Coonamblefrom the Mountains to the Marshes

COONAMBLEFrom the Mountains to the Marshes

A History of Coonamble...... 3

Things you need to know ...... 5

All that Coonamble has to Offer ...... 6

Communications...... 7 Migrant Support ...... 7

Transport ...... 8

Main Industry of the Coonamble Region ...... 9

Accommodation...... 11

Real Estate...... 12

Childcare ...... 13

Education ...... 14

Higher Education ...... 15

Employment Agencies ...... 16

Attractions/ Things to Do ...... 18

Sporting Clubs/Associations...... 20

Community Groups/Associations ...... 21

Churches/Religious Services...... 22

Financial Institutions ...... 23 Services and Trades ...... 23

Retail Services ...... 25

Cafes/Restaurants ...... 27 Clubs/Hotels...... 27

Medical Services ...... 28

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CoonambleFrom the Mountains to the Marshes The Country Careers Program...... 29

Health Service Details ...... 30

GWAHS Learning & Development Division...... 33

The Institute of Rural Clinical Services and Teaching (IRCST)34

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements ...... 35

Created by: Catherine Deverell Country Careers Coordinator 22 February 2008

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COONAMBLEFrom the Mountains to the Marshes

A History of Coonamble

Coonamble is a smallish country town of some 3000 people on the Castlereagh River, 569 km north-west of Sydney, 93 km north of Gilgandra and 180 m above sea-level. It is essentially a service centre to the largest shire in NSW (almost 10 000 sq km) which covers the western slopes of the Warrumbungle Range and the alluvial plains of the Castlereagh. Wheat, sheep and cattle are the economic mainstays, though there is a significant horse industry and a number of famous stud farms.

As far as can be determined, the original inhabitants of the area were the Kamilaroi, Kawambarai and Weilwan tribes. The town's name derives from an Aboriginal term 'gunambil', thought by some to mean 'full of bullock's dung', though the last surviving full-blood Aborigine of he area asserted that meant 'full of dirt'. This would appear to be either a reference to the arid nature of the terrain during drought or perhaps to the fact that the river bed is, for the most part, dry, owing to the fact that it flows underground when rains are absent.

The first Europeans in the area were the 1818 party of John Oxley. A member of the team, George Evans, encountered the Castlereagh near the future townsite, naming it after Lord Castlereagh, the secretary of state for the colonies.

In 1840 James Walker established the first run in the area; that being the 'Koonamble' station, settled by his agent. It soon became a watering place and campsite for passing stockmen.

Land on either side of the river was reserved for a townsite in 1855. In 1859 it was surveyed and the first post office established. The township was gazetted in 1861 with the first courthouse and lock-up built in 1862.

In 1865, bushranger John Dunn, the only surviving member of Ben Hall's gang, was surprised at his camp near Quambone (50 km west of Coonamble). Shot in the foot he hobbled away until shot in the back. As the constable approached Dunn sat up and shot the officer in the groin. Two more constables arrived and he fought them with his pistol butt but was overpowered. Put under light guard, owing to his injuries, he crawled away at night time, only to be found 3 km away the next morning. He was hanged for murder the following year.

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The first public school was erected in 1869 with a police station and stables added in 1870. The local economy changed in its focus from cattle to sheep in the 1870s and amidst the general economic expansion of the 1870s and 1880s, the population increased from 209 in 1871 to 1680 in 1901. Consequently a new courthouse was built in 1877. It was the first government building of brick in town. The first council meeting was held there when Coonamble was declared a municipality in 1880.

A bridge was built over the river in 1883 (it was replaced 100 years later). Prior to that the main river crossing was at Tooloon St and people were ferried across by means of a government boat in flood periods.

The first bore south of the Darling River was drilled at Coonamble in 1894 and the town and district still rely on artesian water. This event greatly benefited the town, as did the arrival of the railway from Dubbo in 1903.

A great fire struck the town in 1929, destroying almost all of the pre-war buildings in Castlereagh St. It is said the glow could be seen in Gilgandra, nearly 100 km distant.

Sheep Crossing the Street in Coonamble

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Things you need to know (Facts and Figures)

The Climate of Coonamble ranges from a summer climate of 18 - 34 degrees to 3 - 17 degrees in the winter months.

Major towns near Coonamble include Dubbo, which is 161.81 kilometres or 1.54 hours and also Orange which is 312.17 kilometres or 3.47 hours. So you are never isolated when you live in Coonamble.

The Population of Coonamble consists of 4970 people.

The Macquarie Marshes

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All that Coonamble has to Offer

Cultural Services

Coonamble has an extensive calendar of events - from picnic races to twilight jazz concerts. Coonamble is a very active sporting town and offers excellent sporting facilities. Rodeo riding and camp drafting are common events.

The recently renovated St. Patrick's Hall provides excellent facilities for drama and arts activities. The town also has an ampitheatre, an excellent setting for plays and musical performances. Coonamble attracts quality cultural performances promoted throughout the region.

Outback Arts is a not for profit arts and cultural development organisation working in the 6 local government areas of Bourke, Brewarrina, Coonamble, Cobar, Walgett and Warren.

Outback Arts receives core funding from ARTS NSW (formerly known as NSW Ministry for the Arts) on an annual basis (triennially applied for) as well as an annual contribution from the local government areas. This arrangement represents a partnership between the state government and local government in the delivery of arts and cultural outcomes in regional communities.

Outback Arts was incorporated in 1999.

