Marrangaroo, New South Wales

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Marrangaroo
New South Wales
Australia New South Wales location map blank.svg
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Marrangaroo
Marrangaroo, New South Wales
Coordinates 33°26′0″S150°07′0″E / 33.43333°S 150.11667°E / -33.43333; 150.11667
Population909 (2016 census) [1]
Postcode(s) 2790 [2]
Elevation1,200 m (3,937 ft)
Location
LGA(s) City of Lithgow
State electorate(s) Bathurst
Federal division(s) Calare
Mean max tempMean min tempAnnual rainfall
19.1 °C
66 °F
6.3 °C
43 °F
786.9 mm
31 in
Localities around Marrangaroo:
Wallerawang Lidsdale
Mount Lambie Marrangaroo Lithgow
Rydal Bowenfels Lithgow

Marrangaroo is a village in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia in the City of Lithgow. The name is also applied to the surrounding area, for postal and statistical purposes.

Contents

Overview

Marrangaroo is located a few kilometres west of Lithgow. It is accessible from the Great Western Highway, and has no railway station and little bus services. Lithgow Buslines, run buses between Lithgow and Bathurst, which makes limited stops at Marrangaroo on the Great Western Highway. A main feature of Marrangaroo was the Trout Farm which was opposite the Lithgow Correctional Centre. At the 2016 census, Marrangaroo had a population of 909. [1]

The area in the north-east of the Marrangaroo bounded locality is now a part of the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. [3] [4]

Military

Empty 110 kg (250 lb) bombs Empty LC 250lb bombs.JPG
Empty 110 kg (250 lb) bombs

Marrangaroo Army Camp situated at the end of Reserve Road used to be a major ammunition depot from 1941 to the late 1980s. It was served by a three kilometres siding that branched off from the Main Western railway line from March 1942 until May 1988. [5] It is now used for demolitions and various training by all three Australian Defence Force services. During World War II, a "town" was constructed nearby named Hokesville that was in fact a decoy for an RAAF chemical weapons storage site. Marrangaroo was the administration headquarters for all of the Royal Australian Air Force Chemical Weapon Stores. These were located at the Hokesville site (old tunnel and siding near correctional centre), Glenbrook Tunnel, Clarence Tunnel (that is now part of the Lithgow Zig Zag) and Picton tunnel in Sydney's south. [6]

During an interview with Plunkett in 2005, chemical warfare armourer, Geoff Burn mentioned he had been involved in the burial of 110-kilogram (250 lb) phosgene bombs near the entrance to the headquarters in 1943. He was subsequently recalled from Cairns in 1944 to identify the site but was unsure as to whether and if the bombs had been extracted. After Burn marked the site on an aerial map a ground search revealed they were still there. The legacy of these weapons remains with several hundred empty chemical munition containers being found buried at Marrangaroo Army Camp from May 2008 to February 2009. [7] [8]

A remediation project to remove heavy metal contamination started in November 2008 with a secondary task to remove any more buried chemical munitions. The revelation of Marrangaroo's history sparked significant local media interest. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] The Department of Defence established a website for community consultation and feedback on the decontamination. [16]

Transport

Marrangaroo station c. 1950s. Railway Station - Marrangaroo (2826732226).jpg
Marrangaroo station c. 1950s.

A railway station opened at Marrangaroo on the Main Western line in 1878 and closed in 1974. Little trace of it remains. [17] Also, it has been suggested as the western terminus for the proposed Bells Line Expressway; however, it is unlikely to proceed. [18]

Preceding stationFormer ServicesFollowing station
Wallerawang
towards Bourke
Main Western Line Bowenfels
towards Sydney

Shale oil

During the 1870s, there was an oil shale mine at 'Bathgate', probably named after Bathgate, in Scotland, which was the site of a shale oil industry. 'Bathgate' lay on Dr Mackenzie's property, about a mile from the Main Western railway line at the point where it passed through the original Marrangaroo tunnel. [19] [20] [21] [22] The operation at 'Bathgate' was ultimately unsuccessful, although more oil shale was discovered, about a mile away, in 1888. [23]

During the calendar years 1943 to 1945 inclusive, Lithgow Oil Proprietary Ltd, at Marrangaroo, produced around 2,000,000 gallons of crude shale oil. Under wartime conditions, that company had designed and constructed its own NTU retorts based on information from a Bureau of Mines publication. The crude shale oil was refined at the Glen Davis Shale Oil Works. [24] [25] The Marrangaroo oil shale deposit was small but exceptionally rich, assaying 237 US gallons per long ton. [24]

