Bowral, New South Wales
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bowral,_New_South_Wales".

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Bowral
New South Wales

Bowral Railway Station
Population: 10,971 (2006 census)
Established: 1861
Postcode: 2576
Elevation: 662 m (2,172 ft)
Location: 136 km (85 mi) South West of Sydney
LGA: Wingecarribee Shire
Region: Southern Highlands
State District: Goulburn
Federal Division: Hume
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Annual Rainfall
18.8 °C
66 °F		 7.7 °C
46 °F		 912.0 mm
35.9 in
Localities around Bowral:
Mittagong
Berrima Bowral East Bowral
Burradoo

Bowral is a town located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. It was previously known by the name Bowrall.citation needed

Contents

History

Main article: History of Bowral

Demographics

The population of Bowral is 10,971 (Census 2006) and is growing rapidly.1 This is due in part to the completion of the M5 freeway from Sydney with links to Canberra.

In recent years, Bowral has become a haven for retirees and empty nesters, commonly from Sydney: 14.2% of Bowral's population is aged 55–64 years (compared with the national average of 11.0%) and 26.5% is aged over 64 years (compared with the national average of 13.3%) (2006 Census).2 Notably, Bowral is a town that caters well for the retired demographic, with many retirement villages located only minutes walk from its central business district and hospitals.

Transportation

Bowral is about 5km drive to the Hume Highway, which goes north to Sydney and south to Canberra, the Snowy Mountains and Melbourne. Also, historically, Bowral is one of the antique towns that is located on the historical Old Hume Highway. In the past, Bowral served as an overnight stopover for travellers heading to the Snowy Mountains and to Melbourne and Canberra.

Bowral has a rail station on CityRail's Southern Highlands line which under Cityrail services goes to Sydney and Goulburn and under CountryLink goes to Canberra and Melbourne.

Bowral also has bus charters that go to Nowra, Albion Park and Wollongong.

Attractions

Bowral is perhaps the best known of the towns and villages of the Southern Highlands, and in recent years has become the commercial centre of the Wingecarribee Shire. Bowral is known for its boutiques, antique stores, gourmet restaurants, rich coffee culture and the historic Springetts' Arcade (established in 1926).

Bowral is home to the nationally famed Bradman Museum, which not only celebrates the achievements of Bowral's favourite son, Sir Donald Bradman, but also contains a wealth of world sporting information and memorabilia. Occasionally, the Australian Cricket Team play a friendly game at the Bradman Oval, which is located adjacent to the museum.

Bowral is also the setting for "Tulip Time", a Spring celebration where over 100,000 tulips and 25,000 flowers are planted in the town centre. Held every September and October, Tulip Time has become one of Australia's leading floral festivals. In Spring is also very popular with gardening enthusiasts who come to view some of the world's most beautiful formal gardens designed by landscape luminaries such as Paul Sorensen, who designed the gardens of Invergowrie.

Bowral lies at the heart of the Southern Highlands BOOKtrail, Australia's first booktown project.

The population swells during winter, when thousands of visitors book into the local hotels and B&Bs to enjoy romantic fires and secluded winter getaways. It is home to the famous resort Craigieburn, previously a homestead dating back to the 1880s,3 and Berida Manor and Milton Park are other famous resort dating back to the 19th century. These resorts have served as retreats for the elite gentry of Sydney for decades. Notably, many manor houses can be seen throughout Bowral.

Bowral is overshadowed by Mount Gibraltar, which rises to 861m above sea level and has lookouts over Bowral and neighbouring villages and towns such as Mittagong, Moss Vale and the ranges near Bundanoon. Near some of the lookouts are picnic and barbecue areas. The mountain also serves as residential area and bushland reserve.

Past & Present Notable Residents of Bowral

References

  1. ^ AusStats : UCL112600 Bowral (Urban Centre/Locality)
  2. ^ Statistics of Bowral
  3. ^ http://www.craigieburnresort.com.au/profile.htm
  1. ^ AusStats : UCL112600 Bowral (Urban Centre/Locality)
  2. ^ Statistics of Bowral
  3. ^ http://www.craigieburnresort.com.au/profile.htm

External links

Coordinates: 34°30′S 150°24′E / -34.5, 150.4
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