Outback Arts' purpose is to build arts and cultural capacity in this region. Its focus is currently defined through seven key principles, with which it progresses its social and economic objectives.

- defines culture holistically - effects positive community change through arts and cultural processes - is responsive to community priorities - defines community on the basis of common culture, interests, desires and aspirations - regards diversity and complexity as essential to creativity - promotes positive and healthy lifestyle by respecting and valuing people, and - seeks resources from all sectors

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Communications

The local paper for the Coonamble region is the Coonamble Times.

Coonamble has its own 24-hour Community Radio station providing businesses with an outlet to advertise and creating a sense of community spirit.

3G mobile phone networks work in Coonamble. For some reason, Telstra’s Next G network seems to have better cover than other providers the further west you head. This may change as the network grows. Coonamble is currently serviced by Telstra and Optus.

Coonamble television services offer 5 channels, including the ABC, Seven (Prime), Nine (WIN), Ten and SBS. Pay TV is also available in the area.

Broadband and Dial up internet services are available in Coonamble. There are a couple of providers servicing the Coonamble area. You can check on the internet for the provider that most suits your needs.

Migrant Support

Support for employees from a non-Australian background is available through the Regional Migrant Support Services. In Coonamble the contact person is Gyorgyi Nyers and Ana Cvejic-Vastag (based in Lightning Ridge), who can be contacted on (02) 6829 2014 and via email on [email protected] .

The services provided by Migrant support include a mentoring program to put you in touch with other people in the community from the same background; provides information and help for visa applications; help finding employment, education and training; as well as putting you in touch with multicultural groups in the area.

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Transport

Coonamble has a taxi service. They can be contacted on 131 008.

Countrylink train service leaves Sydney at 7.10am each morning for Bourke, arriving at Dubbo at 1.40pm and then continues on to Bourke via Frasers Coaches, arriving at 6.25pm.

The return trip from Bourke to Sydney, leaves Bourke at 9.15am and arrives in Dubbo at 1.39pm to join the train which arrives in Sydney at 8.48pm.

Airlink operates a passenger air service each weekday from Coonamble to Dubbo and Dubbo to Coonamble, linking up with flights to Sydney. The flight to Dubbo departs Coonamble at 5.20pm, arriving in Dubbo at 6pm. The flight to Coonamble from Dubbo departs Dubbo at 8am, arriving in Coonamble at 8.35am.

The State bus service travels daily between Dubbo and Lightning Ridge. The service picks up passengers and departs Coonamble for Dubbo at 8 am three days a week land at 11.00 am 4 days a week and arrives in Coonamble from Dubbo at 4.00 pm. This provides links with inter-region / interstate transport hubs including air and rail corridors in Dubbo. A private school bus service operates from Coonamble picking up in Gulargambone and returning to Gulargambone after school. This service operates during the school term. This service is also available to the general public at a small cost. There are numerous school buses available for private hire.

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Main Industry of the Coonamble Region

Essentially, Coonamble has been the service centre to the largest shire in New South Wales, which is predominately made up of cattle, sheep and cotton, but as our desire to discover this great land grows, plenty of activities can be found for the inquisitive tourist.

The rich and diverse agricultural industry is the backbone of the Coonamble Shire. Agriculture is based on extensive grazing and dry land farming with most of the area's commercial farms in the vicinity of 2000-3000 hectares in size.

Winter cropping is extensive and conservation farming methods are becoming more widespread. Wheat is the main winter cereal, barley and oats a common alternative with canola, faba beans, lupins, chickpeas and cowpeas increasingly being farmed.

The Coonamble district is renowned for its pasture and grasses that fatten stock all year round. It is sought after as an area to "finish" stock from more marginal areas including south west Queensland as well as the southern and eastern tableland areas of NSW which are subject to seasonal feed fluctuations during winter. For sheep and beef the district is one of the most productive in the State.

There are many progressive cattlemen in the Coonamble area with the British Hereford and Angus breeds predominant, along with Boss Indicus and Euro breeds. The growth in beef production in the area has resulted in Coonamble saleyards becoming one of the major cattle saleyards in the State. Weekly fat cattle sales and regular store sales are held in Coonamble. Coonamble is generally ranked within the top ten saleyards in the state based on throughput.

The Shire’s rural industry is diversifying. Native flowers, aquaculture, citrus, olives and stone fruit are increasingly important enterprises. The Castlereagh Regional Abattoir facility is available for processing cattle, sheep and potentially other species. Processing of local grains also offers potential for development, particularly with the growth in on-farm feedlotting of sheep and cattle.

The Coonamble Shire boasts a significant thoroughbred horse training and racing industry. Horse racing is part of an active horse sports industry in the Coonamble district. Along with Coonamble Jockey Club and Gulargambone Jockey Club there are three picnic race clubs; two pony clubs; a horse sports club; an equestrian club; a polocrosse club; and the very successful Rodeo & Campdraft Association.

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CoonambleFrom the Mountains to the Marshes Each of these organisations holds competitions and other events, making a full calendar of equine events. The day-to-day activities of members from all these groups contributes to a value chain of suppliers and service providers surrounding horse-related sports & business.

Milling of cypress pine timber sourced from the Pilliga Forest, located on the north east of the Shire, has been a long term industry with four mills still operating within the Shire. Gulargambone Cypress is a state-of-the-art operation employing a large number of people in the village mill and a network of private contractors throughout the Shire.

