Wilcannia New South Wales
Central Darling Council Chambers
Wilcannia
Coordinates	31°33?25?S 143°22?45?ECoordinates: 31°33?25?S 143°22?45?E
Population	549 (2016 census)[1]
Established	1866
Postcode(s)	2836
Elevation	75.0 m (246 ft)
Location	958 km (595 mi) from Sydney 196 km (122 mi) from Broken Hill 261 km (162 mi) from Cobar 335 km (208 mi) from Bourke
LGA(s)	Central Darling Shire
County	Young County
State electorate(s)	Barwon
Federal Division(s)	Parkes[2]
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 26.6 °C 80 °F 12.0 °C 54 °F 263.9 mm 10.4 in

Wilcannia is a small town located within the Central Darling Shire in north western New South Wales, Australia. This was the third largest inland port in the country during the great river boat era of the mid-19th century.^[3] At the 2016 census, Wilcannia had a population of 549.^[

History[edit]

The area lies in the traditional lands of the Barkindji people, who call the river “Baaka”.^[4]The name Wilcannia is said to be derived from an Aboriginal term for either “gap in the bank where floodwaters escape” or “wild dog”. Neither meaning has been linguistically verified.^[3]

In 1835, explorer Major Thomas Mitchell was the first European to the region, in which he traced the Darling River to what is now Menindee.^[5] In June 1866, the township of Wilcannia was proclaimed.^[5] In 1871, the population was 264, and grew to 1,424 by 1881.^[6] During the 1880s, Wilcannia reached its peak, and had a population of 3000 and 13 hotels and its own newspaper,^[5] the Western Grazier. It was, with Wentworth, Echuca, Mannum and Goolwa, one of the major Murray-Darling river ports which played a vital part in the transport of goods, notably wool and wheat, in the days of the paddle-steamers.

A visitor to the town described the river scene in 1890.

There are several wharves (so-called) which were merely graduated slopes cut out of the river bank, and in the wool season the river, in their vicinity, is thronged with steamers and barges, waiting for or unloading the season’s clip, for the bulk of it goes away either to Bourke, for Sydney, or to Wentworth, or Goolwa. A barge, laden withfrom 1,200 to 2,000 bales of wool is a pretty sight; and a still more interesting spectacle is a string of 30 or 40 camels, each carrying two bales, proceeding into town from some far back station.^[7]

Geography[edit]

Wilcannia is located where the Barrier Highway crosses the Darling River, 965 kilometres (600 mi) from Sydney. The environment is borderline semi-arid to desert with an annual rainfall of 255 millimetres (10.0 in). Wilcannia is located within the Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion (IBRA classification, Department of Environment), consisting of landscapes adapted to flooding. Common species include River Red Gum, Yellow Box, Oldman Saltbush and Lignum.

The surrounding area is very sparsely settled by pastoralists who have large land holdings, used primarily to run sheep. These holdings fall in the Western Division and the majority are held as 99-year leases.

Climate[edit]

Wilcannia has a semi-arid climate with hot summers and mild to cool winters. Mean maximum daily temperature in summer is 34 °C and in winter is 19 °C. The highest temperature recorded in Wilcannia was 50.0 °C (122.0 °F) on 11 January 1939.^[8] This was during the severe heatwave of January 1939.