State Border No Bar To Friendship
Newcastle Herald
Friday November 28, 2008
THE commercial hub of a vast agricultural and pastoral region, Goondiwindi sits on the border between NSW and Queensland.
The modern and progressive town sits at the junction of six highways the Newell, Cunningham, Leichhardt, Barwon, Bruxner and Gore. The Macintyre River is one of the town's significant assets.It keeps streets tree-lined and waters an abundance of well-kept gardens. The name Goondiwindi comes from the Aboriginal word "Goonawinna" which means "The Resting Place of the Birds". It was in 1827 that Alan Cunningham explored the area around what was later to become the township. Pastoral settlement in NSW was pushing north and by the 1840s sheep runs were being established on the Darling Downs. Teamsters bringing supplies to the Goondiwindi area came from Maitland. They camped on a rise where the boundaries of Umbercollie, Callandoon and Old Goondiwindi stations met. It was that hill that became the basis for a small settlement, which gradually came to include some permanent residents. Goondiwindi later became one of 14 border posts established before Federation to maintain tariff walls between the colonies. Customs duty was an important source of revenue in those early days. Customs House survives today as the town's museum. Modern-day Goondiwindi offers visitors a wide range of shopping, fine dining, comfortable accommodation and varied entertainment. More than 11,000 people live in the town and surrounding Waggamba and Moree Plains Shires. Voted Queensland's Friendliest Town in 2001, Goondiwindi is renowned for its country hospitality. Gunsynd, the "Goondiwindi Grey", was listed in 2004 as one of the top 12 Queensland icons. Purchased for a mere $1200 by four bush owners who only wanted to win a race on the local Goondiwindi track, Gunsynd showed that dreams can come true by becoming the champion racehorse of his era.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald
