Inverell (wikipedia)

is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands. It has a temperate climate. At the 2011 census, the population of Inverell was 11,399.

History

In 1848, Alexander Campbell held the 50,000-acre (200 km²) Inverell Station on the Macintyre River. The name derives from the name of Mr. MacIntyre’s estate. The word is of Gaelic origin, and signifies “meeting place of the swans”; from “Inver”, a meeting place, and “Ell”, a swan. The MacIntyre River and Swanbrook Creek join here. The area was also known as “Green Swamp” in the 1850s. Wheat growers, Colin and Rosanna Ross established a store there in 1853, when he asked that a town be surveyed. In 1858 this was done and in the following years the plan was approved and the first land sale was held. Byron Post Office (open since 1855) was replaced by the Inverell Post Office on 15 September 1859. The municipality was proclaimed in March 1872. The last section of the Inverell branchline, from Delungra to Inverell, was opened on 10 March 1902. The last train ran to Inverell on 22 June 1987, and the Delungra to Inverell section of the line was closed on 2 December 1987. In 1871, the population of Inverell was 509, this increased to 1,212 in 1881. After Federation, the population of Inverell was 1,230 in 1911, and grew to 6,530 (1947) and 8,209 (1961 census).

Mining History

Diamonds were discovered at Copes Creek in 1875 and were mined at Copeton from 1883-1922. Commercial sapphire mining was commenced in 1919 at Frazers Creek near Inverell. Rich alluvial deposits in streams were worked initially by hand miners but there was little recorded production up until approximately 1960.

Industry

The Inverell district is in a fertile agricultural region which produces a wide range of crops, including wheat, barley, oats, sorghum, wine grapes and maize. There are also some mining activities with tin, sapphires, zircons and diamonds (mainly industrial) being found. Inverell is known as the ‘Sapphire City’ because of the sapphires that found throughout the local district. The area is recognised for its sapphires, contributing to a major part of Australia’s sapphire production.

 

27^th September, Saturday

It took us a while to pack up and leave this morning. Lots of goodbyes to be said and the usual chat, chat, chat. It’s a beautiful sunny day and the drive to Inverell is only 65kms from Glen Innes. We dropped 500m in altitude on the way here and so it’s 6 degrees warmer (glorious). We got here at about 11 as it’s only an hours drive from Glen Innes. Ralphie wanted to get set up etc. before the grand final started. This is a lovely spacious caravan park. It’s a bit full at the mo with lots of tents and gazebos for meals etc. set up as there is a huge international junior world cup soccer competition going on for the week. It should be a good atmosphere when the boys get back from their game today. You will see some info about the games that I have posted here. Poor Hugo is having such a bad day. Before we left Glen Innes he had a ferret go for him, poor puppy jumped up on all fours backwards. He was just having a little sniff to see what it was. Our campsite in Inverell is under some trees and we think that there are birds nesting. Poor Hugo was just having a drink of water and he got swooped big time. Every time he ventures out it happens, so now he won’t come out from under the canopy. I have been sitting under the tree reading and they haven’t bothered about me. There are some people that have just arrived and they have a Labrador and the birds haven’t bothered about him either, so, I think that they think that Hugo is a Magpie and is a threat and  swoop him. He hates magpies with a vengeance and chases them away every time they come close to the van so now I think that he will hate grey birds forever as well. Poor puppy is so traumatised.

 

Junior soccer world cup (Inverell)

Four South Burnett soccer teams were training hard at Tom Alford Oval in Kingaroy on Wednesday night in preparation for a stab at the World Cup … or at least, a miniature version of it.

The  teams will be travelling to Inverell in northern NSW at the weekend to take part in one of the most unusual soccer events in Australia. They’ll be competing in the Joey’s Mini World Cup, an annual week-long soccer tournament created five years ago by Inverell’s Heinrich Haussler to encourage young players and their parents to visit the town.

From a humble start with just 16 teams in 2009, this year the cup has grown to attract 40 teams from all over south-east Queensland and northern NSW, along with visiting teams from New Zealand, Tonga and Germany.

It’s become on of the biggest events in the town – so big that when Toowoomba and Tamworth both expressed interest in hosting it earlier this year, the Inverell Chamber Of Commerce formed a special committee to help keep it anchored to the town.

The competition follows the format of the World Cup, with teams playing in pools and everyone taking a day off in the middle of the competition to rest, relax and take in the delights of the Inverell area.

All teams draw a country and then play as that country throughout the competition.

The countries are those that competed in the most recent World Cup, so this year the South Burnett’s teams will be playing as Germany, Australia and Costa Rica.

Apart from a fun week of sport, one of the other big attractions of the Mini World Cup is that players and their parents can win a share of the $40,000 prize-money the tournament offers.