Tourism is on the increase with local farm-stays and nature-based activities the basis of most experiences. While there are few man-made attractions, a strong events sector attracts many visitors, along with those looking for a relaxed and peaceful stopover on their inland journeys.

The Central Business District of Coonamble offers banking and financial services, newsagents, supermarkets, pharmacies, computer services, agribusiness enterprises and a mix of other retail enterprises. Both Coonamble Internet Centre and the Shire Library provide public access internet terminals and video conferencing facilities.

Coonamble has its own independent weekly newspaper and a 24-hour Community Radio station providing businesses with an outlet to advertise and creating a sense of community spirit.

Coonamble Campus of TAFE offers a wide variety of vocational courses through a range of delivery methods to suit the needs of local business and industry. The New Apprenticeships Scheme and other training opportunities are also available in Coonamble. A number of registered employment agencies service the town and district to assist employers with staff recruitment.

The Coonamble Shire has a strong industry base and offers a fulfilling country lifestyle. With continued community support, Coonamble Shire Council and local development committees in Coonamble, Gulargambone and Quambone are capitalising on the district’s attributes and building a strong future for the Shire.

More information can be obtained at www.coonamble.org/openforbusiness.

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Accommodation There is an extensive variety of temporary accommodation available in Coonamble, including motels, Boutique hotels, B&B’s, Guesthouses, self contained, and hotels.

The following is a fairly comprehensive list of the different accommodation in the town.

Accommodation Name Address Phone Accommodation Type Sons of the Soil Motel 54 Castlereagh Street 6822 5400 Motel Terminus Hotel Cnr Sydney & Railway Sts 6822 1041 Hotel/Pub style Accommodation Castlereagh Lodge Aberford Street 6822 1999 Motel Coonamble Motel Castlereagh Street 6822 1400 Motel Cypress Motel 147 Castlereagh Street 6822 1788 Motel Clubhouse Hotel 24 Tooloon Street 6822 1663 Motel Coonamble Commercial Castlereagh Street 6822 1034 Hotel/Pub style Hotel accommodation Lona Farmstay Coonamble 6822 8334 Farmstay - self contained Thurloo Farmstay Tooraweenah Road 6825 6208 Farmstay - self contained Wilber Farmhouse Coonamble 6825 1150 Farmstay - self contained Coonamble Riverside Castlereagh Highway 6822 1926 Caravan Park Caravan Park Brolga Downs Guest 6824 2091 B&B, Self Houses Contained

Coonamble Commercial Hotel

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Real Estate

The Coonamble region provides for all types of lifestyles at an affordable price. The region has land available in urban and rural settings, with blocks and properties of various sizes. Housing options range from 2 bedroom units, heritage homesteads, suburban brick homes in new and established estates, or sprawling country mansions.

Rural properties include everything from productive farms to smaller properties of varying sizes that provide the opportunity to reside in a peaceful and beautiful environment, maintain a few horses or stock, or just have plenty of room for the children to play and explore.

Whether your preference is for the convenience of living in a modern, well – serviced regional city, in a quiet country village, or tucked away in a hidden valley somewhere, you will find it in town.

Below is a list of Real Estate Agents in Coonamble that can help you find the dream home you desire.

Real Estate Name Contact Name Address Phone Fax AJF Brien & Sons John Brien 44 Castlereagh Street 6822 1277 6822 1378 Coonamble Vanessa Connick Railyway Street 6822 1554 Associated Agents Elders Ltd Greg Knaggs Tooloon Street 6822 1500 6822 2316 Halcroft & Bennett David Thompson 73 Castlereagh Street 6822 1444 Landmark Rob Clayton 85 Aberford Street 6822 1955 6822 2180

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Childcare

There is a range of children’s services provided throughout Coonamble. There is a childcare centre and caregivers licensed by Family Day Care provide occasional childcare, long day-care, overnight, out-of-school-hours and weekend care in Coonamble.

Town Education/Childcare Services Name Address Phone Service Type Provided Coonamble Vacation Care for School Vacation 0407 103 787 Children Care Coonamble Preschool 3 - 5 years Coonamble 6822 1966 Preschool Coonamble Home based child care newborn to 12 Coonamble 6822 2266 years, run by Childrens Coonamble Services Childrens Services Coonamble Long Day Care 0 - 5 years Akinda Dubbo 6822 2266 Childcare Street Centre

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Education

Listed below are the schools available in Coonamble

School Name School Year Address Phone Fax Type Level Coonamble High Public 7 - 12 Aberford Street 6822 1522 6822 2313 School St Brigid's Catholic Catholic K - 6 Tooloon Street 6822 1511 6822 2505 School Coonamble Public Public K - 6 Bertram Street 6822 1966 6822 1294 School

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Higher Education

The Coonamble region has a few higher education facilities on offer.

Charles Sturt University is Australia’s largest regional university and has a campuses at Dubbo and Orange. The academic programs at CSU Dubbo & Orange include Bachelor awards in Agricultural Commerce, Equine Business, Science, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Farm, Horticultural and Land Management.

Charles Sturt University can be contacted via their website – www.csu.edu.au/campus/orange or by calling the number in the list below.

TAFE, Western Institute, Coonamble campus offers access and foundation courses plus business, community services, hospitality and information technology programs, with many at diploma level. The campus also offers a wide range of trade courses.

