Dorrigo, New South Wales

History

The area now known as Dorrigo lies on the traditional land of the Gumbainggir people.

The name Dorrigo has its antecedence in the Gumbaingiir language, the name of the indigenous people upon whose land Dorrigo stands, and it means 'Stringy Bark' (Dundurriga).

European settlement of the area followed on from the early timber cutters in the 1860s. The first official European in the district was Land Commissioner Oakes who sighted the mouth of the Bellinger River.

By 1841, timber cutters had entered the Bellinger River searching for red cedar (Toona australis). They set up camps and moved from one stand of trees to the next.

Richard Craig, an escaped convict from the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, was the first European to reach the Dorrigo Plateau, following the traditional indigenous route to Armidale from the Grafton area. Using his skills as a horseman, Craig travelled along the western side of the Nymboida River. Craig's track became a road, now roughly following the same path as the present Grafton to Armidale Road and travelling through the present day villages of Nymboida, Billy's Creek, Dundurrabin, Tyringham and Ebor. Timbergetters followed Craig through the sub tropical rainforest and many sawmills grew due to demand for timber, initially the highly prized Australian Red Cedar (Toona australis).

Today, the main access road traversing the plateau from east to west is the Waterfall Way. It was not until the 1860s that permanent settlement occurred in the district. The dairy industry became a mainstay of the Dorrigo Plateau and today tourism is becoming more important. On 23 December 1924, the Glenreagh to Dorrigo railway opened. Due to flood damage, the line closed on 28 October 1972.

On the 31th October 2005, sixty-eight dairy cows, all in full milk, died on a farm at Fernbrook on the Waterfall Way near Dorrigo after being struck by lightning. Three others were paralysed for several hours but they later made a full recovery. The cows were sheltering under a tree when it was struck by lightning and the electricity spread onto the surrounding soil killing the animals.

On the 14th May 2020, the Dorrigo War Memorial was damaged in a car accident and was reinstalled on the 3rd February 2021.

On 20th April 2025 the Dorrigo War Memorial was yet again damage, but this time by a couple that vandalized it by breaking a piece off.

Population

|1954|1080 |1961|1027 |1966|1111 |1971|1078 |1976|1152 |1981|1192 |1986|1167 |1991|1135 |1996|1013 |2001|969 |2006|967 |2011|1072 |2016|1042 |2021|1046

In the 2021 Census, there were 1,046 people in Dorrigo. 80.8% of people were born in Australia and 90.2% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 42.5%, Anglican 23.4% and Catholic 10.1%.

Attractions

Dorrigo is home to the planned Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum which is not yet open to the public. It houses the largest collection of railway vehicles and memorabilia from the various Government and private railways of New South Wales. It is one of the most comprehensive railway collections in the world, with items in the collection ranging from 1855 to the present day. The museum is not open to the public however the larger items such as steam engines and carriages can be viewed from outside the property. The nearby World Heritage listed Dorrigo National Park and New England National Park cater for persons interested in natural sights.

Dangar Falls

Dangar Falls are located about 1.2 km north of Dorrigo, on the Bielsdown River. The falls are small but picturesque, and are a popular photographic subject. For a short time after rain they are quite spectacular. There is an attractive picnic spot which offers excellent views. It is possible to climb down the banks and walk along the river below the water falls.

These falls are often confused with Dangars Falls, near Armidale, about 125 km to the west, along the Waterfall Way. For more information about Dangars Falls see the articles on Dangarsleigh and on the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

It is not recommended to jump from the falls as 3 persons have died since 2012

Dorrigo monument

The Dorrigo War Memorial is a stone column in the centre of the intersection of Waterfall Way and Hickory Street. It is a brown stone obelisk with the names of First World War servicemen and women carved into the stone in gold letters. The names of Servicemen and women and dedications from the Second World War are carved on plaques attached to the original stonework. A white stone statue of a soldier stands atop the memorial, facing east. The monument is surrounded by a small garden with ground lighting to illuminate the memorial at night.

Schools

• Dorrigo Public School
• Mt Saint John's Primary School
• Dorrigo High School

Media

A local newspaper, the Don Dorrigo Gazette, was first published in 1910. As of 2010, it was believed to be the last newspaper in Australia printed using hot metal typesetting. The final edition was published in late June 2023, with the owners announcing the paper's closure on 4 July 2023. Costs and increasing competition from social media were cited as reasons for its demise.