Heritage listings

Marrangaroo has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithgow, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Lithgow is a town in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the administrative centre of the City of Lithgow local government area. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glowworm Tunnel</span> Disused railway tunnel between Lithgow, New South Wales and Newnes, New South Wales

The Glowworm Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel between Lithgow, New South Wales and Newnes, New South Wales, Australia. It is notable for its resident glow-worms, the bioluminescent larvae of Arachnocampa richardsae, a type of fungus gnat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Davis, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Glen Davis is a village in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. The village is located in the local government area of the City of Lithgow. It is located 250 km north-west of Sydney and approximately 80 kilometres north of Lithgow. The name is also applied to the surrounding area, for postal and statistical purposes. In the 2006 census, Glen Davis had a population of 354 but this fell to 115 in the 2016 census, and declined still further to 106 at the 2021 census.

Bathgate is a town in West Lothian, Scotland.

The Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, and Central West regions. It is 825 kilometres (513 mi) long, of which 484 kilometres (301 mi) is currently operational.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Lithgow</span> Local government area in New South Wales, Australia

The City of Lithgow is a local government area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is located adjacent to the Great Western Highway and the Main Western railway line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newnes railway line</span> Former railway line in New South Wales, Australia

The Newnes railway line is a closed and dismantled railway line in New South Wales, Australia. The line ran for 32 mi (51 km) from the Main Western line to the township of Newnes. Along the way, it passed through a tunnel now known as the Glowworm Tunnel, because it is famous for its glow-worms. The tunnel is now contained within the Wollemi National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithgow Zig Zag</span> Railway line in New South Wales, Australia

The Lithgow Zig Zag is a heritage-listed former zig zag railway line built near Lithgow on the Great Western Line of New South Wales in Australia. The zig zag line operated between 1869 and 1910, to overcome an otherwise insurmountable climb and descent on the western side of the Blue Mountains. It was designed by John Whitton and built from 1863 to 1869 by Patrick Higgins as contractor. It is also known as the Great Zig Zag Railway and Reserves and Zig Zag Railway. The property is owned by Department of Planning and Infrastructure. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartley Vale, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Hartley Vale is a small village in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales, Australia. It is approximately 150 kilometres west of Sydney and 12 kilometres south-east of Lithgow. It is in the local government area of the City of Lithgow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallerawang</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Wallerawang is a small township in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) northwest of Lithgow adjacent to the Great Western Highway. It is also located on the Main Western railway line at the junction of the Gwabegar line. The name is also applied to the surrounding area for postal and statistical purposes.

Kerosene Vale is a historic locality within the City of Lithgow Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia. Kerosene Vale lies near Lidsdale and Wallerawang. It is considered part of Lidsdale for census purposes. It should not be confused with Hartley Vale, another locality with a history of shale oil production, which is also within the City of Lithgow. The name Kerosene Vale is now only used infrequently.

There are oil shale deposits in Australia which range from small deposits to large reserves. Deposits, varying by their age and origin, are located in about a third of eastern Australia. In 2012, the demonstrated oil shale reserves were estimated at 58 billion tonnes. The easiest to recover deposits are located in Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Davis Shale Oil Works</span> Oil extraction plant

The Glen Davis Shale Oil Works was a shale oil extraction plant, in the Capertee Valley, at Glen Davis, New South Wales, Australia, which operated from 1940 until 1952. It was the last oil-shale operation in Australia, until the Stuart Oil Shale Project in the late 1990s. For the period of 1965–1952, it provided one fifth of the shale oil produced in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenbrook Tunnel (1892)</span>

The Glenbrook Tunnel is a heritage-listed single-track former railway tunnel and mustard gas storage facility and previously a mushroom farm located on the former Main Western Line at the Great Western Highway, Glenbrook, in the City of Blue Mountains local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The Department of Railways designed the tunnel and built it from 1891 to 1892. It is also known as Lapstone Hill tunnel and Former Glenbrook Railway and World War II Mustard Gas Storage Tunnel. The property is owned by Blue Mountains City Council and Land and Property Management Authority, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 August 2011. The railway tunnel was originally part of the Glenbrook 1892 single-track deviation, which bypassed the Lapstone Zig Zag across the Blue Mountains. It is 634 metres; 693 yards long and is constructed in an 'S' shape with a gradient of 1:33.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marrangaroo railway viaduct</span> Heritage listed railway viaduct in New South Wales, Australia

The Marrangaroo railway viaduct is a heritage-listed railway viaduct that carries the Main Western Line across Marrangaroo Creek at Marrangaroo in the City of Lithgow local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The property added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Torbane was a privately-owned village lying within the area now known as Capertee, in the Local Government Area of the City of Lithgow, within the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. There was also another village, Airly, nearby. Both villages were associated with the mining of oil shale. The mine associated with Torbane was known as the New Hartley Mine. and that associated with Airly was known as the Genowlan Mine. There were retorts that produced crude shale oil at Torbane. Both Torbane and Airly are now ghost towns.