TAFE, Coonamble campus can be contacted via their website – www.wit.tafensw.edu.au or by calling the number in the list below. OTEN is TAFE’s distance education branch. They can be contacted through their website - www.oten.edu.au

Education type Facility Name Phone Website University CSU – Dubbo 6885 7330 www.csu.edu.au Campus Government College TAFE 6822 1344 www.tafensw.edu

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Employment Agencies

Coonamble is renowned for its diversified rural industries, which include extensive broad acre cropping, plus large cattle and sheep populations. Special events that occur within the Coonamble LGA such as market days, race meetings, annual shows, rodeos, camp drafts, polocrosse, “Yesterday’s Hero Ball” and “Still in the Saddle” also bring revenue into the local economy.

Coonamble residents have access to numerous employment agencies located in Dubbo who provide services to both job seekers and employers in the Coonamble region. Services include job matching, training and the provision and management of a number of government assistance schemes.

Town Industry Type Company Name Phone Address Dubbo Employment Agency OEC Employment 6885 5000 48 Wingewarra Street Dubbo Employment Agency Joblink Plus 1800 627 568 2/188 Macquarie Street Dubbo Employment Agency Sureway Employment 1300 305 365 24 Talbragar Street Dubbo Employment Agency Best Employment Ltd 1800 660 660 Dubbo Employment Agency Aboriginal Employment Strategy 6882 8100 PO Box 940 Dubbo Employment Agency Central West Group Apprentices 6884 8100 207 Brisbane Street Dubbo Employment Agency GWS Personnel 6884 1298 23 Church Street Dubbo Employment Agency HRM Partners 1300 855 502 Dubbo Employment Agency Skilled 6882 5311 Dubbo Employment Agency Western Plains Workforce Inc 6884 5151 175 Darling Street Dubbo Employment Agency White Collar Recruitment 1300 853 540

The table below details the break up of the working population as employed in the Coonamble LGA.

Industries Providing Employment in the Coonamble LGA Industry Type Males Females Total Agriculture, forestry, fishing 353 113 466 Retail trade 91 75 166 Health, community services 26 107 133 Education 24 91 115 Government, Admin. & Defence 68 43 111 Construction 64 12 76 Wholesale Trade 36 30 66 Accommodation, cafes, restaurants 19 44 63 Personal and other services 38 24 62 Not Stated 24 24 48 Other 138 72 210 Total 881 635 1,516

Source: ABS Census 2001 (2006 data currently unavailable)

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The greatest percentage of the working population is employed in agriculture (30.7%). The retail industry is the next biggest employer accounting for 11.0%, with health and community services employing 8.8% and education employing 7.6% of the Coonamble workforce.

Coonamble Feedlot - Processing plant in Coonamble A new feedlot and stock feed processing plant is being established in Coonamble. This is an exciting development for this regional community. A local company is investing almost $11 million in the plant, which will employ up to 23 full time employees.

The facility will have the capacity to process 35,000 head of cattle per annum, with 95% of the stock being prepared for export to the burgeoning Japanese market.

DSRD is providing assistance towards the costs of installation of electricity and water infrastructure.

For more information, contact Brian Goodlet, DSRD Dubbo office on (02) 68833105 or

email: [email protected]

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Attractions/ Things to Do

With about five thoroughbred race meetings in the shire every year, local greyhound racing and several Rodeo and Campdraft events there always seems to be something on. The quality of horses and trainers here are by no means sub standard, when you put your money on a local nag you can be assured of getting value for your dollar. The men and women of the Rodeo/Campdraft scene are also right up there wiith the best in the land. Just ask any visiting competitor who tries to muscle in on the local prize how proud the Coonamble set are. So if it's man v's beast, or man/beast v's the clock you're looking for, it's all here!

Being central to Lightning Ridge Opal fields to the north, cotton fields to the west, Warrumbungles to the east and Dubbo's Western Plains Zoo to the south, Coonamble makes a perfect base to day trip any of these great outback experiences. Being on the doorstep of the Pilliga Forrest, Coonamble is also a must for Birdwatchers, short trips can be had to Baradine/Pilliga, where you can find some of the most rewarding bird routes in the outback. Below is a listing of all that Coonamble has to offer.

Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve - Animal, Natural, Relaxation and Well being

Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve is in central northern New South Wales, around 100 km north of Warren and 30 km west of Quambone. The Marshes comprise a mosaic of semi-permanent wetlands including two major areas, the South Marsh and the north Marsh. The Marshes include extensive areas of reed swamp, river red gum woodlands, coolibah woodlands and water couch grasslands. All these wetland types provide essential habitat for many species of waterbirds and other species of wildlife.

The area of marsh flooded varies according to the amount of water the wetlands receives. During extended dry periods, the area of wetland reduces, through following major floods, more that 150 000 hectares becomes inundated. Dry periods are however a natural part of the ecology of Australian inland wetlands and are essential to the health of these ecosystems.

The Marshes are one of the larges in land semi-permanent wetlands in south- eastern Australia which remain in a predominantly natural state.

The significance of the Macquarie Marshes is reflected by their listing with the Australian Heritage Commission on the National Heritage Register and with the National Trust as a Landscape Conservation Area on the National Trust Register.

The Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve which makes up about 10% of the total Marsh area has been included on the on the list of Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar Convention).