Climate

Dorrigo has an oceanic climate or highland subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfb). The average annual rainfall is almost 2,000mm, making Dorrigo one of the wettest towns in New South Wales.

|Jan record high C = 36.3 |Feb record high C = 38.0 |Mar record high C = 34.1 |Apr record high C = 28.0 |May record high C = 25.0 |Jun record high C = 25.0 |Jul record high C = 22.8 |Aug record high C = 29.5 |Sep record high C = 32.0 |Oct record high C = 34.6 |Nov record high C = 36.3 |Dec record high C = 34.5 |year record high C = 38.0 |Jan record low C = 7.5 |Feb record low C = 8.5 |Mar record low C = 6.0 |Apr record low C = 1.0 |May record low C = -3.0 |Jun record low C = -3.5 |Jul record low C = -3.0 |Aug record low C = -3.2 |Sep record low C = -0.4 |Oct record low C = -0.7 |Nov record low C = 3.9 |Dec record low C = 3.6 |year record low C = -3.5

Significant weather events

On 19 October 1913, a severe hailstorm struck Dorrigo, where hail fell for an hour, with hail banked up in many places. The storm caused hundreds of pounds of damage. On 6 August 1923, the first known snowfall occurred at Dorrigo.

On 24 June 1950, 636.0 mm of rain was recorded in the 24 hours to 9 am at Dorrigo Post Office. In the following 24 hours, to 9 am on 25 June 1950, a further 230.9 mm of rain was recorded at the same site. On 21 February 1954, Dorrigo's highest daily rainfall (in the 24 hours to 9 am) of 809.2 mm was recorded. This is also the highest daily rainfall total for anywhere in New South Wales. This was recorded at Myrtle Street in Dorrigo. Another Bureau of Meteorology site located at Dorrigo Post Office recorded 774.7 mm of rain within the same 24-hour period to 9 am on 21 February 1954. These heavy rainfall totals were associated with a tropical cyclone which had crossed the coast at Coolangatta and Tweed Heads late on 20 February 1954.

Notable people

• Brian Ferguson, principal of North Sydney Boys High School (2023–Present)
• Emma Darcy, novelist
• Mark Donaldson, soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
• Dylan Edwards, rugby league player
• AJ Gilbert, rugby union player
• Adam Gilchrist, cricketer
• Brett Parbery, dressage rider and trainer
• Margaret Rodgers, deaconess
• Buddy Williams, country musician
• Ray Wedgwood, engineer

Gallery

A Dorrigo homestead from The Powerhouse Museum Collection.jpg|A Dorrigo homestead, circa 1900. Dangar Falls Dorrigo-retouched-by-karstn.jpg|Dangar Falls at Dorrigo. Dorrigo Steam Trains.JPG|Engines and carriages on display outside the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum.

References

References

1. {{Census 2021 AUS
2. "Climatological Station Metadata -Dorrigo Post Office". Bureau of Meteorology.
3. (24 September 2012). "Oxley". Electoral Commission of New South Wales.
4. (21 November 2012). "Find my electorate: Dorrigo". [[Australian Electoral Commission]].
5. (8 February 2004). "Dorrigo". The Sydney Morning Herald.
6. Studies, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. (2021-09-09). "Map of Indigenous Australia".
7. (2024-06-19). "Dorrigo National Park, Bindarri National Park and Bindarri State Conservation Area plan of management".
8. "NSW Place and Road Naming Proposals System".
9. (2009). "History of the Dorrigo Area". Dorrigo Chamber of Commerce.
10. Bozier, Rolfe. "Dorrigo Branch". NSWrail.net.
11. (12 December 1924). "GLENREAGH-DORRIGO RAILWAY". National Library of Australia.
12. (2 November 2005). "Flash of lightning kills 68 dairy cows". Daily Telegraph.
13. "Statistics by Catalogue Number". Australian Bureau of Statistics.
14. "Search Census data". Australian Bureau of Statistics.
15. "Dangar Falls".
16. "Dangar Falls". Stevografix.
17. "Dangar Falls 31.3.09". ABC Contribute.
18. (11 April 2012). "Register of War Memorials in NSW". New South Wales Government, 2014.
19. Huxley, John. (1 March 2010). "News fit to print – hot-metal typesetting paper turns 100". The Sydney Morning Herald.
20. (2023-07-03). "Australia's last letterpress newspaper prints its final edition as costs, social media take a toll". ABC News.
21. "Dorrigo climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Dorrigo weather averages - Climate-Data.org".
22. "Wettest places by mean rainfall in New South Wales".
23. {{BoM Aust stats
24. (23 October 1913). "Storm at Dorrigo.". National Library of Australia.
25. (7 August 1923). "COUNTRY REPORTS.". National Library of Australia.
26. "Daily Rainfall for Dorrigo Post Office for 1950". Bureau of Meteorology.
27. "Daily Rainfall for Dorrigo (Myrtle St) for 1954". Bureau of Meteorology.
28. "New South Wales Weather Extremes". Bureau of Meteorology.
29. "Daily Rainfall for Dorrigo Post Office for 1954". Bureau of Meteorology.
30. Callaghan, J. "CASE STUDY: Gold Coast Cyclone, February 1954". Green Cross Australia.
31. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-ferguson-4a7a9b232/details/education/