The top prizes for players are two fully paid, 30-day playing and coaching trips to Germany for the best male and female field players, and a three-week trip for the tournament’s best goal-keeper to visit Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Barcelona.

Parents can share in a $14,000 prize pool that offers adventure tours, kayaks, tents and fishing gear.

This year the Mini World Cup will run from September 29 through until Friday, October 3.

The South Burnett will be fielding teams in the U13s, U15s and U17s as well as an Open Women’s squad.

Players in each team have been drawn from all the region’s soccer clubs (Barambah United, Wests, Gunners and Panthers) and now the 2014 season is over, competitive urges have been replaced by the happy camaraderie the sport is noted for.

“We’re sending some really good players to the Cup this year,” Kingaroy Wests coach Jamie Neil said.

28^th September, Sunday

It is another beautiful Spring day up here in the highlands, it’s sunny and it’s going to be about 25 degrees today. We decided to take a drive to a little town called “Bingara” another pretty country town. It is the most beautiful drive going through so many deep valleys and some spectacular scenery. Most of the farming up here is sheep and cattle. On the way there is a dam (Copeton Dam), it’s huge but like most dams in Oz these days it’s not very full. The dam runs into the Gwydir river and the level of the river can rise considerably if water is released. There probably is no chance of that happening at the mo because of the low level of the dam. There are quite a few people camping in various spots along the river and it looks awesome. Most of them have boats (just tinnies) as there is a lot of fishing to be done there. We stopped off in Bingara for lunch in the pub. The place was packed as there were a lot of motor bike peeps that pitched up. I think that it’s their normal Sunday lunch run as they all seemed to be from around here somewhere. Bingara used to be a gold mining town and there is a little monument to that fact. There are some new diggings around the place and some warnings about open shafts. When we got back to camp all the soccer boys and girls have arrived. There are kitchens, tents you name it all over the place. It is lively and it seems like they are all having fun. The competition for them starts tomorrow so tonight they are just having fun. Poor Hugo still won’t come out from under the awning because those birds are still attacking him, he is still traumatised, poor puppy. We bought 2 T-Bones from local sources at the local butcher and they are going on the BBQ tonight.

29^th September, Monday

Not much news to tell you today. It’s another beautiful warm sunny day. We booked the car in to have the shocks redone as it’s been 10 years since last they were done so old Betsy has done her job well considered some of the things we have put her through over the years. Ralphie went fossicking and Hugo and I stayed at home. I painted (or tried to) and then spent the rest of the days protecting Hugo from those horrible birds that keep attacking him. Poor puppy spent the day under the table because those birds come under the awning to attack him.   Ralphie came home with a little bit of a stash and I think that he wants to go out again tomorrow, we shall see.

30^th September, Tuesday and the 1^st Ocotober, Wednesday

Yesterday (Tuesday) Ralph went fossicking and Hugo and I stayed home. I painted and did not much else. Ralphie came home with a few nice rocks for show and tell. Today (Wednesday), we did some shopping and then Ralph took the car in for the new shocks and that was our day really, so sorry folks, nothing exciting to tell you as we are just veging today. Tomorrow is Ralphs last day for his Sapphire find as we leave here for Lightning Ridge on Saturday morning and Friday is for some of the things that I haven’t seen (Yes, more old buildings). Opals for Ralph and thermal pools for me in Lightning Ridge, should be good. The weather has turned beautiful and we believe that it’s quite hot in Lightning Ridge so I’ll put the tracky dacks away. The soccer kids are still here but they are not a bad bunch, just kids having fun. Some people have left the park saying that they are too noisy but we think that they are well organised and they haven’t bothered us. They play their music but it’s at dinner time and a reasonable hour and, they are having fun. The parents are noisier than the kids in my opinion. Some people really should just stay at home.

home.

2^nd October, Wednesday

Another fossicking day for Ralphie and another painting day for me and the weather is still glorious. Ralph came home with probably 200 stones, some for polishing, some for cutting and some beautiful colours. He is going to be busy when we come home one day. Another no news day. Tomorrow we will be going out and about so hopefully this page will be a little more exciting. xxxx

3^rd October, Friday

Another warm sunny day. Today we took some pictures (yes, of buildings), went to the art gallery, it’s a lovely gallery and quite diverse. We took a drive to an Olive farm and bought heaps of gourmet goodies. Their stuff is really nice and the ladies there are the 6^th generation on the farm. We came back to camp and started packing up as we leave for Lightning Ridge at sparrows tomorrow. We will only get to Lightning Ridge on Sunday as we will do a night stop over at one of the 24 hour rest stops. Ralph is going to try his hand at Opals on our next stop so it’s goodbye Sapphires and hello Opals. So, it’s cheerio to Inverell. We have enjoyed staying here as it’s a pretty town and of course lots of fossicking for Ralphie. See you all in Lightning Ridge. xxxxx