabited town on the Australian continent, situated at 1,488 metres (4,882 ft) in the western Snowy Mountains of the Great Dividing Range, in the state of New South Wales. It is 82 metres (269 ft) lower than Dinner Plain in Victoria, and 272 metres (892 ft) lower than Charlotte Pass Village in New South Wales. The last residents are scheduled to leave the town in January 2018 with the current workforce housed being replaced with drive-in/drive-out staff. The name Cabramurra may be derived from Wiradjuri gambirra marra.
Monaro, once frequently spelt "Manaro", or in early years of settlement "Maneroo" is a region in the south of New South Wales, Australia. A small area of Victoria near Snowy River National Park is geographically part of the Monaro. While the Australian Capital Territory is not considered part of the region, some towns in the Monaro have close links with Canberra.
Dalgety is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, on the banks of the Snowy River between Melbourne and Sydney.
Jindabyne is a town in south-east New South Wales, Australia that overlooks Lake Jindabyne near the Snowy Mountains, in Snowy Monaro Regional Council. It is a popular holiday destination year round, especially in winter. This is due to its proximity to major ski resort developments within the Kosciuszko National Park, including Thredbo, Perisher and Charlotte Pass.
Adaminaby is a small town near the Snowy Mountains north-west of Cooma, New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council. The historic town, of 301 people at the 2016 census, is a trout fishing centre and winter sports destination situated at 1,017 metres (3,337 ft) above sea level. Economic life is built around tourism and agriculture–the town serves as a service point for Selwyn Snowfields and the Northern Skifields. It is also a popular destination for horse riders, bushwalkers, fly-fishermen and water sports enthusiasts as well as a base for viewing aspects of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.
Monaro, also known as Maneroo (1856–1858), Monara (1858–1879) and Manaro (1894–1904) is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is currently represented by Steve Whan of the Labor party since the 2023 New South Wales state election.
The Snowy River Shire was a local government area in the Australian Alps region of New South Wales, Australia from 1939 until May 2016. It was named after the Snowy River that runs through it. Prior to 1936, it had been named as Dalgety Shire since establishment in 1906.
Jindabyne Central School is a government-funded co-educational primary and comprehensive secondary day school, located at 4 Park Road in the town of Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia.
Kosciuszko Road is a road in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia which runs from Pine Valley, to the ski resort of Charlotte Pass in Kosciuszko National Park.
Shannons Flat is a locality in the Monaro region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council local government area, sandwiched between the southern border of the Namadgi National Park in the Australian Capital Territory and the Murrumbidgee River. Shannons Flat also adjoins the NSW localities of Yaouk, Bolaro, Murrumbucca, Bredbo and Billilingra. It is about 308 kilometres (191 mi) south west of the state capital, Sydney, and 70 kilometres (40 mi) from the Australian national capital of Canberra. It is just over 40 kilometres (25 mi) north west of the regional centre, Cooma.
Island Bend Dam is a major ungated concrete gravity dam with a controlled spillway across the Snowy River in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's main purpose is for the diversion of water for generation of hydro-power and is one of the sixteen major dams that comprise the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a vast hydroelectricity and irrigation complex constructed in south-east Australia between 1949 and 1974 and now run by Snowy Hydro.
The Cooma Creek, a mostly–perennial river that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Monaro region of New South Wales, Australia.
The Snowy Monaro Regional Council is a local government area located in the Snowy Mountains and Monaro regions of New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed on 12 May 2016 through a merger of the Bombala, Cooma-Monaro and Snowy River shires.
Old Adaminaby and Lake Eucumbene are the heritage-listed former town of Adaminaby and the reservoir that flooded the town, now at Eucumbene, Snowy Valleys Council, New South Wales, Australia. The town was established in 1830. The reservoir was designed by the Snowy Hydro Electric Authority and built from 1956 to 1958 by the Authority. It is also known as Old Adaminaby and Lake Eucumbene, including relics and movable objects, Eucumbene River, Eucumbene Valley, Old Adaminaby Remains, Old Adaminaby Ruins and Old Adaminaby Drowned Landscape. The property is owned by Snowy Hydro Limited, a statutory corporation owned by the governments of Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The site was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 3 June 2008.
Stewart Ryrie, Junior (1812—1882) was a Scottish-born Australian pastoralist, surveyor and settler colonist of the Monaro district of New South Wales, Australia. He is associated with early colonial settlement of the Cooma and Jindabyne areas, and the exploration and survey of the Snowy Mountains.
The Original Group 19 Rugby League was a competition which ran from the 1950 until 1970, in the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales. Many clubs left for other competitions after this time, including Group 16 and Group 8. The Group 19 tag was then transferred to Canberra and later Northern New South Wales.