Galong, New South Wales

Galong is a village in New South Wales, Australia, in Hilltops Council. At the 2016 census, the Galong State Suburb (an Australian Bureau of Statistics statistical area[2]), that includes the village, had a population of 224. It is a typical Australian village located 1 hour's drive from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).[1]

A monument for a child at the cemetery

Galong
New South Wales
McMahon Street in Galong
Galong
Coordinates34°36′S 148°33′E
Population224 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)2585
LGA(s)Hilltops Council
CountyHarden
State electorate(s)Cootamundra
Federal Division(s)Hume

The town is well known for its cemetery,[3] which has among other monuments, some angels erected by Frank Rusconi, the monumental mason from Gundagai.

A pair of white marble monuments in the cemetery to the Ryan family

The major industry in the town is the limestone open-cut mine. The Galong deposit was first mined in 1885 with significant mining activity in the 1920s producing burnt lime or quicklime, which is used in the production of cement. The mine re-opened in the 1960s and again in 1994. In 2001, the lease was altered to extend the mineable area of land from 16 to 160 hectares (40 to 395 acres); resources of 20 million tonnes of limestone have been defined within the proposed limit of mining. In 2003, the mine was acquired by Boral. It now produces lime for agricultural lime used for farming canola and grains; agricultural lime is used for remediating soil acidity, a major problem threatening the productivity and sustainability of agriculture in many parts of the state. It produces approximately 300,000 tons per year, about one quarter of the requirements for the state of New South Wales. Apart from agricultural purposes, a major consumer of lime from Galong is the Port Kembla steel works. A kiln was built at the mine in 2003/04 to allow the production of quicklime for use in cement. The mine employs about 19 people.[4][5][6]

History

Squatter and former Irish convict 'Ned' Ryan took up land in the area around 1830 and built Galong House.[7]

Galong Post Office opened on 15 April 1888.[8]

St Clement's monastery was opened by the Redemptorists order of priests in 1918 and major additions opened in 1954.[9] It educated some 2000 men before it closed in 1975.[10] One student was commentator Greg Sheridan.[11] It is now a retreat centre run by the Redemptorists and the Sisters of St Joseph, Goulburn.[12]

The population of Galong increased dramatically from 122 in the 2006 Census to 224 in the 2016 Census.

Galong Uniting Church[13] is a prominent building dating to 1922. It was designed by the architects Tate & Young. Previously it was a Methodist church until 1977 when it became a Uniting Church.

Many recollections of the town are available in the Galong Oral History Project

Heritage listings
Abandoned Boorowa railway line cutting in Galomg

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

See also

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Galong (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  2. "2016 Census QuickStats". www.abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  3. M. Barrett, 'The Very Dawn of Settlement': as surveyed from Galong Cemetery (M. Barrett, Kogarah, 2006).
  4. "Limestone lease extended". ferret.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2006.
  5. "Galong limestone mining". Hansard. New South Wales Legislative Assembly. 16 March 2004. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2006.
  6. "Berrima cement and Galong lime upgrades officially opened" (PDF). Boral. March 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2006.
  7. Shamrock in the Bush: History; M. Barrett, King of Galong Castle: The story of Ned Ryan, 1786-1871 (3rd ed, Engineers Media, Crows Nest, 2008).
  8. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  9. International significance seen in Galong Redemptorist College, Boorowa News 24 September 1954.
  10. "St Clement's Retreat and Conference Centre". Redemptorists. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  11. P. Craven, Greg Sheridan's memoir recalls Abbott, Carr early days, The Australian 1 August 2015.
  12. "St Clement's Retreat Centre". St Clement's. Retrieved 6 November 2006.
  13. "Harden, Binalong & Galong Linked Congregations – Riverina Presbytery". Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  14. "Galong Railway Station and yard group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H01146. Retrieved 18 May 2018.

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