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The Macquarie Marshes

Activity/Facility Facility Name Address Phone Website Museum Coonamble Aberford Street 6822 1782 Museum Activity Walking tour See Tourist Information 6822 4532 26 Castlereagh of Coonamble Centre Street Activity Warrena Weir See Tourist Information 6822 4532 26 Castlereagh Picnic Grounds Centre Street Activity Smith Park See Tourist Information 6822 4532 26 Castlereagh Centre Street Activity/Nature Macquarie See Tourist Information 6822 4532 26 Castlereagh Marshes Centre Street

Coonamble Historical Museum - Building and Structure, Educational, Historic Site, Museum The Coonamble Historical Museum is the former police station built in 1886 and has been converted to the Coonamble Historical Museum. The museum displays artefacts, photographs, implements and household utensils used in Coonamble’s early history. The “trooper” brick horse stables have been retained in original form with stalls, feed boxes and saddlery and is one of only two of its kind left in NSW. Just recently a Cobb & Co Coach was obtained by the Museum and restored and loaned out for parades and celebrations. Currently open by appointment only.

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Sporting Clubs/Associations

There are a number of active sports clubs in Coonamble catering for most interests. The Coonamble Bowling Club and a number of hotels provide local residents and visitors with entertainment and a social meeting place. The people of coonamble are very friendly and enjoy a relaxed lifestyle.

Some of the sporting groups available to join in Bourke include tennis, netball, soccer, rugby league, rugby union, bowls and many more. You can find out information on joining any one of these clubs by contacting the Tourist Information Centre on 6822 4532.

Activity/Facility Facility Name Contact Name Phone Airplanes Coonamble Aero Club Bob Glasson 6822 4256 Horses Coonamble Equestrian Club Phillipa Ballard 6827 1900 Ponies Coonamble Hack & Pony Club Diana Pennell 6822 1393 Horses Coonamble Jockey Club John Brien 6822 1067 Horses Coonamble Rodeo Association Secretary 0428 212 830 Swimming Coonamble Swimming Club Kerri Anne 6822 3685 Edwards Tennis Gulargambone Tennis Club Renae Ryan 6822 1761 Horses Quambone Polocrose Club Bruce Sutherland 6824 4397 Ponies Quambone Pony Club Lola Scarlett 6824 2082 Rugby Rugby Club Rowena Mortimer 6822 1628 Tennis Wanderers Tennis Club Joy Nicol 6822 1767

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Community Groups/Associations

Community Group Name Contact Name Address Phone Coonamble Country Women's Val Kuhner 6822 1128 Association - Day Group Coonamble Country Women's Michelle 6822 2871 Association - Evening Group Williams Coonamble Red Cross Pauline 6823 5856 Ditchfield Lions Club Quota Club PO Box 474 Rotary Club Together for Under 5's & Families Carol Ptasinski Bertram St (at Primary School) 6822 3179 Christian Men's Association Ellis Ryan 6822 4420 Coonamble Internet Centre RTC Castlereagh St 6822 4420 Coonamble Neighbourhood & Liz Casey 1/17 Tooloon Street 6822 1872 Information Centre Coonamble Parent Support Castlereagh Street 6822 1428 Information Services Coonamble Coonamble Shire Council 6827 1900 LINKS c/- Coonamble Shire Library 6822 4070 MacKillop Rural Community 90 Aberford Street 6822 3738 Services (Playgroup Meals on Wheels Leisa Forgione 1/17 Tooloon Street 6822 2277 Streets Ahead Committee Liz Markey 6824 1550 Coonamble Arts Society Annette Rich 6823 5813 Coonamble Family History Group Helen Glover 6827 1925 Coonamble Historical Society Angie Little 6822 1782 Coonamble Show Society Sam Johnston 6823 8604 Cottage industries RTC Castlereagh Street 6822 5050 Coonamble Singers Jessie Tym 6823 5163 Gardening Club Donna 6825 6236 Ditchfield Patchwork and Embroidery Marion 6822 2075 Murray Police 25 Aberford Street 6822 1488

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Churches/Religious Services

Coonamble is home to many religious denominations.

Religion Type Contact Name Address Phone Anglican Church Geoff Tym Cnr Aberford & Namoi Sts 6822 3182 Catholic Church Father Peter Dresser Tooloon Street 6822 1134 Congregation of Kingdom Hall, Dubbo Road 6822 3093 Jehovah's Witnesses

Coonamble Catholic Church

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Financial Institutions

Facility Name Description Address Contact Phone Fax Commonwealth Branch 60 Aberford Street Sandra Ralston 6822 1377 6822 2127 Bank Service National Branch 68 Castlereagh Street Sonia Clarke 6822 1288 6822 1268 Australia Bank Service Westpac Bank Branch 26 Castlereagh Street 6822 2934 6822 2932 Service

Services and Trades

Industry Type Company Name Phone Address Automotive Coonamble Auto Trim 6822 2499 124 Aberford Street Automotive Coonamble Exhaust Centre 6822 1339 5 Railway Street Automotive Coonamble Panel & Paint Repairs 6822 2775 3 Buckley Drive Automotive Frank Cross Tyres 6822 2500 Aberford Street Automotive Golsbys Motors - 6822 1411 Tooloon Street NRMA/Countrylink Agent Automotive Grays Auto Electrical 6822 1899 71 Aberford Street Automotive Kevin Hume - Windscreens 6822 1220 25 Mundooran Street Automotive K & H Glover 6822 1088 12 Mendooran Street Automotive Matt White - Mobile Mechanical 6822 3071 69 Yarran Street Repairs Automotive Moodys Motors 6822 1161 37 Aberford Street Automotive Ravac - Vehicle Repairs 6822 2438 97 Castlereagh Street Automotive SM & HL Lane - Vehicle Repairs 6822 1777 85 Railway Street Automotive M & S Webb Auto - Car Regos 6822 1638 Tooloon Street Automotive Gray's Auto Electrical 6822 1899 71 Aberford Street Automotive Andrew White Builder 6822 2770 Automotive Chris Murray Carpet Laying 6822 4160 Automotive Burtenshaw Welding 6822 1011 Automotive Coonamble Steel 6822 1379 11 - 15 Railway Street Automotive Crawford Constructions 6822 1520 2 Forgione Street Automotive Crossingham Plumbing Service 6822 3093 8 King Street Automotive Avoca Glass 6822 2770 52 Wingadee Street