Australian Kerosene Oil Company or 'A.K.O' mined and processed oil shale to produce kerosene, paraffin wax and candles, lubricating oil and greases, and other petroleum-based products, in New South Wales Australia. It is particularly associated with the site of its mine and works, at Joadja. At times, it also had other mining operations, at Airly and near Katoomba, and a soap and candle factory at Camellia. The company used the brand name 'Southern Cross' for its kerosene products.

Lidsdale is a locality within the City of Lithgow Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia. It lies to the north of Wallerawang. Its area, as defined for postal and statistical purposes, includes the historic locality of Kerosene Vale and the small rural areas known as Springvale and Angus Place. In 2021, its population was 471.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hokesville, New South Wales</span> Fake town

Hokesville was a fake town in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia built during World War II as camouflage for a RAAF weapons storage site. It had no actual residents as such but was regularly attended by a "floating population" of Australian military servicemen during the war. The official name for the Hokesville base in reality was No. 1 Central Reserve and Army Ordnance.

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Marrangaroo)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 11 April 2021. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. Marrangaroo Postcode Australia Post
  3. "Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area". NSW Environment and Heritage. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  4. "Marrangaroo · New South Wales 2790, Australia". Google Maps. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  5. Marangaroo Railway Digest August 1988 page 312
  6. Plunkett, Geoff (2007). Chemical Warfare in Australia (PDF). Bayswater, Victoria: Shannon Books. ISBN   9781876439880 . Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  7. Ashworth, Len (7 August 2008). "Base's phantom war reveals its secrets" (PDF). Lithgow Mercury . Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  8. Ashworth, Len (9 August 2008). "Chemical warfare left its legacy" (PDF). Lithgow Mercury. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  9. Ashworth, Len (17 July 2008). "Chemical experiments in the Eighties". Lithgow Mercury. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  10. Ashworth, Len (17 July 2008). "Hidden Newnes Forest storage has added to military puzzle" (PDF). Lithgow Mercury. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  11. Ashworth, Len (5 August 2008). "Railway historians join chemical warfare issue" (PDF). Lithgow Mercury. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  12. Ashworth, Len (17 July 2008). "Chemical experiments in the Eighties" (PDF). Lithgow Mercury. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  13. Ashworth, Len (8 July 2008). "Mustard gas tainted our reputation" (PDF). Lithgow Mercury. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  14. Vollmer, Tim (22 September 2008). "Chemical bombs sit metres from Lithgow families for 60 years". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  15. Geddes, Jeff (7 February 2009). "Cleansing our military 'sins'" (PDF). Lithgow Mercury. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  16. "Marrangaroo Army Depot Environmental Remediation Project". Department of Defence. 6 August 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  17. "Marrangaroo station". NSWrail.net. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  18. Bells Line of Road corridor improvement program Roads & Maritime 21 December 2017
  19. "THE UNDERGROUND PERMANENT WEALTH OP NEW SOUTH WALES". Illustrated Sydney News and New South Wales Agriculturalist and Grazier . 27 September 1873. p. 6. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  20. "MOUNT VICTORIA". Illustrated Sydney News and New South Wales Agriculturalist and Grazier . 22 November 1873. p. 21. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  21. "Geological map (with sections) showing position of kerosene shale seam at Marangaroo, Kerosene Vale or Bathgate". Trove. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  22. "Marrangaroo Tunnel (1st)". nswrail.net. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  23. "Fresh Discovery of Shale at Lithgow". Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. 21 July 1888. p. 150. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  24. 1 2 Kraemer, A.J.; Thorne, H.M. (July 1951). Oil Shale Operations in New South Wales, Australia (PDF). United States Department of the Interior. pp. 10, 11, 42. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  25. "Lithgow Shale Oil Plant Closed Down". Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate . 17 November 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  26. "Marrangaroo railway viaduct". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H01046. Retrieved 18 May 2018. CC BY icon.svg Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .

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