| Tahmoor New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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 Bargo River, original crossing place south of Tahmoor | |||||||||||||||
  Tahmoor | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°13′27″S150°35′32″E / 34.22417°S 150.59222°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 5,067 (2016 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2573 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 275 m (902 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Wollondilly Shire | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Macarthur | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Wollondilly | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Hume | ||||||||||||||
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Tahmoor is a small town in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia, in Wollondilly Shire.
Originally named Myrtle Creek, it was a farming area on the Great Southern Road, later named the Hume Highway. [2]
When the new Main Southern railway line opened in 1919, it included a railway station named Tahmoor. This name was contested by a local businessman, who wished to establish a town called Bronzewing Park, but his claim was rejected. The town had recently been named "Tahmoor", a local Aboriginal word for the common bronzewing, (Phaps chalcoptera) a native pigeon often seen in the area. [3] [4]
The Bargo River passes just south of the town; the Bargo River Crossing on the Great South Road was so notoriously difficult for travellers, causing many delays and accidents, [5] [6] [n. 1] that it has even passed into Australian folklore, in the form of the song Stringybark and Greenhide [7]
'If you travel on the road, and chance to stick in Bargo,
To avoid a bad capsize, you must unload your cargo;
For to pull a dray about, I do not see the force on,Take a bit of green hide, and hook another horse on.'
The uncleared scrub ('brush') on the opposite bank was known as the Bargo Brush, and was much feared as the haunt of escaped convicts turned bushranger. [8] The road through the Bargo Brush was often all but impassible, as this letter of 1861 attests:
I have just travelled through the Bargo Brush, on the Great Southern Road, but such a road, I unhesitatingly say, never existed in any other civilised or uncivilised part of the world. Dr. Leichhardt met with nothing like it on his overland journey to Port Essington ; nor did Bruce, in his travels in Abyssinia ; nor did Mungo Park, or Dr. Livingstone, in their travels in the interior of Africa.
To give any thing like a graphic description of the state of the road would be impossible. For about twenty miles it is a succession of pits and bogs, and holes of every kind, and in order to prevent the escape of any of the unfortunate travellers into the bush, a ditch has been cut on both sides of the road, so that they are as well secured (although not so safe) as they would be on a treadmill. Every thing that nature and art could do to render a road impassable and dangerous, has been done on the Great Southern Road. Although I have had two days rest since I returned home, I still feel appalled at the dangers I have encountered, and most grateful to Providence for my preservation of both life and limb. My friend and I, who travelled together in a gig determined that we would spare no time or pains in exploring - so as to perform (what appeared to be a miracle) - the getting through this slough of pits and bogs, without breaking a bone of man or beast, or the shafts or springs of our gig. For this purpose one led the horse and the other walked ' before, to explore and take soundings of the pits, bogs, &c.
At times we were fairly brought to a stand-still, on account of the almost unfathomable holes, and the great number of drays, &c, deeply embedded in the slough. The poor carriers appeared to be at their wits' end. I have never seen such a fine set of strong, healthy fellows so dead beat as were the carriers on this road. And I shall never forget their kindness in assisting us in our difficulties. But for I them our horse and gig would have become a wreck on the Great Southern Road, and, probably, little more than the whip would have been visible to act as a beacon to warn travellers not to approach it. On, one occasion, when we had got deeply bogged, I asked a man, who was at the time hard at work with a spade digging his dray out of a bog, to come and as assist us. He immediately came, and also another man, with whose help we saved the life of our horse. Twice our horse got bogged up to the belly, notwithstanding the utmost precautions we could use, and on one occasion broke a shaft, which we had to splice in the best we could with the reins, some straps, and saplings. One of the mail-driven told us that one of his wheelers had sunk to the hips, and was I with difficulty drawn out by the remainder of the team. He said he had been twenty-two hours in coming thirty-two miles, and that nothing should induce him to continue driving by night on such a dangerous road.
Is not this a case for Government interference…? Thomas Holt, Camden Villa, Newtown. [9]
In time, increasing numbers of orchardists and dairy farmers needed to send their produce more safely to local railheads. These factors all hastened the construction of a road bridge (1898) and diversion of the Main South Line from further westwards (1919), to pass through this area. [10] [11]
Tahmoor has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
At the 2016 census, Tahmoor had a population of 5,067, including 227 (4.5%) indigenous persons and 4,074 (80.8%) Australian-born persons. [1]
As part of its town and community planning strategies, [13] determined to make Tahmoor-Picton precincts the shopping 'hubs' and service centre for the Wollondilly Shire. [14] The present town has three major supermarkets, two of which are located in separate shopping centres, one being the older original Tahmoor Shopping Village and the other in the newer Tahmoor Town Centre. In addition to these there are a variety of small businesses, an expanding medical and dental centre, along with two prominent fast-food outlets, some take-aways and restaurants. Tahmoor like Picton has a Chamber of Commerce [15] which supports community based projects.
Schools include Tahmoor Public School, catering for Kindergarten to year 6, with a special needs department for local children, [16] and Wollondilly Anglican College, an independent school serving students from Kindergarten to Year 12. Secondary students also attend the nearby Picton High School [17] and other schools in the region.
The Tahmoor Colliery, located to the south in North Bargo, is an important employer in the town and surrounding area, as is Ingham's Enterprises, who operate a poultry processing plant. The supermarkets and small retail businesses also provide considerable employment, especially for part-time and casual staff.
Tahmoor railway station is serviced by the Southern Highlands Line. Bus services are operated by a local coach line.
Tahmoor has sporting fields, a skate and BMX park, a community function centre owned by the Country Women's Association, and a Rural Fire Service. The original location of the Bushfire Brigade (as it was then known) was an old hay shed, which was donated to the brigade.[ citation needed ] Donations have helped the Brigade to upgrade its facilities to the present standard.