Beautician Beauty Bahh Out West 6822 1531 43A Castlereagh Street Builder Paul Johnson - Builder 6822 1382 9 Hermann Street

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CoonambleFrom the Mountains to the Marshes Builder Barry Kelly - Builder 6822 1155 Lot 8 Buckley Drive Builder Malmanda Constructions 6822 1991 Zoccoli Street Builder Wayne Mulholland Building 6822 1982 17 Warrena Street Contractor Builder Glen Rankmore 0428 432 564 Dentist 6822 1312 19 Castlereagh St Electrical John Crawford 6824 1532 Electrician John McMullen - Electrician 0429 682 224 Electrician McNAmara Electrical 6822 2193 Floors Murrays Floor Coverings 6822 1409 42 Aberford Street Hairdresser Attractions Hair Dressing Salon 6822 2663 50 Aberford Street Hairdresser Fusion Hair Studio 6822 1302 38B Castlereagh Street Hairdresser Scissors & Comb 6822 1317 39 Aberford Street Hairdresser Noels His & Hers 6822 1951 46 Castlereagh Street Hairdresser/ Patsy's Salon 6822 1495 17 Wingadee Street Beautician

Motors BR & KS Colwell Small Motor 0429 722 112 Repairs Painter Stephen Head - Painter 6822 1385 116 Aberford Street Painter David Heaney - Painter 6822 8326 Tooloon South Painter Karl Jurgens - Painter 6822 1679 14 Macquarie Street Painter Percy Wright 6822 2108 139 Castlereagh Street Painter/Plasterer Dean A Smith Plasterer/Painter 0407 135 261 Plumber Dave's Plumbing 0408 684 171 Plumbing Neeworra Plumbing 6822 8332 Neewoora Gulargambone 2828 Steel Combara Ag-weld & Steel 6822 2253 Orwell Windows & Jamie Smith - Windows & Glass 6822 2608 12 Park Street Glass

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Retail Services

Facility Name Description Address Phone Country Pumpkins 20 Castlereagh Street 0413 909 902 Castlereagh Industries 106 Castlereagh 6822 1386 Street Leonards Clothing Store Clothing 41 Castlereagh Street 6822 1414

Tessa Searle Metal Craft Tomberua 6823 8276 Toyworld Toys 24 Castlereagh Street 6822 2044 Chalkies Shop 1, Coonamble 6842 1460 RTC, Castlereagh Street Leonards Newsagency Newsagent 39 Castlereagh Street 6822 1844 Bag -a- Bargain 83 Castlereagh Street 6822 4190 Can Bros Home Hardware Hardware 45 Castlereagh Street 6822 1188 Castlereagh Electrical Electrical Aberford Street 6822 5577 goods Castlereagh Photographics & Photography 38 Castlereagh Street 6822 3338 Framing Coonamble Cellars 83 Aberford Street 6822 1756 Conamble Cottage Crafts & Gifts Craft & 26 Castlereagh Street 6822 4532 Visitor Information Coonamble Pharmacy Pharmacy 39 Castlereagh Street 6822 1992 Macs Drycleaners Drycleaners Castlereagh Street 6822 1452 Sheilas Safari Nursery Gardening 47 Wingadee Street 6822 2192 WDR Computers Computers 43 Castlereagh Street 6822 1795 Gramco Flowers Florist 116 Castlereagh 6822 3871 Street

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CoonambleFrom the Mountains to the Marshes Coonamble Auto Spares Auto Spares 100 Castlereagh 6822 1889 Street Heiken's IGA Supermarket 63 Aberford Street 6822 1156 McKeown Store Corner Store 22 Wingadee Street 6822 1608 Thommo's Store Corner Store 41 Dubbo Street 6822 1403

Joe's Quality Meats Butcher 55 Castlereagh Street 6822 1866 Caltex Energy Service Quambone Road 6822 2122 Station Coonamble Roadhouse Service 124 Castlereagh 6822 4277 Station Street Coonamble Fuel Centre Service 138 Aberford Street 6822 1431 Station

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Cafes/Restaurants

There are several restaurants in town. You can also grab a bite to eat at the clubs and hotels in Coonamble.

Facility Name Address Phone Gumnut Café 36 Castlereagh Street 6822 2013 Sam's Fish Shop 77 Castlereagh Street 6822 1934 Sommos Takeaway Castlereagh Street 6822 1174 Tong Fong Restaurant 44 Aberford Street 6822 1196 Country Cuisine Catering Windora 6823 5863 Al's Castlereagh Diner 53 Aberford Street 6822 2244 River Café (Commercial 70 Castlereagh Street 6822 1034 Hotel) Global Village Café & Castlereagh Street 6822 2288 Restaurant

Clubs/Hotels

Australia is famous for its Pubs and Coonamble is no exception. Below you will find a comprehensive list of Coonamble’s Pubs and Clubs.