The official soccer team of Tahmoor is the Tahmoor Taipans [18] which competes in the Macarthur District Soccer Football Association League. The team's home ground is Tahmoor Oval.
Tahmoor has Catholic, Uniting, Seventh-day Adventist and Anglican churches. To the south of the town is the Kiah Ridge Conference Centre, [19] operated by the Baptist Church. [20]
There are bushwalking opportunities in the area with tracks that start from the Potholes Reserve. These lead to Potholes Reserve, Mermaid Pools, See Through Pools, Bargo Falls, Rapids on the Bargo River and Tahmoor Gorge. [21] It is also possible to trek downstream to the Nepean River.
Thirlmere is a small semi-rural town in the Macarthur Region of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia, in the Wollondilly Shire. Popularly known for its railway origins, the town is located 89 km south west of the Sydney Central Business District. At the 2021 census, Thirlmere had a population of 4,986.
The Division of Hume is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales.
Macarthur is a region in the south-west part of the Greater Sydney area, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region includes the local government areas of the City of Campbelltown, Camden Council, and Wollondilly Shire. It covers an area of 3,067 square kilometres and has a population of close to 310,000 residents. The region geographically forms the foothills between the Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands regions.
Picton railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Southern line in the south-western Sydney suburb of Picton in the Wollondilly Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1863 to 1919. It is also known as the Picton Railway Station group. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The station opened on 1 July 1869. The station is unusually sited, with southbound journeys actually heading north out of the station before traversing a 225 degree horseshoe curve to again head south, and likewise northbound services heading south before rounding a number of curves to resume their true direction.
Tahmoor railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Southern line in the town of Tahmoor, part of the Wollondilly Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 where it is also known as the Tahmoor Railway Station Group and Lupton's Inn. The station opened on 13 July 1919 at the same time as a new alignment between Picton and Mittagong railway stations.
Menangle is a village in the Macarthur region of New South Wales, Australia.
Picton is a small town in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Wollondilly Shire, in south-western Sydney. The town is located approximately 90 kilometres south-west of the Sydney CBD, close to Camden and Campbelltown. It is also the administrative centre of Wollondilly Shire.
Wollondilly Shire is a periurban local government area, located on the south west fringe of the Greater Sydney area in New South Wales, Australia, parts of which fall into the Macarthur, Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands regions in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wollondilly is seen as the transition between Regional NSW and the Greater Sydney Region, and is variously categorised as part of both. Wollondilly Shire was created by proclamation in the NSW Government Gazette on 7 March 1906, following the passing of the Local Government (Shires) Act 1905, and amalgamated with the Municipality of Picton on 1 May 1940.
Yerrinbool is one of the Northern Villages of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in the Wingecarribee Shire, and is accessible from the Hume Highway and is about a 12 km (7.5 mi) drive from nearby Mittagong. It is 7 km (4.3 mi) to Hill Top as the crow flies, accessible by foot via a fire trail. It is on the western edge of the Upper Nepean Nature Reserve, a vast area of forest, lakes and dams between Yerrinbool and the coastal communities around Wollongong. Yerrinbool was previously officially known as the Town of Yerrinbool. It is located on the historic Old Hume Highway.
Bargo is a town in the Macarthur Region of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia, in the Wollondilly Shire. It is located approximately halfway between Campbelltown and Bowral, about 100 km south west of the Sydney CBD.
Buxton is a small village in Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia, in Wollondilly Shire. At the 2021 census, Buxton had a population of 2,071 people. Its name comes from the town of Buxton, Derbyshire.
Balmoral is a Northern Village of the Southern Highlands area of New South Wales, Australia. It is the northernmost village in Wingecarribee Shire.
Douglas Park is a town of the Macarthur Region in New South Wales, Australia in Wollondilly Shire. It is near the Hume Highway, the F5 Freeway and on the Main Southern railway line. Its station is served by NSW TrainLink's Southern Highlands Line. It is about 80 km southwest of Sydney. In 2016, Douglas Park had a population of 1,362.
The Picton–Mittagong Loop Line is a partly disused railway line between the towns of Picton and Mittagong in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia.
Wollondilly is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is currently represented by independent Judy Hannan, who defeated sitting member Nathaniel Smith at the 2023 New South Wales state election.
Couridjah is a small town in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia, in Wollondilly Shire. It was previously known officially as "Village of Couridjah". At the 2016 census, Couridjah had a population of 303.
The Bargo Rural Fire Brigade is a unit of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service that services the local Bargo and Wollondilly Shire community in New South Wales, Australia. The brigade provides help to return normality to residents and visitors of the Wollondilly Shire in cases of bush fire. The brigade primarily services the Bargo area, including the Hume Highway from Picton Road, Wilton to Yanderra.
Remembrance Drive is a rural road that links Camden and Alpine on the fringes of south-western Sydney, New South Wales. The road served as the former alignment of Hume Highway and now forms part of Old Hume Highway.
The Bargo Railway Viaduct is a heritage-listed railway viaduct over the Bargo River located on the Main South railway approximately 96 kilometres (60 mi) from Central, in the south-western Sydney settlement of Bargo in the Wollondilly Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The viaduct was designed by New South Wales Government Railways and built in 1919. It is also known as Bargo River Railway Viaduct. The property is owned by Transport Asset Holding Entity, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Tahmoor Colliery is an underground coal mine at Tahmoor in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales, Australia. It operates in the Bulli coal seam. Most of the mine product is hard coking coal used for steel making. A small quantity of steaming blend coal used for power generation is also produced. Both products are exported to Europe and Asia.
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