Facility Name Address Phone Coonamble Golf Club Caswell Street 6822 1303 Coonamble & District RSL 18 Castlereagh Street 6822 1366 Club Coonamble Bowling Club Aberford Street 6822 1144 Clubhouse Hotel 24 Tooloon Street 6822 1663 Commercial Hotel 70 Castlereagh Street 6822 1034 Sons of the Soil Hotel 46 Castlereagh Street 6822 5400 Terminus Hotel 25 Railway Street 6822 1041

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Medical Services

There are a number of medical services servicing the Coonamble area. These include General Practitioners, as well as Specialist services. Listed below are allied and other community health services servicing the region.

Community Group Name Contact Address Phone Name Bush Nursing Association Quambone 6824 2074 Community Nurses 15 Castlereagh St 6827 1500 Community Midwife 15 Castlereagh St 6827 1500 Cardio Pulmonary Nurse 15 Castlereagh St 6827 1500 Medicare Easyclaim 26 Castlereagh Street 6827 1163 Coonamble Aboriginal Health 17 Tooloon Street 6822 5217 Services Castlereagh Medical Centre Castlereagh Street 6822 5100 Baradine Doctor's Surgery 6843 1949 Dental Health Services 15 Castlereagh St 6822 1312 Dietician by appointment 6822 5100 Gynecologist/Obstetrician 2nd Monday ea month 6884 9799 Naturopath/Herbalist Monthly RTC, Castlereagh St 6842 4304 Psychologist 15 Castlereagh St 6827 1500

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The Country Careers Program

Help for New Staff

The Country Careers Program is a new program that has been funded by NSW Health for the next four years to help with the retention of new staff moving into each Area Health Service.

Catherine Deverell is the Country Careers Coordinator for the Greater Western Area Health Service. The role of the program is to contact new Doctors, Allied Health Professionals and Nurses in difficult to recruit to locations as soon as they have been chosen as the preferred applicant for a position and to assist these new staff, who are moving to a new town, to find rental accommodation; schools for their children; help in networking with local businesses to find work for partners or spouses; finding a sporting or community group they might like to join; etc.

Country Careers is about helping the new staff enter into the community they are moving to and to help them feel welcome and valued as a community member.

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Health Service Details

The Coonamble Hospital currently has 31 beds - 15 acute/subacute, 2 respite, 12 nursing home type and 2 dialysis chairs. One room is maintained for palliative care, private patients and special services. It is well appointed with an ensuite, tea and coffee making facilities, and comfortable seating for relatives

The renal dialysis service is a satellite service that is networked with the Dubbo Health Service Renal Dialysis hub service. Staff who work in this area are trained at a Renal Dialysis centre and annually pass competencies.

The long stay section of the hospital, Mitchell Unit, provides nursing home type services for patients who are assessed as high level care. The unit is essentially fully utilised all year round. Vacant beds only occur for brief periods between one patient’s departure and the next patient’s arrival. There is currently a waiting list of three people (assessed by the ACAT team as requiring high care)

A 24 hour Emergency Department is operational 7 days a week, with a Medical officer who is on call for urgent cases. Patients presenting to the Emergency Department are assessed and triaged by the Registered Nurse on duty.

Staffing levels for each shift at present are: Morning shift- 2 Registered Nurses (8hour shift) 2 Enrolled Nurses (1 may be a Assistant in Nursing) 8 hr shift 1 4hour shift (EN or AIN) Evening shift - 2 Registered Nurses (8 hour shift) 1 Enrolled Nurse (8 hour shift) 1 4hour shift (EN or AIN) Night duty shift- 1 Registered Nurse (8 hour shift) 1 Enrolled Nurse (8 hour shift) On Dialysis days, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays -1 staff member (8 hrs)

Coonamble Health Service offers flexible rostering systems were staff are able to make requests due to family commitments and the roster is made around requests of the staff. At times not all requests are possible, but all efforts are made to fulfil request Coonamble Health Service does not provide an inpatient obstetric service. The majority of births to Coonamble residents occur at Dubbo Base Hospital. A community midwife and teenage community midwife provide antenatal and post natal care services to mothers and babies.

A range of specialists provide outreach services to Coonamble, including: • Obstetrician and Gynaecologist - monthly • Paediatrician - monthly • Psychiatrist –quarterly. The enhancement of this service to bimonthly is being negotiated 30 A Better Life

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General Practitioner Service Ochre Health provides General Practitioner (GP) services to the Coonamble community, including after hours and emergency care. Two GPs have visiting and admitting rights to the Coonamble health service. At present the medical practice is co-located on the health service site.

GWAHS has outsourced to Ochre the supply and management of visiting medical officers who provide a 24hr on-call service to the Coonamble Health Service.

Primary and Extended Care Services

A range of networked level 1-3 primary and extended care services are provided by Coonamble Health Service to meet local health needs. All appointments are made through the Community Health Centre. The hours of operation are 07.00-16.00 hours, Monday to Friday.

Locally Based Primary and Extended Care Services Service FTE Description Generalist 4.42 Palliative Care Community Nursing Diabetes Education Community Based Aged Care Dialysis Early Discharge from Hospital Wound Care Health Promotion Asthma Clinic Cardiac Rehabilitation Chronic and Continuing Care Quit Smoking Gentle Exercise/Aqua Aerobics classes Child and Family 1.94 Immunisation Health Audiology Screening Before School Screening Community Midwifery (Antenatal and Postnatal Care) Teenage Community Midwifery

Aboriginal Health 1.0 Liaison and Health Promotion Education Sexual Assault 1.0 Counselling Service for children and adult Counsellor victims of sexual assault Mental Health Aged 1.0 Specialist mental health services for older care persons

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Outreach Primary and Extended Care Services Service Frequency Source Continence Advisory Service By Referral Lourdes Hospital Dementia Counsellor By Referral Lourdes Hospital Dental Health Services 2 days per month Dubbo CH Dietician Twice monthly Dubbo CH Drug and Alcohol Vacant Dubbo CH 2 Mental Health Workers Twice weekly Coonabarabran Occupational Therapy Fortnightly Lourdes Hospital Occupational Therapy By referral Dubbo CH (Paediatric) Palliative Care By referral Lourdes Hospital Podiatrist Six Weekly Dubbo CH Psychiatry Service Quarterly Sydney Sexual Health By referral Dubbo CH Speech Pathologist Monthly Dubbo CH Women’s Health Service Fortnightly Gilgandra PANOC worker Weekly Dubbo CH Chronic and Complex Care Weekly Gulargambone

Private health and health related services in Coonamble include: • A visiting optometrists who provides a regular service • A private podiatry service • A hearing aid service that visits on a regular basis • Interrelate Counselling Service

Education Provided • All staff attend a mandatory training program annually • GWAHS provides educational courses through Learning and Development and staff encouraged to attend courses that assist them with their role. • Coonamble Health Service has an Cluster Educator who facilitates education programs • Clinical Locum program available to staff who wish to enhance their skills in a larger Base Hospital.

Coonamble Hospital Accommodation • The HSM of Coonamble Hospital is able to help organise temporary accommodation for Hospital staff.

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GWAHS Learning & Development Division

The GWAHS Learning & Development team provides and supports professional development opportunities for Area Health Service staff.

Learning & Development in partnership with external training providers and GWAHS staff have secured funding from a variety of sources to meet the challenge of growing our own to better meet the needs of our community. This has included participation in the Commonwealth Workplace English Language and Literacy Program.

As part of this Learning and Development and partners are: • Using recognition, assessment and learning pathways to enable staff to gain nationally recognised qualifications. • Developing our staff and expanding their career options. • Benchmarking across facilities to increase consistency and quality of service provision. • Increasing the uptake of Apprenticeships and Traineeships GWAHS and L&D both through partnerships with other RTOs and as a part of the NSW Health RTO offers an increased range of VET programs.

L&D is currently expanding its scope of practice and exploring additional partnerships to increase capapcity in line with workforce planning and organisational needs.

Preliminary evaluation of the overall strategy has shown that staff appreciate the skills recognition and workplace support and are open to career development opportunities. Some taking up roles in supervision and assessment and alternate career pathways within GWAHS. This strategy aims to improve staff retention and skills and contribute to the building of a positive workplace culture within GWAHS.

The Learning & Development Calendar can be accessed via http://gwahs/index.php?select=Learning_and_Development&option=program

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CoonambleFrom the Mountains to the Marshes The Institute of Rural Clinical Services and Teaching (IRCST)

The Institute of Rural Clinical Services and Teaching (IRCST) was formed in 2003 following recommendations from the NSW Health Plan (2002). It aims to support rural clinicians across all stages of their careers and promote good practice in rural health service delivery.

It is a "virtual institute" with staff working across NSW. The current Executive Director, Ms Linda Cutler, is based in Dubbo.

IRCST provides a range of opportunities to rural and remote health staff:

• NSW Rural Research Capacity Building Program – each year IRCST accepts up to 30 candidates from rural and remote area health services to undertake a research project. Successful candidates participate in a research methods short course, conducted in Sydney by the NSW Primary Health Care Collaboration; are provided with a paid backfill day each week for a two year period; and are linked with mentors who have an interest or experience in the topic or methods required for the project. Applications are usually called in May each year. • NSW Health Awards Sponsorship – each year IRCST sponsors up to 40 rural and remote health staff to attend the Health Expo which exposes them to a range of continuous quality improvement projects from across the state.

IRCST also conducts a major conference, in a rural location, each year: • NSW Rural Allied Health Conference – held in Dubbo during October 2007, this conference attracts allied health professionals from rural and remote NSW to share valuable experiences and raise issues facing allied health practitioners. This conference is held biennially. • NSW Rural and Remote Health Conference – held in Coffs Harbour during November 2008, this conference attracts health professionals from a range of disciplines, with a view to working together to improve rural and remote health and health services. This conference is held biennially.

Some of IRCST’s other projects include:

• NSW Rural Stroke Project • NSW Rural Rehabilitation Clinician Network Project • NSW Rural Allied Health Project • Biostatistician Trainee • Chair in Rural Pharmacy

From time to time IRCST calls for submissions for research or service improvement projects which meet the objectives of the IRCST business plan.

The IRCST website provides additional information on all of the above, as well as any emerging projects. You can also sign up to the IRCST webgroup, and you’ll be notified of upcoming events, funding opportunities, sponsorships and new initiatives. Log onto: www.ircst.health.nsw.gov.au

or for additional information contact the Office of the Executive Director on (02) 6841 2271.

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Acknowledgements

The following people/organisations or groups contributed to the development of these booklets and their input is acknowledged with thanks.

Tourism NSW Coonamble Shire Council Walkabout Australian Travel Guide Coonamble Tourist Information Staff and Management from Coonamble Hospital and Gulargambone Hospital

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